Gleason (2002) (TV)

Director:

Howard Deutch

Writers (WGA):

Rick Podell (written by) &
Michael Preminger (written by)

Release Date:

13 October 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Family

Tagline:

How Sweet It Was!

Plot:

The story begins at the height of Gleason's career. He has it all: women, wealth, and extraordinary power...

Plot Keywords:

Television | Irish American | One Word Title | Brooklyn New York City | Studio Logo Segues Into Film

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

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
Lisa Bronwyn Moore	...	Pert Kelton
Amy Sloan	...	Geraldine Halford
Richard Jutras	...	Movie Director
Tim Post	...	Police Officer
Michelle Johnston	...	June Taylor
Joe Cobden	...	Coleman Jacoby
Robert Higden	...	Arnie
Shawn Baichoo	...	Leonard
Lawrence Anthony Smythe	...	Vaudeville Performer
Claudia Besso	...	CBS Costumer
Steve Adams	...	Director Frank Satenstein
Jane Gilchrist	...	Matronly Mother
Ross Wilson	...	Theater Director
Johanna Nutter	...	Joyce Randolph
Tony Calabretta	...	Club Miami Barman
Vincent Leclerc	...	Police Officer in Dream
Pauline Little	...	Motel Manager in Dream
Jayne Heitmeyer	...	Call Girl
Dino Valiotis	...	Assistant Director
Joel McNichol	...	Cavalcade of Stars Stage Manager
Richard Dumont	...	Cavalcade of Stars Announcer
Kim Feeney	...	Date at Toot's
Howard Bilerman	...	Waiter
Terence Bowman	...	Limo Driver
Matt Holland	...	Movie AD
Pierre Lenoir	...	CBS Announcer
Barry Julien	...	CBS Stage Manager
Arthur Holden	...	Maitre D'
Marc Boiteax	...	Ventriloquist
Brian Wrench	...	CBS Executive
Al Vandecruys	...	Halsey Emcee
Nadia David	...	Buxom Blond
Robert Burns	...	Reporter #1
David Schaap	...	Reporter #2
Sam Stone	...	Director / Dumont
Kevin Woodhouse	...	Assistant Director
Diana Diaz	...	June Taylor / Cavalcade Dancer
Kathryn Kriitmaa	...	June Taylor / Cavalcade Dancer
Kristella Diotte	...	June Taylor Dancer
Caroline Gervais	...	June Taylor Dancer
Nancy Loof	...	June Taylor Dancer
Vanessa Larocque	...	June Taylor Dancer
Mabel Palomino	...	June Taylor Dancer
Maud Saint-Germain	...	June Taylor Dancer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Claudia Tiseo	...	Call Girl
Carrie Colak	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Elizabeth Marleau	...	Make-up Girl (uncredited)
France Viens	...	Dancer (uncredited)

Directed by
Howard Deutch

Writing credits (WGA)
Rick Podell		(written by) &
Michael Preminger		(written by)

Produced by
Judy Cairo	....	producer (as Judy Cairo-Simpson)
Philip K. Kleinbart	....	supervising producer (as Philip Kleinbart)
Barbara Lieberman	....	executive producer
Rick Podell	....	co-producer
Michael Preminger	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Chris Boardman

Cinematography by
Ken Roach
Neil Roach

Film Editing by
Seth Flaum

Casting by
Stacey Rosen
Randi Wells

Production Design by
Jean-Baptiste Tard

Art Direction by
Emmanuel Frechette		(as Emmanuel Fréchette)

Costume Design by
Mariane Carter		(as Marianne Carter)

Makeup Department
Jocelyne Bellemare	....	key makeup artist
Greg Cannom	....	special makeup effects artist
Erik Gosselin	....	special makeup effects artist
Kathy Kelso	....	makeup artist: extras
John Kim	....	makeup effects technician
Mary Kim	....	makeup effects production supervisor: Captive Audience Productions Inc.
Anne-Louise Landry	....	hair stylist
Christine Larocque	....	wig maker
Sophie Lebeau	....	makeup artist
Mark Nieman	....	silicone department head: Captive Audience Productions
Michael Peterson	....	lab makeup effects
Jacquie Rahal	....	key hair stylist (as Jackie Rahal)
Cécile Rigault	....	makeup artist
Brian Sipe	....	special makeup supervisor: Captive Audience Productions
Nathalie Trépanier	....	assistant makeup artist
Keith VanderLaan	....	makeup effects producer: Captive Audience Productions
Wesley Wofford	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Michel Chauvin	....	production manager
Pierre Lapointe	....	unit manager
Jennifer Phillips	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stéphane Byl	....	assistant director
Manon Célestin	....	third assistant director
Josée Lachance	....	second assistant director
Michael Williams	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Isabelle Côté	....	graphic designer
Carrie Foster	....	art department coordinator
Chris Klein	....	scenic painter
Raynald Langelier	....	set designer
Julie Montplaisir	....	assistant art coordinator
Andrew Semple	....	sculptor
Lucie Tremblay	....	set designer (as Lucie S. Tremblay)

Sound Department
Catherine Bellazzi	....	boom operator
David Bondelevitch	....	sound editor: dialogue
Dominique Chartrand	....	sound mixer
Daniel Fontaine-Bégin	....	adr recordist: Montreal
Mark Linden	....	sound re-recording mixer
Liam Lockhart	....	sound re-recording mixer
Laura Macias	....	foley artist
Darrin Mann	....	foley mixer
Tara Paul	....	sound re-recording mixer
Karym Ronda	....	second boom operator
David Scharf	....	dialogue editor

Special Effects by
Louis Craig	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Mario Rachiele	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Michael Scherer	....	stunt double: Gleason (as Mike Scherer)

Camera and Electrical Department
Francois Archambault	....	Steadicam operator
Francois Archambault	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Yves Arseneau	....	electrician
Robert Auclair	....	key grip
Charles Beetz	....	gaffer
Bertrand Dupuis	....	key grip
Paul Gravel	....	first assistant camera
Ben Mark Holzberg	....	still photographer
Peter Mathys	....	best boy gaffer
Nicole Rivelli	....	still photographer
Peter Weyrauch	....	cinematographer: Lso Angeles second unit

Casting Department
Eve Battaglia	....	casting: New York
Liz Dean	....	casting associate
Tina Gerussi	....	casting: Toronto
Andrea Kenyon	....	casting: Montreal
Caroline Landry	....	extras casting
Leslie Roycroft	....	extras casting
Randi Wells	....	casting: Montreal

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jennifer Anderson	....	wardrobe assistant
Lisa Arnsby	....	wardrobe mistress
Pickeron C. Garneau	....	costume coordinator (as Claire Gueneau)
Marie-Maude Grenier	....	dresser
Catherine Gélinas	....	key dresser

Editorial Department
Justin C. Green	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Bob Calame	....	composer: song "Bubbles in the Wine"
Stu Cantor	....	music coordinator
Monica Carton	....	music coordinator
Paul Cristo	....	orchestrator
Frank Loesser	....	composer: song "Bubbles in the Wine"
Christine H. Luethje	....	music editor
Zack Ryan	....	orchestrator
Andrew Silver	....	music supervisor
Thomas Vicari	....	music scoring mixer
Lawrence Welk	....	composer: song "Bubbles in the Wine"

Transportation Department
Jose Uria	....	transportation coordinator
Jerome Wheeler	....	driver
Gerry Prevost	....	driver: cast (uncredited)
Gerry Prévost	....	driver: cast (uncredited)

Other crew
Kim Beauchemin	....	production secretary
Melanie Bergeron	....	key medic
Michael J. Curran	....	executive assistant
Suzanne De Carufel	....	location manager
Harvey Drouelle	....	production assistant
Ida Durand	....	production coordinator
Farisa Francis	....	executive assistant
Michelle Johnston	....	choreographer
Brian Jonason	....	executive assistant
Monica Khudan	....	production coordinator: Los Angeles
Harvey Lowry	....	director of operations: Captive Audience Productions
Roman Martyn	....	location manager
Sylvie Normandin	....	assistant to director
Panos Partheniou	....	production accountant
Nathalie Picard	....	script supervisor
Sacha Sojic	....	stand-in: Brad Garrett
Lily Takanashi	....	assistant: Mr. Kleinbart
Rayne Zukerman	....	assistant: Ms. Lieberman (as Rayne Zuckerman)

Production Companies

• Barbara Lieberman Productions
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)
• Hallmark Entertainment
• Robert Greenwald Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (2002) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• RTL Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (TV) (RTL5) (first national airing)

Special Effects

• Intrigue

Other Companies

• Muse Entertainment Enterprises  production services (as Muse Entertainment Enterprises Inc.)
• Post Group, The  video services
• Stage Two Audio Post Productions  post-production services (as Stage Two Audio)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:100 min | USA:120 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Netherlands:6 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Barbara Lieberman Productions

Trivia:

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

Goofs:

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

Movie Connections:

References "The Honeymooners: TV or Not TV (#1.1)" (1955)

...and away we (not quite) go!

As a kid growing up in the 60's, I have fond memories of watching Gleason's variety show and The Honeymooners, so it was with some interest that I watched "Gleason". Brad Garrett is uncanny in his portrayal of Gleason, and most of the acting is credible, but the whole thing is somewhat of a letdown. I think successful biopics are extremely hard to pull off successfully...how do you sum up a life as full as Gleason's in a mere 110 minutes? Childhood traumas of a broken family, extra marital affairs, and a long-suffering wife are brought into the mix and, along with a final reconciliation(sort-of) with a neglectful father, are somewhat pat biographical devices we've all seen before. The high point is a scene at the CBS studios, where we see Gleason rehearsing a Honeymooner's sketch with Art Carney and Audrey Meadows. There is a spontaneity and excitement as Gleason reveals his working methods and spot-on creativity and the scene absolutely comes alive. I only wish there had been more like it.