Hey, Ralphie boy!

When I was a kid, on Saturday night, we always watched The Jackie Gleason Show. Anything else would've been heresy. I always loved all of the characters that Gleason portrayed, especially Joe The Bartender (no surprise there). Then, in 1966 the format of the show changed. For the first time I watched The Honeymooners. I had never even heard of the original version that aired, surprisingly, for only one year in 1955. For me, Alice was Sheila MacCrea and Trixie was Jane Kean. Plus, it was a musical. It was the funniest thing I'd ever seen on television and part of what made it so damn funny was Art Carney.

Later, when I became older and "wiser," I was introduced to the original series. I really learned to appreciate the magic that happens when two great great talents mesh so perfectly in a comedic dance for half an hour. That Gleason never rehearsed gave the show its edge, but it was Art Carney who was the show's foundation.

My favorite episode was the one where Norton is sharing the TV with Ralph, and comes down to watch his favorite show in Ralph's apartment while wearing a "space helmet." My favorite exchange comes from another episode:

Ralph: "Address the ball, Norton!"
Ed: "HELLOOOO BALL!"

I could go on and on. But suffice it to say that one of the true greats has passed from our presence. Thankfully, he left much on the record for us to remember him by. And even though he's gone, he can still make us laugh. That's something to treasure these days.

File under Current Events.

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