"The Honeymooners" just came in as the 2nd funniest TV comedy of all time in at a poll reported by NYPost.com.
One of the cable channels is running the old Honeymooners shows in the early AM, and I've been recording and watching them. And they really are funny. A viewer can actually have some real laughs at those shows, unlike the comedies of today which sometimes don't even earn a smile at their best.
One that played the other night showed how the Kramdens and the Nortons celebrated Ed Norton's birthday. Ralph and Alice took Ed and Trixie out to a movie for the evening. A night at the movies was the cheapest thing Ralph could come up with, and he managed to place all the credit on that decision on Alice. But that just led up to the big joke.
Cut to the movie theater entrance. The foursome exit the theater pushing a big TV set that Ed won by holding the lucky ticket. Since Ralph purchased the tickets his reaction is predictable. But the buildup is true comedic art. You can see Ralph moping around in the background, barely holding back his rage at the unfairness of it all. You can see the joke coming a mile away, but Jackie Gleason's timing is terrific. And they pull off a very funny joke.
Watch it to see if you agree. Youtube link.
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