James Gleason was born in New York City to William Gleason and Mina Crolius, who were both in the theatre. He was married to Lucile Gleason (born Lucile Webster), and had a son, Russell Gleason. As a young man James fought in the Spanish-American War. After the war he joined the stock company at the Liberty Theater in Oakland, California, which his parents were running. James and his wife then moved to Portland, Oregon, where they played in stock at the Baker Theater. For several years afterward they toured in road shows until James enlisted in the army during World War I. When he returned he appeared on the stage in "The Five Million." He then turned to writing, including "Is Zat So", which he produced for the NY stage. He also wrote and acted in "The Fall Guy" and "The Shannons on Broadway." Next he wrote The Broadway Melody (1929) for MGM. He collaborated, in 1930, on The Swellhead (1930), Dumbbells in Ermine (1930), What a Widow! (1930), Rain or Shine (1930) and His First Command (1929). He and his wife were then contracted to Pathe, Lucille to act, and James (or Jimmie as he was known) as a writer. Probably his most famous acting role was as Max Corkle, the manager of Joe Pendleton who was wrongly plucked from this life into the next, in the hit fantasy Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941).
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Biography from TMDB.
- May 23, 1882
- April 12, 1959 (aged 76)
- New York City, New York, USA
- Actor and writer
- 65 on MovieCove · 150 credits in all
What are James Gleason's films like?
Across their 60 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 57
Light 41 · Serious 13 · Dark 6
Grounded 40 · Stylized 17 · Heightened 3
Gentle 26 · Charged 29 · Intense 5
Steady 38 · Shifting 19 · Whiplash 3
Straight-faced 20 · Some laughs 21 · Funny 19
A split, not a type: Slow burn 29 · Even-paced 26 · Relentless 5
Casual 41 · Engaged 17 · Full focus 2
Easy watch 41 · Affecting 16 · Heavy 3
Resolved 56 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0
Roles they play
Usually the Ally: 14 of 26 analyzed roles.
Show the 26 rolesHide the roles
- Tricksteras Steve in Her Man (1930)
- Shadowas Gustave Corton in The Matrimonial Bed (1930)
- Mentoras Sleepy Jones in Sweepstakes (1931)
- Allyas Lefty in Clear All Wires! (1933)
- Allyas Inspector Oscar Piper in Murder on a Honeymoon (1935)
- Allyas Danny Walsh in We're Only Human (1935)
- Threshold guardianas Inspector Corrigan in The Ex-Mrs. Bradford (1936)
- Allyas Inspector Oscar Piper in Murder on a Bridle Path (1936)
- Allyas Max Corkle in Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)
- Heraldas Col. 'Spitfire' Barkley in Tanks a Million (1941)
- Mentoras Inspector Mike O'Hara in A Date with the Falcon (1942)
- Allyas Pat Hawley in My Gal Sal (1942)
- Allyas Chief Mike 'Mac' McDonnell in Crash Dive (1943)
- Threshold guardianas Al Henry in The Clock (1945)
- Allyas Jimmy Shannon in This Man's Navy (1945)
- Heraldas Max Corkle in Down to Earth (1947)
- Allyas Pop in Tycoon (1947)
- Allyas Sam Briggs in The Dude Goes West (1948)
- Allyas Timothy P. Gleason in Miss Grant Takes Richmond (1949)
- Allyas Mickey Corkins in The Yellow Cab Man (1950)
- Mentoras Charley Dolan in Come Fill the Cup (1951)
- Allyas Knobby Walsh in Joe Palooka in Triple Cross (1951)
- Heraldas Bert Lynn in The Story of Will Rogers (1952)
- Tricksteras Pop Benson in Suddenly (1954)
- Threshold guardianas Uncle Birdie Steptoe in The Night of the Hunter (1955)
- Allyas Tom Maloney in The Female Animal (1957)
Moods and endings
- Happy33
- Bittersweet22
- Tragic1
- Ambiguous4
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch James Gleason's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 17 of their 65 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (10).
- The Night of the Hunter (1955) · actor · free
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) · actor · free
- The Bishop's Wife (1947) · actor · free
- Meet John Doe (1941) · actor · free
- Suddenly (1954) · actor · free
- Loving You (1957) · actor · free
- Hay Foot (1942) · actor · free
- The Matrimonial Bed (1930) · actor · free
- The Broadway Melody (1929) · actor, writer · free
- High Voltage (1929) · writer · free
Subscription and free streaming for James Gleason's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
150 credits, 65 with a MovieCove page; 7 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

The Last Hurrah(1958)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Money, Women and Guns(1958)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Once Upon a Horse... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

Rock-a-Bye Baby(1958)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Man or Gun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

No Time at All (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

The Female Animal(1957)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Man in the Shadow(1957)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Leave It to Beaver(1957)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows
Loving You(1957)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Spring Reunion(1956)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Star in the Dust(1956)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all filmsRookie of the Year (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

Screen Director's Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
Cheyenne(1955)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows
The Girl Rush (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

The Night of the Hunter(1955)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
The Millionaire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

Climax! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

Suddenly(1954)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Hollywood Thrill-Makers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

Forever Female(1953)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Cavalcade of America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

What Price Glory(1952)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
The Story of Will Rogers(1952)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
We're Not Married!(1952)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Come Fill the Cup(1951)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Two Gals and a Guy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

Racket Squad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

Joe Palooka in the Squared Circle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

The Jackpot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

Riding High (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

The Yellow Cab Man(1950)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
Key to the City(1950)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Take One False Step(1949)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
The Life of Riley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

Bad Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

When My Baby Smiles at Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

The Return of October (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

The Dude Goes West(1948)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Smart Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

Tycoon(1947)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
The Bishop's Wife(1947)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Down to Earth(1947)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
The Homestretch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

Lady Luck (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

Home Sweet Homicide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

The Well Groomed Bride (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

The Hoodlum Saint (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

Captain Eddie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

The Clock(1945)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn(1945)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
This Man's Navy(1945)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
The Keys of the Kingdom(1944)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Arsenic and Old Lace(1944)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Once Upon a Time(1944)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
A Guy Named Joe(1943)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Crash Dive(1943)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Manila Calling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

Tales of Manhattan(1942)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Footlight Serenade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

The Falcon Takes Over(1942)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
My Gal Sal(1942)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
A Date with the Falcon(1942)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Hay Foot(1942)
Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films
Babes on Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

Nine Lives Are Not Enough (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

Tanks a Million(1941)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Here Comes Mr. Jordan(1941)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Affectionately Yours (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

Meet John Doe(1941)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Earl of Puddlestone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

Grandpa Goes To Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

Money To Burn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

The Covered Trailer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

On Your Toes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

Should Husbands Work? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

My Wife's Relatives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

Army Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 12 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

The Higgins Family (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

Manhattan Merry-Go-Round(1937)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
Forty Naughty Girls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

The Plot Thickens (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

The Big Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

Don't Turn 'em Loose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

Yours for the Asking(1936)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
The Ex-Mrs. Bradford(1936)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Murder on a Bridle Path(1936)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Song and Dance Man(1936)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
We're Only Human(1935)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Hot Tip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

Murder in the Fleet(1935)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
West Point of the Air (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

Murder on a Honeymoon(1935)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Helldorado (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

Murder on the Blackboard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

Change of Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

Search for Beauty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

The Meanest Gal in Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

The World Moves On(1934)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Hoopla(1933)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
The Bowery(1933)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Orders Is Orders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

Clear All Wires!(1933)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
The Billion Dollar Scandal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

The Devil Is Driving (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

The Penguin Pool Murder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

Always Kickin' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)
Yoo-Hoo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

The All-American (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

The Crooked Circle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)
Off His Base (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

Blondie of the Follies(1932)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
High Hats and Low Brows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

Lady and Gent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

Fast Companions (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

Rule 'Em and Weep (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

Suicide Fleet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

The Big Gamble (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

Sweepstakes(1931)
Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
A Free Soul(1931)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
It's a Wise Child(1931)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Beyond Victory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

Three Hollywood Girls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

Big Money (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

Her Man(1930)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
What a Widow! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

Rain or Shine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

The Matrimonial Bed(1930)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
The Fall Guy(1930)
Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films
Dumb-bells in Ermine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

Mammy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

Swellhead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

Puttin' on the Ritz (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)
Don't Believe It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

His First Command (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

The Shannons of Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)
Fairways and Foul (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

Oh, Yeah! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

The Flying Fool (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

High Voltage(1929)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films
Meet the Missus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

The Broadway Melody(1929)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
The Count of Ten (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

Polly of the Follies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)
Career shape
Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 148 titles from 1922 to 1958.
Film career
Top draw in 3 MovieCove titles.
- 1929Screen debut· The Broadway Melody
- 1955Career best· The Night of the Hunter
Billing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.
How do James Gleason's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 59th percentile, the median of all 62; across their 60 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up15
- 50th to 74th26
- 25th to 49th19
- Below 25th5
Shape of the crowd
33 of their 65 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved8
- Crowd Pleaser33
- Broadly Agreed12
- Mixed12
Reviewers score the acting 69/100 in their films, across 57 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 47. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is James Gleason's work okay for kids?
Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.
Who does James Gleason work with?
People who share at least 2 of James Gleason's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Alexander Hall shares the most, 4.
Directors
- Alexander HallShared titles: Down to Earth (1947), Once Upon a Time (1944), Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941), Yours for the Asking (1936)See all 4 shared titles with Alexander Hall

- John FordShared titles: The Last Hurrah (1958), What Price Glory (1952), The World Moves On (1934)See all 3 shared titles with John Ford

- Michael CurtizShared titles: The Story of Will Rogers (1952), I'll See You in My Dreams (1951), The Matrimonial Bed (1930)See all 3 shared titles with Michael Curtiz

- Frank CapraShared titles: Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), Meet John Doe (1941)See all 2 shared titles with Frank Capra

Writers
- Seton I. MillerShared titles: My Gal Sal (1942), Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941), Murder on a Honeymoon (1935)See all 3 shared titles with Seton I. Miller

- Frank TashlinShared titles: Rock-a-Bye Baby (1958), Miss Grant Takes Richmond (1949)See all 2 shared titles with Frank Tashlin

- Richard SaleShared titles: Suddenly (1954), The Dude Goes West (1948)See all 2 shared titles with Richard Sale
- Julius J. EpsteinShared titles: Forever Female (1953), Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)See all 2 shared titles with Julius J. Epstein

Actors
- Paul FixShared titles: Man in the Shadow (1957), Star in the Dust (1956), Tycoon (1947)See all 3 shared titles with Paul Fix

- Noah Beery Jr.Shared titles: The Story of Will Rogers (1952), Hay Foot (1942), Tanks a Million (1941)See all 3 shared titles with Noah Beery Jr.

- Douglas FowleyShared titles: The Dude Goes West (1948), Hay Foot (1942), Tanks a Million (1941)See all 3 shared titles with Douglas Fowley

- Cary GrantShared titles: The Bishop's Wife (1947), Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), Once Upon a Time (1944)See all 3 shared titles with Cary Grant

Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Alfred NewmanShared titles: What Price Glory (1952), A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945), The Keys of the Kingdom (1944), The Bowery (1933)See all 4 shared titles with Alfred Newman

- Walter ScharfShared titles: Rock-a-Bye Baby (1958), Loving You (1957), Take One False Step (1949)See all 3 shared titles with Walter Scharf

- Archie MarshekShared titles: Forever Female (1953), We're Only Human (1935), The Fall Guy (1930)See all 3 shared titles with Archie Marshek
- Charles Lawton Jr.Shared titles: The Last Hurrah (1958), Miss Grant Takes Richmond (1949)See all 2 shared titles with Charles Lawton Jr.

Producers
- Albert ZugsmithShared titles: Man in the Shadow (1957), The Female Animal (1957), Star in the Dust (1956)See all 3 shared titles with Albert Zugsmith

- Louis F. EdelmanShared titles: I'll See You in My Dreams (1951), Once Upon a Time (1944)See all 2 shared titles with Louis F. Edelman
- Darryl F. ZanuckShared titles: Crash Dive (1943), The Bowery (1933)See all 2 shared titles with Darryl F. Zanuck

- Everett RiskinShared titles: A Guy Named Joe (1943), Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)See all 2 shared titles with Everett Riskin
Mixed roles
- Jack HivelyShared titles: Take One False Step (1949), Murder on a Bridle Path (1936)See all 2 shared titles with Jack Hively
- Arthur FreedShared titles: The Clock (1945), The Broadway Melody (1929)See all 2 shared titles with Arthur Freed

- Joe CunninghamShared titles: Hay Foot (1942), The World Moves On (1934)See all 2 shared titles with Joe Cunningham
- Edmund GouldingShared titles: Blondie of the Follies (1932), The Broadway Melody (1929)See all 2 shared titles with Edmund Goulding






