Colossal Facts About Jackie Gleason, “The Great One”
Thanks to his hit show The Honeymooners, comedian Jackie Gleason turned into a 1950s American idol almost overnight. But Gleason’s perverse life behind the scenes would have made his fans furious.
1. He Has A Complex Reputation
You might think comedian Jackie Gleason earned the nickname “The Great One” thanks to his enormous legacy on sit-coms like The Honeymooners and comedy in general. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Instead, Gleason actually got this outsized reputation through much more disturbing means—a horrible temper, a bottomless penchant for partying, and some very bad bedroom behavior. If you want to know real story of “Ralph Kramden,” brace yourself and keep reading.
General Amusement Corporation / James Koll, photographer, Wikimedia Commons
2. His Childhood Was Tragic
To be fair, Jackie Gleason got a horrific start on life. Born in Brooklyn in 1915, his parents struggled to make ends meet, and Gleason remembers his father working long nights writing insurance policies. To make matters worse, in 1919 his older brother Clement perished from meningitis, leaving Gleason as the only child in the family.
Soon though, what was left of this family would betray him.
3. His Father Dealt Him Dirty
When Jackie wasn’t even 10 years old, his father abandoned the family—and he did it in a spectacularly hurtful way.
Just before Christmas in 1925, the elder Gleason threw out every family photo he was in, then quit his job and skipped town, leaving Jackie’s mother to scramble for work to support her now tiny brood. But Jackie scrambled too.
4. He Was An Attention Hog
For the next years, Jackie threw himself into helping his mother, quitting school before graduating. However, before he did, he realized how much he loved the theater—or at least how much he loved people watching him.
After a class play ignited his interest in performing, he got a job as a master of ceremonies at a theater and began doing jokes on amateur nights at local joints.
Even then, though, there was a very dark side to his jolly antics.
