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Authenticity is Everything
PRESENTING THE HONEYMOONERS COMPLETE VINTAGE CAST SIGNED PHOTO SET C. 1949-1958 Collected from 1978-2018
Hi All,
It all started with my dear old dad purchasing a Spears secretarial in a mall antique show about 1978-1980. I started buying these on my own in about 1998. My dad and I would watch The Honeymooners on Channel 11 at 11:30 pm in WPIX in NY, every night back in the 1970's.
I wish I could tell him about meeting Trixie Norton in 2009/10, and talking at length about making the old shows and her signing for me and kissing me. How Ms. Randolph said everyone, including the girl with the stopwatch for the DuMont Electronicam system, was dead, except for her. And how she said "...Mr. Gleason never signed anything...".
I have spent three years identifying the secretarials, now shown on this site by name, style and date. This set of true originals is now finished, quite recently, with this newly discovered and identified/authenticated (by me) C. 1950 Jackie Gleason ballpoint matte finish 5" x 7" SP (this very early pen and paper finish combination explain every occasional oddity). That is his hand - bold and strong.
It is the only Gleason SP I have ever seen of this pose/shot, vintage signed or otherwise, in over 20 years. Much care went into this - matching ink, size and all as best I could (all 3.5" x 5" with Gleason 5" x 7"). Most with salutations etc. Two are used postcards (Trix 1958 and Alice 1955 or '56) and were addressed by them on the Reverse, in one case actually trying to look like a secretary!
I now present, for your pleasure, The Honeymooners Compete Cast Autograph Set of vintage signed photographs C. 1950-1958, followed by just a few original unpublished images from my collection — from Gleason's personal collection. ;)
NOTE: Re Gleason sigs. I do NOT think this is a new signing style, but rather a variant C. 1950 created by the use of a "new" ballpoint pen on a "new" matte finish photo, for perhaps the first time.
If anyone has a vintage set, or has a scan of a vintage set, please post it. I have never seen one...until now.
Tags: alice kramden, art carney, audrey meadows, ed norton, jackie gleason, joyce randolf, ralph kramden, the honeymooners autographed photos, trixie norton
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on
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Thank you Jim. Those words mean lot to me - and I am very happy you enjoyed :)
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Permalink Reply by Rfitzz on
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Eric, unbelievably fantastic collection. Honeymooners was a staple in my house as well and I still crack up when I stumble upon an episode today. Gleason was truly a genius ! Just to be clear (maybe I misunderstood)...is the signed Gleason authentic ? Did you have it when Trixie told you the he "he never signed anything" ? Do you have any background why he was such a reluctant signer ? My understanding is that stars of that era were very generous with their time and signatures so I was just curious... thanks
Great Collection !!!
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Thank you, yes the Gleason is authentic. I did not have it when I met Ms. Randolph. There is a huge thread called The Jackie Gleason Autograph Thread (26 pages now) where most of your questions will be answered. I link to the page starting the main discussion and evaluation of this most unique Gleason:
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Thanks Eric, I will read the thread later tonight. Love the collection and looking forward to the education. Well done !!!
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I wanted to mention the placement is a huge factor here with this Gleason. I have never seen a secretarial from this period, perhaps any, signed in this location.
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Work continues...not satisfied quite yet!
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Now this is helpful. It is HUGE...click:
PS - I have been trying to date this Gleason portrait - he appears to look older than this on the March 1953 What My Line which supports this beating earlier...
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Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on
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I do not recall seeing this photograph signed before it certainly was in his earlier days. I still wish I could figure out that name! Looks like "Fay lois Shres" something like that. I think it is three because of the spacing between the y and "l" are about the same as between "Best" and "Wishes."
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To sum up most but not all - I note RE the Gleason SP the inscription is correct, the "t" in "Best" is correct but he is not connecting the last two strokes although the upward curve is there on the final, the "W" in "Wishes" has the connector to the "i" that Gleason uses, the "Jackie" has the correct baseline, the "k" can be found in 1940's Gleason's and some early 1950's, the "ie" notably have the correct formation, bottoms and the "i" leans back a touch. The last name - the last two "a" are different, the "s" in Gleason in perfect, the "o" has both tips etc. Other points are in the body of the thread.
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Image aside this signature appears to date to 1949-1951 from what I have been looking at in terms of straight construction/"style" - the means of construction and the single line signature style. He has not started connecting the cross bar in the "t" of "Best" but the cross has the correct down-right swooping curve. The "i" dots are the correct slash/dash. The "y", "B", "W" and this articulated
"k" all have precedent limited mostly to the time window 1949-1951 or so. The straight "l" also - this does appear in this rough time frame with some "J"'s of this form and even some single line sigs that almost connect the first and second name. The break between the "G" and "l" also has precedent. I am still where I was - this is Gleason, unrushed, with a newer (to him) ballpoint on a "newer" (to him) very speckled soft matte photo surface and he did dig in as deep as usual - this caused him to straighten/tighten a bit (although the baseline of the first name retains its bounce). The sheer number of idiosyncrasies (that specific "k" etc.) that appear eliminate any secretary or wife. In this period there was no standard Gleason appearance, even if you could get him to sign - he was just starting to get really famous and his signature was not fully resolved. Placement and signing angle also play a role here. Having been looking over this for some months now I am quite confident this fits within the range of signatures he was producing at that time.
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This is what I have been looking for - another "golf club J" as Scott called it - this appears to be C. 1945 and I have added a detail of the SP in this thread. I like the baseline as well.
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Hi All,
I have another "golf club J" to post - found by Scott. It is from a 1946 DS that needs more examination - will post shortly.
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