Remembering A Comedy Great

Tom Watson has a wonderful piece on the original Honeymooners and the late, great Jackie Gleason — the person who TRULY deserved the phrase “the Great One.”

This MUST be read in full but people of all ages. The new Honeymooners movie will be out, featuring a talented black cast and, reportedly, it features some of the shows’ best material — and from all reports the original strong writing still works.

Younger people: Gleason was the inspiration for Fred Flintstone and the Honeymooners was the inspiration for The Flintstones as a show.

In this passage, Watson notes how Daily News columnist Dennis Hammill went back to the street where the Honeymooners was set, actually Gleason’s old neighborhood:

With the all-black Honeymooners flick on screens, Hamill figured he’d see if anyone from the old block remembered Jackie Gleason. You can sense his surprise at what he found: not only do they remember Gleason, there’s a movement afoot in Bed-Stuy to rename Chauncey Street for the great comedian. …

We don’t want to give away the rest. Read it and (sorry Peggy Noonan for borrowing your word) savor it.

PS: We have a post we’re working on that’ll explain a few of the minor changes planned here at TMV. One will be an occasional “appreciation” post of an entertainer. From the start, Gleason has been high on our list. DVDs of his work hold up exceptionally well today…and aspiring comedians need to study them.