Gleason, Jackie (1916-1987), was an American performer who became one of the most popular stars in the history of television. Although he was best known as a comedian, Gleason was also an accomplished dramatic actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award as best supporting actor for his performance as a professional pool player in The Hustler (1961).
Gleason was the star of three TV versions of “The Jackie Gleason Show” (1952-1955, 1956-1959, 1961-1970). He created several comic characters on the shows. The most famous was Ralph Kramden, a blustering bus driver who lived with his wife, Alice, in a small New York City apartment. Kramden was central character in “The Honeymooners,” which originally ran as a segment of Gleason’s variety show in 1955 and 1956. The episodes featured the misadventures of Kramden and Ed Norton, his dim-witted best friend, played by Art Carney. The pair became two of the most familiar comic personalities in American popular culture, especially through reruns of “The Honeymooners” on TV.
Herbert John Gleason was born in the Brooklyn section of New York City. He dropped out of high school and broke into show business playing in nightclubs, carnivals, roadhouses, and vaudeville. He signed a motion-picture contract in 1940 and made his film debut in Navy Blues (1941). His other films include Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962), Smokey and the Bandit (1977), The Sting II (1983), and Nothing in Common (1986). Gleason appeared on Broadway in the musicals Follow the Girls (1944) and Take Me Along (1959). He also composed, arranged, and conducted several albums of romantic mood music.
