Art Carney’s Conversation Starters

In this profile from 1961, The Honeymooners star reveals one of his favorite pranks.

Art Carney
Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

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—From “Actor without an Ego” by Roger Kahn, January 21, 1961

Every evening, after filming The Honeymooners, Art Carney would accompany Audrey Meadows, who played Mrs. Kramden in the series, back to her home. One of Carney’s favorite gags was to shout a random name at pedestrians whenever he stopped for a traffic light. If the name happened to fit someone, Carney would then conduct an outrageous conversation until the light changed and he could drive off.

One night Carney shouted at a group, “Hey, Morris, how are you?”

A man broke away and started toward the car.

“Hey, Morris,” Carney said. “What did you do with your accordion?”

“Oh,” said the man, deadly serious. “I don’t have it anymore. I sold it.”

“Get going,” Miss Meadows told Carney.

“The light’s still red,” Carney said nervously.

“Jump it,” Miss Meadows said. “Let’s get out of here.”

 

First page of the article "Actor Without an Ego"
Read “Actor Without an Ego” by Roger Kahn from the January 21, 1961, issue of the Post.

This article is featured in the January/February 2021 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Subscribe to the magazine for more art, inspiring stories, fiction, humor, and features from our archives.

Featured image: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

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