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JACKIE GLEASON ON BIOGRAPHY CHANNEL

gregg75

gregg75

It was a repeat this morning, but it was new to me.

Apparently at one time his show was carrying the entire Dumont network. He asked them for a
$15,000 loan advance and they turned him down. THAT MADE HIM VERY MAD. Nobody says no
to Jackie, the commentator said.

He showed Dumont, as a bidding war broke out between NBC and CBS to steal his talents. Eventually
CBS paid him an extra $150,000 a year not to appear on any other network.

He made quite a few movies but only his MINNESOTA FATS was a big success. He thought
Burt Reynold's SMOKEY movie was a bunch of crap, but did it anyway.

He had much success on Broadway and won awards even though he never got an Emmy. Art
Carney and Audrey Meadows did get Emmys and that made his blood pressure rocket upwards.
He and Carney rarely socialized together off the set.

Gleason didn't like to rehearse the HONEYMOONERS he thought that took away from the
spontaneity.

In spite of his TV success, his personal life was a mess most of his life. He was an in charge
person and had total control over most projects.

I'd like to see the later Honeymooner episodes (in color that were done after the original 39)
on TV again.
 
P.S.

They said at one time he smoked 5 packs of cigarettes a day. He loved to drink and
was not a very likeable drunk............the show implied.
 
"He made quite a few movies but only his MINNESOTA FATS was a big success. He thought
Burt Reynold's SMOKEY movie was a bunch of crap, but did it anyway."

The Smokey movies made much $$$, which he of course didn't mind (not to mention that he did enjoy making them with good friends like Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise--the set was a rolling party). His films beyond The Hustler, however, tended to run into two types--shlock that made a lot of money, and art films like Gigot that got critical praise but got ignored at the box office. Only his last film, Nothing In Common, which he did together with Tom Hanks, seemed to get both good critical notices and good ticket sales.
 
I always enjoyed Gleason shows from "Honeymooners" all the way through his "Stars" (Miami Beach) shows. I also liked Skelton, Gobel, Martin (without Lewis) and Lucy. They were performers and I didn't expect them to be in real life what they portrayed on stage/film/TV. To succeed as they did you have to be driven because "nice guys" seldom win in a place like Hollywood.
 
Bob1370 said:
"He made quite a few movies but only his MINNESOTA FATS was a big success. He thought
Burt Reynold's SMOKEY movie was a bunch of crap, but did it anyway."

The Smokey movies made much $$$, which he of course didn't mind (not to mention that he did enjoy making them with good friends like Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise--the set was a rolling party). His films beyond The Hustler, however, tended to run into two types--shlock that made a lot of money, and art films like Gigot that got critical praise but got ignored at the box office. Only his last film, Nothing In Common, which he did together with Tom Hanks, seemed to get both good critical notices and good ticket sales.
Click to expand...

I was about to had said the same thing. Jackie was back then very good friends with Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jerry Reed and Dom DeLuise and yes those movies were crap but they DID give Jackie Gleason money and a chance to work beside his at the time good friends not too mention opening his talent for a brand new generation too.
 
I'd like to see the later Honeymooner episodes (in color that were done after the original 39)
on TV again.

No you don't. I saw a couple a few years back on Retro or American Life (don't remember which) they were just awful. Very dated.
Without Audry Meadows it was worthless. Erase the tapes!
 
He was called "The Great One" I don't know who gave him the name but it was probably because he never did anything half way!

He did a good job opposite Tom Hanks in the movie "Nothing in Common".

His comedy often followed a predictable formula much like his contemporaries but you laughed anyway because it was funny and you liked him.

You gotta give him credit for telling the network brass how it was going to be done. I heard when he moved the show from NYC to Miami Beach he had a party train to take everyone down there, at the network's expense!
 
Orson Welles gave himself that name for his acting ability.

I "think" they said it was a large party boat he took to Miami. They made
several stops and thongs of people were there to greet him even way up into
the night.
 
Mike Sheridan said:
He was called "The Great One" I don't know who gave him the name but it was probably because he never did anything half way!

He did a good job opposite Tom Hanks in the movie "Nothing in Common".

His comedy often followed a predictable formula much like his contemporaries but you laughed anyway because it was funny and you liked him.

You gotta give him credit for telling the network brass how it was going to be done. I heard when he moved the show from NYC to Miami Beach he had a party train to take everyone down there, at the network's expense!
Click to expand...

Mike,

I am almost positive that I read or heard that it was Jackie himself who came up with the name "the great one"....great performer he was, but that soured me, that he was that full of himself.

cd
 
ALN (American Life Network) was showing the color/Sheila MacRae/Jane Kean Honeymooners but it is no longer on the schedule.

At the time Jackie Gleason supposedly "discovered" the "lost episodes" kinescopes of the Honeymooners, and Vanessa Williams' girl-on-girl erotic photographs were published in Penthouse - forcing her to step down as Miss America - Howard Stern did a skit on his W-NNNNN-BC radio show: The Lost Alice and Trixie Lesbian Episode of The Honeymooners. It was a great bit; really clever and hilarious. I'd love to hear it again.
 
cd637299 said:
Mike Sheridan said:
He was called "The Great One" I don't know who gave him the name but it was probably because he never did anything half way!

He did a good job opposite Tom Hanks in the movie "Nothing in Common".

His comedy often followed a predictable formula much like his contemporaries but you laughed anyway because it was funny and you liked him.

You gotta give him credit for telling the network brass how it was going to be done. I heard when he moved the show from NYC to Miami Beach he had a party train to take everyone down there, at the network's expense!
Click to expand...

Mike,

I am almost positive that I read or heard that it was Jackie himself who came up with the name "the great one"....great performer he was, but that soured me, that he was that full of himself.

cd
Click to expand...

Look at it this way his lack of modesty was all just part of the act. Most show business people are very insecure, even though they hide it well with bluster.

Too bad I was never able to go to Miami Beach and see his show in person. I wasn't driving yet!
 
gregg75 said:
Apparently at one time his show was carrying the entire Dumont network. He asked them for a
$15,000 loan advance and they turned him down. THAT MADE HIM VERY MAD. Nobody says no
to Jackie, the commentator said.

He showed Dumont, as a bidding war broke out between NBC and CBS to steal his talents.
Click to expand...
...untrue. NBC was never in any serious bidding war for Gleason, as they already had Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis, Abbot & Costello and Red Skelton (the last of which would defect to CBS a year after Gleason). William Paley was very interested in stealing Gleason away from DuMont, but the final nudge that got Paley to actually do it was a personal plea from legendary Manhattan saloonkeeper Toots Shor, whose tavern both Gleason and Paley frequently patronised. According to Audrey Meadows, who claimed on CBS' 1990 memorial tribute to Paley to have witnessed Shor's confrontation, Paley bought out Gleason's DuMont contract the following day. DuMont, always in desperate need of flowing cash, was sorry to see Gleason go but welcomed the additional cash with opened arms...
 
gregg75 said:
I "think" they said it was a large party boat he took to Miami. They made
several stops and thongs of people were there to greet him even way up into
the night.
Click to expand...

There was a train that was a rolling multi-day party. I'm unclear whether it was New-York to Miami or L.A. to New York. also I'm unclear whether it was to promote the move of the show, or if it was to promote some other project. I do know that the year was 1962 and the train was called "The Great Gleason Express". I have pictures of it in a book I have somewhere. To have been on it must have been a friggin' blast.....unless, perhaps. if you made the mistake of crossing Gleason!
 
First of all, no love for "Smokey And The Bandit"? C'mon!!!

I haven't seen the "Biography", but from what I've read about Gleason; Well, let's put it this way: If someone spoke of a celebrity who loved to party, had a huge appetite for the ladies, and was interested in the occult, you'd think of Jimmy Page before you'd think of Gleason. BTW, did "Biography" mention his Rallies For Decency that were held in the wake of the Jim Morrison "Miami Incident"?
 
Looked up GREAT GLEASON EXPRESS and it was a train from NY to Miami. It was to
promote his show moving from NY to Miami.

The show also said there was a bidding war between NBC and CBS. Take it up with
Biography, since I didn't produce the show.
 
This was a well done documentary of the comedy legend. My wife and I were watching it Friday evening.

He had his ideosyncrasies...his first marriage..his relationships with June Taylor's sister,then Honey Merrill,his drinking,smoking,weight gain,weight loss,his ego,his demanding his own way with the top CBS brass...and I can go on.

But my youngest son now 22 was watching it with us and admired the Smokey and The Bandit clips of the great one who played the redneck sheriff role to the hilt...he laughed hysterically.
 
Gleason was an imperfect human being, but he never attempted to hide his flaws. The Jackie you saw in interviews was the real thing. He was undisciplined, a big drinker, big smoker, and a big carouser. He lived hard. Regardless, he was brilliant.

His turn as Minnesota Fats in The Hustler brought him critical acclaim.
 
How sweet it is....

Much as I love The Honeymooners, I wish we still got to see Gleason's other great characters today, as well.
Joe the Bartender (sticking his finger in the glass to stop the head from overflowing).
Reggie Van Gleason III ("oooooo, boy, you're fat")
The Loudmouth
The Poor Soul

...And away we go!
 
Lkeller said:
Gleason was an imperfect human being, but he never attempted to hide his flaws. The Jackie you saw in interviews was the real thing. He was undisciplined, a big drinker, big smoker, and a big carouser. He lived hard. Regardless, he was brilliant.

His turn as Minnesota Fats in The Hustler brought him critical acclaim.
Click to expand...

its been a very long time since i saw an episode of his show(the jackie gleason show not the honey mooners).in the 60`s and 70`s didn`t he sit at a small table with his cigarette and obvious alcholic drink handy?

not saying anything bad about it.it seemed honest and refrreshing to see.
 
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