Hi All...

I'm a playwright in Chicago considering doing a Honeymooners piece. It would be set in the early in Gleason's career, during the Cavalcade of Stars days, when the Honeymooners first began. I'd show what it must have been like in the early days of TV at Dumont, portray Gleason & Carney and the rest.

I'm wondering if anyone has knowledge of what Honeymooners material, if any, is in public domain currently. Is Cavalcade of Stars, in general, free and clear? Are any of the early Honeymooners skits free to use? I know the Classic 39 is owned by CBS and off limits.

Much appreciate the feedback of fans/experts.

You might try emailing Paul Brownstein. His website address is www.tvclassics.com He is/was the distributor of the Color Honeymooners and Gleason's American Scene Magazine. MPI has the distribution rights to the Color Honeymoners and Lost episodes.

Thanks for the advise. I will definitely email him. I've got a meeting with Bruce Dumont here in Chicago, father founder of the Dumont network. Should get some answers from him.

It's difficult getting exact answers without paying hundreds an hour to an entertainment lawyer. I mean, can I use plots from the lost Dumont episodes? Can I use ANYTHING from the Classic 39? Can I use the characters in a totally original context, say if I wrote my own Honeymooners script? Can I use catch phrases like "Bang! Zoom!" or "Va-va-va-voom!" in a new context? You'd think you can't copywright a word or phrase. These are the questions I need answered.