Product Details

• Actors: Jackie Gleason, Art Carney, Audrey Meadows, Joyce Randolph, Jack Lescoulie
• Format: Box set, Black & White, Closed-captioned, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: Spanish
• Dubbed: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 5
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Paramount
• DVD Release Date: November 4, 2003
• Run Time: 1016 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (317 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000BV1XX
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,213 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "The Honeymooners - Classic 39 Episodes" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Get the bag. As The Honeymooners continues to get bumped from late-night TV schedules across the nation--by laughably unfunny shows such as Friends and Murphy Brown no less--legions of Honeymoonies will need to get their fix in other ways. This set--the Honeymoonie's Holy Grail--contains all 39 episodes from the legendary 1955-1956 season. There's no commentary from some "expert" who compares Ralph to gods from Greek mythology or memories from some assistant producer--it's just the meat, and that's enough to make any fan salivate. This was the only season that The Honeymooners had a life of its own apart from the Jackie Gleason Show, and as much as we tried to welcome the "Lost Episodes" into our family, they very rarely matched the high quality of the classic 39. Rather than sequence them in order, the producers have decided to group them by eight different themes including Ralph's jealous nature, his life at the Gotham Bus Company, his friendship with Norton, domestic troubles, and financial woes. Sometimes this approach is a bit forced, but it does illustrate why The Honeymooners is the ultimate situation comedy: You can show them out of order. No matter what happens to the Bensonhurst foursome, Ralph will still work for the bus company, Norton in the sewer. They'll be struggling to get by, passing the time bowling, shooting pool, arguing with the wives, and dreaming of a better day. And it's in the mundanity of everyday life that The Honeymooners finds boundless humor. Even when the events were anything but mundane--bank robbers, counterfeiters, TV commercials, game shows, golf dates with The Boss--the real story and the best jokes were about the reality of their lives and the realization that, because of marriage and friendship, they didn't really have it so bad after all. The chemistry between Jackie Gleason and Art Carney still amazes after all these years. Audrey Meadows's Alice is the perfect foil for Ralph, stern but sympathetic. And Joyce Randolph's Trixie? Well, let's just call her "earnest." Still, for all of Norton's frenetic energy and Alice's wisdom, the show belongs to Ralph Kramden. Somehow, Gleason took a chauvinistic, paranoid, insensitive, scheming, bitter, loudmouth, underachieving bus driver and made him a hero to millions. --Marc Greilsamer

Product Description

Ralph Kramden is a New York bus driver who dreams of a better life. With his eccentric good friend, Ed Norton the sewer worker, he constantly tries crackpot schemes to strike it rich. All the while, his exasperated wife, Alice, is always there to bring him down to earth or to pick him up if he beats her to it. For as much as they fight, even dunderhead Ralph knows that she is the greatest and vice versa.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

265 of 273 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Still GREAT after all these years... November 9, 2003

By Anthony Paul

Format:DVD

I'm sure that anyone spending the time reading reviews of this Honeymooners Box Set, doesn't need any reassurance as to the show itself. What more needs to be said about Ralph and the gang? The great 39 episodes never fail to deliver. The Honeymooners remain the prime example of television comedy at it's zenith. The show, while serving as a wonderful time capsule of it's era, is astoundingly fresh, having aged beautifully. *********About the Box Set************As I read other reviews here I realize that there is some confusion regarding this set. It almost makes me believe that there is another box set floating around. Anyway, the one I am referring to was just released November 2003...(not sure why even Amazon has it listed as 2000). I see that others are complaining that the shows are not chronologically placed on the discs, but grouped thematically. While that would be a little annoying to me as well, such is NOT the case with the set I purchased...all are in the order that they were originally aired with the airdates given. Another complaint that I've seen posted is in regards to the quality of the transfers themselves. Once again, I can't imagine that these reviewers are seeing the same Box Set as I am. I am a rather picky viewer and try to stay informed...I've never seen the show look or sound better. Glorious Black and White. (I will attest to the fact that the episode "TV or Not TV" does not look or sound as good as the rest, probably inherant in the source material...not a biggie though). As far as extras...not much here. The Anniversary special included here is a shortened version and isn't all that informative or even necessary for that matter. Yes, it would have been nice to have more extras...interviews, commentary, bio's, etc..., but for the price of this set, you are getting the gold, which is the show itself. I think CBS/Paramount realized that people are becoming wary of large, expensive box sets, and aren't purchasing them. Case in point...Fox went all out in their release of Mary Tyler Moore Season One. Great packaging, loaded with extras, great transfers. Now they are claiming that it didn't sell enough to warrant their releasing of any further seasons. So fans are left hanging with a great Box Set of Season One...with no more to come. Ridiculous! ( Fans of that show have started a petition...if interested go to mtmshow.com) ******All in all, since the Honeymooners only had one season filmed, it could have been released with more extras, but with a show of this caliber it certainly stands on it's own merit. For under $40, to have the complete Honeymooners crisp on clear on DVD...how can you complain?

68 of 70 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Baby, you're the greatest. August 27, 2003

By Timothy Masterson

Format:DVD

Having been born 24 years after the initial showing of the Honeymooners, I might not be the target audience that came to mind when this DVD collection was assembled. Funny is funny, however, and these "Classic 39" episodes of the Honeymooners are the funniest half hours ever shown on television and the greatest situation comedy of all time.

You just don't see shows like this now. Nothing is this well acted or this well written. And nothing is just this funny. This is a husband and wife struggling to get by and they look like it, too. This "Friends" where the cast lives like millionaires. This isn't "Fraiser" where they work in some high-profile industry. Ralph drives a bus and Norton works in the sewer (an "underground engineer.") The Kramdens and Norton are real people and real neighbors.

What made the show work so well was the actors. Jackie Gleason owns the material. He doesn't even have to say a word to provide a hilarious moment. Just watch him stew, his face contort while listening to his mother-in-law just prior to his famous blabbermouth rant.

Audrey Meadows is perfect. When Gleason sets 'em up, Meadows' Alice knocks 'em down like no one else. Ralph: "The bills will get bigger & bigger, and I'll get less to eat. Then you know what I'll look like?" Alice: "Yeah, a human being." Episode after episode, she deadpans cut down and cut down with deadly accuracy.

Art Carney's Norton should have his own statue in Washington DC. A terrific actor playing the part perfectly. Like Meadows, Carney has an uncanny chemistry with Gleason. You really can feel the history between the two characters, as if they've been best friends for long enough to be close friends and long enough to get on each others nerves all the time.

Likewise, you get the same feeling between Ralph and Alice as well as Norton and Trixie, who -- played by Joyce Randolph -- is the perfect match for screwball Norton.

And of course, there is every else that made the show so great. Bert Weedemeyer, Mr. Marshall, the Friendly Raccoons and Haaaaaarrrrrvy.

Every episode has one belly laugh moment and at least a half dozen great lines. I'm buying two sets. One for myself and one for my - Brooklyn born and raised - dad for Christmas.

60 of 62 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent DVD package February 26, 2005

By Lewis Brague

Format:DVD

The DVD package I received from Amazon was absolutely perfect! As others have noted, the 5 DVDs are individually packaged with a photo and a brief plot outline for each episode. The photo is of an actual scene from the specific episode and always one which is central to the plot. In addition, each episode is titled ("The Sleepwalker", "The Golfer", etc.)

Personally, I liked the fact that, after you have viewed an episode, the DVD brings you back to the Menu rather than beginning a new episode automatically. I think that I would have a tendency to just continue watching episode after episode and probably overdose.

My DVD package has the 39 episodes in chronological order(from 1-39) with episodes 1-8 on DVD #1, 9-16 on DVD #2, etc. The 5th DVD has episodes 33-39 and also has Special Features. The Special Features(which I have not viewed yet) consists of two items: 1) The Honeymooners Anniversary Special, and 2) Original series opening and closings not seen since 1956. As I have stated, I have not seen the Special Features yet, so I do not know what #2 is but just in case you're wondering: each one of the 39 episodes on this DVD set DOES begin with the little musical intro and the announcer's voice that fans are so used to hearing before the start of the show.

In all honesty, I don't think I would change anything at all about this DVD set. For me, it is perfect! As I have said to my wife and 6 yr. old daughter, I don't think I would want Ralph Kramden as a neighbor what with all the yelling he does, but it sure does amuse me watching it on a TV show! All the best to you and I hope this review has helped in some way.