Next to Audrey Meadows as Alice Kramde
Audrey Meadows plays Alice Kramden, Ralph’s patient, outspoken, and quick-witted wife. Alice is known for her sharp retorts and her ability to hold her ground in verbal spats with her husband. Her chemistry with Jackie Gleason is palpable, and their exchanges add depth and authenticity to the Kramden marriage.
Meadows’ performance as Alice was a significant departure from the usual portrayal of women in 1950s sitcoms and was groundbreaking at the time. She portrayed a strong, independent female character who was not afraid to challenge her husband when necessary, and paved the way for more complex and powerful female characters on television.
Meadows is best known for her role in Honeymooners and has acted sporadically since then. She was most notable for playing Ted Knight’s mother-in-law on the 1980s sitcom Too Close for Comfort. In 1994, she wrote the memoir Love, Alice: My Life as a Honeymooner as a tribute to her television husband. Meadows died at the age of 71 in 1996.
Did you know?
Fans may be surprised to learn that Meadows was the only cast member to receive residual payments for the show. Her shrewd manager had anticipated the prospect of “reruns” in the early days of television, and she was one of the first actors to stipulate that if the show aired in future timeslots, she would be paid royalties. Today, this is a standard contractual provision for all television work.
Another interesting fact is that Audrey Meadows was not the original choice for Alice. The role was originally played by Pert Kelton when the character was introduced in Cavalcade of Stars. However, Kelton’s career was affected by the Hollywood blacklist during the Red Scare era. This led to her being replaced by Audrey Meadows when the show became a series. Meadows brought a different energy to the character and made it her own. She eventually became an iconic part of the show’s legacy.
