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).
Movie | Rules Don't Apply | Doctor Crone | 2016-11-23 |
Movie | Awaken | Willy | 2013-04-09 |
Movie | Stealing Roses | Marco | 2012-06-01 |
Movie | American Dreamz | Journalist | 2006-03-04 |
Movie | S1m0ne | Reporter | 2002-08-23 |
Movie | Shadow of the Blair Witch | Jeff Schoene | 2000-10-22 |
Movie | Why Do Fools Fall In Love | Stage Manager | 1998-08-28 |
Movie | Mother | Waiter | 1996-12-25 |
Movie | Sawbones | Coroner | 1995-01-01 |
Movie | Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds In Love | 1994-05-09 | |
Movie | Bloodlines: Murder in the Family | Controller | 1993-03-01 |
Movie | Star | The Director | 1993-09-20 |
Movie | Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday | Agent Abernathy | 1993-08-13 |
Movie | For Richer, for Poorer | Salesman | 1992-01-01 |
Movie | Boris and Natasha | Taxi Driver | 1992-04-17 |
Movie | My Demon Lover | Alert Cop | 1987-04-24 |
Movie | Hollywood My Home Town | Self (archive footage) | 1965-12-31 |
Movie | Rock-a-Bye Baby | Doc Simpkins | 1958-07-23 |
Movie | The Female Animal | Tom Maloney | 1958-01-22 |
Movie | Man or Gun | Sheriff Jim Jackson | 1958-05-30 |
Movie | Once Upon a Horse... | Postmaster | 1958-09-01 |
Movie | The Last Hurrah | Cuke Gillen | 1958-12-31 |
Movie | Money, Women and Guns | Henry Devers | 1958-10-01 |
Movie | Spring Reunion | Collie | 1957-03-01 |
Movie | Man in the Shadow | Hank James | 1957-12-12 |
Series | Leave It to Beaver | Unknown | 1957-10-04 |
Movie | Star in the Dust | Orval Jones | 1956-06-13 |
Movie | The Girl Rush | Ether Ferguson | 1955-09-16 |
Movie | The Night of the Hunter | Birdie Steptoe | 1955-08-26 |
Movie | Screen Directors Playhouse: Rookie of the Year | Ed Shafer | 1955-12-07 |
Series | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Unknown | 1955-10-02 |
Movie | Suddenly | Peter 'Pop' Benson | 1954-09-17 |
Movie | Forever Female | Eddie Woods | 1953-11-28 |
Movie | We're Not Married! | Duffy | 1952-07-11 |
Movie | The Story of Will Rogers | Bert Lynn | 1952-07-17 |
Series | Cavalcade of America | Unknown | 1952-10-01 |
Movie | What Price Glory | General Cokely | 1952-08-22 |
Series | Racket Squad | Unknown | 1951-06-07 |
Movie | Come Fill the Cup | Charley Dolan | 1951-10-24 |
Movie | I'll See You in My Dreams | Fred Townsend | 1951-12-06 |
Movie | The Yellow Cab Man | Mickey Corkins | 1950-03-25 |
Movie | Riding High | Racing Secretary | 1950-04-12 |
Movie | Key to the City | Sergeant Hogan | 1950-02-02 |
Series | The Colgate Comedy Hour | Unknown | 1950-09-10 |
Movie | Joe Palooka in the Squared Circle | Knobby Walsh | 1950-11-04 |
Movie | The Jackpot | Harry Summers | 1950-11-01 |
Movie | Bad Boy | Chief | 1949-02-22 |
Movie | Take One False Step | Captain Gledhill | 1949-08-14 |
Movie | The Life of Riley | Gillis | 1949-04-16 |
Movie | The Dude Goes West | Sam Briggs | 1948-05-30 |
Movie | Smart Woman | Sam Corkle | 1948-04-30 |
Movie | The Return of October | Uncle Willie Ramsey | 1948-10-26 |
Movie | When My Baby Smiles at Me | Lefty Moore | 1948-11-10 |
Movie | Down to Earth | Max Corkle | 1947-08-21 |
Movie | The Homestretch | Doc Kilborne | 1947-05-04 |
Movie | The Bishop's Wife | Sylvester | 1947-12-25 |
Movie | Tycoon | Pop Mathews | 1947-12-27 |
Movie | The Well Groomed Bride | Captain Hornby | 1946-05-17 |
Movie | The Hoodlum Saint | Snarp | 1946-04-04 |
Movie | Home Sweet Homicide | Sgt. O'Hare | 1946-10-02 |
Movie | Lady Luck | Sacramento Sam | 1946-10-30 |
Movie | A Tree Grows in Brooklyn | McGarrity | 1945-02-28 |
Movie | This Man's Navy | Jimmy Shannon | 1945-01-04 |
Movie | The Clock | Al Henry | 1945-05-25 |
Movie | Captain Eddie | Tom Clark | 1945-06-18 |
Movie | Arsenic and Old Lace | Lt. Rooney | 1944-09-01 |
Movie | Once Upon a Time | Moke McGillicuddy | 1944-06-29 |
Movie | The Keys of the Kingdom | Rev. Dr. Wilbur Fiske | 1944-12-15 |
Movie | Crash Dive | Chief Mike 'Mac' McDonnell | 1943-04-22 |
Movie | A Guy Named Joe | “Nails” Kilpatrick | 1943-12-24 |
Movie | A Date with the Falcon | Inspector Michael 'Mike' O'Hara | 1942-01-16 |
Movie | Hay Foot | Colonel J. A. Barkley | 1942-01-02 |
Movie | My Gal Sal | Pat Hawley | 1942-04-30 |
Movie | Tales of Manhattan | Joe - Mission Aid Society | 1942-08-05 |
Movie | Manila Calling | Tim O'Rourke | 1942-10-16 |
Movie | The Falcon Takes Over | Inspector Mike O'Hara | 1942-05-29 |
Movie | Footlight Serenade | Bruce McKay | 1942-08-01 |
Movie | Affectionately Yours | 'Chet' Phillips | 1941-05-10 |
Movie | Here Comes Mr. Jordan | Max Corkle | 1941-08-07 |
Movie | Meet John Doe | Henry Connell | 1941-03-14 |
Movie | Nine Lives Are Not Enough | Sergeant Daniels | 1941-09-20 |
Movie | Tanks a Million | Col. 'Spitfire' Barkley | 1941-09-12 |
Movie | Breakdowns of 1941 | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1941-11-14 |
Movie | Babes on Broadway | Thornton Reed | 1941-12-31 |
Movie | Grandpa Goes To Town | Joe Higgins | 1940-04-13 |
Movie | Should Husbands Work? | Joe Higgins | 1939-07-26 |
Movie | My Wife's Relatives | Joe Higgins | 1939-05-20 |
Movie | On Your Toes | Phil Dolan Sr. | 1939-10-14 |
Movie | Money To Burn | Joe Higgins | 1939-12-31 |
Movie | The Higgins Family | Joe Higgins | 1938-03-28 |
Movie | Army Girl | Hennessy | 1938-08-11 |
Movie | Cinema Circus | Himself | 1937-01-27 |
Movie | Manhattan Merry-Go-Round | Danny The Duck | 1937-11-26 |
Movie | Forty Naughty Girls | Inspector Oscar Piper | 1937-09-24 |
Movie | Yours for the Asking | Saratoga | 1936-07-23 |
Movie | Murder on a Bridle Path | Police Insp. Oscar Piper | 1936-04-17 |
Movie | The Ex-Mrs. Bradford | Inspector Corrigan | 1936-04-24 |
Movie | Don't Turn 'em Loose | Detective Daniels | 1936-09-18 |
Movie | The Big Game | George Scott | 1936-10-09 |
Movie | The Plot Thickens | Oscar Piper | 1936-12-11 |
Movie | Murder on a Honeymoon | Inspector Oscar Piper | 1935-02-22 |
Movie | West Point of the Air | Joe 'Bags' | 1935-03-23 |
Movie | Hollywood Hobbies | Himself | 1935-07-05 |
Movie | We're Only Human | Detective Danny Walsh | 1935-12-27 |
Movie | Hot Tip | Jimmy McGill | 1935-08-20 |
Movie | The Meanest Gal in Town | Duke Slater | 1934-01-12 |
Movie | Search for Beauty | Dan Healy | 1934-02-02 |
Movie | Murder on the Blackboard | Inspector Oscar Piper | 1934-06-15 |
Movie | Change of Heart | Hot Dog Vendor | 1934-05-18 |
Movie | Clear All Wires! | Lefty Williams | 1933-02-24 |
Movie | Hoopla | Jerry | 1933-11-30 |
Movie | Blondie of the Follies | Pa McClune | 1932-09-01 |
Movie | Lady and Gent | Pin Streaver | 1932-07-10 |
Movie | High Hats and Low Brows | Danny Ruff | 1932-07-10 |
Movie | Yoo-Hoo | Jimmy Gleason | 1932-10-04 |
Movie | The Crooked Circle | Arthur Crimmer | 1932-09-25 |
Movie | Penguin Pool Murder | Police Inspector Oscar Piper | 1932-12-09 |
Movie | The Devil Is Driving | 'Beef' Evans | 1932-12-09 |
Movie | Beyond Victory | Jim Mobley | 1931-04-03 |
Movie | A Free Soul | Eddie | 1931-06-02 |
Movie | It's a Wise Child | Cool Kelly | 1931-04-10 |
Movie | Sweepstakes | Sleepy Jones | 1931-07-10 |
Movie | Suicide Fleet | Skeets | 1931-11-20 |
Movie | The Big Gamble | Fred 'Squint' Dugan | 1931-09-04 |
Movie | Puttin' on the Ritz | James 'Jimmy' Tierney | 1930-02-19 |
Movie | Dumb-bells in Ermine | Mike | 1930-05-10 |
Movie | The Matrimonial Bed | Gustave Corton | 1930-08-01 |
Movie | Her Man | Steve | 1930-09-21 |
Movie | The Broadway Melody | Music Publisher (uncredited) | 1929-02-08 |
Movie | Oh, Yeah! | Dusty | 1929-10-19 |
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