Review: Honeymooning Behind The Scenes

[Frank Gannucci]

Review: Honeymooning Behind The Scenes
DVD: Attached to the Honeymooners Christmas Special

The title of this extra is not to be confused with the extra that is similarly named on The Honeymooners movie that I believe ironically is called: Honeymooners Behind The Scenes.

The special opens with the first few seconds of the syndicated version of the Color Honeymooners opening. This is basically another Jean Kean interview with publicity pictures of the Color Honeymooners and pictures of the Honeymooners specials shown. In the background is the set that was used for the Honeymooners Specials. She says that they all had a crazy schedule during filming because Jackie didn't rehearse but he would come by in the golf cart and look at the script. Jackie would erase what he didn't want to say then he would leave and tell the chef what he wanted for dinner. Then, he would disappear with his last words to the cast would be: “Learn the lines.” The blocking would come the day of the show was taped. Jean: “Very rarely would we have to go back and do something.” Before and after pictures of the final scene of the Honeymooners Valentine's Special were shown. What were the pictures? One picture showed the cast in the electric kitchen and the next shot showed some of the appliances exploding. Jean said that the reason why Jackie didn't do anything twice was because an audience wouldn't laugh twice at the same joke and scene. Jean: “Jackie never liked to use a laugh track. That laughter was genuine.

Jean said that working with Art was great. He was a treat all the time. She said that Art and Jackie couldn't be any more different. Art was shy while Jackie was out there. If Art was at a party, he would be at the piano (if there was one) and stay there all night (and probably not warm up to every song by playing “Swanee River.”) Jackie was very generous to Art. For some shows, he would let him have the whole show. Jean would say that Jackie thought Art was the funniest and that he wanted Art to be great. Jean: “They got along. Wonderful team. He wouldn't do the Honeymooners without Art. Jackie was a genius. He was a good stage comedian and actor. I think Art Carney was a genius in the same way. He was a fine actor and God knows he was funny. They were a great team. I am sorry there will never be another tandem like them.”

Audrey turned the remake down because she was married to Bob Sixx who was the head of the Continental Airlines and she liked to travel with him. That is when Shelia MacRae came in. After some time, they did the ABC Specials and Audrey was willing to do those. Jean: “Working with Audrey was different than Shelia because during Shelia's first rehearsal, she played Alice much softer. Jackie reprimanded her for that. Shelia says that her Alice is softer and cries. Jackie's response was: 'Not on my show because then the people will hate me.' That was why at the end he would always say: 'Baby, you're the greatest.' Audrey had that drive. She could top him. Shelia felt differently about the role.”

Jean said that it was a great era. Jean: “Unfortunately, there are not many shows today that are like that. I like to work with people who if the line is wrong or the book isn't right, that they go right along with it and don't make a big thing out of it because we all like to improvise and we should be able to. I think that I enjoyed working with Jackie and Art more than anybody in the business. It was a great experience. Never be another one like that.”

This special feature is almost like an edited version of the same as the Jean Kean interview entitled: “A Talk with Trixie.” Since I haven't scene that special feature in a long time, as I was doing this review, I feared that MPI just edited “A Talk with Trixie” and just put it on this DVD rather than give us another rare special feature. In other words, if you bought this Christmas Special DVD just for this interview and you already have “A Talk with Trixie”, then you are almost wasting your money.