Born in New York City. The son of an actor and actress, he joined his parents' stock company in Oakland after returning from military service in the Spanish-American War. His career was again interrupted by WW I service, after which he began performing on Broadway. During the mid-to-late 20s he wrote a number of plays and musicals, alone or in collaboration, several of which were later made into films, including IS ZAT SO? (1927), THE SHANNONS OF BROADWAY (1929) (remade as GOODBYE BROADWAY, 1938), MAMMY (1930), THE FALL GUY (1930), and RAIN OR SHINE (1930). He made his first screen appearance in 1922, but it wasn't until 1928 that he began appearing regularly in films. Early in his career as a screen actor, he also collaborated on a number of scripts as a screenwriter or dialogue specialist, including THE BROADWAY MELODY (1929), HIGH VOLTAGE (1929), HIS FIRST COMMAND (1929), and WHAT A WIDOW! (1930). He was dialogue director on OH YEAH! (1929) and directed HOT TIP (1935). As an actor, Gleason soon established himself as one of the best-liked character players of the American screen, portraying a rich gallery of big-city types -- cops, robbers, reporters, gamblers, and fight managers, among many others -- typically concealing a heart of gold beneath an ill-tempered façade. He played a recurring lead role as the slow-witted police inspector Oscar Piper in a series of mystery films of the 30s. In all he appeared in some 150 films. His wife, Lucille Gleason (née Webster, 1886-1947) also played character roles in films. Their son, Russell Gleason (1908-1945), played leads, second leads, and supporting roles in a variety of films from 1929 until his fatal fall from a hotel window in 1945. Visit the Internet Movie Database for a full listing of Gleason's acting, writing, producing and directing credits.  Supporting Actor 1941: HERE COMES MR. JORDAN 1 nomination