James Gleason
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1882-05-22
Day of Death
1959-04-12 (76 years old)
Place of Birth
New York City, New York, USA
James Gleason
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
Acting
(1958)
Rock-a-Bye Baby
as Doc Simpkins
(1958)
The Female Animal
as Tom Maloney
(1958)
The Last Hurrah
as Cuke Gillen
(1958)
No Time at All
as Dolph Grimes
(1958)
Man or Gun
as Sheriff Jim Jackson
(1958)
Money, Women and Guns
as Henry Devers
(1958)
Once Upon a Horse...
as Postmaster
(1957)
Loving You
as Carl Meade
(1957)
Man in the Shadow
as Hank James
(1957)
Spring Reunion
as Collie
(1956)
Star in the Dust
as Orval Jones
(1955)
The Night of the Hunter
as Uncle Birdie Steptoe
(1955)
The Girl Rush
as Ether Ferguson
(1954)
Suddenly
as Peter 'Pop' Benson
(1954)
Hollywood Thrill-Makers
as Risky Russell
(1953)
Forever Female
as Eddie Woods
(1952)
We're Not Married!
as Duffy
(1952)
What Price Glory
as General Cokely
(1952)
The Story of Will Rogers
as Bert Lynn
(1951)
I'll See You in My Dreams
as Fred Townsend
(1951)
Come Fill the Cup
as Charley Dolan
(1951)
Joe Palooka in Triple Cross
as Knobby Walsh
(1951)
Two Gals and a Guy
as Max Howard
(1950)
The Yellow Cab Man
as Mickey Corkins
(1950)
Riding High
as Racing Secretary
(1950)
Key to the City
as Sergeant Hogan
(1950)
The Jackpot
as Harry Summers
(1950)
Joe Palooka in the Squared Circle
as Knobby Walsh
(1949)
Take One False Step
as Captain Gledhill
(1949)
Miss Grant Takes Richmond
as Timothy Gleason
(1949)
Bad Boy
as Chief
(1949)
The Life of Riley
as Gillis
(1948)
The Dude Goes West
as Sam Briggs
(1948)
When My Baby Smiles at Me
as Lefty Moore
(1948)
The Return of October
as Uncle Willie Ramsey
(1948)
Smart Woman
as Sam Corkle
(1947)
The Bishop's Wife
as Sylvester
(1947)
Tycoon
as Pop Mathews
(1947)
Down to Earth
as Max Corkle
(1947)
The Homestretch
as Doc Kilborne
(1946)
The Hoodlum Saint
as Snarp
(1946)
The Well Groomed Bride
as Captain Hornby
(1946)
Lady Luck
as Sacramento Sam
(1946)
Home Sweet Homicide
as Sgt. O'Hare
(1945)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
as McGarrity
(1945)
The Clock
as Al Henry
(1945)
This Man's Navy
as Jimmy Shannon
(1945)
Captain Eddie
as Tom Clark
(1944)
Arsenic and Old Lace
as Lt. Rooney
(1944)
The Keys of the Kingdom
as Rev. Dr. Wilbur Fiske
(1944)
Once Upon a Time
as Moke McGillicuddy
(1943)
Crash Dive
as Chief Mike 'Mac' McDonnell
(1943)
A Guy Named Joe
as “Nails” Kilpatrick
(1942)
My Gal Sal
as Pat Hawley
(1942)
Tales of Manhattan
as Joe - Mission Aid Society
(1942)
A Date with the Falcon
as Inspector Michael 'Mike' O'Hara
(1942)
The Falcon Takes Over
as Inspector Mike O'Hara
(1942)
Footlight Serenade
as Bruce McKay
(1942)
Hay Foot
as Colonel J. A. Barkley
(1942)
Manila Calling
as Tim O'Rourke
(1941)
Meet John Doe
as Henry Connell
(1941)
Here Comes Mr. Jordan
as Max Corkle
(1941)
Babes on Broadway
as Thornton Reed
(1941)
Tanks a Million
as Col. 'Spitfire' Barkley
(1941)
Affectionately Yours
as 'Chet' Phillips
(1941)
Breakdowns of 1941
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
(1941)
Nine Lives Are Not Enough
as Sergeant Daniels
(1940)
Grandpa Goes To Town
as Joe Higgins
(1940)
Earl of Puddlestone
as Joe Higgins
(1939)
The Covered Trailer
as Joe Higgins
(1939)
On Your Toes
as Phil Dolan Sr.
(1939)
My Wife's Relatives
as Joe Higgins
(1939)
Should Husbands Work?
as Joe Higgins
(1939)
Money To Burn
as Joe Higgins
(1938)
Army Girl
as Hennessy
(1938)
The Higgins Family
as Joe Higgins
(1938)
Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 12
as James Gleason
(1938)
(1937)
Manhattan Merry-Go-Round
as Danny The Duck
(1937)
Forty Naughty Girls
as Inspector Oscar Piper
(1937)
Cinema Circus
as Himself
(1936)
The Ex-Mrs. Bradford
as Inspector Corrigan
(1936)
Murder on a Bridle Path
as Police Insp. Oscar Piper
(1936)
The Plot Thickens
as Oscar Piper
(1936)
Yours for the Asking
as Saratoga
(1936)
Don't Turn 'em Loose
as Detective Daniels
(1936)
The Big Game
as George Scott
(1935)
West Point of the Air
as Joe 'Bags'
(1935)
Hot Tip
as Jimmy McGill
(1935)
Helldorado
as Sam Barnes
(1935)
Murder on a Honeymoon
as Inspector Oscar Piper
(1935)
We're Only Human
as Detective Danny Walsh
(1935)
Hollywood Hobbies
as Himself
(1934)
Murder on the Blackboard
as Inspector Oscar Piper
(1934)
Change of Heart
as Hot Dog Vendor (uncredited)
(1934)
The Meanest Gal in Town
as Duke Slater
(1934)
Search for Beauty
as Dan Healy
(1933)
Hoopla
as Jerry
(1933)
Clear All Wires!
as Lefty Williams
(1933)
Orders Is Orders
as Ed Waggermeyer
(1933)
The Billion Dollar Scandal
as "Ratsy" Harris
(1932)
The Penguin Pool Murder
as Police Inspector Oscar Piper
(1932)
The All-American
as Chick Knipe
(1932)
Lady and Gent
as Pin Streaver
(1932)
The Devil Is Driving
as 'Beef' Evans
(1932)
Fast Companions
as Silk Henley
(1932)
The Crooked Circle
as Arthur Crimmer
(1932)
Blondie of the Follies
as Pa McClune
(1932)
High Hats and Low Brows
as Danny Ruff
(1932)
Off His Base
as Picture in Opening Credits
(1932)
Yoo-Hoo
as Jimmy Gleason
(1932)
Rule 'Em and Weep
as Spike Mc Gorey
(1931)
Suicide Fleet
as Skeets
(1931)
A Free Soul
as Eddie
(1931)
The Big Gamble
as Fred 'Squint' Dugan
(1931)
Beyond Victory
as Jim Mobley
(1931)
Sweepstakes
as Sleepy Jones
(1931)
It's a Wise Child
as Cool Kelly
(1930)
Her Man
as Steve
(1930)
Dumb-bells in Ermine
as Mike
(1930)
The Matrimonial Bed
as Gustave Corton
(1930)
Big Money
as Tom
(1930)
Puttin' on the Ritz
as James 'Jimmy' Tierney
(1930)
Swellhead
as Johnny Trump
(1930)
Don't Believe It
as Jimmy
(1930)
(1929)
The Broadway Melody
as Music Publisher (uncredited)
(1929)
Oh, Yeah!
as Dusty
(1929)
Fairways and Foul
as Husband
(1929)
Meet the Missus
as Bert La Motte
(1922)
Polly of the Follies
as Paul Gordon
Crew
(1935)
Hot Tip
Director
(1935)
Murder in the Fleet
Additional Writing
(1934)
Change of Heart
Screenplay
(1933)
The Bowery
Screenplay
(1933)
Orders Is Orders
Screenplay
(1932)
Off His Base
Director
(1932)
Always Kickin'
Director
(1931)
Three Hollywood Girls
Writer
(1931)
Beyond Victory
Writer
(1930)
Swellhead
Dialogue
(1930)
Dumb-bells in Ermine
Writer
(1930)
Rain or Shine
Writer
(1930)
Mammy
Theatre Play
(1930)
Puttin' on the Ritz
Dialogue
(1930)
What a Widow!
Screenplay, Adaptation
(1930)
The Fall Guy
Writer
(1929)
His First Command
Screenplay, Story
(1929)
The Broadway Melody
Dialogue
(1929)
The Flying Fool
Additional Dialogue
(1929)
High Voltage
Dialogue, Screenplay