I worked with a nurse who cared for Jackie Gleason as he was being treated in a Florida Hospital...I was told he was a wonderful, classy man and a joy to care for.
What Y'all didn't know 🙋 was he & Richard Nixon was best friends and late one night Nixon took Mr. Gleason too Area 51👽 & Show him something that completely changed his life forever.....🗽🇺🇸🛤🗻🚧🗿
My Dad ,born in New Jersey - 1915 , was a friend of Gleason , my Dad sang and played Harmonica , for a while as teenagers they played some Clubs in New York and Jersey , my Pop decided to join the Army and Jackie stayed in New York , my Dad never saw him again , next thing he knew , Gleason was a star. True story.
I’m 73 now. Was a paramedic in Florida when he was still living. My partner and I took him to the hospital not long before he passed. He was still funny then. He had a huge curved bar in his condominium loaded with every kind of booze you could imagine..
Sometime between 1975 and 1979 I met Jackie Gleason. I lived at the Inverrary Country Club, in Lauderhill, Florida. I was hanging out with a friend that worked at the apt building where we both lived. He had a job to do at the clubhouse, so I tagged along. After he was finished we started to leave as Jackie was coming in. he struck up a conversation with us. He invited us into the bar for a drink. The bar was a replica of Joe's bar from his Miami TV show. Only nicer. We had an hour or so chat. He wanted to know about what we were doing and he was very enjoyable to be with. He was regularly seen out in his Mercedes golf cart, which you get a glimpse of in the video. People always would wave to him as they drove down the road and he would smile and wave back. My contact with him was as of meeting an old friend and sat down for a couple beers. And that's how I remember him.
Great story you lucked out...However if it was me who had met Jackie Gleason...I would have had "that date in time" tattooed to the inside of my eyeballs!
My Dad loved Jackie Gleason, and together we watched the HONEYMOONERS. We lived in a cramped little Flat, and never had much, but seeing The Honeymooners we felt as one with them and the wonderful portrait they painted, humorous and crazy, sometimes sad and difficult but always ending with love. An old man, i still watch it today, and the memories come flooding back.
There were no more 'tragic details' about the life of Jackie Gleason than with anyone else's life. This was a supremely talented and gifted entertainer and businessman, who lived life precisely on his own terms .. and did exactly what he wanted, right up until the day he left us. This was not 'tragic'... this was the life of The Great One.
Yeah that's what I noticed they're talking a lot of shit about this guy,. I don't know who paid this channel to talk shit about somebody who died is beyond me.
Many writers and authors use negativity to get people to read there writing especially ones that write for Enquirer type publications and some show up on TH-cam.
When Jackie Gleason died, I was living in South Florida and heard on the news that The Great One had (prior to his death, obviously) invited the entire public to attend his funeral being held in Miami. I felt a total sense of kinship with him as I, as one of the hundreds of his ardent admirers, filed past his closed casket in solemn reflection about the man who invented comedy as far as I was concerned. To this day, I can't help but laugh at any random cut taken from any episode of The Honeymooners,. To me, it's the greatest show TV ever produced. Thanks for the laughs, Mr. Gleason. May you rest in peace.
Gotta agree with you there Nick. The Honeymooners was the greatest. Brilliant stuff and for the most part, it took place in one room! I still never tire of watching the "Classic 39" but I remember what a thrill it was in 1985 when Gleason announced that he had kept kinescopes of earlier Honeymooner shows locked in a film archives and released the "Lost Episodes" through Showtime.
I always watched Jackie Gleason Show in 50's on black and white small screen TV. I always thought Art Carney was funnier as Norton. Jackie irritated me as a child the way he disrespected his wife..by yelling and threatening to hit Alice " To the Moon"... he was loud and obnoxious. His stage mates didnt like him much. But Art Carnefy always cool and funny.
I loved him from the Honeymooners,to The Jackie Gleason even when he moved it to Miami, then his movies. I'm 69 now but he was amazing, so talented, unforgettable and sad we don't have tv shows like this now. I loved Art Carney,too.
I loved him for all the reasons you mention. The Honeymooners we used to watch in the mid fifties as young children and it was very funny to us, mainly due to Gleasons incredible talent and the simplicity of the set , which was alot like the austere life we as a family had back then.
My dad was a avid fan of jackie Gleason. I would bet daddy wouldn’t hAve like jackie Gleason if he would have known he drank so much. Dad wasn’t fond of people who drank too much.
Gleason had a hard childhood. He worked for everything he got and when he finally succeeded he did what he pleased. He enjoyed his life up to the end and that is real success.
You can say that again! And he worked HARD! When he was preparing to do the Honeymooner's, he wanted the set a certain way as well as the filming, not kinescope. William Paley, the founder of CBS refused to pay for it so Gleason put up the money out of his own end. The results were the classic episodes we still laugh at today!
But you would think the documentary people were the ones with all the talent talking about a man who had to earn everything he got so they could tell their little story..
@@erikthorsen240 Kinescope was a process where live TV shows were filmed by literally focusing the lens of a motion picture camera on a monitor in the studio during the performance. The result was a grainy, wavy pretty poor recording. Most TV was done live in the early days and kinescope was used to show to the west coast audiences programs aired from New York City (like Gleason's) later in the evening due to the time difference. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz pioneered the modern way still in use today with I Love Lucy by using 3 motion picture camera's and recording the performance in front of a live audience for later broadcast. But it was VERY expensive to do every week so the networks would not pay for it. Lucy and Desi put up their own money for it as CBS would not and it was the same with Gleason and "The Honeymooner's." But the result is the wonderful quality we still enjoy 65 years later!
Years ago, I started buying the VHS tapes with the Honeymooners series on them. After I stopped buying them, I realized I was missing 1 tape of having the whole series.
I still refuse to miss an episode of the Honeymooners when played on TV to date.. So many fans!! I say all the lines before Jackie does and continue to laugh every time. Thank you JG for all the fun watching.
To this day "The Honeymooners" is my all time favorite TV show. It is ALWAYS fresh, no matters how many times I've seen it. After school I couldn't wait for "The Flintstones" daily..my favorite, always (and Bugs Bunny too). I never made the connection between "Honeymooners" and "Flintstones" then. Thank God for my innocence.
😂. Same here. I watched the homeowners as a kid in the 90’s. And I thought something was awfully familiar about it. I was amazed when I found out that the flint stones was the honey mooners 😂
My family told me that he used to come to P.a to golf. He also liked a certain beer they made here. He was a legend with a very tough upbringing. God bless him. He still is a legend.♥️
Well Kelsey Grammer went through a lot also. At 15 his father was murdered His mother remarried had twin sons. His half brothers the twins, died in/ on a boat drowned in their late teens I believe it was Then his only sister was kidnapped, by 4 men, raped over and over then murdered Kelsey also became an alcoholic but seeked help. Such strength from both men.
Back in the 1970s when I lived at Inverrary in Lauderhill Fla, I used to see Mr Gleason playing golf from my apartment that was by the golf course, I remember for a big guy he had a really good swing.
In the early 1950's, I recall my Great Aunt and Uncle coming over to watch the Honeymooners in out recreation room. I saw all his movies. He may have been complex and difficult to work with, but he was a wonderful performer. He was also a music composer, but that was left out of your presentation.
Loved him and Art Carney, Audrey Medows and Joyce Randolph😲🤗😁😁😁made me very happy to watch that sitcom. Godbless them. May they rest in peace😪 👼👼👼👼🕊️ From Bklyn NY 1/16/21 💃 Godbless All 👼
I think Gleason did a brilliant job of acting in the movie Gigot in 1962. Without saying a word of dialog he conveyed every possible emotion from joy to sadness. Whatever his demons were in life, you can't take his talent away from him. R.I.P. Mr. Gleason.
Check out his performance in Requiem for a Heavyweight, 1962, screenplay by Rod Serling. All I had seen of Gleason was his comedic characters and of course Ralph Kramden. One night on one of the old "late show" movies they showed Requiem.... He plays a sleazy, corrupt, conniving boxing manager named Maish. By the end of the film I hated him for what he did to his washed up boxer, Mountain Rivera, played by Anthony Quinn. I realized then what a brilliant actor Gleason was. All of the key actors; Gleason, Quinn, Mickey Rooney, Julie Harris, seem to be cast against their known or common types. I still watch it every now and then. The movie starts with Mountain being defeated by a young kid named Cassius Clay who actually has a couple of lines. Well worth the watch even today.
@@joekouyoumjian2601 TOO LATE to claim ''no pun". I can just see Audrey Meadows or Art Carney calling him that. he was indeed , round, and comedy and drama were equally easy for him. THAT is the mark of a great actor. as Peter O'toole said, in 'My favorite year',as a dying stage actor of legend, "dying is easy. comedy is hard"...( being funny on cue).
I was in the live audience for the filming of the Carlos ... Mambo episode, which was a great experience. For years, I thought Carlos was played by Fernando Lamas, only to later learn that the role was played by an actor named Charles Korvin. I had a cold and cough that night. If you listen carefully, you can hear the faint coughs of a child at intervals. Those were my coughs, preserved forever in the Honeymooners.
When I was a kid, so many entertainers had an alcoholic persona, and made fun of normal people- Drinking, and smoking were acceptable and commonplace. Tragedy and depression is often the inspiration for comedy.
With all that's available at a fingertips touch it's amazing how much is overlooked. No offense meant, and I love Reynolds to. But all BS aside Gleason's 1 of the true all time entertainment (no pun) heavyweights. Reynolds realized that, believe me. Check out any interviews with Reynolds pertaining to the movie. He revered Gleason with good reason. The Gleason name ranks with The Duke, Sinatra etc.
I've been watching JG since I was a kid on the Honeymooners but many years later I got back into the show which brings me fond memories. I learned alot about him and can say that from where he started and where he ended he was a huge success and very well respected. The narration of this show has a negative feeling about which doesn'tseem necessary. At 71 years old and after what he accomplished Jackie Gleason had a great life. RIP The greatest. Awaaaay we go !
I found it interesting to discover that Gleason's theme song for his show, "Melancholy Serenade," was conceived by him. (It was said he "wrote" it, but he could neither read nor write music; he sang the themes to an assistant, who wrote it down in music notation.) He also discovered Wayne Newton, who sang the song on the program. I always liked the piece. Stay safe, everyone.
@@jadezee6316 Sorry. He didn't "write" nor arrange any of his Capitol albums. He conducted some of them, but could not read or write music. A musician who played on some of his albums told me this.
@@retrorex On two "Greatest Hits" JG cd's, all the tunes are melodious orchestral instrumental covers of select romantic American popular standards, JG sentimental favorites.
That,s because his numerology is capricorn and his sunsign is pices, both of whom love music. Esp. Pices. Chopin was a pices. I rest my case. I never really liked jackie, although i respect his genius talent. Esp. His dramatic acting. I just loved art carney so much. The show would have never been the same without him.
Even after all these years (closing in on 70) I can recite the lines word for word on most of the original Honeymooners episodes. If it was 11pm in NYC when I was a kid it was tuned to WPIX channel 11 for the Honeymooners. RIP Mr Gleason you were the greatest.
If you want to see the best performance of Mr.Gleason's career, watch the movie called "Gigot". He plays a mute war veteran in post WW1 France. Living a life of poverty and destitution, he is the butt of the townspeople's jokes more often than not. Lovable, heart warming story nonetheless actually written by Jackie Gleason himself.
My family loved both the Ralph and Fred! They don't produce sitcoms like those today! Gleason's hardscrabble life polished him into a fine performer, as he brought his life's hardships into his acting, making his bus driver persona believable.
For a guy who went only to 8th grade to be able to compose the music that is revered, that in itself was off the charts. Obviously there was a genius inside of him to do that along with his comic instincts and his universal appeal.
He was definitely musically gifted, but accounts from people who were there recording on his records differ. Generally seems that he mostly just conceived the melodies.
@@jimmybuffet4970 He faked the music thing. He hired people to arrange and conduct, and he just put his name on the albums to helpt them sell. He idolized Charlie Chaplin, who really did write great music and compose it, including the song SMILE, one of the really best songs of the 20th century....Jerry Lewis used to sing it at the end of all his tv shows.
@@jimmybuffet4970 Yep, Gleason couldn't read or write music and had almost no involvement with the actual recording sessions, but he did come up with the melodies which he would hum to his pal trumpet/cornet artist Bobby Hackett, who would write them down. Most of the trumpet solos you can hear on Gleason's albums are Hackett, who also was the conductor at many of the sessions. Composer George Williams did most of the arrangements. Gleason has been criticized for this but still.....he came up with the melodies and the albums Music for Lovers Only and Music to Make You Misty are still worth listening to if you like orchestra music.
My Dad loved the Honeymooners. So every Saturday evening in the 60s My Sisters and Brothers 8 kids watched The Honeymooners after that was Sea Hunt with Loyde Bridges. Great memories.
@Lucky Lambdin I don't want to come off as a smart ass but Ralph was ALL bark and no bite. He ended many an episode by kissing Alice and telling her "Baby you're the greatest." He really loved her and she loved him. They may have fought and argued but they ALWAYS patched things up. When he got mad it was fun to laugh at his crazy ideas!!! I sincerely hope I didn't offend you and I would never condone spousal abuse,
@Lucky Lambdin it is just a show! Don't tell me you never watched All In The Family for the same type of thing? I don't know how you can get so serious about a television show! My God lay off the drink there buddy!
Growing up in the 50s watching The Jackie Gleason show something I'll always remember because it brought laughter 10 year old kid rest in peace Jackie because you brought Joy to the world
I love the movie "nothing in common", and can relate to the difficult relationships. I don't want to remember Gleason the way he is described here, although I realize it is true. I guess the most troubling detail was to find out that he was not a great father to his daughters, would have thought he would want them to have a better parental relationship than he had.... May they all rest in peace, I will continue to enjoy the Honeymooners until I pass on....
Jackie did the same thing most people do...he was going to be the parent his father was not. And did not. It takes a lot of work to break the negative trend.
I watched the TV movie. Jackie, accordingly bought a house for his family out in Long Island & rented a hotel room in Manhattan. I couldn't understand 'Why?' The two could have bought a Townhouse in Manhattan. Also why didn't his 1st wife ever go to the studio to watch the show being filmed? Many wives of celebrities did... I am sure there were people called baby sitters then? Maybe Jackie wasn't around enough but he did have a relationship with his children later on (it seems)... He really, according to the TV movie, pursued his 1st wife...what happened there is a big question? I didn't quite understand the dynamic...
unfortunately, i do not believe you can really love an alcoholic. I myself have tried in the past. it's a waste of time. I felt allot of guilt in my life that i did not love my mom and dad. I didn't realize till i was in my 30s that they were actually alcoholics. I jus thought it was part of living in an air force family. I stopped drinking in my thirties. not AA, just realized it is more fun to drink with friends if i just drank coke or seven up, the bartenders loved me actually. And finally saw that booze is no one's friend.
I remember seeing him doing cartwheels at opening of his TV show till he hurt his back. His TV show was a set weekly thing in my household in the 1950's
He really was the star of smokey and the bandit.. I am 24 years old now and loved watching that movie with my dad and alone, dad always laughed his ass of at Buford T.Justices quotes. I can really appreciate his role more now the older I get, what a fantastic actor
He had diabetes, smoked 5 packs a day, was overweight, drank like a sailor, and lived enough life in 71 years to last ten lifetimes. Not sure about some of the info in this video either. Art Carney stated himself many times they never had a cross word the whole time they worked together, and that they admired each other greatly. His words.
You don't need to have a cross word with someone to be jealous of them or their talent. And yes, I would rather live 71 years and have a lot of fun doing it than live to be 90 or 100 and be miserable stuck in some job and eating healthy and going to a gym every day after work.
He was a throwback to my generation - drank, smoked, loved the babes. Bigger than life. Flamboyant and self-made as a person and entertainer. We need a Jackie Gleason in this day of a US decline into communism, and a media that deserves just that.
Losing father at 9 and mother at age 19 and surviving on the cruel streets of Brooklyn is hard enough but to make it to the big times and I do mean big times is nothing short of 1 in a million nah let’s go 1 in 100 million. I’m 57 and been watching the honeymooners since I was 10 years old on my 12 inch black and white tv right next to my bed. I have seen the classic 39 most of the episodes at least 100 times and hoping to see them 100 more One of the only shows to ever make me actually laugh. Imagine thinking of any show ever that basically just had one season have such a profound affect on so many people even 70 years later Rip Jackie. Thanks for all the laughs
Sadly, he essentially emotionally (and physically) abandoned his two daughters, Geraldine and Linda. They were known to have stated how painful it was for them to watch a movie such as “Gogot,” and see their father being sweet and loving to the child characters in the movie. Overall, I don’t think he was a very nice person in his private life; however, he was a genius comedian. My hubby and I love to watch the old “Honeymooners,” though I must profess to being an even bigger fan of Art Carney’s. To me, the two of them together are second only to my top favorite comedy duo, Laurel and Hardy. And don’t get me started on how fabulous and perfect as Ralph’s foil Audrey Meadows was! He may have threatened “To the moon, Alice!”; but, in the end, it was always, “Baby, you’re the greatest!”
You can't leave out his obsessive interest and trenchant knowledge of UFOs. He even built a circular house he called the Mothership. A guest cottage was name the Scout. In the 70s his wife recalled when he was taken to Homestead by golfing bud Richard Nixon, and drank for weeks afterward. Had many books on the subject. One of the most educated celebrities on UFOs ever.
He was a great actor . He and people like Jonathan Winters were wonderful dramatic actors, even though they were comedians. As if they really understood the (frail) human condition ...
People of his generation had truly difficult lives. The fact he survived his sad youth and became successful is amazing. Despite his flaws, there must have been positive aspects t9 his character.
I've always said, "If you combine; Jackie Gleason, Carol O'Connor, Walter Matthau, and Rodney Dangerfield, that would sum up my dad. My dad could be near to a twin of Jackie and Carol, in looks and stature. He was also from the same area as the O'Connor family in County Kerry Ireland. My dad and O'Connor both born in 1925 and died within a few months of each other in 2001. Dad was a true pool hustler, gambling con man, drinker, golfer and womanizer. He was rarely a decent man to family, although the "talk-of-the-town," and center of attention in any environment. There is another video on here about Gleason's UFO encounter and how he was rather serious about his expressions of this later in life. He was supposed to have something of a large collection of research of the subject as well. I always enjoyed watching anything he was a part of, and felt he was exceptional at his craft.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about your dad. My dad was similar to the character, Archie Bunker from the TV show, All in the family…played by Carol O’Connor. This is not a compliment about my dad. Archie was not a nice character…but the audience loved to laugh at him, at his faults. My dad, even looked like Archie. I suspect there was a little Archie in a lot of dads in the 60’s and 70’s.
No respect for a self-indulgent pain in the Arce! A great comic but the terrible person is not deserving of respect. He gets credit for accomplishments.
dad abandons family sibling dies mother fixates on last remaining child until she dies kid in the street does what he needs to do to survive. this is how actors are created. doesn't have the coping mechanisms necessary to maintain a family life. doesn't have the discipline or mechanisms necessary to silence the demons doesn't have the discipline necessary to maintain his health smokes - drinks and has a horrible diet doesn't have any positive reinforcement as a child so jealousy and insecurity are ingrained. no amount of success can be self realized. there are thousands of people in the world who have lived this life. they were actors but they were not famous.
Jackie would frequent my Aunt's family restaurant in Lantana Florida throughout the 60's. When he was drinking he was pretty obnoxious to the waitresses, flirting and pinching their asses on the way by his table. When he was sober, he was a friendly and generous man that would tip ten times what the meal cost.
Jackie was the best, What can I say I love the guy, he introduced Sinatra to Toots Shor's Saloon in Manhattan, say what you want , those guys new how to have fun. R.I.P Jackie I miss ya Pal.
I wish places like Toots Shor's and The Stork Club are still around. I would have fit right in there in my younger days. And it was the kind of place where the owners knew you and what you drank and what you liked to eat. Not at all like today.
@@retroguy9494 Your comment reminds me of the hit television 📺 show "Cheers." A place where everybody knows your name 😊 dadada dada daaaaa. Rest in Paradise Mr. Jacky Gleason ❤💐😌👍🏿. Thank you for The Honeymooners and the Smokey and The Bandit Movies 🎥❤. I'm 54 and til this day I watch the Honeymooners and it takes me back to the 80's when we would watch the Honeymooners @ 11pm on WPIX Channel 11 Brooklyn, New York City 😀. The beginning and the end of each episode was my favorite!. GOD Bless you and your family members and friends @ retroguy94 😉👍🏿.
I read that Gleason was there most days , ALL day... starting in late morning. He drank and he drank and ran up- over time- considerable tabs . When the owner complained Gleason would write him a large cheque right then and there.
@@Araconox Yes I heard that and Toots was a great sport about it also. It helped Sinatra and Jackie's careers tremendously as they met more and more contacts there . I just ordered the book by Considine titled Toots. There was a documentary movie on Toots by his grand daughter and I can not find it. But For the drinking Gleason did he never missed a day of work or showed up Bombed which is pretty impressive. Especially these days. He had a very sad life. Very similar to mine. But I had my mother through many years after losing my older brother and father at such a young age. His father sucked. How do you walk out on your family or not come back for your son . He must of felt so terrible and empty from that because he loved his father dearly. I love stories of Men who came from nothing to make it. I always did.
There were two shows I had to watch. Honeymooners came on at 11pm, so no bed until midnight. Mr. Ed came on 7am, so up early. 1972-1974. But I watched many more years. RIP Ralphy Baby!
I commented on Requiem above.....what a sleazeball his character Maish was in that film. I realized after seeing that on what a great actor Gleason was.
I really enjoyed Smokie & The Bandit. It was fun watching it, even if it didn't get great reviews. I really loved 'To Sir With Love', too, and it got lousy reviews.
Theres no mention of the amount of time he must have spent in the recording studios....basically , Jackie Gleason was the Barry White- the Maestro- of his era...he put out lots of albums, had his own orchestra, and his music was lush lounge and bedroom music....like i said, the Barry White of his generation.
Gleason was supposed to reprise his Minnesota Fats role as a pool hustler in The Hustler. Elaborate living arrangements were made, including the creation of a suite that occupied an entire wing of the iconic Chicago clover-leaf-shaped tower at the foot of Navy Pier. The name of the sequel is "The Color of Money." A date was set for shooting, but as it got closer, it was obvious he was not going get there. I was aware is this because I rented a pool table to the production company and my men installed it in that apartment. We also rented various pieces of antique pool hall equipment that appear in other scenes, most notably in the scene where Newman is hustled by the emerging star Forest Whitaker. Four of my installation crew appear in the final scene shot out on Navy Pier. I bought the table on which the final champion game was played between Newman and Tom Cruise. I awarded it to the winner of a game of nineball played in the movie theater lobby at the film's premier. The winner's rec room was too small for the table. His wife would not allow him to put it in the living room. So, I stored it for him for six months, at which time he bought a house with a rec room large enough for the table.
In the 1942 Hollywood film Sun Valley Serenade, in a real Glenn Miller Orchestra number or two ("I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo" and perhaps "Chattanooga Choo Choo"; where actor Cesar Romero fakes playing piano) a young, uncredited Jackie Gleason stands in the band at a wall, seeming to (or really) playing bass violin with aplomb.
Truly Known as the Great One a strong and true character one of a kind a great actor and performer watching the Honeymooners as a kid always brings back fun happy memories
Such a great and funny man. Loads of films and other works came from this very talented man. One movie that is often forgotten is "The Toy" with Richard Pryor. As a kid I used to watch that movie over and over. Let's not forget the iconic character that was based on a REAL LIFE person...Buford T. Justice. Burt Reynolds dad was the inspiration for the Sheriff.
I’m an alcoholic. I’m 52 years old, I’ve surfed and fished all over Central and South America including Baja Sur Mexico where We spend our summers now a days! Ya, I smoke, I definitely drink too much, I’m from Irish decent ( not an excuse )… I walk 2 miles 5 days a week, go to the gym… still a drunk! I’m not mean or hateful, but do , at 52 years old, still get into a few scraps ( childish )! The moral of my story, without whiskey, my life would be perfect, with it, I dance a silly dance with a juvenile mind! I fight every day!
I worked with a nurse who cared for Jackie Gleason as he was being treated in a Florida Hospital...I was told he was a wonderful, classy man and a joy to care for.
Wow
My Aunt was one of the nurses
@@valeweathers Was it Holy Cross?
@@robertthomas1569 I'll ask my cousin, unfortunately my Aunt passed a few years back.
What Y'all didn't know 🙋 was he & Richard Nixon was best friends and late one night Nixon took Mr. Gleason too Area 51👽 & Show him something that completely changed his life forever.....🗽🇺🇸🛤🗻🚧🗿
My Dad ,born in New Jersey - 1915 , was a friend of Gleason , my Dad sang and played Harmonica , for a while as teenagers they played some Clubs in New York and Jersey , my Pop decided to join the Army and Jackie stayed in New York , my Dad never saw him again , next thing he knew , Gleason was a star. True story.
What did he think of Jackie?
Wow interesting
I’m 73 now. Was a paramedic in Florida when he was still living. My partner and I took him to the hospital not long before he passed. He was still funny then.
He had a huge curved bar in his condominium loaded with every kind of booze you could imagine..
That's so cool 😎
@@sierravista9013 not cool he could have lived longer.
Sometime between 1975 and 1979 I met Jackie Gleason. I lived at the Inverrary Country Club, in Lauderhill, Florida. I was hanging out with a friend that worked at the apt building where we both lived. He had a job to do at the clubhouse, so I tagged along. After he was finished we started to leave as Jackie was coming in. he struck up a conversation with us. He invited us into the bar for a drink. The bar was a replica of Joe's bar from his Miami TV show. Only nicer. We had an hour or so chat. He wanted to know about what we were doing and he was very enjoyable to be with. He was regularly seen out in his Mercedes golf cart, which you get a glimpse of in the video. People always would wave to him as they drove down the road and he would smile and wave back. My contact with him was as of meeting an old friend and sat down for a couple beers. And that's how I remember him.
Great story you lucked out...However if it was me who had met Jackie Gleason...I would have had "that date in time" tattooed to the inside of my eyeballs!
Did Jackie discuss his interest of UFO's with you and the story that his friend, President Nixon, showed him bodies of UFO's at an airbase in Florida.
@@anonymousjohnson976 that is awesome!!! I loved Jackie Gleason.
Wow you were lucky ! Sounds like in the right place at the right time.
Wow so cool!
My Dad loved Jackie Gleason, and together we watched the HONEYMOONERS. We lived in a cramped little Flat, and never had much, but seeing The Honeymooners we felt as one with them and the wonderful portrait they painted, humorous and crazy, sometimes sad and difficult but always ending with love. An old man, i still watch it today, and the memories come flooding back.
There were no more 'tragic details' about the life of Jackie Gleason than with anyone else's life. This was a supremely talented and gifted entertainer and businessman, who lived life precisely on his own terms .. and did exactly what he wanted, right up until the day he left us. This was not 'tragic'... this was the life of The Great One.
Yeah that's what I noticed they're talking a lot of shit about this guy,. I don't know who paid this channel to talk shit about somebody who died is beyond me.
Many writers and authors use negativity to get people to read there writing especially ones that write for Enquirer type publications and some show up on TH-cam.
@@jeffw.1854 - Not sure what that has to do with my comment .. but thanks all the same!
When Jackie Gleason died, I was living in South Florida and heard on the news that The Great One had (prior to his death, obviously) invited the entire public to attend his funeral being held in Miami. I felt a total sense of kinship with him as I, as one of the hundreds of his ardent admirers, filed past his closed casket in solemn reflection about the man who invented comedy as far as I was concerned. To this day, I can't help but laugh at any random cut taken from any episode of The Honeymooners,. To me, it's the greatest show TV ever produced. Thanks for the laughs, Mr. Gleason. May you rest in peace.
Gotta agree with you there Nick. The Honeymooners was the greatest. Brilliant stuff and for the most part, it took place in one room! I still never tire of watching the "Classic 39" but I remember what a thrill it was in 1985 when Gleason announced that he had kept kinescopes of earlier Honeymooner shows locked in a film archives and released the "Lost Episodes" through Showtime.
Yes-Whether you enjoy the Classic 39 Episodes or the Lost Episodes of The Honeymooners,or BOTH,The Honeymooners was indeed,very unique!🥰😇
I remember jackie gleason. He always said "how sweet it is". It was a sincere statement from a guy who had been through so much.
And after his tv show opening monologue, "Now, a~waay we go!"
@@JudgeJulieLit He had ".. And Away We Go," etched on his headstone.
@@eloiseockert6561 Wonder if, as a companion piece, Audrey Meadows' stone reads "To the Moon, Alice!" and/or "Baby, You're the Greatest!"
I always watched Jackie Gleason Show in 50's on black and white small screen TV. I always thought Art Carney was funnier as Norton. Jackie irritated me as a child the way he disrespected his wife..by yelling and threatening to hit Alice " To the Moon"... he was loud and obnoxious. His stage mates didnt like him much. But Art Carnefy always cool and funny.
@@nancywood9531 It was an act. Everyone knew Ralph loved her. He ended so many shows with, "Baby. You're the greatest."
I loved him from the Honeymooners,to The Jackie Gleason even when he moved it to Miami, then his movies. I'm 69 now but he was amazing, so talented, unforgettable and sad we don't have tv shows like this now. I loved Art Carney,too.
I loved him for all the reasons you mention. The Honeymooners we used to watch in the mid fifties as young children and it was very funny to us, mainly due to Gleasons incredible talent and the simplicity of the set , which was alot like the austere life we as a family had back then.
I remember my beloved brother watching the 'honeymooners' laughing. He never missed an episode. Rest in peace J.G.
My dad was a avid fan of jackie Gleason. I would bet daddy wouldn’t hAve like jackie Gleason if he would have known he drank so much. Dad wasn’t fond of people who drank too much.
We watched the Honeymooners every week it was on.
@@gracieg7601 I'm sure he would've enjoyed the show anyway. It was hilarious.
@@marywary8837 yeah. Daddy loved to laugh.
I wonder what would it be if he really would have married Audrey Meadows, seem that they made a cute couple.
Jackie Gleason was a pure entertainer and such a class act!!!
Sad, we don't have anybody in the Hollywood studios who is half as good as him!!!
Gleason had a hard childhood. He worked for everything he got and when he finally succeeded he did what he pleased. He enjoyed his life up to the end and that is real success.
You can say that again! And he worked HARD! When he was preparing to do the Honeymooner's, he wanted the set a certain way as well as the filming, not kinescope. William Paley, the founder of CBS refused to pay for it so Gleason put up the money out of his own end. The results were the classic episodes we still laugh at today!
But you would think the documentary people were the ones with all the talent talking about a man who had to earn everything he got so they could tell their little story..
@@retroguy9494 What is kineascope?
@@erikthorsen240 Kinescope was a process where live TV shows were filmed by literally focusing the lens of a motion picture camera on a monitor in the studio during the performance. The result was a grainy, wavy pretty poor recording. Most TV was done live in the early days and kinescope was used to show to the west coast audiences programs aired from New York City (like Gleason's) later in the evening due to the time difference. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz pioneered the modern way still in use today with I Love Lucy by using 3 motion picture camera's and recording the performance in front of a live audience for later broadcast. But it was VERY expensive to do every week so the networks would not pay for it. Lucy and Desi put up their own money for it as CBS would not and it was the same with Gleason and "The Honeymooner's." But the result is the wonderful quality we still enjoy 65 years later!
FACTS!!!!
The Honeymooners is such a classic series; it brings me laughs and serenity even in today's cold, hard world.
Years ago, I started buying the VHS tapes with the Honeymooners series on them. After I stopped buying them, I realized I was missing 1 tape of having the whole series.
I agree 💯👍
👍🏿
Even in a cold , hard world God will always be there and He will keep us safe
@@happypappy6371 ooooook....annnnnd???
I still refuse to miss an episode of the Honeymooners when played on TV to date.. So many fans!! I say all the lines before Jackie does and continue to laugh every time. Thank you JG for all the fun watching.
Me too.
…three propeller’s..
He had a genius for performing. A natural.
To this day "The Honeymooners" is my all time favorite TV show. It is ALWAYS fresh, no matters how many times I've seen it. After school I couldn't wait for "The Flintstones" daily..my favorite, always (and Bugs Bunny too). I never made the connection between "Honeymooners" and "Flintstones" then. Thank God for my innocence.
😂. Same here. I watched the homeowners as a kid in the 90’s. And I thought something was awfully familiar about it. I was amazed when I found out that the flint stones was the honey mooners 😂
Say what you want to say about Gleason, they didn't call him the greatest for nothing. his show has run since it began till this day Non-Stop
WHAT A GREAT ACTOR.
LOVED HIM.
My family told me that he used to come to P.a to golf. He also liked a certain beer they made here. He was a legend with a very tough upbringing. God bless him. He still is a legend.♥️
It sounds like JG was an amazingly resilient man. The crap he went through would break most people. His faults were common amongst our species.
Well said!
Tad kowal There's a 5th of jack Daniel's wating for you here in Glendora CA....Great call
Well Kelsey Grammer went through a lot also.
At 15 his father was murdered
His mother remarried had twin sons.
His half brothers the twins, died
in/ on a boat drowned in their late teens I believe it was
Then his only sister was kidnapped, by 4 men, raped over and over then murdered
Kelsey also became an alcoholic but seeked help.
Such strength from both men.
@@kenkelble358 ???
Yes and honestly if his mother kept him separated from socializing that’s probably why he had difficulty with relationships
Back in the 1970s when I lived at Inverrary in Lauderhill Fla, I used to see Mr Gleason playing golf from my apartment that was by the golf course, I remember for a big guy he had a really good swing.
In the early 1950's, I recall my Great Aunt and Uncle coming over to watch the Honeymooners in out recreation room. I saw all his movies. He may have been complex and difficult to work with, but he was a wonderful performer. He was also a music composer, but that was left out of your presentation.
Loved him and Art Carney, Audrey Medows and Joyce Randolph😲🤗😁😁😁made me very happy to watch that sitcom. Godbless them. May they rest in peace😪 👼👼👼👼🕊️
From Bklyn NY 1/16/21 💃
Godbless All 👼
The best of the best.
I think Gleason did a brilliant job of acting in the movie Gigot in 1962. Without saying a word of dialog he conveyed every possible emotion from joy to sadness. Whatever his demons were in life, you can't take his talent away from him. R.I.P. Mr. Gleason.
His explanation of God to the child in Gidot was superb.
@@rudybarnsley9307 I agree!
Check out his performance in Requiem for a Heavyweight, 1962, screenplay by Rod Serling. All I had seen of Gleason was his comedic characters and of course Ralph Kramden. One night on one of the old "late show" movies they showed Requiem.... He plays a sleazy, corrupt, conniving boxing manager named Maish. By the end of the film I hated him for what he did to his washed up boxer, Mountain Rivera, played by Anthony Quinn. I realized then what a brilliant actor Gleason was. All of the key actors; Gleason, Quinn, Mickey Rooney, Julie Harris, seem to be cast against their known or common types. I still watch it every now and then. The movie starts with Mountain being defeated by a young kid named Cassius Clay who actually has a couple of lines. Well worth the watch even today.
@@jeffd1986 You are quite right as this was another great dramatic performance by Gleason. He was certainly a well rounded actor, no pun intended.
@@joekouyoumjian2601 TOO LATE to claim ''no pun". I can just see Audrey Meadows or Art Carney calling him that. he was indeed , round, and comedy and drama were equally easy for him. THAT is the mark of a great actor. as Peter O'toole said, in 'My favorite year',as a dying stage actor of legend, "dying is easy. comedy is hard"...( being funny on cue).
Living life for 71 years the way you wanna live it is epic
I was in the live audience for the filming of the Carlos ... Mambo episode, which was a great experience. For years, I thought Carlos was played by Fernando Lamas, only to later learn that the role was played by an actor named Charles Korvin. I had a cold and cough that night. If you listen carefully, you can hear the faint coughs of a child at intervals. Those were my coughs, preserved forever in the Honeymooners.
Wow! Can you please share more details of your attendance at the show? I was born in 1980 and grew up watching The Honeymooners with my grandparents.
Cool story! Thanks for sharing.
When I was a kid, so many entertainers had an alcoholic persona, and made fun of normal people-
Drinking, and smoking were acceptable and commonplace. Tragedy and depression is often the
inspiration for comedy.
I was in New York walking down 5th Ave and someone gave me two tickets to Jackie Gleason's first show "American Scene Magazine"..Very funny guy..
I saw him on TV as a little boy. I loved his show in Miami with the June Taylor dancers also the honeymooners! RIP.. Great One. 😊
Only discovered him when Burt Reynolds passed.
But man as Sheriff Buford T. Justice he sure does it well. Close to outclassing Burt reynolds
With all that's available at a fingertips touch it's amazing how much is overlooked. No offense meant, and I love Reynolds to. But all BS aside Gleason's 1 of the true all time entertainment (no pun) heavyweights. Reynolds realized that, believe me. Check out any interviews with Reynolds pertaining to the movie. He revered Gleason with good reason. The Gleason name ranks with The Duke, Sinatra etc.
skylineXpert It didn't take much to outclass Burt Reynolds...no disrespect to Jackie Gleason.
@@dolenzmcqueen8316 Everybody's entitled to....so on & so forth
His role as the sheriff was so hilarious.
He was a helluvan actor.
I've been watching JG since I was a kid on the Honeymooners but many years later I got back into the show which brings me fond memories. I learned alot about him and can say that from where he started and where he ended he was a huge success and very well respected. The narration of this show has a negative feeling about which doesn'tseem necessary. At 71 years old and after what he accomplished Jackie Gleason had a great life. RIP The greatest. Awaaaay we go !
I found it interesting to discover that Gleason's theme song for his show, "Melancholy Serenade," was conceived by him. (It was said he "wrote" it, but he could neither read nor write music; he sang the themes to an assistant, who wrote it down in music notation.) He also discovered Wayne Newton, who sang the song on the program. I always liked the piece. Stay safe, everyone.
gleason sold millions of albums of music he wrote
@@jadezee6316 Sorry. He didn't "write" nor arrange any of his Capitol albums. He conducted some of them, but could not read or write music. A musician who played on some of his albums told me this.
You are right..Wayne Newtons first appearance on TV was on the Jackie Gleason show...I seen it..
@@retrorex On two "Greatest Hits" JG cd's, all the tunes are melodious orchestral instrumental covers of select romantic American popular standards, JG sentimental favorites.
That,s because his numerology is capricorn and his sunsign is pices, both of whom love music. Esp. Pices. Chopin was a pices. I rest my case. I never really liked jackie, although i respect his genius talent. Esp. His dramatic acting. I just loved art carney so much. The show would have never been the same without him.
I know everyone always mentions The Honeymooners, but I loved his variety show from Miami Beach.
Yes, that show was a blast...
So very very much better than anything on today...
JG,....and away we,..go
I remember "Live from Miami Beach its the Jackie Gleason Show!"
He lived 2 blocks away from my grandfather in Brooklyn before he found fame years before I was born.
He gave a lot of joy to audiences...Thank you for posting.
Even after all these years (closing in on 70) I can recite the lines word for word on most of the original Honeymooners episodes. If it was 11pm in NYC when I was a kid it was tuned to WPIX channel 11 for the Honeymooners. RIP Mr Gleason you were the greatest.
If you want to see the best performance of Mr.Gleason's career, watch the movie called "Gigot". He plays a mute war veteran in post WW1 France. Living a life of poverty and destitution, he is the butt of the townspeople's jokes more often than not. Lovable, heart warming story nonetheless actually written by Jackie Gleason himself.
Yes! An amazing performance and basically unknown.
Great movie. Gleason also wrote the score which is great too.
I remember that one....
Absolutely. I saw that a few decades ago and Gleason's performance is great.
also loved him in PAPA'S DELICATE CONDITION
My family loved both the Ralph and Fred! They don't produce sitcoms like those today! Gleason's hardscrabble life polished him into a fine performer, as he brought his life's hardships into his acting, making his bus driver persona believable.
Fred ?
Not a word about his very accomplished musical talent and orchestra work...
I have one of his albums. When I bought it I was like Jackie Gleason music?
Music for lovers was a huge album for him!
I got every episode of The Honeymooners I fall asleep to them every night
I’m zealous as hell
Those were some great times in the early 60s
I do the same with Night court and Married...with children
@@arealone9506 I’m been doing the office I love Steve Carroll South Park too dan
What !
For a guy who went only to 8th grade to be able to compose the music that is revered, that in itself was off the charts. Obviously there was a genius inside of him to do that along with his comic instincts and his universal appeal.
Finally someone else who knew about his musical genius.
He was definitely musically gifted, but accounts from people who were there recording on his records differ. Generally seems that he mostly just conceived the melodies.
@@jimmybuffet4970 He faked the music thing. He hired people to arrange and conduct, and he just put his name on the albums to helpt them sell. He idolized Charlie Chaplin, who really did write great music and compose it, including the song SMILE, one of the really best songs of the 20th century....Jerry Lewis used to sing it at the end of all his tv shows.
@@jimmybuffet4970 Yep, Gleason couldn't read or write music and had almost no involvement with the actual recording sessions, but he did come up with the melodies which he would hum to his pal trumpet/cornet artist Bobby Hackett, who would write them down. Most of the trumpet solos you can hear on Gleason's albums are Hackett, who also was the conductor at many of the sessions. Composer George Williams did most of the arrangements. Gleason has been criticized for this but still.....he came up with the melodies and the albums Music for Lovers Only and Music to Make You Misty are still worth listening to if you like orchestra music.
Jackie Gleason always had an eye for the lady's and the finer things in life ! Who can blame him for that ?
My Dad loved the Honeymooners. So every Saturday evening in the 60s My Sisters and Brothers 8 kids watched The Honeymooners after that was Sea Hunt with Loyde Bridges. Great memories.
Lloyd
My bluebird leader was on Sea Hunt quiet a few times beautiful blonde lady. Loved the honemooners and sea hunt
Same here...
I loved him in the Honeymooner's! He was hilarious
@Lucky Lambdin You wanna go to the moon?
@Lucky Lambdin I don't want to come off as a smart ass but Ralph was ALL bark and no bite. He ended many an episode by kissing Alice and telling her "Baby you're the greatest." He really loved her and she loved him. They may have fought and argued but they ALWAYS patched things up. When he got mad it was fun to laugh at his crazy ideas!!! I sincerely hope I didn't offend you and I would never condone spousal abuse,
Yes he was always
@Lucky Lambdin it is just a show! Don't tell me you never watched All In The Family for the same type of thing? I don't know how you can get so serious about a television show! My God lay off the drink there buddy!
Growing up in the 50s watching The Jackie Gleason show something I'll always remember because it brought laughter 10 year old kid rest in peace Jackie because you brought Joy to the world
I love the movie "nothing in common", and can relate to the difficult relationships. I don't want to remember Gleason the way he is described here, although I realize it is true. I guess the most troubling detail was to find out that he was not a great father to his daughters, would have thought he would want them to have a better parental relationship than he had.... May they all rest in peace, I will continue to enjoy the Honeymooners until I pass on....
Ah yes....good movie. 🙂
If anything...he did change his will at the end of his life and gave his daughters a great deal of his wealth...it's something at least
Jackie did the same thing most people do...he was going to be the parent his father was not. And did not. It takes a lot of work to break the negative trend.
I watched the TV movie. Jackie, accordingly bought a house for his family out in Long Island & rented a hotel room in Manhattan. I couldn't understand 'Why?' The two could have bought a Townhouse in Manhattan.
Also why didn't his 1st wife ever go to the studio to watch the show being filmed? Many wives of celebrities did...
I am sure there were people called
baby sitters then?
Maybe Jackie wasn't around enough but he did have a relationship with his children later on (it seems)...
He really, according to the TV movie, pursued his 1st wife...what happened there is a big question?
I didn't quite understand the dynamic...
Who in the world wouldn't? I was shocked it had poor reviews
Not ashamed to say, I broke down & cried when he passed.
My dad used to drink beer with Jackie Gleason when they were both bus drivers. He said he was a real nice guy.
unfortunately, i do not believe you can really love an alcoholic. I myself have tried in the past. it's a waste of time. I felt allot of guilt in my life that i did not love my mom and dad. I didn't realize till i was in my 30s that they were actually alcoholics. I jus thought it was part of living in an air force family. I stopped drinking in my thirties. not AA, just realized it is more fun to drink with friends if i just drank coke or seven up, the bartenders loved me actually. And finally saw that booze is no one's friend.
I remember seeing him doing cartwheels at opening of his TV show till he hurt his back. His TV show was a set weekly thing in my household in the 1950's
Yes, at the beginning of the show he would come out with a cup of coffee and bellow loudly - "how sweet it is!!...."
He really was the star of smokey and the bandit.. I am 24 years old now and loved watching that movie with my dad and alone, dad always laughed his ass of at Buford T.Justices quotes. I can really appreciate his role more now the older I get, what a fantastic actor
He actually reminded me of my step grandfather in that role although he did not have a southern accent.
So True!
He lived life his way. Won’t fault him for that.
He helped sell more B&W televisons than Uncle Milty..
He wrote some of the most beautiful music ever performed.
Absolutely! Melancholy Serenade & You're My Greatest Love ❤️
I agree. A shame they did not acknowledge that in this presentation.
WAs any of j.gleasons music published? What was the name of any of his music that was published? Yxx
He didn’t write it. All those albums are standards.
@@patriciacolombini6567 google it. He did a bunch of albums but he didn’t write the music. They’re standards.
He had diabetes, smoked 5 packs a day, was overweight, drank like a sailor, and lived enough life in 71 years to last ten lifetimes. Not sure about some of the info in this video either. Art Carney stated himself many times they never had a cross word the whole time they worked together, and that they admired each other greatly. His words.
You don't need to have a cross word with someone to be jealous of them or their talent. And yes, I would rather live 71 years and have a lot of fun doing it than live to be 90 or 100 and be miserable stuck in some job and eating healthy and going to a gym every day after work.
@@retroguy9494 : Exactly! It is the quality of life that is important, not the quantity.
@@anonymousjohnson976 Indeed.....you are 100% right! 👍✔
He was a throwback to my generation - drank, smoked, loved the babes. Bigger than life. Flamboyant and self-made as a person and entertainer. We need a Jackie Gleason in this day of a US decline into communism, and a media that deserves just that.
The guy was extremely talented! I love his body of work in all areas...
He was brilliant, and funny, as hell, I grew up watching the old reruns of The Honeymooners. His comedic, skills and timing were superb.
Losing father at 9 and mother at age 19 and surviving on the cruel streets of Brooklyn is hard enough but to make it to the big times and I do mean big times is nothing short of 1 in a million nah let’s go 1 in 100 million. I’m 57 and been watching the honeymooners since I was 10 years old on my 12 inch black and white tv right next to my bed. I have seen the classic 39 most of the episodes at least 100 times and hoping to see them 100 more One of the only shows to ever make me actually laugh. Imagine thinking of any show ever that basically just had one season have such a profound affect on so many people even 70 years later Rip Jackie. Thanks for all the laughs
Jackie Gleason fat fu*k 😂😂😂😂😂 Just look at him he never missed a meal!
@@BIGBADWOOD
Haha. What r u a Lizzo lover. Don’t be jealous of a man that lived life to the fullest
@@stevenjames2160 And ate like a PIG
Sadly, he essentially emotionally (and physically) abandoned his two daughters, Geraldine and Linda. They were known to have stated how painful it was for them to watch a movie such as “Gogot,” and see their father being sweet and loving to the child characters in the movie. Overall, I don’t think he was a very nice person in his private life; however, he was a genius comedian. My hubby and I love to watch the old “Honeymooners,” though I must profess to being an even bigger fan of Art Carney’s. To me, the two of them together are second only to my top favorite comedy duo, Laurel and Hardy. And don’t get me started on how fabulous and perfect as Ralph’s foil Audrey Meadows was! He may have threatened “To the moon, Alice!”; but, in the end, it was always, “Baby, you’re the greatest!”
His grandson Robert Patrick did an interview saying that he only met jackie twice in his life
He died the day before my 15th birthday. I remember watching so many Honeymooners reruns before and after he passed away.
My favorite Jackie Gleason moment is his performance in The Toy with Richard Pryor.....friggin love that flick yo.
I wore the VHS out as a kid watching it so much 😹
You can't leave out his obsessive interest and trenchant knowledge of UFOs. He even built a circular house he called the Mothership. A guest cottage was name the Scout. In the 70s his wife recalled when he was taken to Homestead by golfing bud Richard Nixon, and drank for weeks afterward. Had many books on the subject. One of the most educated celebrities on UFOs ever.
"Requiem for a heavyweight" really showcased his acting skills, imho.
He was a great actor . He and people like Jonathan Winters were wonderful dramatic actors, even though they were comedians. As if they really understood the (frail) human condition ...
Loved that movie & the Hustler .
Yes! Very good film with several fine performances.
@@Araconox Tears of a clown...
People of his generation had truly difficult lives. The fact he survived his sad youth and became successful is amazing. Despite his flaws, there must have been positive aspects t9 his character.
I've always said, "If you combine; Jackie Gleason, Carol O'Connor, Walter Matthau, and Rodney Dangerfield, that would sum up my dad.
My dad could be near to a twin of Jackie and Carol, in looks and stature. He was also from the same area as the O'Connor family in County Kerry Ireland. My dad and O'Connor both born in 1925 and died within a few months of each other in 2001.
Dad was a true pool hustler, gambling con man, drinker, golfer and womanizer. He was rarely a decent man to family, although the "talk-of-the-town," and center of attention in any environment.
There is another video on here about Gleason's UFO encounter and how he was rather serious about his expressions of this later in life. He was supposed to have something of a large collection of research of the subject as well.
I always enjoyed watching anything he was a part of, and felt he was exceptional at his craft.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about your dad. My dad was similar to the character, Archie Bunker from the TV show, All in the family…played by Carol O’Connor. This is not a compliment about my dad. Archie was not a nice character…but the audience loved to laugh at him, at his faults. My dad, even looked like Archie. I suspect there was a little Archie in a lot of dads in the 60’s and 70’s.
This is why I respect the hell out of Jackie. He's not like these "stars" now-a-days. He didn't come from fame or money.
No respect for a self-indulgent pain in the Arce! A great comic but the terrible person is not deserving of respect. He gets credit for accomplishments.
dad abandons family
sibling dies
mother fixates on last remaining child until she dies
kid in the street does what he needs to do to survive. this is how actors are created.
doesn't have the coping mechanisms necessary to maintain a family life.
doesn't have the discipline or mechanisms necessary to silence the demons
doesn't have the discipline necessary to maintain his health
smokes - drinks and has a horrible diet
doesn't have any positive reinforcement as a child so jealousy and insecurity are ingrained.
no amount of success can be self realized.
there are thousands of people in the world who have lived this life. they were actors but they were not famous.
GIGOT came out when i was 5. I still remember seeing that movie
My own Father reminded me of him! My Father was 6'3"-about 260lbs-a brute force of a man, an alcoholic, womanizer & abuser-yet I still loved him!
Chaplin..ENGLAND. good luck..jakiie..best. actor
Mine too, lol, a lot.
My Mom always said my Dad was exactly like Jackie Gleason, looked him, built like him drank and smoked like him.
The Honeymooners is my favorite show, ever!
@@bracecollins1089 same here! Exactly!
Jackie would frequent my Aunt's family restaurant in Lantana Florida throughout the 60's. When he was drinking he was pretty obnoxious to the waitresses, flirting and pinching their asses on the way by his table. When he was sober, he was a friendly and generous man that would tip ten times what the meal cost.
Yeah, seems like he was an obnoxious drinker for sure
Sad to hear...
Bless his soul, he still brings happiness to all till this day. We will always love you
Jackie was the best, What can I say I love the guy, he introduced Sinatra to Toots Shor's Saloon in Manhattan, say what you want , those guys new how to have fun. R.I.P Jackie I miss ya Pal.
I wish places like Toots Shor's and The Stork Club are still around. I would have fit right in there in my younger days. And it was the kind of place where the owners knew you and what you drank and what you liked to eat. Not at all like today.
@@retroguy9494 Your comment reminds me of the hit television 📺 show "Cheers." A place where everybody knows your name 😊 dadada dada daaaaa. Rest in Paradise Mr. Jacky Gleason ❤💐😌👍🏿. Thank you for The Honeymooners and the Smokey and The Bandit Movies 🎥❤. I'm 54 and til this day I watch the Honeymooners and it takes me back to the 80's when we would watch the Honeymooners @ 11pm on WPIX Channel 11 Brooklyn, New York City 😀. The beginning and the end of each episode was my favorite!. GOD Bless you and your family members and friends @ retroguy94 😉👍🏿.
@@strikeru.s.m.c.8771 Good call dude! It DOES, doesn't it?
I read that Gleason was there most days , ALL day... starting in late morning. He drank and he drank and ran up- over time- considerable tabs . When the owner complained Gleason would write him a large cheque right then and there.
@@Araconox Yes I heard that and Toots was a great sport about it also. It helped Sinatra and Jackie's careers tremendously as they met more and more contacts there . I just ordered the book by Considine titled Toots. There was a documentary movie on Toots by his grand daughter and I can not find it. But For the drinking Gleason did he never missed a day of work or showed up Bombed which is pretty impressive. Especially these days. He had a very sad life. Very similar to mine. But I had my mother through many years after losing my older brother and father at such a young age. His father sucked. How do you walk out on your family or not come back for your son . He must of felt so terrible and empty from that because he loved his father dearly. I love stories of Men who came from nothing to make it. I always did.
OMG The Flintstones and The honeymooners mirror shattering moments
Only one Great One...Real class act and very much with talent....He was missed....
I grew up watching Jackie. Funny guy. Nice memories.
My uncle (Buddy Arnold) used to write comedy for the Jackie Gleason Show and said he was a very generous man.
I miss him.
Jackie, thank you for all the laughs. Your Fan from... NYC😊
As much as I loved Jackie Gleason he did extremely well to make it to 71...I'm proud he was an Irishman man too...R.I.P big guy...🙏🏻
This is good. Now how about Frankie Fontaine?
There were two shows I had to watch. Honeymooners came on at 11pm, so no bed until midnight. Mr. Ed came on 7am, so up early. 1972-1974. But I watched many more years. RIP Ralphy Baby!
Wow....I grew up watching both shows in the '60s...He was the King of TV....
Jackie Gleason was not only a great comedian, he was a great actor, as well. Did you ever see his performance in "Requiem of a Heavyweight?"
I commented on Requiem above.....what a sleazeball his character Maish was in that film. I realized after seeing that on what a great actor Gleason was.
I really enjoyed Smokie & The Bandit. It was fun watching it, even if it didn't get great reviews. I really loved 'To Sir With Love', too, and it got lousy reviews.
Theres no mention of the amount of time he must have spent in the recording studios....basically , Jackie Gleason was the Barry White- the Maestro- of his era...he put out lots of albums, had his own orchestra, and his music was lush lounge and bedroom music....like i said, the Barry White of his generation.
"Music for Lovers" as I recall.
Classic 50's/60's!
Amazing even though he couldn't read music.
Gleason was supposed to reprise his Minnesota Fats role as a pool hustler in The Hustler. Elaborate living arrangements were made, including the creation of a suite that occupied an entire wing of the iconic Chicago clover-leaf-shaped tower at the foot of Navy Pier. The name of the sequel is "The Color of Money." A date was set for shooting, but as it got closer, it was obvious he was not going get there.
I was aware is this because I rented a pool table to the production company and my men installed it in that apartment. We also rented various pieces of antique pool hall equipment that appear in other scenes, most notably in the scene where Newman is hustled by the emerging star Forest Whitaker.
Four of my installation crew appear in the final scene shot out on Navy Pier. I bought the table on which the final champion game was played between Newman and Tom Cruise. I awarded it to the winner of a game of nineball played in the movie theater lobby at the film's premier.
The winner's rec room was too small for the table. His wife would not allow him to put it in the living room. So, I stored it for him for six months, at which time he bought a house with a rec room large enough for the table.
Wow cool story
He was a composer and conductor and very successful at it too.
In the 1942 Hollywood film Sun Valley Serenade, in a real Glenn Miller Orchestra number or two ("I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo" and perhaps "Chattanooga Choo Choo"; where actor Cesar Romero fakes playing piano) a young, uncredited Jackie Gleason stands in the band at a wall, seeming to (or really) playing bass violin with aplomb.
Put a dime in the Ol Jukebox Dunahee,Craze how bout singin 1 for us.Ok Joe.
Loved the fella. He was hilarious. He worked so hard, he deserved his fame and fortune.....
Best work, Honeymooners!
Truly Known as the Great One a strong and true character one of a kind a great actor and performer watching the Honeymooners as a kid always brings back fun happy memories
Loved Jackie he was so funny
I'm 68 and was a bit young for the Honeymooners but loved his roles in the Hustler & Requiem for a heavyweight with Anthony Quinn & Mohammad Ali .
Such a great and funny man. Loads of films and other works came from this very talented man. One movie that is often forgotten is "The Toy" with Richard Pryor. As a kid I used to watch that movie over and over. Let's not forget the iconic character that was based on a REAL LIFE person...Buford T. Justice. Burt Reynolds dad was the inspiration for the Sheriff.
No mention of Gleason's movie "Gigot" that he wrote, and starred in. A great movie.
It bombed , but nevertheless well worth watching.
What is it about?
Does anyone remember the time that Ralph Cramden hired a maid? She called Ralph and Ed “the blimp and the simp.” LOL!
i thot he was brilliant in the Hustler !!!
"Let's shoot some pool."
@Yaany Abdali fu
I love this man and loved him in "The Toy" with Richard Pryor amongst all his other great roles he played. Gone but never forgotten.
I've always enjoyed Jackie Gleason. BTW, he's the grandfather of actor Jason Patric.
Who ? ? ?
One of the most talented entertainers this nation has ever produced .
Reportedly, after the end of ' The Honeymooners ' Gleason didn't leave his house for 5 years.
Yikes, agoraphobia. I went through that.
Is that really true!?
@@Araconox So far as I know, but I would want to read a decent biography of Mr. Gleason to be sure.
I’m an alcoholic. I’m 52 years old, I’ve surfed and fished all over Central and South America including Baja Sur Mexico where We spend our summers now a days! Ya, I smoke, I definitely drink too much, I’m from Irish decent ( not an excuse )… I walk
2 miles 5 days a week, go to the gym… still a drunk! I’m not mean or hateful, but do , at 52 years old, still get into a few scraps ( childish )! The moral of my story, without whiskey, my life would be perfect, with it, I dance a silly dance with a juvenile mind! I fight every day!
"To the moon Alice!"