From: ahk@chinet.com   
      
   Lenona  wrote:   
      
   >Side story about the show (not about Randolph).   
      
   >I tried to find this in Google Books and couldn't - it was some sitcom   
   >encyclopedia. So I will write it from memory as best I can.   
      
   >"Audrey Meadows wanted the part (of Alice). Gleason said no; she was too   
   >well known as one of the most beautiful women in New York; he wanted   
   >someone briny and frumpy. Meadows hired a photographer to wake her up   
   >early and take photos. When Gleason saw the photos, he hired her."   
      
   Sure. There are beautiful and glamorous actresses who must "de-glam" in   
   order to get cast. Jennifer Lawrence is said to have ruined her look and   
   makeup running through the rain in order to create the look the   
   producers wanted so she could get cast as Ree in Winter's Bone (2010),   
   the role that made her career. Irene Dunne had to deglam to get cast as   
   Mama in I Remember Mama (1948); she was nominated for Best Actress.   
      
   There are numerous other examples.   
      
   The original Alice was Pert Kelton. She performed the role in nine skits   
   between 1951 and 1952. She also played Mrs. Paroo in The Music Man,   
   both on Broadway and in the 1962 movie adaptation. Sadly, she had heart   
   problems and died in 1968.   
      
   The sketch originated on Cavalcade of Star hosted by Jackie Gleason on   
   DuMont, and he kept the sketch upon moving the show to CBS. The skit was   
   reworked as the stand-alone sitcom, 39 episodes for the 1955-56   
   television season, replacing the variety show, because Gleason was a   
   consumate businessman and wanted something to sell to the second run   
   syndication market which barely existed at the time!   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)