
American Legends: The Life of Jackie Gleason
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed

Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $6.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
James Shelton
About this listen
If Lon Chaney will forever be recognized as 'The Man with 1,000 Faces', Jackie Gleason holds a legitimate claim to being 'The Man with 1,000 Personas.' Indeed, during his time hosting The Jackie Gleason Show on television, he developed numerous alter egos, including tough guy Rudy the Repairman, the energetic Joe the Bartender, and the alcoholic Rum Dum. Physically, there was no mistaking Jackie Gleason (the way one certainly could with Lon Chaney), but Gleason also possessed an uncanny ability to alternate between personas. In the years before the Rat Pack made the nightclub lifestyle chic and glamorous on a national scale, Jackie Gleason presided as perhaps the foremost nightclub figure in America, and nobody excelled at situation comedy as well as he. Paradoxically, the iconic element of Jackie Gleason's persona was that he was able to maintain so many personas simultaneously. In a sense, each of these characters bears traces of the "real" Jackie Gleason. But the fact remains that the many personas of Jackie Gleason make it difficult to figure out exactly who Jackie Gleason actually was beneath his show business facades.
©2012 Charles River Editors (P)2015 Charles River EditorsListeners also enjoyed...
-
American Legends: The Life of Jack Lemmon
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Allison McKay
- Length: 1 hr and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The great film director Billy Wilder once noted of Jack Lemmon that Lemmon "was my everyman", and Lemmon did indeed represent a great everyman to American audiences during the latter half of the 20th century. For rich, poor, and working class audiences alike, Lemmon was an accessible leading male. His wide appeal is summarized nicely by Richard T. Stanley, who noted that he "Had the personality and versatile talent to star in any era."
-
Heaven and Hell
- My Life in the Eagles
- By: Don Felder
- Narrated by: Charlie Thurston
- Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Eagles are the best-selling, and arguably the tightest-lipped, American group ever. Now band member and guitarist Don Felder finally breaks the Eagles’ years of public silence to take fans behind the scenes. He shares every part of the band’s wild ride, from the pressure-packed recording studios and trashed hotel rooms to the tension-filled courtrooms and from the joy of writing powerful new songs to the magic of performing in huge arenas packed with roaring fans.
-
-
The "Real" Story Behind The Eagles
- By Peter on 05-27-21
By: Don Felder
-
American Legends: The Life of Jack Nicholson
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: James Yi
- Length: 1 hr and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1994 the American Film Institute gave a Lifetime Achievement Award to Jack Nicholson, who became one of the youngest actors ever to receive the award. Such tributes typically come as a capstone to a star's career, not when the actor is still in his 50s. In fact Nicholson would go on to win the Oscar for Best Actor just a few years after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award as a result of As Good As It Gets (1997), and he would earn another Academy Award nomination for About Schmidt (2002).
-
-
True Legend
- By MS on 10-23-16
-
Making It So
- A Memoir
- By: Patrick Stewart
- Narrated by: Patrick Stewart
- Length: 18 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From his acclaimed stage triumphs to his legendary onscreen work in the Star Trek and X-Men franchises, Sir Patrick Stewart has captivated audiences around the world and across multiple generations with his indelible command of stage and screen. Now, he presents his long-awaited memoir, Making It So, a revealing portrait of an artist whose astonishing life—from his humble beginnings in Yorkshire, England, to the heights of Hollywood and worldwide acclaim—proves a story as exuberant, definitive, and enduring as the author himself.
-
-
Incredible! So much more than a memoir
- By Jason on 10-04-23
By: Patrick Stewart
-
The Boys
- A Memoir of Hollywood and Family
- By: Ron Howard, Clint Howard
- Narrated by: Ron Howard, Clint Howard, Bryce Dallas Howard
- Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Happy Days, The Andy Griffith Show, Gentle Ben - these shows captivated millions of TV viewers in the ’60s and ’70s. Join award-winning filmmaker Ron Howard and audience-favorite actor Clint Howard as they frankly and fondly share their unusual family story of navigating and surviving life as sibling child actors.
-
-
The recording is awful, loud and then quiet
- By Sandy Williams on 10-16-21
By: Ron Howard, and others
-
Sinatra and Me
- In the Wee Small Hours
- By: Tony Oppedisano
- Narrated by: Pete Simonelli, Tony Oppedisano
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
More than a hundred books have been written about legendary crooner and actor Frank Sinatra. Every detail of his life seems to captivate: his career, his romantic relationships, his personality, his businesses, his style. But a hard-to-pin-down quality has always clung to him - a certain elusiveness that emerges again and again in retrospective depictions. Until now.
-
-
Lots of inaccuracies
- By David Ingram on 06-18-21
By: Tony Oppedisano
-
American Legends: The Life of Jack Lemmon
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Allison McKay
- Length: 1 hr and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The great film director Billy Wilder once noted of Jack Lemmon that Lemmon "was my everyman", and Lemmon did indeed represent a great everyman to American audiences during the latter half of the 20th century. For rich, poor, and working class audiences alike, Lemmon was an accessible leading male. His wide appeal is summarized nicely by Richard T. Stanley, who noted that he "Had the personality and versatile talent to star in any era."
-
Heaven and Hell
- My Life in the Eagles
- By: Don Felder
- Narrated by: Charlie Thurston
- Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Eagles are the best-selling, and arguably the tightest-lipped, American group ever. Now band member and guitarist Don Felder finally breaks the Eagles’ years of public silence to take fans behind the scenes. He shares every part of the band’s wild ride, from the pressure-packed recording studios and trashed hotel rooms to the tension-filled courtrooms and from the joy of writing powerful new songs to the magic of performing in huge arenas packed with roaring fans.
-
-
The "Real" Story Behind The Eagles
- By Peter on 05-27-21
By: Don Felder
-
American Legends: The Life of Jack Nicholson
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: James Yi
- Length: 1 hr and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1994 the American Film Institute gave a Lifetime Achievement Award to Jack Nicholson, who became one of the youngest actors ever to receive the award. Such tributes typically come as a capstone to a star's career, not when the actor is still in his 50s. In fact Nicholson would go on to win the Oscar for Best Actor just a few years after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award as a result of As Good As It Gets (1997), and he would earn another Academy Award nomination for About Schmidt (2002).
-
-
True Legend
- By MS on 10-23-16
-
Making It So
- A Memoir
- By: Patrick Stewart
- Narrated by: Patrick Stewart
- Length: 18 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From his acclaimed stage triumphs to his legendary onscreen work in the Star Trek and X-Men franchises, Sir Patrick Stewart has captivated audiences around the world and across multiple generations with his indelible command of stage and screen. Now, he presents his long-awaited memoir, Making It So, a revealing portrait of an artist whose astonishing life—from his humble beginnings in Yorkshire, England, to the heights of Hollywood and worldwide acclaim—proves a story as exuberant, definitive, and enduring as the author himself.
-
-
Incredible! So much more than a memoir
- By Jason on 10-04-23
By: Patrick Stewart
-
The Boys
- A Memoir of Hollywood and Family
- By: Ron Howard, Clint Howard
- Narrated by: Ron Howard, Clint Howard, Bryce Dallas Howard
- Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Happy Days, The Andy Griffith Show, Gentle Ben - these shows captivated millions of TV viewers in the ’60s and ’70s. Join award-winning filmmaker Ron Howard and audience-favorite actor Clint Howard as they frankly and fondly share their unusual family story of navigating and surviving life as sibling child actors.
-
-
The recording is awful, loud and then quiet
- By Sandy Williams on 10-16-21
By: Ron Howard, and others
-
Sinatra and Me
- In the Wee Small Hours
- By: Tony Oppedisano
- Narrated by: Pete Simonelli, Tony Oppedisano
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
More than a hundred books have been written about legendary crooner and actor Frank Sinatra. Every detail of his life seems to captivate: his career, his romantic relationships, his personality, his businesses, his style. But a hard-to-pin-down quality has always clung to him - a certain elusiveness that emerges again and again in retrospective depictions. Until now.
-
-
Lots of inaccuracies
- By David Ingram on 06-18-21
By: Tony Oppedisano
-
Killing Jesus
- A History
- By: Bill O'Reilly, Martin Dugard
- Narrated by: Bill O'Reilly
- Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Millions of people have thrilled to best-selling authors Bill O'Reilly and historian Martin Dugard's Killing Kennedy and Killing Lincoln, works of nonfiction that have changed the way we view history. Now the anchor of The O'Reilly Factor details the events leading up to the murder of the most influential man in history: Jesus of Nazareth. Nearly 2,000 years after this beloved and controversial young revolutionary was brutally killed by Roman soldiers, more than 2.2 billion human beings attempt to follow his teachings and believe he is God.
-
-
The Jesus story in context
- By Kimberly on 10-01-13
By: Bill O'Reilly, and others
-
Undisputed Truth
- By: Mike Tyson, Larry Sloman
- Narrated by: Joshua Henry
- Length: 20 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Philosopher, Broadway headliner, fighter, felon - Mike Tyson has defied stereotypes, expectations, and a lot of conventional wisdom during his three decades in the public eye. Bullied as a boy in the toughest, poorest neighborhood in Brooklyn, Tyson grew up to become one of the most thrilling and ferocious boxers of all time - and the youngest heavyweight champion ever. But his brilliance in the ring was often compromised by reckless behavior.
-
-
Fascinating story about a train wreck of a life
- By Brock on 11-19-13
By: Mike Tyson, and others
-
Sooley
- A Novel
- By: John Grisham
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the summer of his 17th year, Samuel Sooleymon gets the chance of a lifetime: a trip to the United States with his South Sudanese teammates to play in a showcase basketball tournament. He has never been away from home, nor has he ever been on an airplane. The opportunity to be scouted by dozens of college coaches is a dream come true.
-
-
Wow! Just wow!
- By Amazon Customer on 04-28-21
By: John Grisham
-
The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man
- A Memoir
- By: Paul Newman, David Rosenthal - editor, Melissa Newman - foreword, and others
- Narrated by: Jeff Daniels, Melissa Newman, Clea Newman Soderlund, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1986, Paul Newman and his closest friend, screenwriter Stewart Stern, began an extraordinary project. Stuart was to compile an oral history, to have Newman’s family and friends and those who worked closely with him, talk about the actor’s life. And then Newman would work with Stewart and give his side of the story. The only stipulation was that anyone who spoke on the record had to be completely honest. The result is The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man—revelatory and introspective, personal and analytical, loving and tender in places, always complex and profound.
-
-
A lot of navel gazing, and yet….
- By Ben on 10-24-22
By: Paul Newman, and others
-
The Templars
- The Rise and Spectacular Fall of God's Holy Warriors
- By: Dan Jones
- Narrated by: Dan Jones
- Length: 15 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1307, as they struggled to secure their last strongholds in the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the Templars fell afoul of the vindictive and impulsive king of France. On Friday, October 13, hundreds of brothers were arrested en masse, imprisoned, tortured, and disbanded amid accusations of lurid sexual misconduct and heresy. They were tried by the Vatican in secret proceedings. But were they heretics or victims of a ruthlessly repressive state?
-
-
Unexpected
- By Protogere on 10-30-17
By: Dan Jones
-
Red
- My Uncensored Life in Rock
- By: Sammy Hagar
- Narrated by: Scott Shepherd
- Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Loud rock, fast cars, and Cabo. This is the life of Sammy Hagar. For almost 40 years, Sammy Hagar has been a fixture in rock music. From breaking into the industry with the band Montrose to his multiplatinum solo career to his ride as the front man of Van Halen, Sammy's powerful and unforgettable voice has set the tone for some of the greatest rock anthems ever written - songs like "I Can't Drive 55", "Right Now", and "Why Can't This Be Love".
-
-
LOVED it Twice
- By Hilary on 10-23-12
By: Sammy Hagar
-
How Y'all Doing?
- Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived
- By: Leslie Jordan
- Narrated by: Leslie Jordan
- Length: 4 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When actor Leslie Jordan learned he had “gone viral,” he had no idea what that meant or how much his life was about to change. On Instagram, his uproarious videos have entertained millions and have made him a global celebrity. Now, he brings his bon vivance to the page with this collection of intimate and sassy essays.
-
-
What more could you want?
- By Barry Benedict on 04-27-21
By: Leslie Jordan
-
Mark Twain - The Complete Novels
- By: Mark Twain
- Narrated by: Lee Howard
- Length: 58 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here you will find the complete novels of Mark Twain: 1. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Starts at Chapter 1, 2. The Prince and the Pauper Starts at Chapter 37, 3. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Starts at Chapter 70, 4. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court Starts at Chapter 113, 5. The American Claimant Starts at Chapter 158, 6. Tom Sawyer Abroad Starts at Chapter 184, 7. Pudd'nhead Wilson Starts at Chapter 197, 8. Tom Sawyer, Detective Starts at Chapter 219, 9. A Horse's Tale Starts at Chapter 230, 10. The Mysterious Stranger Starts at Chapter 245.
-
-
Content; GREAT! Performance.. .not so much😁
- By brian deis on 01-09-20
By: Mark Twain
-
The Divider
- Trump in the White House, 2017-2021
- By: Peter Baker, Susan Glasser
- Narrated by: Michael Quinlan
- Length: 28 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The inside story of the four years when Donald Trump went to war with Washington, from the chaotic beginning to the violent finale, told by revered journalists Peter Baker of The New York Times and Susan Glasser of The New Yorker—an ambitious and lasting history of the full Trump presidency that also contains dozens of exclusive scoops and stories from behind the scenes in the White House, from the absurd to the deadly serious.
-
-
An expertly guided tour through history.
- By Cocoabelle on 09-24-22
By: Peter Baker, and others
-
The Hag
- The Life, Times, and Music of Merle Haggard
- By: Marc Eliot
- Narrated by: Marc Eliot
- Length: 17 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Merle Haggard was one of the most important country music musicians who ever lived. The Hag tells, without compromise, the extraordinary life of Merle Haggard, augmented by the deep secondary research, sharp detail, and ample anecdotal material that biographer Marc Eliot is known for, and enriched and deepened by more than 100 new and far-ranging interviews.
-
-
A Major Disappointment
- By Kafe Society on 02-17-22
By: Marc Eliot
-
Robin
- By: Dave Itzkoff
- Narrated by: Fred Berman
- Length: 16 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From his rapid-fire stand-up comedy riffs to his breakout role in Mork & Mindy and his Academy Award-winning performance in Good Will Hunting, Robin Williams was a singularly innovative and beloved entertainer. He often came across as a man possessed, holding forth on culture and politics while mixing in personal revelations - all with mercurial, tongue-twisting intensity as he inhabited and shed one character after another with lightning speed. But as Dave Itzkoff shows in this revelatory biography, Williams’ comic brilliance masked a deep well of conflicting emotions and self-doubt.
-
-
Disappointing but worth a read
- By Joe Moore on 05-18-18
By: Dave Itzkoff
-
Wild Tales
- A Rock & Roll Life
- By: Graham Nash
- Narrated by: Graham Nash
- Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Graham Nash - the legendary musician and founding member of the iconic bands Crosby, Stills & Nash and The Hollies - comes a candid and riveting autobiography that belongs on the reading list of every classic rock fan.
-
-
The Best of the Recent Rock Biographies
- By Steven Schuster on 10-28-13
By: Graham Nash
Narration was not so good
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
a great story about the great one
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Reader was just too flat
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Jackie was "THE GREAT ONE" And this crap just plain stinks.
"AND AWAY THIS SHOULD GO!"
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.