Only Joyce Randolph of the quartet of Honeymooners is still with us(Audrey Meadows died in 1996, and Jackie Gleason died in 1987). RIP, Art Carney. Say hi to Jackie for us.

He was on WML...they just showed his MG appearance about a month or so ago....he did a fantastic, hilarious John Daly impersonation. Indeed RIP

This whole episode was spoofed in a "Pinky & the Brain" segment on Animaniacs, when Brain appeared on "Gyparody!", attempting to win $99,000. He nailed every answer until Final Gyparody, where he met his match: This classic TV character is known for saying "Bang! Zoom! Right in the kisser!" Brain, who continuously ignored Pinky's impressions of Ralphie-boy throughout the cartoon, came up blank!

If only they did "$10,000 Pile'o'Mud"...

It was not by accident that the Honeymooners ended up filming an episode on the BTC set. Phil Rossi's dad Frank Wayne worked BTC; Phil spent many days on the set as a kid. Phil says that for a time the two shows were neighbors - one at what's now the Ed Sullivan Theatre, and the other at the theater on the adjacent side street (I'm too lazy to look up the studio number and address - perhaps Bricon can add that info from his encyclopedic knowledge of the old NY theaters). As Phil remembers it, they shared an alley.

Phil recalls that Gleason would often visit BTC on his breaks. He enjoyed watching the rehearsals and was said to have been interested in the ideas for physical comedy that the stunts generated for him. After many visits he finally asked if he could have an episode of the Honeymooners which included their appearance on BTC.

It was the only location outside of their own Honeymooners studio that was at all practical because Gleason was using the "Electronicam" system of simultaneous film and video that he helped develop with the DuMonttechnicians. The cameras were unique and heavy monsters that couldn't easily be taken anywhere further than the adjacent theater.

And the rest is history ;-)


Randy
tvrandywest.com

I remember that. Very funny show as they all were. I do forget who it
was who played the emcee. Anyone remember?

That would be studio 52, later renamed studio 54 (on 54th Street) when it became a popular disco.

My recollection is that the BTC episode was not one of the 39 Electronicam episodes but rather one of the CBS kines or "lost episodes". My hunch is that they were both done in the same theater and they merely schlepped the BTC set (a couple of walls and curtains) to the Gleason theater, as part of the story was in the Kramden apartment and part on the BTC set.

Tic Tac Dough emcee Jay Jackson.

Many collectors have an episode of Tic Tac Dough that Jackson hosted. He also took over the reins for Twenty Questions somewhere into its run.

Also, Art Carney's game show credits include WML? Mystery Guest appearances in both the CBS and syndie versions, Personality with Larry Blyden and a memorable IGAS episode where he filled in for Bill Cullen and the guests were baseball greats including Cy Young. This was one of the first cigarette-sponsored IGAS shows that GSN aired under their "Lost Episodes" umbrella just before the Dark Period.

IIRC they used the actual clock from "Beat the Clock"...or a reasonable fascimile, right down to the Sylvania logo.

...and Ralph was asked who wrote "Swanee River." After stammering a bit ("Homina homina homina...") he finally squeaks out "Ed Norton?!" (Correct answer: Stephen Foster.)

Don't forget Carney's very obvious game show tie: he played a radio announcer in the 1940 Jimmy Stewart film "Pot O' Gold," which is set around a radio game show. It was Carney's first major film role.

Unfortunately this 1955 episode hasn't aired since, falling victim to GSN's strange decision to skip over most IGAS episodes from 1952-1956 on BW Overnight.

I do hope GSN does some sort of a tribute, at least on BW Overnight. They certainly have enough episodes to choose from, from Art's appearances on WML, IGAS, and The Name's the Same.

Well be sure to say "hello" to Ralph Kramden. He brives a dus.