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R.A.L.P.H. - The Royal Association for the Longevity and Preservation of
the Honeymooners, a national organization founded by avid fan, Peter Crescenti
to celebrate the joys of the classic sitcom THE HONEYMOONERS/CBS/1955-56.
The program starred Jackie Gleason as bus driver Ralph Kramden; Audrey
Meadows as his long-suffering wife, Alice; Art Carney as Ralph's close friend
and sewer-worker, Ed Norton; and Joyce Randolph as his wife, Trixie.
On March 10, 1984, R.A.L.P.H celebrated its first annual HONEYMOONERS
convention at Long Island University showing rarely seen episodes of the series
known as "the lost episodes" (brought to syndication in the fall of 1986) and
displays of relics from the program such as Ralph Kramden's original bus drivers
uniform (size 49 and 3/4 inches) given to the group by Jackie Gleason, and a
dress and apron once belonging to Alice Kramden.
In 1986, their convention held on August 23rd at the Old Felt Forum in New
York City (now called The Theater at Madison Square Garden) featured look-alike
contests; workshops on how-to-improve impersonations of Ralph Kramden ("Pow,
Right in the Kisser") and Ed Norton ("Hey, Ralphie Boy!"); and a "Baby, You're
the Greatest" kissing contest.
Reportedly, Joyce Randolph (a.k.a. "Trixie") attended the events but
surprisingly, Jackie Gleason, Art Carney and Audrey Meadows never visited the
conventions of this (now defunct) organization. RALPH disbanded in 1987 when
Gleason died.
TRIVIA NOTE: Although R.A.L.P.H. is defunct,
Peter Crescenti, the organization's founder (now the Director of Public
Information and Marketing for the Automobile Club of New York) has taken his
Gospel of THE HONEYMOONERS on the road. On November 9, 2002 he attended a
Brotherhood of St. Andrew event and delivered a speech entitled: "Sharing Your
Faith with Ralph, and Alice and Ed and Trixie" about how to live and act as a
believer in Jesus Christ in the workplace as well as church and home.
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