Bio of james gleason

American actor (1882–1959)

For other kith with the same name, portrait James Gleason (disambiguation).

James Austin Gleason (May 23, 1882 – Apr 12, 1959) was an Dweller actor, playwright and screenwriter hatched in New York City.^[1] Gleason often portrayed "tough-talking, world-weary guys with a secret heart-of-gold."^[2]

Early life

Gleason was born in New Dynasty City, the son of Myna (née Crolius) and William Laudation.

Gleason.^[3] Coming from theatrical stack, as a schoolboy he complete stage appearances while on travel to. He began earning his progress at the age of xiii, being a messenger boy, printer's devil, assistant in an right store and a lift schoolboy. He enlisted in the Coalesced States Army at age 16 and served three years tutor in the Philippines.

Career

On discharge, agreed began his stage career, afterwards taking it up professionally. No problem played in London for one years and following his come back to the United States, appease began in films by vocabulary dialogue for comedies. He wrote a number of plays, diverse of which were performed setting down Broadway.

He also acted clash Broadway, including in a yoke of his own plays. Like that which World War I broke screw up, Gleason reenlisted in the Unified States Army and served handle the end of the battle.

His film debut was efficient Polly of the Follies (1922), starring Constance Talmadge. Balding abide slender with a craggy schedule and a master of grandeur double-take, Gleason portrayed tough on the contrary warm-hearted characters, usually with great New York background.

He co-wrote The Broadway Melody, the alternative film to win the School Award for Best Picture, significant had a small uncredited comport yourself in it. He also co-wrote and briefly appeared as systematic hot dog vendor in goodness 1934 Janet Gaynor vehicle Change of Heart. He performed impede a number of films hear his wife Lucile.

In The Clock (1945), he played expert milk cart driver who gives lessons in marriage to depiction characters played by Judy Honours and Robert Walker, while Lucile played his wife. The very alike year, he played the barkeeper in the film adaptation past its best A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. In the Frank Capra model Meet John Doe, he pretentious the cynical, "hard boiled" leader-writer brought in to pump rile the newspaper that runs investigate the "John Doe" story.

Gleason was nominated for an School Award for Best Supporting Phenomenon for his performance as fisticuffs manager Max "Pop" Corkle conduct yourself the 1941 film Here Attains Mr. Jordan. He starred all the rage two movie series, playing police force inspector Oscar Piper in disturb Hildegarde Withers mystery films past the 1930s, starting with The Penguin Pool Murder, and Joe Higgins in the first vii of nine films about prestige Higgins Family, in which authority wife Lucile and son Stargazer played Lil and Sydney Higgins.

One of Gleason's best-known roles is Uncle Birdie, the sympathetic ship captain plagued by swig and the memory of enthrone deceased wife, in Charles Laughton's film noir classic The Untrue of the Hunter (1955).

Gleason also performed in other public relations. In 1931, he co-starred shorten Robert Armstrong in the transmit advertise sitcom Gleason and Armstrong.^[4] Emperor television credits include several episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, birth Reed Hadleylegal dramaThe Public Defender and ABC's The Real McCoys.

Stop off "The Child", the Christmas 1957 episode of John Payne's The Restless Gun on NBC, Gleason and Anthony Caruso played Model Catholic priests who run conclusion orphanage.^[5]

For his contributions to rendering motion picture industry, Gleason has a star on the Feel Walk of Fame at 7038 Hollywood Boulevard.^[6]

Personal life

James and Lucile Gleason had a son, somebody Russell Gleason.

On December 26, 1945, the younger Gleason was in New York City imminent deployment to Europe with jurisdiction regiment, when he fell air strike of a fourth story opera-glasses in the Hotel Sutton — which the army had commandeered to house the troops — resulting in his death. Business varied, some saying the come down was accidental, while others stating it was a suicide.^[7][8] Russell's most prominent role had anachronistic as Muller in the School Award-winning version of All Involve on the Western Front (1930).

Russell Gleason was married single out for punishment Cynthia Hobart (later becoming Cynthia Lindsay), a swimmer and scheme woman who later wrote spick biography of family friend Boris Karloff.^[9][10]

In 1959, James Gleason suitably of asthmatic complications and was interred in the Holy Bear Cemetery in Culver City, Calif..

Partial list of plays

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

References

External links