Gleason (TV 2002)

The story begins at the height of Gleason's career. He has it all: women, wealth, and extraordinary power. But he is haunted by memories of his childhood. Gleason spends his formative years... See full summary »

Director:

Howard Deutch

Writers:

Rick Podell, Michael Preminger

Stars:

Brad Garrett, Saul Rubinek, Gretchen Egolf

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Brad Garrett	...	Jackie Gleason
Saul Rubinek	...	George 'Bullets' Durgom
Gretchen Egolf	...	Genevieve Halford
Kristen Dalton	...	Audrey Meadows
Michael Chieffo	...	Art Carney
Danny Wells	...	Jack L. Warner (as Jack Daniel Wells)
Mark Camacho	...	Sammy Birch
Jason Blicker	...	Sol Friedman
Vlasta Vrana	...	Toots Shor
Shawn Lawrence	...	William S. Paley
Kevin Dunn	...	Jack Philbin - Gleason's manager
Terry Farrell	...	Marilyn Taylor
Paula Jean Hixson	...	Mae Gleason
Jack Langedijk	...	Herb Gleason
Jake Brockman	...	Young Jackie Gleason

Storyline

The story begins at the height of Gleason's career. He has it all: women, wealth, and extraordinary power. But he is haunted by memories of his childhood. Gleason spends his formative years entering amateur contests, performing in sleazy night spots. Along the way, he steals gags from the best comics in town and finds love with Genevieve, a dancer whom he marries. But Gleason isn't the ideal husband or even a responsible father as he abandons his family to answer the call of Hollywood. Brash, arrogant, and egotistical, he alienates his directors and the man who discovers him. When he ends up back in New York, Gleason gets one of those rare second chances in the new medium of television, creating some of its most unforgettable characters. But even as Gleason becomes the talk of the tube, his life - ruled by demons of rage, booze, and insecurity - unravels.

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Plot Keywords:

television | irish american | one word title | brooklyn new york city | studio logo segues into film | 

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Taglines:

How Sweet It Was!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Family

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Details

Country:

Canada USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 October 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gleason: The Jackie Gleason Story

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Barbara Lieberman Productions, Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), Hallmark Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Paula Jean Hixson who plays Gleason's mother is eight years younger than Brad Garrett in real life.

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Goofs

Gleason is shown being fired from Navy Blues in 1949 or 1950. In real life, the film premiered in 1941 and he was not fired. Also, Cavalcade of Stars was not his TV debut. He starred in the short-lived series The Life of Riley.

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Connections

References The Jackie Gleason Show (1952)

User Reviews

Excellent presentation and performances

Brad Garrett was outstanding in portraying Gleason, and the director did an expert job in avoiding distractions which would have occurred if his 6'8"+ height had been shown in its true proportion to other cast members.

Jack Benny was noted as perhaps Hollywood's biggest tipper. Vincent Price and Edward G. Robinson were noted art collectors and connoisseurs, not just among entertainment persons, but the entire nation.

There seems often to be a tendency for famous entertainers to possess different personas in real life, and in instances like the above, even to emphasize them when in contrast to either more negative, or less attractive, characterizations in their roles.

Many comedians have also been reputed or shown to be somewhat different in "real life." Certainly one can understand their not wanting to be funny or "on" all the time in their personal lives, and undoubtedly they tire of people often expecting them to be.

But many are simply different from the humorous presences in their performances. Arthur Godfrey, and even Will Rogers, were far from the warm figures they portrayed on-air, on-screen or other professional venues. Jerry Lewis, Johnny Carson and many others have had a sharper edge in private/offstage.

This storyline believably portrayed Jackie Gleason's dominating, egocentric, hard-edged sides, as well as the insecurities he always carried from a childhood far from affluent or very happy.

One might wish the film had included a bit more regarding his movie work, but that aside, it captured not only the Gleason character, but also the flavor of the periods in the past as his success grew to its mammoth proportion..

Since these films don't possess the budgets of Hollywood big-screen offerings, even where well-presented, they can fall short in authenticity and details, like conveying scenes occurring in past times, foreign locales, and the like. But this flick captures the feel of the era portrayed excellently.

Along with Garrett's, all the supporting characters were well-cast, with superior performances