About
Jackie Gleason, born Herbert John Gleason in Brooklyn, New York, was an American actor and comedian. He dropped out of school at 15 and worked various jobs before breaking into vaudeville. His television career took off with Cavalcade of Stars (1950) and then The Jackie Gleason Show (1952). He created the character Ralph Kramden in The Honeymooners, a cult series of the 1950s. He won a Tony Award for Take Me Along (1959) and was nominated for an Oscar for The Hustler (1961). He found late success with Smokey and the Bandit (1977). In parallel, he recorded romantic mood music albums, including Music for Lovers Only (1953). He died in 1987.
* 1916-02-26 — † 1987-06-24
Major works
- The Honeymooners (1955)TV series
- Take Me Along (1959)musical
- The Hustler (1961)film
- Smokey and the Bandit (1977)film
- Music for Lovers Only (1953)album
Key milestones
- 1952Launched The Jackie Gleason Show on CBS.
- 1959Won a Tony Award for Take Me Along.
- 1985Inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
Themes
ComedyTelevisionMusicCinemaVaudeville
Sources: id.loc.gov · britannica.com · televisionacademy.com