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)
The Last Hurrah
as Cuke Gillen
(1958)
Money, Women and Guns
as Henry Devers
(1958)
Rock-a-Bye Baby
as Doc Simpkins
(1958)
No Time at All
as Dolph Grimes
(1958)
The Female Animal
as Tom Maloney
(1958)
Once Upon a Horse...
as Postmaster
(1958)
Man or Gun
as Sheriff Jim Jackson
(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)
What Price Glory
as General Cokely
(1952)
We're Not Married!
as Duffy
(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)
Key to the City
as Sergeant Hogan
(1950)
Riding High
as Racing Secretary
(1950)
The Jackpot
as Harry Summers
(1950)
The Yellow Cab Man
as Mickey Corkins
(1950)
Joe Palooka in the Squared Circle
as Knobby Walsh
(1949)
Miss Grant Takes Richmond
as Timothy Gleason
(1949)
Bad Boy
as Chief
(1949)
Take One False Step
as Captain Gledhill
(1949)
The Life of Riley
as Gillis
(1948)
When My Baby Smiles at Me
as Lefty Moore
(1948)
Smart Woman
as Sam Corkle
(1948)
The Return of October
as Uncle Willie Ramsey
(1948)
The Dude Goes West
as Sam Briggs
(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)
Home Sweet Homicide
as Sgt. O'Hare
(1946)
Lady Luck
as Sacramento Sam
(1945)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
as McGarrity
(1945)
Captain Eddie
as Tom Clark
(1945)
The Clock
as Al Henry
(1945)
This Man's Navy
as Jimmy Shannon
(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)
Tales of Manhattan
as Joe - Mission Aid Society
(1942)
The Falcon Takes Over
as Inspector Mike O'Hara
(1942)
A Date with the Falcon
as Inspector Michael 'Mike' O'Hara
(1942)
My Gal Sal
as Pat Hawley
(1942)
Hay Foot
as Colonel J. A. Barkley
(1942)
Manila Calling
as Tim O'Rourke
(1942)
Footlight Serenade
as Bruce McKay
(1941)
Meet John Doe
as Henry Connell
(1941)
Here Comes Mr. Jordan
as Max Corkle
(1941)
Babes on Broadway
as Thornton Reed
(1941)
Affectionately Yours
as 'Chet' Phillips
(1941)
Breakdowns of 1941
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
(1941)
Nine Lives Are Not Enough
as Sergeant Daniels
(1941)
Tanks a Million
as Col. 'Spitfire' Barkley
(1940)
Earl of Puddlestone
as Joe Higgins
(1940)
Grandpa Goes To Town
as Joe Higgins
(1939)
On Your Toes
as Phil Dolan Sr.
(1939)
The Covered Trailer
as Joe Higgins
(1939)
My Wife's Relatives
as Joe Higgins
(1939)
Money To Burn
as Joe Higgins
(1939)
Should Husbands Work?
as Joe Higgins
(1938)
Army Girl
as Hennessy
(1938)
Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 12
as James Gleason
(1938)
The Higgins Family
as Joe Higgins
(1938)
(1937)
Manhattan Merry-Go-Round
as Danny The Duck
(1937)
Cinema Circus
as Himself
(1937)
Forty Naughty Girls
as Inspector Oscar Piper
(1936)
Murder on a Bridle Path
as Police Insp. Oscar Piper
(1936)
Yours for the Asking
as Saratoga
(1936)
Don't Turn 'em Loose
as Detective Daniels
(1936)
The Ex-Mrs. Bradford
as Inspector Corrigan
(1936)
The Big Game
as George Scott
(1936)
The Plot Thickens
as Oscar Piper
(1935)
Murder on a Honeymoon
as Inspector Oscar Piper
(1935)
Hot Tip
as Jimmy McGill
(1935)
West Point of the Air
as Joe 'Bags'
(1935)
We're Only Human
as Detective Danny Walsh
(1935)
Hollywood Hobbies
as Himself
(1935)
Helldorado
as Sam Barnes
(1934)
Murder on the Blackboard
as Inspector Oscar Piper
(1934)
The Meanest Gal in Town
as Duke Slater
(1934)
Change of Heart
as Hot Dog Vendor (uncredited)
(1934)
Search for Beauty
as Dan Healy
(1933)
Orders Is Orders
as Ed Waggermeyer
(1933)
Hoopla
as Jerry
(1933)
Clear All Wires!
as Lefty Williams
(1933)
The Billion Dollar Scandal
as "Ratsy" Harris
(1932)
The Penguin Pool Murder
as Police Inspector Oscar Piper
(1932)
Blondie of the Follies
as Pa McClune
(1932)
The Devil Is Driving
as 'Beef' Evans
(1932)
Rule 'Em and Weep
as Spike Mc Gorey
(1932)
The All-American
as Chick Knipe
(1932)
Off His Base
as Picture in Opening Credits
(1932)
Lady and Gent
as Pin Streaver
(1932)
Fast Companions
as Silk Henley
(1932)
The Crooked Circle
as Arthur Crimmer
(1932)
High Hats and Low Brows
as Danny Ruff
(1932)
Yoo-Hoo
as Jimmy Gleason
(1931)
A Free Soul
as Eddie
(1931)
It's a Wise Child
as Cool Kelly
(1931)
Sweepstakes
as Sleepy Jones
(1931)
Suicide Fleet
as Skeets
(1931)
Beyond Victory
as Jim Mobley
(1931)
The Big Gamble
as Fred 'Squint' Dugan
(1930)
The Matrimonial Bed
as Gustave Corton
(1930)
(1930)
Swellhead
as Johnny Trump
(1930)
Her Man
as Steve
(1930)
Puttin' on the Ritz
as James 'Jimmy' Tierney
(1930)
Big Money
as Tom
(1930)
Dumb-bells in Ermine
as Mike
(1930)
Don't Believe It
as Jimmy
(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!
Adaptation, Screenplay
(1930)
The Fall Guy
Writer
(1929)
His First Command
Story, Screenplay
(1929)
The Broadway Melody
Dialogue
(1929)
High Voltage
Screenplay, Dialogue
(1929)
The Flying Fool
Additional Dialogue