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)
Birdie Steptoe
Suddenly
(1954)
Peter 'Pop' Benson
Meet John Doe
(1941)
Henry Connell
Arsenic and Old Lace
(1944)
Lt. Rooney
The Bishop's Wife
(1947)
Sylvester
Here Comes Mr. Jordan
(1941)
Max Corkle
A Guy Named Joe
(1943)
“Nails” Kilpatrick
Affectionately Yours
(1941)
'Chet' Phillips
The Keys of the Kingdom
(1944)
Rev. Dr. Wilbur Fiske
The Broadway Melody
(1929)
Music Publisher (uncredited)
The Last Hurrah
(1958)
Cuke Gillen
We're Not Married!
(1952)
Duffy
Full Filmography
Acting
Polly of the Follies
(1922)
Paul Gordon
Meet the Missus
(1929)
Bert La Motte
Fairways and Foul
(1929)
Husband
Oh, Yeah!
(1929)
Dusty
The Broadway Melody
(1929)
Music Publisher (uncredited)
Puttin' on the Ritz
(1930)
James 'Jimmy' Tierney
Dumb-bells in Ermine
(1930)
Mike
Her Man
(1930)
Steve
Don't Believe It
(1930)
Jimmy
Big Money
(1930)
Tom
Swellhead
(1930)
Johnny Trump
The Matrimonial Bed
(1930)
Gustave Corton
It's a Wise Child
(1931)
Cool Kelly
The Big Gamble
(1931)
Fred 'Squint' Dugan
A Free Soul
(1931)
Eddie
Suicide Fleet
(1931)
Skeets
Sweepstakes
(1931)
Sleepy Jones
Beyond Victory
(1931)
Jim Mobley
The Crooked Circle
(1932)
Arthur Crimmer
Rule 'Em and Weep
(1932)
Spike Mc Gorey
Fast Companions
(1932)
Silk Henley
Off His Base
(1932)
Picture in Opening Credits
Blondie of the Follies
(1932)
Pa McClune
Yoo-Hoo
(1932)
Jimmy Gleason
High Hats and Low Brows
(1932)
Danny Ruff
The Devil Is Driving
(1932)
'Beef' Evans
Penguin Pool Murder
(1932)
Police Inspector Oscar Piper
The All-American
(1932)
Chick Knipe
Lady and Gent
(1932)
Pin Streaver
Clear All Wires!
(1933)
Lefty Williams
Orders Is Orders
(1933)
Ed Waggermeyer
The Billion Dollar Scandal
(1933)
"Ratsy" Harris
Hoopla
(1933)
Jerry
The Meanest Gal in Town
(1934)
Duke Slater
Murder on the Blackboard
(1934)
Inspector Oscar Piper
Change of Heart
(1934)
Hot Dog Vendor
Search for Beauty
(1934)
Dan Healy
Hot Tip
(1935)
Jimmy McGill
Murder on a Honeymoon
(1935)
Inspector Oscar Piper
Helldorado
(1935)
Sam Barnes
We're Only Human
(1935)
Detective Danny Walsh
Hollywood Hobbies
(1935)
Himself
West Point of the Air
(1935)
Joe 'Bags'
The Plot Thickens
(1936)
Oscar Piper
The Ex-Mrs. Bradford
(1936)
Inspector Corrigan
The Big Game
(1936)
George Scott
Yours for the Asking
(1936)
Saratoga
Murder on a Bridle Path
(1936)
Police Insp. Oscar Piper
Don't Turn 'em Loose
(1936)
Detective Daniels
Manhattan Merry-Go-Round
(1937)
Danny The Duck
Cinema Circus
(1937)
Himself
Forty Naughty Girls
(1937)
Inspector Oscar Piper
Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 12
(1938)
James Gleason
The Higgins Family
(1938)
Joe Higgins
Army Girl
(1938)
Hennessy
The Covered Trailer
(1939)
Joe Higgins
Money To Burn
(1939)
Joe Higgins
My Wife's Relatives
(1939)
Joe Higgins
Should Husbands Work?
(1939)
Joe Higgins
On Your Toes
(1939)
Phil Dolan Sr.
Earl of Puddlestone
(1940)
Joe Higgins
Grandpa Goes To Town
(1940)
Joe Higgins
Nine Lives Are Not Enough
(1941)
Sergeant Daniels
Tanks a Million
(1941)
Col. 'Spitfire' Barkley
Babes on Broadway
(1941)
Thornton Reed
Breakdowns of 1941
(1941)
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Affectionately Yours
(1941)
'Chet' Phillips
Here Comes Mr. Jordan
(1941)
Max Corkle
Meet John Doe
(1941)
Henry Connell
My Gal Sal
(1942)
Pat Hawley
Hay Foot
(1942)
Colonel J. A. Barkley
Manila Calling
(1942)
Tim O'Rourke
A Date with the Falcon
(1942)
Inspector Michael 'Mike' O'Hara
Footlight Serenade
(1942)
Bruce McKay
Tales of Manhattan
(1942)
Joe - Mission Aid Society
The Falcon Takes Over
(1942)
Inspector Mike O'Hara
Crash Dive
(1943)
Chief Mike 'Mac' McDonnell
A Guy Named Joe
(1943)
“Nails” Kilpatrick
Once Upon a Time
(1944)
Moke McGillicuddy
The Keys of the Kingdom
(1944)
Rev. Dr. Wilbur Fiske
Arsenic and Old Lace
(1944)
Lt. Rooney
Captain Eddie
(1945)
Tom Clark
The Clock
(1945)
Al Henry
This Man's Navy
(1945)
Jimmy Shannon
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
(1945)
McGarrity
Home Sweet Homicide
(1946)
Sgt. O'Hare
The Hoodlum Saint
(1946)
Snarp
Lady Luck
(1946)
Sacramento Sam
The Well Groomed Bride
(1946)
Captain Hornby
Tycoon
(1947)
Pop Mathews
The Bishop's Wife
(1947)
Sylvester
Down to Earth
(1947)
Max Corkle
The Homestretch
(1947)
Doc Kilborne
When My Baby Smiles at Me
(1948)
Lefty Moore
Smart Woman
(1948)
Sam Corkle
The Dude Goes West
(1948)
Sam Briggs
The Return of October
(1948)
Uncle Willie Ramsey
The Life of Riley
(1949)
Gillis
Take One False Step
(1949)
Captain Gledhill
Miss Grant Takes Richmond
(1949)
Timothy Gleason
Bad Boy
(1949)
Chief
The Jackpot
(1950)
Harry Summers
Riding High
(1950)
Racing Secretary
Key to the City
(1950)
Sergeant Hogan
The Yellow Cab Man
(1950)
Mickey Corkins
Joe Palooka in the Squared Circle
(1950)
Knobby Walsh
Joe Palooka in Triple Cross
(1951)
Knobby Walsh
Come Fill the Cup
(1951)
Charley Dolan
Two Gals and a Guy
(1951)
Max Howard
I'll See You in My Dreams
(1951)
Fred Townsend
The Story of Will Rogers
(1952)
Bert Lynn
What Price Glory
(1952)
General Cokely
We're Not Married!
(1952)
Duffy
Forever Female
(1953)
Eddie Woods
Hollywood Thrill-Makers
(1954)
Risky Russell
Suddenly
(1954)
Peter 'Pop' Benson
The Girl Rush
(1955)
Ether Ferguson
The Night of the Hunter
(1955)
Birdie Steptoe
Rookie of the Year
(1955)
Ed Shafer
Star in the Dust
(1956)
Orval Jones
Spring Reunion
(1957)
Collie
Loving You
(1957)
Carl Meade
Man in the Shadow
(1957)
Hank James
The Female Animal
(1958)
Tom Maloney
Rock-a-Bye Baby
(1958)
Doc Simpkins
Money, Women and Guns
(1958)
Henry Devers
Man or Gun
(1958)
Sheriff Jim Jackson
The Last Hurrah
(1958)
Cuke Gillen
Once Upon a Horse...
(1958)
Postmaster
No Time at All
(1958)
Dolph Grimes
Charles Laughton Directs 'The Night of the Hunter'
(2002)
Self (archive footage)
Writing
High Voltage
(1929)
Screenplay and Dialogue
The Broadway Melody
(1929)
Dialogue
His First Command
(1929)
Story and Screenplay
Swellhead
(1930)
Dialogue
Mammy
(1930)
Theatre Play
Puttin' on the Ritz
(1930)
Dialogue
What a Widow!
(1930)
Adaptation and Screenplay
Dumb-bells in Ermine
(1930)
Writer
Rain or Shine
(1930)
Writer
The Fall Guy
(1930)
Writer
Beyond Victory
(1931)
Writer
Three Hollywood Girls
(1931)
Writer
Orders Is Orders
(1933)
Screenplay
The Bowery
(1933)
Screenplay
Change of Heart
(1934)
Screenplay
Crew
Directing