The Jackie Gleason Show

Did You Know?

• The Honeymooners skits were so popular that in 1955 Gleason suspended the variety format to film a half-hour sitcom, television's first spin-off, which ran for 39 episodes.
• In 1961, Gleason hosted a game show called You're in the Picture that lasted only one episode; he apologized on air the following week and renamed the series The Jackie Gleason Show as a short-lived talk show.

Cavalcade of Stars

Gleason's first variety series, Cavalcade of Stars, aired on the DuMont Television Network beginning June 4, 1949. The show initially had Jack Carter as host, followed by Jerry Lester, who left in June 1950 to host Broadway Open House on NBC. Gleason took over on July 15, 1950, after making his mark filling in for William Bendix on The Life of Riley sitcom, and became an immediate sensation. The program was broadcast live before a theater audience and offered vaudevillian entertainment typical of early television revues.

Guests included New York-based performers such as Bert Wheeler, Smith and Dale, Patricia Morison, and Vivian Blaine. Production values were modest due to DuMont's limited facilities and a thrifty sponsor, Quality Drugs. In 1952, CBS president William S. Paley offered Gleason a higher salary to move networks; the series was retitled The Jackie Gleason Show and premiered on CBS on September 20, 1952. In 1953, CBS orchestral accordionist John Serry Sr. made a cameo appearance.

Despite the destruction of much DuMont programming, a number of Cavalcade episodes survive at the UCLA Film and Television Archive and the Paley Center for Media. Author David Weinstein noted that the DuMont version featured six commercial breaks per hour, each a single one-minute commercial, as an early move away from the single-sponsor system.

Format

The show typically opened with a monologue from Gleason, followed by sketch comedy with regular performers including Art Carney, and a musical interlude featuring the June Taylor Dancers. Gleason portrayed recurring characters such as supercilious playboy Reginald Van Gleason III, friendly Joe the Bartender, loudmouthed Charlie Bratton, dipsomaniac Rum Dum, mild-mannered Fenwick Babbitt, the Bachelor, bombastic Rudy the Repairman, the Poor Soul performed in pantomime, pitchman Stanley R. Sogg, and blowhard bus driver Ralph Kramden.

The series was a major hit for CBS, finishing at #8 in the Nielsen ratings for 1953–1954 and #2 for 1954–1955. It earned Emmy nominations for best variety series in 1953, 1954, and 1955, and won Emmys for Audrey Meadows as best supporting actress in 1955, Art Carney as best supporting actor in 1954 and 1955, and June Taylor for choreography in 1955. Gleason never received an Emmy.

American Scene Magazine (1962–1965)

In 1962, Gleason returned to the variety format with American Scene Magazine, officially titled The Jackie Gleason Show. It was initially taped in New York City, then moved to Miami Beach in 1964 at Gleason's insistence, causing commuting difficulties for announcer Johnny Olson. Gleason's monologue each week was interrupted by bandleader Sammy Spear's flamboyant jackets. Recurring characters included Ralph Kramden, Reggie Van Gleason, the Poor Soul, and others. Frank Fontaine appeared as 'Crazy' Guggenheim in Joe the Bartender skits. June Taylor's chorus routines revived Busby Berkeley-style aerial formations. The show finished #17 for 1962–1963, #15 for 1963–1964, #21 for 1964–1965, and #24 for 1965–1966.

The Jackie Gleason Show (1966–1970)

In fall 1966, the title reverted to The Jackie Gleason Show, dropping the American Scene format, and continued until cancellation in 1970. Episodes included guest stars and skits, with musical Honeymooners episodes (later collected as The Color Honeymooners) featuring Sheila MacRae and Jane Kean as Alice and Trixie. The regular cast included Art Carney; Milton Berle was a frequent guest. The show was shot in color on videotape at the Miami Beach Auditorium, and Gleason promoted Miami Beach on camera.

Later specials were taped at the Olympia Theatre's Gusman Center. The show earned Emmy nominations for Carney in 1966 and for variety series and writing in 1967; Carney won Emmys in 1967 and 1968. It ranked #5 in 1966–1967 and #9 in 1967–1968. Music was composed by Milton Kaye.

At the end of the 1968–1969 season, the show ranked #25 and was renewed. For the 1969–1970 season, Gleason lost about 60 pounds, and the show explained Ralph Kramden's weight loss similarly.