Celebrity Biographies
Jackie Gleason
Moviegoers will always remember him as Minnesota “El Gordo”, an accomplished pool player in “The Hustler” and a rival to Paul Newman. But in his day Jackie Gleason was immensely popular on the small screen, translating his talent for combining comedy and music to variety shows showcased in late-night hangouts.
Herbert John “Jackie” Gleason, of Irish roots, was born in the New York neighborhood of Brooklyn in 1916, and his life was not easy, nor was it for his brother, since his father abandoned them, and his mother, a subway ticket-clerk, would die when he was barely 19 years old.
He did not go beyond elementary school, but his ease for entertainment was proverbial, he liked to have a good time and he had the qualities to make others feel comfortable around him as well. “Bon vivant”, stout and smiling – Orson Welles nicknamed him “The Great” – was given to excesses, alcohol and tobacco, with stimulating frequencies of that inclination for fun and parties.
He tried his hand at Broadway, and that genuine ease was a huge asset in landing the musical “Follow the Girls.” His film debut came with Navy Blues in 1941. He was quite capable of creating incidental music, without having studied music or knowing how to read sheet music, a natural talent, like being funny.
Gleason’s main achievements were on television, The Life of Riley series , and above all The Newlyweds, with his famous working-class character Ralph Kramden, a Brooklyn-based bus driver. But also variety shows, Cavalcade of Star , later renamed after him, The Jackie Gleason Show , where his war cry “And awa-a-aay we go!” became famous, that is, “And a-aaa-here we go!”
The popular comedic facet was not at odds with the dramatic, and he demonstrated it in 1961 as Eddie Felson’s “Rapid” nemesis without a grudge, Paul Newman , in one of Robert Rossen ‘s masterpieces , The Hustler , his experienced billiards player. Minnesota “El Gordo” was memorable and earned him his only Oscar nomination. This film was followed by others of the same disenchanted tone, Requiem for a Boxer (1962), set in the world of the ring, and the military film Companions in Arms and Punches (1963).
He also produced, wrote the script, composed the soundtrack and starred in Gigot (1962), in the man-orchestra mode of Charles Chaplin , since the main character was a mute janitor who befriended the daughter of a prostitute. Despite the enthusiasm he put into the film, directed by Gene Kelly , it was a box office fiasco. Already in the 70’s he would obtain a relative success with the saga of comedies Los caraduras , together with a Burt Reynolds who demanded the hiring of Gleason.
Jackie Gleason went through three marriages and had two children, one also actress Linda Miller , father of Jason Patric , also a famous interpreter. He became part of the American culture for various reasons, for example he became fond of the occult and UFOs. His political leanings leaned toward the Republicans, and he actually supported Richard Nixon’s presidential campaigns.
His last film was Nothing in Common (1986), by Garry Marshall before Pretty Woman , and with a Tom Hanks before Forrest Gump , or he would say goodbye to the screens surrounded by future talent. And it is that the following year he died of colon cancer.