James Gleason
Acting
Born: May 23, 1882 · New York City, New York, USA
Died: April 12, 1959 (aged 76)
Highest Rated
Biography
James Gleason was born in New York City to William Gleason and Mina Crolius, who were both in the theatre. He was married to Lucile Gleason (born Lucile Webster), and had a son, Russell Gleason. As a young man James fought in the Spanish-American War. After the war he joined the stock company at the Liberty Theater in Oakland, California, which his parents were running. James and his wife then moved to Portland, Oregon, where they played in stock at the Baker Theater. For several years afterward they toured in road shows until James enlisted in the army during World War I. When he returned he appeared on the stage in "The Five Million." He then turned to writing, including "Is Zat So", which he produced for the NY stage. He also wrote and acted in "The Fall Guy" and "The Shannons on Broadway." Next he wrote The Broadway Melody (1929) for MGM. He collaborated, in 1930, on The Swellhead (1930), Dumbbells in Ermine (1930), What a Widow! (1930), Rain or Shine (1930) and His First Command (1929). He and his wife were then contracted to Pathe, Lucille to act, and James (or Jimmie as he was known) as a writer. Probably his most famous acting role was as Max Corkle, the manager of Joe Pendleton who was wrongly plucked from this life into the next, in the hit fantasy Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941).
Known for
The Night of the Hunter
1955
Arsenic and Old Lace
1944
Meet John Doe
1941
The Bishop's Wife
1947
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
The Broadway Melody
1929
Here Comes Mr. Jordan
1941
Suddenly
1954
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
1945
Leave It to Beaver
1957
Rock-a-Bye Baby
1958
The Last Hurrah
1958
Photos (3)
Movies (124)
The Night of the Hunter
Uncle Birdie Steptoe
Arsenic and Old Lace
Lt. Rooney
The Bishop's Wife
Sylvester
The Keys of the Kingdom
Rev. Dr. Wilbur Fiske
Hoopla
Jerry
Meet John Doe
Henry Connell
We're Only Human
Detective Danny Walsh
What Price Glory
General Cokely
Down to Earth
Max Corkle
Suddenly
Peter 'Pop' Benson
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
McGarrity
The Falcon Takes Over
Inspector Mike O'Hara
The Clock
Al Henry
Crash Dive
Chief Mike 'Mac' McDonnell
The Last Hurrah
Cuke Gillen
Hay Foot
Colonel J. A. Barkley
We're Not Married!
Duffy
Rock-a-Bye Baby
Doc Simpkins
The Broadway Melody
Music Publisher (uncredited)
A Guy Named Joe
“Nails” Kilpatrick
Star in the Dust
Orval Jones
Key to the City
Sergeant Hogan
Here Comes Mr. Jordan
Max Corkle
Blondie of the Follies
Pa McClune
Spring Reunion
Collie
Hollywood Thrill-Makers
Risky Russell
Sweepstakes
Sleepy Jones
Loving You
Carl Meade
Man in the Shadow
Hank James
Babes on Broadway
Thornton Reed
The Hoodlum Saint
Snarp
Her Man
Steve
The Female Animal
Tom Maloney
Lady Luck
Sacramento Sam
Hot Tip
Jimmy McGill
Army Girl
Hennessy
The Jackpot
Harry Summers
On Your Toes
Phil Dolan Sr.
Tales of Manhattan
Father Joe
Tycoon
Pop Mathews
A Date with the Falcon
Inspector Michael 'Mike' O'Hara
Murder on a Honeymoon
Police Insp. Oscar Piper
Triple Cross
Knobby Walsh
I'll See You in My Dreams
Fred Townsend
This Man's Navy
Jimmy Shannon
The Ex-Mrs. Bradford
Inspector Corrigan
The All-American
Chick Knipe
Yours for the Asking
Saratoga
A Free Soul
Eddie
Affectionately Yours
'Chet' Phillips
Big Money
Tom
West Point of the Air
Joe 'Bags'
Take One False Step
Captain Gledhill
Murder on a Bridle Path
Police Insp. Oscar Piper
Riding High
Racing Secretary
It's a Wise Child
Cool Kelly
The Dude Goes West
Sam Briggs
Forever Female
Eddie Woods
Fast Companions
Silk Henley
Captain Eddie
Tom Clark
My Gal Sal
Pat Hawley
Forty Naughty Girls
Police Insp. Oscar Piper
Home Sweet Homicide
Sgt. O'Hare
Oh, Yeah!
Dusty
The Well Groomed Bride
Captain Hornby
Miss Grant Takes Richmond
Timothy Gleason
Man or Gun
Sheriff Jim Jackson
Bad Boy
Chief
The Penguin Pool Murder
Police Insp. Oscar Piper
No Time at All
Dolph Grimes
The Big Gamble
Fred 'Squint' Dugan
Once Upon a Time
Moke McGillicuddy
Polly of the Follies
Paul Gordon
Clear All Wires!
Lefty Williams
The Return of October
Uncle Willie Ramsey
Money, Women and Guns
Henry Devers
The Shannons of Broadway
Mickey Shannon
Swellhead
Johnny Trump
The Billion Dollar Scandal
"Ratsy" Harris
Suicide Fleet
Skeets
When My Baby Smiles at Me
Lefty Moore
Footlight Serenade
Bruce McKay
Come Fill the Cup
Charley Dolan
The Big Game
George Scott
The Matrimonial Bed
Gustave Corton
Change of Heart
Hot Dog Vendor (uncredited)
The Count of Ten
Johnny's Manager
Helldorado
Sam Barnes
The Girl Rush
Ether Ferguson
Puttin' on the Ritz
James 'Jimmy' Tierney
Grandpa Goes To Town
Joe Higgins
The Higgins Family
Joe Higgins
High Hats and Low Brows
Danny Ruff
Manila Calling
Tim O'Rourke
Dumb-bells in Ermine
Mike
The Meanest Gal in Town
Duke Slater
Tanks a Million
Col. 'Spitfire' Barkley
The Plot Thickens
Police Insp. Oscar Piper
Earl of Puddlestone
Joe Higgins
Murder on the Blackboard
Police Insp. Oscar Piper
Meet the Missus
Bert La Motte
My Wife's Relatives
Joe Higgins
The Homestretch
Doc Kilborne
Nine Lives Are Not Enough
Sergeant Daniels
Two Gals and a Guy
Max Howard
Don't Turn 'em Loose
Detective Daniels
The Devil Is Driving
'Beef' Evans
Smart Woman
Sam Corkle
The Story of Will Rogers
Bert Lynn
Manhattan Merry-Go-Round
Danny The Duck
The Yellow Cab Man
Mickey Corkins
Should Husbands Work?
Joe Higgins
Joe Palooka in the Squared Circle
Knobby Walsh
The Crooked Circle
Arthur Crimmer
Once Upon a Horse...
Postmaster
Search for Beauty
Dan Healy
Beyond Victory
Jim Mobley
Orders Is Orders
Ed Waggermeyer
The Life of Riley
Gillis
Money To Burn
Joe Higgins
Lady and Gent
Pin Streaver
Rule 'Em and Weep
Spike Mc Gorey
The Covered Trailer
Joe Higgins
Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 12
James Gleason
TV Shows (9)
Climax!
Reverend Mr. McCarkle · 1 eps
Cheyenne
1 eps
Leave It to Beaver
Pete · 1 eps
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Mr. Jorgy · 1 eps
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Howard Fieldstone · 1 eps
The Millionaire
Charles Hartford Simpson · 1 eps
Cavalcade of America
Noah Larkin · 1 eps
Racket Squad
1 eps
Screen Director's Playhouse
Ed Shafer · 1 eps
Self / Appearances (5)
Directing (2)
Writing (19)
The Broadway Melody
Dialogue
Mammy
Theatre Play
The Bowery
Screenplay
Rain or Shine
Writer
The Fall Guy
Writer
His First Command
Screenplay
His First Command
Story
Three Hollywood Girls
Writer
The Shannons of Broadway
Writer
Swellhead
Dialogue
High Voltage
Screenplay
High Voltage
Dialogue
Change of Heart
Screenplay
Puttin' on the Ritz
Dialogue
Dumb-bells in Ermine
Writer
Beyond Victory
Writer
What a Widow!
Screenplay
What a Widow!
Adaptation
Orders Is Orders
Screenplay
