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A real- life version of the story: starring Jackie Gleason!

posted 10 years ago by Ellichar-1
4 replies | jump to latest

Seeing this movie reminded me how Jackie Gleason found himself in EXACTLY the same position Cary Grant was in! By the mid-1950s Gleason was on top as a TV star, but he had been informally separated from his wife Genevieve Halford Gleason for several years. In the meantime, he had fallen in love with Marilyn Taylor, a featured dancer on his CBS variety show. Her sister June was the show's choreographer (remember The June Taylor Dancers?). However, Jackie had an accident before the TV cameras: millions watched as he slipped on the floor and broke his leg during a sketch. He was rushed to the hospital. Genevieve came to the hospital to find Marilyn at her husband's bedside! A nasty scene ensued, and she soon filed for a formal separation, more or less exposing the affair. Jackie couldn't get a divorce as Gen cited their Catholicism as a deterrent, and Marilyn gave up, marrying someone else some time later.

Cut to 1974- by then Jackie had finally divorced Gen and married another woman, but he was unhappy. Meanwhile, Marilyn Taylor was a widow with a young son. Thanks to sister June, the two reunited, and he soon left his wife for Marilyn. They married in 1975, and stayed together until his death in 1987. The parallels between this true story and "In Name Only" are QUITE interesting!

[–] mrwalrusq 9 years ago

Thanks for posting this. Quite a story. I never knew that about Gleason. It helps soften the 'To the moon, Alice' vision of him.

[–] valjeang11-70-170253 9 years ago

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing.

[–] mdonln 8 years ago

Ellichar-1 says > Seeing this movie reminded me how Jackie Gleason found himself in EXACTLY the same position Cary Grant was in!

Thanks for posting this tidbit. I've never known a lot about Gleason so I had no idea that he had gone through something like that in his life. Oddly, I think the situation depicted in the movie is more common than we'd expect.

I know a few people who are in similar situations even today when divorces are a whole lot easier to get than they were in the thirties and there's no stigma. They stay typically because they fear losing complete contact with their child(ren). A lot of parents, mostly mothers it seems, are vindictive and see no problem with using their children to punish their exes.

I, too, am Catholic so I don't advocate divorce but I also can't condone people staying in a one-sided, doomed marriage. If one person won't do anything to make the relationship better but holds on, making things more and more unbearable, it's not right. People can only take so much then it becomes more destructive to all involved to stay in a bad and hopeless situation.

Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]

[–] AvaSinatra59 (191) 5 years ago

That is amazing. I'm so happy that they finally got married.