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