Joyce Randolph

Actress

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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About

About this interview

In her two-hour interview, Joyce Randolph (1924-2024) discusses her early years as an actress on the stage and speaks of her first appearance on television in 1946 -- on experimental station WRGB in Schenectady, NY. She outlines her roles in early television on the DuMont network, on shows Martin Kane, Private Eye; The Plainclothesman; and The Famous Jury Trials. She describes her first appearance on The Cavalcade of Stars in a dramatic role, before landing the part of "Trixie Norton" in the show's "Honeymooners" sketches, opposite Art Carney's "Ed Norton." Randolph then details her appearances in the "Classic 39" episodes of The Honeymooners, when the sketches were launched as a 30-minute sitcom series for the 1955-56 season, and shares what it was like to work with Jackie Gleason and Audrey Meadows. She chronicles her continued appearances as "Trixie" on The Jackie Gleason Show (which ran through 1959) and her return to the role for an episode of the 1991 television series, Hi Honey, I'm Home. Michael Rosen conducted the interview on October 27, 1999 in New York, NY.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"Trixie was married to a sewer worker and I guess she considered herself a little better than the character of Ed Norton. But she was just a housewife - she and Alice didn't have jobs. They stayed home all the time, which was kind of amazing, but the husbands didn't want them to work. But twice during the course of all of our years it was mentioned that probably Trixie had been in burlesque. They never expanded on that, but mention was made that she could have been a dancer in burlesque."

People Talking About ...

Highlights

Joyce Randolph on being cast as "Trixie" for a "Honeymooners" sketch on Cavalcade of Stars

01:20

Joyce Randolph on her role as "Trixie" on The Honeymooners

01:00

Joyce Randolph on her favorite episodes of The Honeymooners

00:55

Joyce Randolph on the media blitz surrounding the lost episodes of The Honeymooners

01:33

Joyce Randolph on how The Honeymooners impacted television

01:21

Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On her childhood and early influences; on growing up in Michigan; on wanting to be an actress in New York; on her favorite radio programs growing up; on attending the Expression School of Speech and Drama; on getting into the Catholic Theater Group in Detroit; on joining the Actors Equity Union; on getting to New York

On her first impressions of New York; on touring the country with stage shows for "Stage Door," and "A Goose for the Gander;" on touring with "Good Night, Ladies;" on living in LA for fourteen months and returning to New York

On the first time she saw television; on doing experimental television for GE in Schenectady, NY; on acting in several half hour dramas for early live television; on doing summer stock theater; on appearing in Martin Kane, Private Eye, Rocky King, Detective, and The Plainclothesman; on differences between working for NBC, CBS and Dumont; on The Famous Jury Trials

Chapter 2

On working on Buck Rogers and several detective shows; on appearing on an early ABC show, I Cover Times Square; on working in live television; on theater folk not respecting television; on early commercials

On acting methods on 1950s television; on working on Texaco Star Theater; on working on The Colgate Comedy Hour; on Danny Thomas, Martin and Lewis, and Eddie Cantor

On Calvalcade of Stars; on being cast as "Trixie" for a "Honeymooners" sketch on Cavalcade of Stars; on playing "Trixie"; on differences between the Kramdens and the Nortons on The Honeymooners ; on working with Audrey Meadows

Chapter 3

On how she met Audrey Meadows; on working with Audrey; on working with Art Carney; on the June Taylor Dancers on The Jackie Gleason Show

On the first show of the "Classic 39" episodes of The Honeymooners; on getting married; on ad-libbing to stretch the show; on guest stars and producers on the show; on the "TV or not TV" and "Sleepwalker" episodes of The Honeymooners; on her favorite episodes of The Honeymooners; on the end of The Honeymooners

Chapter 4

On why she didn't continue playing "Trixie Norton" in later incarnations of The Honeymooners; on appearing on The U.S. Steel Hour; on life after The Honeymooners; on stage work and being a mother; on the Lambs Club

On the media blitz surrounding the lost episodes of The Honeymooners; on appearing on HBO's Comic Relief and on Hi Honey, I'm Home; on advice to aspiring performers; on how The Honeymooners impacted television; on how she'd like to be remembered

B-roll of pictures throughout her career: headshots and cast shots from The Honeymooners

Shows

All in the Family

Joyce Randolph on how The Honeymooners impacted television

01:21

Cavalcade of Stars

Joyce Randolph on being cast as "Trixie" for a "Honeymooners" sketch on Cavalcade of Stars

01:20

Joyce Randolph on working on Calvalcade of Stars

12:07

Joyce Randolph on the cast of The Honeymooners

04:21

Colgate Comedy Hour, The

Joyce Randolph on working on The Colgate Comedy Hour

03:51

Comic Relief Specials

Joyce Randolph on appearing on HBO's Comic Relief with Audrey Meadows and Art Carney

00:56

Famous Jury Trials

Joyce Randolph on appearing on Famous Jury Trials

01:03

Joyce Randolph on a photo of her on the set of Famous Jury Trials

00:51

Flintstones, The

Joyce Randolph on how The Honeymooners impacted television

01:21

Hi Honey, I'm Home

Joyce Randolph on appearing on Hi Honey, I'm Home with Audrey Meadows

00:34

Honeymooners, The

Joyce Randolph on being cast as "Trixie" for a "Honeymooners" sketch on Cavalcade of Stars

01:20

Joyce Randolph on working on The Honeymooners

08:20

Joyce Randolph on working with Jackie Gleason on the "Classic 39 episodes"

05:24

Joyce Randolph on the cast of The Honeymooners

07:01

Joyce Randolph on the "Classic 39" episodes of The Honeymooners

15:19

Joyce Randolph on later incarnations of The Honeymooners

01:31

Joyce Randolph on the media blitz surrounding the lost episodes of The Honeymooners

01:33

Joyce Randolph on photos from The Honeymooners

03:15

Jackie Gleason Show, The

Joyce Randolph on working with Jackie Gleason on the "Classic 39 episodes"

05:24

Joyce Randolph on the cast of The Honeymooners

07:31

Martin Kane, Private Eye

Joyce Randolph on appearing on Martin Kane, Private Eye

00:40

Plainclothesman, The

Joyce Randolph on appearing on The Plainclothesman

02:15

Rocky King, Detective

Joyce Randolph on appearing on Rocky King, Detective

00:30

Texaco Star Theater

Joyce Randolph on working on Texaco Star Theater

00:58

United States Steel Hour, The

Joyce Randolph on appearing on The U.S. Steel Hour

01:15

Topics

Characters & Catchphrases

Joyce Randolph on her role as "Trixie" on The Honeymooners

00:30

Comedy

Joyce Randolph on the "TV or not TV" episode of The Honeymooners

00:49

Joyce Randolph on the "The Sleepwalker" episode of The Honeymooners

00:26

Joyce Randolph on the "Better Living Through TV" episode and other episodes of The Honeymooners

01:14

Joyce Randolph on her favorite episodes of The Honeymooners

00:55

Hollywood Blacklist

Joyce Randolph on Audrey Meadows replacing Pert Kelton in the cast of The Honeymooners

00:42

Industry Crossroads

Joyce Randolph on Audrey Meadows replacing Pert Kelton in the cast of The Honeymooners

00:42

Pop Culture

Joyce Randolph on her role as "Trixie" on The Honeymooners

00:30

Technological Innovation

Joyce Randolph on doing experimental television for GE in Schenectady, NY

02:08

Television Industry

Joyce Randolph on Audrey Meadows replacing Pert Kelton in the cast of The Honeymooners

00:42

Professions

Actress

View Profession

Joyce Randolph on joining the Catholic Theater Group tour and eventually getting to New York

02:38

Genres

Comedy Series

Joyce Randolph on The Honeymooners

12:07

Joyce Randolph on the "Classic 39" episodes of The Honeymooners

15:19

Cop/Detective/Mystery Series

Joyce Randolph on appearing on Martin Kane, Private Eye

00:40

Music Shows & Variety Shows/Specials

Joyce Randolph on the cast of The Honeymooners (on Calvalcade of Stars and The Jackie Gleason Show)

11:52

People

Art Carney

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Joyce Randolph on working with Art Carney

00:51

Joyce Randolph on Art Carney's physical comedy on The Honeymooners

03:41

Joyce Randolph on appearing on HBO's Comic Relief with Audrey Meadows and Art Carney

00:56

Joyce Randolph on a promotional photo for The Honeymooners

03:15

Joyce Randolph on a photo for The Honeymooners

02:33

Joyce Randolph on photos from a Jackie Gleason party

01:10

Audrey Meadows

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Joyce Randolph on Audrey Meadows replacing Pert Kelton in the cast of The Honeymooners

01:27

Joyce Randolph on Audrey Meadows

00:39

Joyce Randolph on how she met Audrey Meadows and working with her

02:02

Joyce Randolph on appearing on HBO's Comic Relief with Audrey Meadows and Art Carney

00:56

Joyce Randolph on appearing on Hi Honey, I'm Home with Audrey Meadows

00:34

Joyce Randolph on a photo of her on the set of The Famous Jury Trials

Barbara Bel Geddes

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Joyce Randolph on appearing on The U.S. Steel Hour

01:15

Carroll O'Connor

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Joyce Randolph on meeting Carroll O'Connor

00:33

Danny Thomas

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Joyce Randolph on working on The Colgate Comedy Hour

01:10

Dean Martin

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Joyce Randolph on working with Martin and Lewis on The Colgate Comedy Hour

00:29

Eddie Cantor

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Joyce Randolph on working with Eddie Cantor

00:37

Fred Allen

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Joyce Randolph on working with Fred Allen

00:28

George Petrie

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Joyce Randolph on working with George Petrie on The Honeymooners

00:45

Gloria Swanson

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Joyce Randolph on working with Gloria Swanson on Broadway

00:18

Harry Crane

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Joyce Randolph on auditioning for Calvalcade of Stars

01:16

Joyce Randolph on writers on The Honeymooners

01:34

Jack Benny

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Joyce Randolph on guest stars on The Honeymooners

00:11

Jackie Cooper

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Joyce Randolph on appearing on The U.S. Steel Hour

01:15

Jackie Gleason

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Joyce Randolph on working on The Honeymooners

10:21

Joyce Randolph on The Jackie Gleason Show and The Honeymooners

22:50

Joyce Randolph on later incarnations of The Honeymooners

01:31

Joyce Randolph on a promotional photo for The Honeymooners

03:15

Joyce Randolph on photos from a Jackie Gleason party, and on stage

02:09

Jerry Lewis

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Joyce Randolph on working with Martin and Lewis on The Colgate Comedy Hour

00:29

Joseph Cates

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Joyce Randolph on being cast as "Trixie" for a "Honeymooners" sketch on Cavalcade of Stars

01:20

June Taylor

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Joyce Randolph on the June Taylor Dancers on The Jackie Gleason Show

00:59

Leonard Stern

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Joyce Randolph on writers on The Honeymooners

01:11

Milton Berle

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Joyce Randolph on working on Texaco Star Theater

00:58

Pert Kelton

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Joyce Randolph on Audrey Meadows replacing Pert Kelton in the cast of The Honeymooners

00:42