The Running Improv Joke
Actor and creator of The Honeymooners, Jackie Gleason, was huge on improv. He was so big on it that his legacy is still honored at popular improv comedy clubs. When it came to The Honeymooners, he embraced improv, especially because it was filmed in front of a live audience.
That said, one little-known secret about the improvisation that went on in The Honeymooners had little to do with Gleason himself. Actor Art Carney, who played Ed Norton, the lovable goofball and sidekick to ornery Ralph Kramden had a running improv of his own. When the character would sign a document, the actor always waved his arms and made elaborate hand gestures. For the actor, it was a way to honor his father who did the same thing.
