"Baby, You're the Greatest"

Jackie Gleason's wife, Marilyn Taylor Gleason, and his stepson, Craig Horwich, will participate in the South Florida District's salute to The Honeymooners, one of 20 shows featured in the Early TV Memories commemorative stamp set available on Tuesday, August 11. At 10 am on this date, Fort Lauderdale Postmaster Mike Fortunato will welcome the Gleason Family to a First-Day-Of-Sale ceremony in the lobby of the Fort Lauderdale Main Office, 1900 W Oakland Park Blvd. (This is an off-the-clock activity for employees.)

The Honeymooners grew out of a six-minute sketch first broadcast in 1951 on Cavalcade of Stars. Gleason starred as bus driver Ralph Kramden, who lived in a cramped Brooklyn Apartment with his wife, Alice. Ralph was a schemer whose dreams of hitting the jackpot were constantly frustrated. Alice was more pragmatic, standing firm in the face of her husband's rage. Art Carney, who appeared as a policeman in the initial sketch, was cast as Ed Norton, Ralph's neighbor, friend, and co-conspirator, who usually managed to leave him holding the bag. During the half-hour series, Ralph often threatened to send Alice to the moon, only to reconcile by the end of the episode. He would tell his wife, "Baby, you're the greatest."