View Full Version : Original Ralph Kramden Uniform sent to the RALPH fan club


The Great One
11-23-2006, 01:34 PM
In late 1983 Jackie Gleason sent an original Ralph Kramden uniform to the RALPH fan club because they were not successful in obtaining one from an auction they had attended. However, the club is no longer in existence. I was wondering if anyone knows if that uniform was ever auctioned off.
:confused:

W.B.
11-23-2006, 02:27 PM
I think it was donated to some museum, I just don't know which one.

Bill S.
11-24-2006, 10:35 PM
I think it was donated to some museum, I just don't know which one.
I thought Marilyn had it? I could've sworn I read that somewhere. There's always a possibility that she donated it to whatever museum you're talking about though, so we could both be right.

The Great One
11-26-2006, 03:50 PM
I thought Marilyn had it? I could've sworn I read that somewhere. There's always a possibility that she donated it to whatever museum you're talking about though, so we could both be right.

Which Marilyn are you talking about? :confused:

W.B.
11-26-2006, 05:01 PM
Which Marilyn are you talking about? :confused:
I presume the Marilyn in question would be Jackie's widow.

The Great One
11-26-2006, 05:11 PM
I presume the Marilyn in question would be Jackie's widow.

I would find it interesting if the RALPH fan club actually gave back the uniform after Jackie Gleason gave it to the club to keep for their own.
:confused:

Bill S.
11-26-2006, 08:33 PM
Just to clear things up, I was talking about Marilyn Gleason. Like I said, I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure she said she had something of Jackie's from The Honeymooners. I'll try and find out where I read this information and get back to you.

*ClassicPinUp*
11-26-2006, 08:47 PM
Just to clear things up, I was talking about Marilyn Gleason. Like I said, I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure she said she had something of Jackie's from The Honeymooners. I'll try and find out where I read this information and get back to you.

I know in the 2002 interview with Larry King she said she had his uniform & hat..-

KING: Do you keep a lot of Gleason stuff?

M. GLEASON: Oh, I have everything in vaults.

KING: Do you?

M. GLEASON: My son has put everything on computer.

KING: You have the bus driver's uniform?

M. GLEASON: Yes, and hat.

Bill S.
11-26-2006, 08:56 PM
I know in the 2002 interview with Larry King she said she had his uniform & hat..-

KING: Do you keep a lot of Gleason stuff?

M. GLEASON: Oh, I have everything in vaults.

KING: Do you?

M. GLEASON: My son has put everything on computer.

KING: You have the bus driver's uniform?

M. GLEASON: Yes, and hat.
There we go, that's exactly what I was talking about. I was actually just looking for the thread where you posted the link to that interview to see if it was the right one. Thanks. :wave:

BTW, I'd really love to know what her son has on his computer.

*ClassicPinUp*
11-26-2006, 09:00 PM
^ Me to! Wonder if he has any Lost Episodes that we've yet to see. I'd like to take a look into those vaults to :p.
BTW, your welcome! With all the questions I've bugged you with I'm glad I could do something lol.

Bill S.
11-26-2006, 09:45 PM
^ Me to! Wonder if he has any Lost Episodes that we've yet to see. I'd like to take a look into those vaults to :p.
I wouldn't be surprised if he had some unseen stuff, since most of what they have probably came from Jackie's personal vault. Now if there was only some way to get in contact with them...pissed:

BTW, your welcome! With all the questions I've bugged you with I'm glad I could do something lol.
Haha, don't worry about it. That's what we're here for isn't it? :)

*ClassicPinUp*
11-27-2006, 06:12 AM
Hey, did you ever hear about the dresser Jackie stuffed money into when he was first starting out (was put in storage)..that way if it didn't work out he wouldn't have to worry about being poor again? According to Audrey Meadows in Love, Alice that dresser still had not been found *book was published in (1994) I believe* Wonder if that was ever found! Uh sooo many mysteries- I wish someone would invent a time machine it would make solving things a whole lot easier :D.

The Great One
11-27-2006, 02:09 PM
Just to clear things up, I was talking about Marilyn Gleason. Like I said, I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure she said she had something of Jackie's from The Honeymooners. I'll try and find out where I read this information and get back to you.


On page 15 (xv) in the book "The Honeymooners Treasury" it shows a letter that Jackie Gleason wrote to the RALRH fan club. It reads as follows:

Dear members of RALPH:

I understand you had difficulty in receiving a supposed Ralph
Kramden uniform.
I have sent you the absolute genuine article, and want to take this
opportunity to wish you all the best. Thank you, from the bottom of
my heart, for your valued support!
How sweet it is!

Your friend,
Jackie Gleason


Definitely there was more than one original Ralph Kramden uniform. The
RALPH fan club has one, Marilyn Gleason has one, and there's even one
that's for sale for $35,000 from a collectibles dealer which I posted
information about in another thread. :)

T-Greg
11-27-2006, 04:32 PM
I know in the 2002 interview with Larry King she said she had his uniform & hat..-

KING: Do you keep a lot of Gleason stuff?

M. GLEASON: Oh, I have everything in vaults.

KING: Do you?

M. GLEASON: My son has put everything on computer.

KING: You have the bus driver's uniform?

M. GLEASON: Yes, and hat.

Marilyn's son (Jackie's stepson) is Craig Horwich. They both had small roles in Smokey and the Bandit 3:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086325/fullcredits

I spoke with Craig on the phone a number of years ago about Gleason. At the time, I was unaware that he was Jackie's stepson, and he never led on that he was.

I seem to recall that one of the bus driver uniforms was on Ebay a couple of years ago. There were several of them that were used, so no one has the only one.

The Great One
11-27-2006, 05:28 PM
I seem to recall that one of the bus driver uniforms was on Ebay a couple of years ago. There were several of them that were used, so no one has the only one.

Thanks for posting this. That is what I thought concerning there being more than one bus driver uniform.

*ClassicPinUp*
11-27-2006, 06:15 PM
There were several of them that were used, so no one has the only one.
Yeah I would think with the way Jackie went up & down with his weight so much there would have to be several. Well that & they would get worn out to much.

Bill S.
11-27-2006, 07:33 PM
Hey, did you ever hear about the dresser Jackie stuffed money into when he was first starting out (was put in storage)..that way if it didn't work out he wouldn't have to worry about being poor again? According to Audrey Meadows in Love, Alice that dresser still had not been found *book was published in (1994) I believe* Wonder if that was ever found! Uh sooo many mysteries- I wish someone would invent a time machine it would make solving things a whole lot easier :D.
I think I remember reading about that somewhere, probably in Love, Alice. I'm surprised that they wouldn't be able to find a dresser, especially if it was put in storage.