Table of Content
Despite the enormous cost, the Gleason dream house long suffered from a leaky wooden roof. To ensure that every side of the donut-shaped main floor—which doubled as his broadcasting studio—enjoyed crackling hearth exposure, a 40-foot-tall, three-headed marble fireplace sits suspended from the center of the room. A storage space that looks, to use a bit of architectural jargon, exactly like a UFO. Gleason, famously a UFO buff, styled his home “The Mother Ship” for its resemblance to Hollywood depictions of alien craft. There’s also a small, top-shaped cottage on the property that Gleason dubbed The Spaceship that’s a combination storage unit and guest house. Gleason, who was born in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, sold the property to CBS, where he worked, in a private sale several years later.
For many years, Gleason would travel only by train; his fear of flying arose from an incident in his early movie career. Gleason would fly back and forth to Los Angeles for relatively minor movie work. After finishing one movie, the comedian boarded a plane for New York.
See Inside Jackie Gleason's Amazing 'UFO House'
Look up and the wooden ceiling recalls the shape of canoes or rowboats, which is no surprise since the builder was a Swedish ship maker. “They built these in a shipyard hanger, and the design is like a signature,” Payson said. The hillside estate was built not only to be the celebrity’s suburban playground — though it certainly was that — but an architectural wonder.
The incredible home of Jackie Gleason in Peekskill NY, from the pages of Popular Mechanics, April 1960. Gleason died at the age of 71 and is buried at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Cemetery in Miami. Gleason moved his popular variety show from New York to Miami Beach in 1964 and remained one of the most prominent South Florida residents until his death. Tongen found a custom bottle of George Dickel Tennessee whiskey, made especially for Gleason, at the main bar.
Jackie Gleason’s iconic circular mansion on the market for $12M
Elaine Stritch had played the role as a tall and attractive blonde in the first sketch but was quickly replaced by Randolph. Comedy writer Leonard Stern always felt The Honeymooners was more than sketch material and persuaded Gleason to make it into a full-hour-long episode. Gleason's most popular character by far was blustery bus driver Ralph Kramden. Largely drawn from Gleason's harsh Brooklyn childhood, these sketches became known as The Honeymooners. Gleason was 19 when his mother died in 1935 of sepsis from a large neck carbuncle that young Jackie had tried to lance.
Lakhlani said much of the furnishings remain untouched from when Gleason lived there, despite being sold to Connecticut businessman Joseph "Chick" Celentano in 1992. The home’s owner for the past 40 years has seen his role not only as resident but preserver of its history. “He respected the true architecture of the home,” Bailey said. “In every room, Jackie had designed beautiful Italian marble fireplaces that were half inside and half outside the house.
Unexpected Gems – Liza Minnelli Use Me
The property is situated in upper Westchester, and dates to 1959. In terms of counter culture-inflected architecture, the year puts them ahead of their time, and suggests significant beat-generation artistic influence. What is most noticeable in viewing the photos below is the level of craftsmanship; a huge amount of custom woodwork and stonework is evident. In one of the houses, a magnificent ribbed ceiling, circular staircase, centerpiece fireplace, and wet bar are prominent. In the other, a spectacular series of hand-made leaded stained-glass panels surrounds a spiral staircase with marble treads and steel balustrade.
Gleason played a world-weary army sergeant in Soldier in the Rain , in which he received top billing over Steve McQueen. When Gleason moved to CBS, Kelton was left behind; her name had been published in Red Channels, a book that listed and described reputed communists in television and radio, and the network did not want to hire her. Gleason reluctantly let her leave the cast, with a cover story for the media that she had "heart trouble". Meadows wrote in her memoir that she slipped back to audition again and frumped herself up to convince Gleason that she could handle the role of a frustrated working-class wife. Rounding out the cast, Joyce Randolph played Trixie, Ed Norton's wife.
When two of the plane's engines cut out in the middle of the flight, the pilot had to make an emergency landing in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He had also earned acclaim for live television drama performances in "The Laugh Maker" on CBS's Studio One and William Saroyan's "The Time of Your Life" , which was produced as an episode of the anthology series Playhouse 90. In addition to his salary and royalties, CBS paid for Gleason's Peekskill, New York, mansion "Round Rock Hill". Set on six acres, the architecturally noteworthy complex included a round main home, guest house, and storage building.
It changed hands two more times before being sold to its current owner, a now-retired orthodontist, for $150,000 in 1976. Gleason designed the two-bedroom, 3,950-square-foot home himself at the height of his TV series’ popularity. It took five years and $650,000 to build and was finished in 1959. The property includes two other homes that he used as a refuge from his work, too. In 1974, Marilyn Taylor encountered Gleason again when she moved to the Miami area to be near her sister June, whose dancers had starred on Gleason's shows for many years. In September 1974, Gleason filed for divorce from McKittrick .
Audrey Meadows reappeared for one black-and-white remake of the '50s sketch "The Adoption", telecast January 8, 1966. Ten years later she rejoined Gleason and Carney for several TV specials . Gleason remembered Clement and his father having "beautiful handwriting". He used to watch his father work at the family's kitchen table, writing insurance policies in the evenings. On the night of December 14, 1925, Gleason's father disposed of any family photos in which he appeared; just after noon on December 15, he collected his hat, coat, and paycheck, and permanently left his family and job at the insurance company. Once it became evident that he was not coming back, Mae went to work as a subway attendant for the Brooklyn–Manhattan Transit Corporation .
In a 1985 interview, Gleason related some of his characters to his youth in Brooklyn. The Mr. Dennehy whom Joe the Bartender greets is a tribute to Gleason's first love, Julie Dennehy. The character of The Poor Soul was drawn from an assistant manager of an outdoor theater he frequented. Gleason's first significant recognition as an entertainer came on Broadway when he appeared in the hit musical Follow the Girls .
No comments:
Post a Comment