Russell Gleason

Russell Gleason (February 6, 1908 – December 25, 1945) was an American actor who began his career at the very beginning of the talking film era. He was born into an acting family, the son of actors Lucille and James Gleason. He had an early screen role in the 1930 film All Quiet on the Western Front.

While still in the middle of a successful acting career, Gleason joined the U.S. Army in late 1943, during World War II. While awaiting deployment to Europe in December 1945 in New York City, Gleason fell to his death from a hotel window.

Early life Gleason was born to actors Lucile (née Webster) and James Gleason on February 6, 1908, in Portland, Oregon, where his parents were acting in local theater productions. As a child, Gleason appeared on stage in some of the theatrical productions put on by his parents. His debut occurred when he was carried on stage by his grandmother to appear with his mother in The Heir to the Hooray. Growing up, he lived with his maternal grandmother in Oakland, California. During school years, he rarely saw his parents, but he acted with them in stock theater during summer vacations.

Career Gleason's first foray into film was when he was 21, with a leading role in 1929's The Shady Lady, directed by Edward H. Griffith. The following year, he had a critical success in his role of Private Mueller in the Oscar-winning film, All Quiet on the Western Front. His short career only spanned 15 years, during which time he appeared in over 50 feature films, mostly in featured or starring roles. In 1933, he acted on the stage in a showcase known for its connections to Hollywood, Harold Lloyd's Beverly Hills Little Theatre for Professionals. He appeared with both of his parents in the film series surrounding the Higgins Family, of which nine films were made from 1938 to 1941. The Gleasons appeared in seven of those films, the last one being Grandpa Goes to Town in 1940 (the last two "Higgins" films were made with other actors). He also appeared in the Jones Family series, produced by 20th Century Fox.

After making his last film, The Adventures of Mark Twain, which finished production in September 1942, he joined the Army. His final four pictures all were released in 1944, after he was already in the service.

Personal life

Early in his career, he was romantically linked with Mary Brian. Gleason was married to Cynthia Hobart (later Cynthia Lindsay), who was a stunt woman and swimmer, and later wrote a biography of Boris Karloff. The entire Gleason family was close friends with Karloff, and the young couple became the godparents to Karloff's daughter, Sara Jane. Hobart also co-wrote George Burns' autobiography with the actor. The Gleasons had a son, Michael, on June 1, 1939. After Russell Gleason's death, Cynthia remarried, to Lou Lindsay, and Michael took his step-father's last name, and went on to become a television producer.

Death On December 25, 1945, Gleason was in New York City awaiting deployment to Europe with his regiment, when he fell to his death out of a fourth-story window in the Hotel Sutton on East 56th Street in Manhattan, which the Army had commandeered to house the troops. Law enforcement was unable to determine whether Gleason's fall from the window had been accidental or a suicide. Some publications, such as Variety, had reported that Gleason had been prescribed a sulfonamide to treat a cold at the time, and that the drug had resulted in grogginess that led his accidental fall.

He was interred at the Long Island National Cemetery, a military cemetery, on December 28, 1945.

Filmography

Gleason and Mary Beth Hughes in the 1939 film. The Covered Trailer Year Title Role Notes 1928 The Shady Lady Haley 1929 The Flying Fool Jimmy Taylor 1929 Seven Faces Georges Dufeyel 1929 The Sophomore Dutch 1929 Strange Cargo Hungerford 1930 All Quiet on the Western Front Private Müller 1930 Officer O'Brien Johnny Dale 1930 Sisters Eddie 1931 Beyond Victory Russell "Bud" 1931 The Homicide Squad Joe Riley 1931 Laugh and Get Rich Larry Owens 1931 Nice Women Billy Wells 1932 The Strange Case of Clara Deane Norman Ware 1933 Private Jones Williams 1934 I Can't Escape Tom Martin 1935 Hot Tip Ben Johnson 1935 Condemned to Live David 1936 Hitch Hike to Heaven Daniel Delaney 1936 A Tenderfoot Goes West Pike 1937 The Jones Family in Big Business Herbert Thompson 1937 Off to the Races Herbert Thompson 1937 Borrowing Trouble Herbert Thompson 1937 Hot Water Herbert Thompson 1938 Fury Below Jim Cole, 3rd 1938 The Higgins Family Sidney Higgins (first of a series) 1938 A Trip to Paris Herbert Thompson 1938 Safety in Numbers Herbert Thompson 1938 Love on a Budget Herbert Thompson 1938 Down on the Farm Herbert Thompson 1939 Should Husbands Work? Sidney Higgins 1939 My Wife's Relatives Sidney Higgins 1939 Here I Am a Stranger Tom Sortwell 1939 Undercover Agent William Trent 1939 Everybody's Baby Herbert Thompson 1939 The Covered Trailer Sidney Higgins 1939 News Is Made at Night Albert Hockman 1939 Money to Burn Sidney Higgins 1940 Earl of Puddlestone Sidney Higgins 1940 Grandpa Goes to Town Sidney Higgins 1940 Yesterday's Heroes Bill Garrett 1940 Young as You Feel Herbert Thompson 1941 Unexpected Uncle Tommy Turner 1942 Dudes Are Pretty People Brad 1942 Fingers at the Window Ogilvie 1943 Salute to the Marines Private Hanks 1943 Swing Shift Maisie Inspector 1943 Three Hearts for Julia Jones 1943 Seeing Hands (Short film) Ben Helwig Film nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Subject, One-reel 1944 Lost Angel Reporter 1944 Swing Fever Sergeant 1944 Meet the People Bill 1944 The Adventures of Mark Twain Orion Clemens