staten island advance.

art carney: in memoriam.
11.2003

Walk into any crowded room and mention Art Carney, and there'll be a familiar answer.

It might be "Hey there, Ralphie boy!" or "Helloooo, ball!"

It might be Carney's signature flourish of his hands, or curt tip of his hat.

Now, it's a solemn nod of the head.

Carney, 85, died three days ago, but his death was only announced yesterday.

His memory, though, is as fresh as his humor. Known best as Ed Norton, Ralph

Kramden's sewer worker buddy from the legendary 1950s TV sitcom, "The Honeymooners," Carney needs only to be mentioned to spur laughter and nostalgia.

At the Richmond County Moose Lodge in Port Richmond last night, members couldn't decide on a favorite moment in Carney's repertoire.

Some voted for the golf episode, where Norton addresses the ball; some wandered around shouting "Lu Lu!" in memory of the episode where Norton sleepwalks, and many voted for the episode where Norton wins a costume contest by showing up in his sewer gear.

But everyone agreed on one thing: "Without him that show never would have been what it was," said Moose member Herb Barretta of Silver Lake, also a former member of the now-defunct R.A.L.P.H. - Royal Association for the Longevity and Preservation of the Honeymooners.

The Moose Lodge has a special stake in Carney's work; Jackie Gleason, the rotund legend who played Kramden, was a member of one of its chapters, and based the show's "Raccoon Lodge" on the organization.

As members casually gathered around the bar, talk of the show quickly turned into a best-of-reel, with the Honeymooner-isms flowing and bits of Carney's shtick being re-enacted every few seconds.

When one member shouted Norton's famous line, "Do you mind if I smoke?" the rest of the club gave an instant and enthusiastic rendition of Kramden's response - "I don't care if you burn!" - and then erupted in laughter.

"You can tell we're old," said Rose Hafner, 75, of Port Richmond, who was tending bar after the charitable organization's Dart Night. "We know all the episodes."

"Honeymooners" fans, however, aren't restricted to those who were around when the show was live.

Dean Forbes of Silver Lake is only 38 and could do the Norton impressions with the best of them.

"I watched it faithfully every night," he said of the constant reruns.

Kramden and Norton were also big-time bowling buddies on the show, and the bowlers at Rab's Country Lanes in Dongan Hills last night were just as well-versed in his antics, even breaking into a spontaneous rendition of "Swanee River" to relive the famous episode where Kramden flubs his big appearance on the "$99,000 Answer" game show.

"You can't take a still of what he did, it was all his motions," said Tom Byrd of Meiers Corners as he and his bowling cronies addressed imaginary balls and did the "Hucklebuck" dance routine.

"He just made you laugh," said Ruth Irons of Westerleigh.

"No matter what he did."