Collecting the Autographs of the Honeymooners

The Honeymooners made their first televised appearance in Jackie Gleason's first variety series, the Cavalcade of Stars, on October 5, 1951. It was a live broadcast on the DuMont Network.

Jackie Gleason played the part of Ralph Kramden. Pert Kelton was his wife, Alice. Art Carney briefly appeared as a policeman. Upstairs neighbors, Ed and Trixie Norton, soon became a regular part of the cast. Art Carney assumed the part of Ed and Elaine Stritch played Trixie.

The Cavalcade of Stars soon moved to CBS. Audrey Meadows took over the part of Alice and Joyce Randolph assumed the part of Trixie.

The early Honeymooners skits were all less than ten minutes in length. As the skits became more popular with the public, they increased in length to the point where many were close to 30 minutes.

The Honeymooners became a stand-alone series for the 1955-1956 season. Gleason and his writers felt stifled by the confines of situation comedy. Hard to imagine today, but as a stand-alone series it was not well received by the audience. After 39 episodes, Gleason returned to variety. The Honeymooners appeared as sketch comedy within Gleason's variety show for the next season, then disappeared.

Gleason moved his operations to Miami in 1964. The Honeymooners appeared in occasional skits in his show. Art Carney was again Ed Norton. Sue Ann Langdon was Alice. Particia Wilson was Trixie. Sheila MacRae and Jean Kean took over the parts when Gleason placed the Honeymooners in some musical specials.

The key autograph from the Honeymooners is Jackie Gleason (1916-1987). Jackie Gleason was a willing signer in person, but many of his "through the mail" autographs are secretarial. A genuine autograph is not hard to find, but a vintage one from his "Honeymooner" days might take awhile to locate and it could be expensive when one is found. Expect to pay in the $200 range for a Gleason signed photo. A signature will cost about half that. Jackie Gleason is one of those autographs that one should grab when he finds a very good one at a fair price. I remember seeing a signed poster with a witty inscription on eBay of Gleason as Reginald Van Gleason. It was inscribed to a now defunct museum (of sorts) in Panama City, Florida. The poster had seen better days, but it was one of a kind and would have looked great in a frame. I still regret not bidding high enough to win it.

Audrey Meadows (1926-1996) was a responsive signer in person and through the mail. Her autograph is still inexpensive and easy to find. Signed photos can be found for less than $50. Signatures sell for about half that. Don't be fooled by the "autograph" in her autobiography "Love, Alice." Her autograph in that book is most often a part of the printing process, just like the rest of the book. I'm sure she did authentically sign many copies of the book; however, most that I have seen were not authentically signed. On eBay most sellers who list them as genuine, genuinely think that they are legit. Not long before her death she signed and numbered 5,000 Honeymooners comic books (Lodestone Publishing, 1986). These show up occasionally on eBay and they are nice collectibles.

Art Carney (1918-2003) was a generous signer. He belongs on the "best through the mail signers of all time list." In retirement, it wasn't unusual for Carney to have your items signed and in your mailbox within a week. I have "through the mail" autographs from Carney on photos, Honeymooners VHS boxes and index cards. He would draw caricature self-portraits when asked. Collectors would send him a golf ball and he'd inscribe it with "Hello Ball" (from the classic sketch where he was teaching Ralph how to address a golf ball). Since he was such a prolific signed, autographs are still inexpensive. Signed photos can be found for as little as $25. Signatures sell for half that, maybe a little less. Those sketches that he signed through the mail bring a bit more, maybe as much as $50 for a nice one.

Joyce Randolph (1924 -) is as responsive to autograph collectors as Art Carney was - she just isn't asked quite as often. I have VHS boxes and index cards that both she and Carney signed. In retirement, she still signs. If asked she will provide one of her current photos free of charge. If a collector has something vintage he would like signed, he should send it - she will sign it. Signed photos sell for about $25. Signatures sell for half that, maybe a little less.

There is high demand for Honeymooners cast photos. Caution should be exercised when shopping for cast signed photos which include Gleason. I'm sure that there are genuine ones on the market, but they are rarer than a lot of people think. Individual signatures matted with a vintage photo is probably more prudent.

There will be no better time than today to put together a Honeymooners autograph collection. Several of the cast members that are easy to find today will become scarce in the future as the supply dries up. The Honeymooners episodes will be enjoyed for many, many years to come and collectors will continue to search for autographs. The easy ones today will become tough as the years past.