Art Imitates Death

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Goodbye, BallEntertainment legend Art Carney died Sunday at the age of 85. Famous for roles including Saugan in the infamously bad Star Wars Holiday Special and a special guest villain stint as the Archer on Batman, Carney also starred in the Twilight Zone classic "Might of the Meek," about a drunk department store Santa who finds a little Christmas magic.

Best known as bumbling Ed Norton, the sewer operator and perpetual foil to Jackie Gleason's Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners, Carney's 7-decade career garnered him 7 Emmy wins and the 1974 Best Actor Oscar for Harry and Tonto. First appearing in Gangbusters, a 1930s radio program that was the America's Most Wanted of its time, Carney became a featured performer on Gleason's Calvacade of Stars, which led to his role on The Honeymooners. His right leg shattered during the Allied landing at Normandy, Carney deftly created manic mannerisms for Norton to conceal the resulting limp. As the even more addled part of Ralph's schemes, Ed stole many a scene, including their classic golf lesson. Prompted by Ralph's instruction to address the ball, Ed leaned in and offered, "Helllllooooo, ball."

Alcohol problems disrupted his later career, and may have cost him the film role as Felix Unger in The Odd Couple. His drinking forced him to leave the stage production with Walter Matthau, where he had created the role, and the role was made famous by Jack Lemmon. Carney rebounded, and won an Oscar as Harry Coombes, an aging widower on the road with his cat in his first starring role.