It was a Saturday night on October 1, 1955. Families turned on their black and white television sets and settled in to watch the very first episode of The Honeymooners. The show was based on skits previously featured on The Jackie Gleason Show and was the brainchild of the renowned entertainer. The Honeymooners’ characters were destined to become famous in American popular culture. The cast featured Jackie Gleason as the bus driver, Ralph Kramden, Audrey Meadows as his wisecracking wife, Alice, and their upstairs neighbors, Ed and Trixie Norton played by Art Carney and Joyce Randolph.
The Honeymooners episodes opened to the romantic sounds of the Sammy Spear Orchestra performing, You’re My Greatest Love, a song created by Jackie Gleason. The animated opening displayed the names of the four stars floating by in a series of moons with Gleason’s face appearing in the first one. High above a darkened city skyline fireworks exploded on the screen indicating the couples’ “greatest love.” Despite the ups, downs, conflicts, hopes, dreams, and struggles experienced by the characters they always made up along the way.
Reflecting the aspirations of the post war era, Ralph, Alice, Ed, and Trixie strive for a piece of the American Dream. The couples reside in a tenement in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, and with much hilarity the show centers around their efforts to climb the economic ladder. Ralph hopes to advance in the Gotham Bus Company while Ed fosters a wish to rise in the ranks as a sewer worker. Alice and Trixie are pals and provide a voice of reason to keep their rambunctious husbands in line. Ralph and Ed like to while away their free time at the local Raccoon Lodge, pool hall, or bowling alley.
The show ran for only two seasons on the CBS network between 1955 and 1956 producing the golden 39 episodes. Joyce Randolph, who played Trixie, was the last surviving member of the cast. Sadly, she died on Saturday night January 13th, 2024, at the age of 99 years old. As part of The Honeymooners show Randolph became a legacy in the annals of American comedy. No one would debate the impact of the classic sitcom that is still relatable today.
Joyce Randolph was born on October 21st, 1924, in Detroit, Michigan, and moved to New York to pursue an acting career. She was recruited by Gleason for the part of Trixie after he saw her in a Clorets chewing gum commercial. Although her role in The Honeymooners garnered the least amount of screen time her character provided a lovable part in the formula for the show’s success.
Following The Honeymooners Joyce Randolph’s acting career was sporadic. She devoted much of her time to her husband and son but always remained tied to the theater. It was not unusual to spot her at Sardi’s, a restaurant in New York’s theater district, where fans might find her at the bar sipping her favorite “White Cadillac.” In a 2007 interview by Glenn Collins that appeared in the New York Times she said the drink was made with Dewar’s Scotch and milk, claiming it was good for the stomach. Joyce was always a gracious star willing to say hello to other patrons or pose for a picture.
Let’s raise a glass to Joyce Randolph, aka Trixie, with the White Cadillac. There is a more common drink called the Gold Cadillac made with the Italian liqueur, Galliano. That version was invented in 1952 at Poor Red’s in El Dorado, CA. However, it does not include Scotch. Joyce’s Scotch drink bears a resemblance to Milk Punch and dates back centuries. Here is an updated version based on what our gal might have had in her glass. Recipe: 1 ¾ oz. Scotch Whisky (Dewar’s), 4 oz. of milk, ½ oz simple syrup, place all in shaker with ice, shake, strain into a glass and top with grated nutmeg.
I love the photo! I'm so glad you devoted this week's drink to the woman who gave us Trixie. True TV history 📺
What a delightful post! And the drink sounds and looks really yummy.