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Jackie Gleason-(Ralph Kramden)

How Sweet It Is Sound

Born: Herbert John Gleason on Feb. 26, 1916

His father, who was an insurance clerk, had abandoned the family then Jackie was eight years old. His mother worked as a token booth attendant in a subway. At the age of fifteen he won the amateur-night contest at Brooklyn's Halsey Theater, and was hired that same night to work as emcee for $3.00 a week. Next he worked at Brooklyn's Folly Theater. When he wasn't doing stage shows, he worked as a MC for touring carnivals, a DJj, a daredevil driver, and an exhibition diver in the water follies.

When he began to work in more famous nightclubs, he acquired a reputatation for brash humor and fast ad libs. While he was working at Club 18 in New York, he was discovered by movie head Jack Warner who signed him to a contract. He made five films in Hollywood, then returned to New York for Broadway musicals. He made his TV debut on Ed Sullivan's Toast of the Town. In 1949, he played Chester A. Riley in the series The Life of Riley. From there, he returned to stage shows and nightclubs. In 1950, a brief engagement on DuMont's Cavalcade of Stars made him an overnight TV sensation. He remained on Cavalcade of Stars for 2 years, creating most of his famous characterizations (Ralph Kramden, Joe the Bartender, Charlie Bratton, The Poor Soul, and Reggie Van Gleason III.)

He has been called "The Great One," and the "Noel Coward of Toots Shor's," yet for all his achievements in over half a century, he is doubtlessly best known from 20.5 hours of syndicated situation comedy -- the 'classic' thirty-nine episodes of The Honeymooners.

Jackie Gleason passed away on June 24th, 1987 at the age of 71.

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Audrey Meadows-(Alice Kramden)

One Of These Days Pow Sound

Born: on February 8th, 1926 in Wu Chang, China, to missionary parents

Audrey Meadows spoke nothing but Chinese until she came to the United States with her family. She was going to study for a career in journalism until her sister Jayne persuaded her to try show business. She made her debut as a coloratura soprano at Carnegie Hall when she was sixteen, and later moved to TV on 'The Bob and Ray Show'. Meadows was headliningin the Broadway hit 'Top Banana' when she heard that Gleason was casting for the part of Alice in 'The Honeymooners'. She was awarded an Emmy in 1954 for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal as Alice Kramden.

Audrey Meadows joined The Honeymooners when the show left the DuMont network for CBS in 1952, after having to persuade a skeptical Jackie Gleason that she could look frumpy and bone-tired. Gleason thought she was too young and attractive for the part so she hired a photographer to take pictures of her at her most disheveled and rushed them over to Jackie. The shots won him over and she remained with the show until it left New York, returning once in 1966 for the last black-and-white Honeymooners ("The Adoption," broadcast from Miami), and for the ABC specials.

Audrey Meadows passed away due to lung cancer on February 3rd, 1996 -- five days before her 70th birthday.

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Joyce Randolph-Trixie

Eleven Sound

Born: Joyce Sirola in Detroit, Michigan in 1925. She was only nineteen when she joined a road company of Stage Door. From there she went to New York and a revival of Abie's Irish Rose, and later, a Broadway run of A Goose for rhe Gander with Gloria Swanson. Although she continued to appear in Broadway musicals through the 1940's and into the 1950s, she became increasingly active in early TV, appearing with such superstars as Eddie Cantor, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Danny Thomas, and Fred Allen. From appearances on General Electric's early experimental television programs, she went on to roles on Four Star Revue and Colgate Comedy Hour. Even before The Honeymooners, Joyce Randolph worked with Audrey Meadows in a summer-stock production Of No, No, Nanette. She first worked with Jackie Gleason on Cavalcade of Stars in a serious role, and was later called back to play Trixie Norton -- a role which she continued to play until The Honeymooners left New York. In 1993, Mrs. Randolph was named U.S.O. Woman of the Year for her dedication to the organization and its cause.

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Art Carney-(Ed Norton)

Hey Ralphie Boy Sound

Born: William Matthew Carney on November 4th, 1918 in Mt. Vernon, New York

Art Carney won an Oscar in 1975 for his first starring movie role -- in 'Harry and Tonto' -- although he never had an acting lesson.

Although he was particularly well known from the early 1950s on as Ed Norton, he was also much in demand as a serious actor, appearing on Suspense, Studio One, Kraft Theatre, Playhouse 90, Climax!, and Best of Broadway.