- Born
- Died
- Height1.68 m
- Vaudevillain, Broadway player and, for one decade from 1929, screen actress often in comedic roles. She also appeared in character parts in a handful of 60s films. She is memorable as the original - and the most believable - Alice Kramden, wife of Ralph Kramden (immortalized by Jackie Gleason), in TV's "The Honeymooners." Kelton's performances took place (ca. 1950-52) when "Honeymooners" had yet to become an independent series but was merely a sporadically scheduled, 10- or 15-minute playlet during Gleason's weekly TV variety show. Although they may yet exist on kinescope only narrowly available, Kelton's wonderful performances as Alice are otherwise essentially lost. She was forced to leave the role after being blacklisted. Audrey Meadows then won the role of Alice Kramden.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Bill Takacs <kinephile@aol.com>
- Kelton's performances as Alice Kramden on "Cavalcade of Stars" are now available on DVD in the Lost Honeymooners collection. She is wonderful, and she and Gleason make a great team, both funny and touching. Now these sketches can all be seen on DVD. Although both Audrey Meadows and Sheila MacRae made very good Alice Kramdens, Kelton was the most realistic partner for Jackie Gleason.- IMDb Mini Biography By: William Schoell
- SpouseRalph Bell(? - October 30, 1968) (her death, 2 children)
- ParentsEdward KeltonSue Kelton
- Lost the role of Alice Kramden on The Honeymooners due to blacklisting of her husband Ralph Bell, which by association affected her career as well. But the reason publicly given was that her health was poor.
- Though she created the role of Alice in the original "Honeymooners" sketches with Jackie Gleason, she returned in the late 60's to play Alice's mother.
- Blacklisted for many years by McCarthyism.
- For many years portrayed a comical cleaning woman in a series of Spic 'n' Span TV commercials.
- Most famous as Shirley Jones' mother in The Music Man (1962).
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