Gale Gordon

Gale Gordon

Born: February 20, 1906
Died: June 30, 1995
in New York City, New York, USA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gale Gordon (born Charles Thomas Aldrich Jr., February 20, 1906 – June 30, 1995) was an American character actor perhaps best remembered as Lucille Ball's longtime television foil—and particularly as cantankerously combustible, tightfisted bank executive Theodore J. Mooney, on Ball's second television situation comedy, The Lucy Show. Gordon also appeared in I Love Lucy and had starring roles in Ball's successful third series Here's Lucy and her short-lived fourth and final series Life with Lucy.

Gordon was also a respected and beloved radio actor who is remembered for his role as school principal Osgood Conklin in Our Miss Brooks, starring Eve Arden, in both the 1948–1957 radio series and the 1952–1956 television series. He also co-starred as the second Mr. Wilson in Dennis the Menace.

Movies for Gale Gordon...

Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie
Title: Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie
Character: Self
Released: February 14, 1993
Type: Movie
Emmy Award-Winning Special Desi and Lucy's daughter, Lucie Arnaz, hosts this emotional and honest glimpse at the extraordinary lives of her world-famous parents, highlighted by never-before-seen color family movies along with insightful interviews from family members, business associates and celebrity friends such as Bob Hope. Winner of the Emmy Award for Outstanding Informational Special, LUCY & DESI: A HOME MOVIE is a sensitive and absorbing documentary that details the circumstances which brought the immortal twosome together and ultimately drove them apart.
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Title: The New Lassie
Released: September 8, 1989
Type: TV
The New Lassie is an American children and family oriented drama series which aired in first-run syndication from September 8, 1989 to February 15, 1992. The series stars Will Estes as Will McCullough, Lassie's new master. Real life husband and wife Christopher and Dee Wallace-Stone co-starred as Will's parents. The New Lassie is essentially a sequel to the 1954 series, and was the latest in the line of works featuring the Lassie character, which debuted in the 1943 film Lassie Come Home, followed by several more movies and the aforementioned television series, which ran from 1954 to 1973.
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The 'Burbs
Title: The 'Burbs
Character: Walter Seznick
Released: February 17, 1989
Type: Movie
When secretive new neighbors move in next door, suburbanite Ray Peterson and his friends let their paranoia get the best of them as they start to suspect the newcomers of evildoings and commence an investigation. But it's hardly how Ray, who much prefers drinking beer, reading his newspaper and watching a ball game on the tube expected to spend his vacation.
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Title: Life with Lucy
Character: Curtis McGibbon
Released: September 20, 1986
Type: TV
Life With Lucy is an American sitcom starring Lucille Ball. The show ran on the ABC network in 1986 not on the CBS network as her previous shows had and unlike Ball's previous programs, it was a critical and ratings flop. Only eight out of the thirteen episodes that were filmed aired before ABC cancelled the series. It is the very last sitcom she starred in before her death in 1989.
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Bungle Abbey
Title: Bungle Abbey
Character: The Abbot
Released: May 31, 1981
Type: Movie
Comedy pilot about wacky monks in a monastery.
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Lucy Moves to NBC
Title: Lucy Moves to NBC
Character: Self
Released: February 8, 1980
Type: Movie
Contacted by Fred Silverman, the President of NBC, Lucille Ball accepts to go back to work as a producer. With the help of her faithful production assistant, Gale Gordon, she starts working on a new series titled "The Music Mart".
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Lucy Calls the President
Title: Lucy Calls the President
Character: Omar Whittaker
Released: November 21, 1977
Type: Movie
Homemaker Lucy Whittaker calls up President Carter to complain about a local political issue—and to her astonishment, he agrees to come dine at her house. Now Lucy has her hands full as family, friends and Secret Service agents invade her home in preparation for the big dinner summit.
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CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years
Title: CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years
Character: Self
Released: November 28, 1976
Type: Movie
CBS honors Lucille Ball with this celebration of her three CBS series: I Love Lucy, The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy.
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Title: The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
Character: Self
Released: September 14, 1973
Type: TV
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts is a NBC television special show hosted by entertainer Dean Martin from 1974 to 1984. For a series of 54 specials and shows, Martin would periodically "roast" a celebrity. These roasts were patterned after the roasts held at the New York Friars' Club in New York City. The format would have the celebrity guest seated at a banquet table, and one by one the guest of honor was affectionately chided or insulted about his career by his fellow celebrity friends. In 1973, The Dean Martin Show was declining in popularity. The final season of his variety show would be retooled into one of celebrity roasts, requiring less of Martin's involvement. For the 1973–1974 season, a new feature called “Man of the Week Celebrity Roast" was added to try to pick up the ratings. The roasts seemed to be popular among television audiences and are often marketed in post-issues as part of the official Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts and not The Dean Martin Show. After The Dean Martin Show was cancelled in 1974, NBC drew up a contract with Martin to do several specials and do more roast specials. Starting with Bob Hope in 1974, the roast was taped in California and turned out to be a hit, leading to many other roasts to follow.
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The Dean Martin Christmas Show
Title: The Dean Martin Christmas Show
Character: Self (uncredited)
Released: December 19, 1968
Type: Movie
A Classic Holiday Celebration with Dean and Friends.
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Title: Here's Lucy
Character: Harrison Carter
Released: September 23, 1968
Type: TV
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Speedway
Title: Speedway
Character: R.W. Hepworth
Released: June 7, 1968
Type: Movie
A race car driver tries to outrun the beautiful tax auditor out to settle his account.
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Sergeant Deadhead
Title: Sergeant Deadhead
Character: Captain Weiskopf
Released: August 18, 1965
Type: Movie
An astronaut goes into space with a chimpanzee. When they return to Earth after their orbit, it is discovered that the chimp has the brains of the astronaut, and the astronaut has the brains of the chimp. Complications ensue.
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The Lucille Ball Comedy Hour
Title: The Lucille Ball Comedy Hour
Character: Mr. Harvey
Released: April 18, 1964
Type: Movie
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Title: Vacation Playhouse
Character: Warren Packard
Released: July 22, 1963
Type: TV
The concept of the series was the showing of unaired and unsold television pilots that did not make the television lineup for CBS. The show was successful during its first few seasons due to the fact that the show's concept, airing unsold and unaired television pilots, was a popular concept in the 1960s. But during its last two seasons on the air, the series did find some trouble due to the fact that the series were running out of pilots to air and, in their 4th season, they began airing repeats from the three seasons prior. During its 1966 summer run, the series aired eights new pilots and two repeats and during its last year airing five new pilots and four repeats.
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Title: The Lucy Show
Character: Theodore J. Mooney
Released: October 1, 1962
Type: TV
The Lucy Show is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 1962–68. It was Lucille Ball's follow-up to I Love Lucy. A significant change in cast and premise for the 1965–66 season divides the program into two distinct eras; aside from Ball, only Gale Gordon, who joined the program for its second season, remained. For the first three seasons, Vivian Vance was the co-star. The earliest scripts were entitled The Lucille Ball Show, but when this title was declined, producers thought of calling the show This Is Lucy or The New Adventures of Lucy, before deciding on the title The Lucy Show. Ball won consecutive Emmy Awards as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the series' final two seasons, 1966–67 and 1967–68.
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All Hands on Deck
Title: All Hands on Deck
Character: Rear Admiral Bintle
Released: March 30, 1961
Type: Movie
The admiral is coming, so a sailor and his buddy hide their girlfriend and pet turkey.
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Dondi
Title: Dondi
Character: Colonel
Released: March 26, 1961
Type: Movie
World War II GIs adopt an Italian war orphan.
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All in a Night's Work
Title: All in a Night's Work
Character: Oliver Dunning
Released: March 15, 1961
Type: Movie
After the sudden death of magazine publisher Colonel Ryder, his nephew, Tony inherits the magazine and has big plans to expand it. While negotiating a loan from the bank, Tony gets a call from a detective surrounding his uncle's death. It turns out Colonel Ryder died in his hotel room with a smile on his face and a young woman was seen fleeing his room wearing only a towel. Suspicious of this woman and afraid the magazine's wholesome image may be tarnished and their loan denied, Tony asks the detective to stick around and find her.
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Title: Angel
Released: October 6, 1960
Type: TV
Angel is an American sitcom that aired on CBS during the 1960–1961 television season. The series was created and executive produced by Jess Oppenheimer, and stars Annie Fargé as the title character.
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Title: Pete and Gladys
Released: September 19, 1960
Type: TV
Pete and Gladys is an American situation comedy television series starring Harry Morgan and Cara Williams that aired on CBS on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time for two seasons, beginning on September 19, 1960. The last episode was broadcast on September 10, 1962.
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Visit to a Small Planet
Title: Visit to a Small Planet
Character: Bob Mayberry
Released: February 4, 1960
Type: Movie
The weirdest alien of the galaxy pays a visit to Earth... Jerry Lewis is Kreton, a childish alien who, against his teacher's will leaves his planet to visit the Earth, and lands in the backyard of a famous television journalist who doesn't believe in UFOs and aliens. Wanting to study humans but not able to fully understand them, Kreton makes a mess out of it, generating a lot of comic situations.
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Title: Dennis the Menace
Released: October 4, 1959
Type: TV
This 1959-1963 television situation comedy series follows the lives of the Mitchell family, Henry, Alice, and their only child Dennis, an energetic, trouble-prone, mischievous, but well-meaning boy, who often tangles with his peace-and-quiet-loving neighbor George Wilson, a retired salesman, or, later, with George's brother John, a writer. Dennis is basically a good, well-intentioned boy who always tries to help people, but who winds up making situations worse – often at Mr. Wilson's expense.
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Title: Dennis the Menace
Character: John Wilson
Released: October 4, 1959
Type: TV
This 1959-1963 television situation comedy series follows the lives of the Mitchell family, Henry, Alice, and their only child Dennis, an energetic, trouble-prone, mischievous, but well-meaning boy, who often tangles with his peace-and-quiet-loving neighbor George Wilson, a retired salesman, or, later, with George's brother John, a writer. Dennis is basically a good, well-intentioned boy who always tries to help people, but who winds up making situations worse – often at Mr. Wilson's expense.
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The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock
Title: The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock
Character: Raven Rossiter
Released: August 6, 1959
Type: Movie
In one of his rare performances without Bud Abbott, Lou Costello plays a delivery boy who invents a machine which turns his girlfriend into a giantess.
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Don't Give Up the Ship
Title: Don't Give Up the Ship
Character: Congressman Mandeville
Released: July 3, 1959
Type: Movie
The Navy expects a veteran to pay for the ship he commanded, as they have no record of its return.
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Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys!
Title: Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys!
Character: W.A. Thorwald
Released: December 23, 1958
Type: Movie
Harry Bannerman, a Connecticut suburbanite, becomes involved in various shenanigans when his wife Grace leads a protest movement against a secret army plan to set up a missile base in their community.
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Title: Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
Released: October 6, 1958
Type: TV
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse is an American television anthology series produced by Desilu Productions. The show ran on CBS television between 1958 and 1960. Two of its 48 episodes served as pilots for the 1950s television series The Twilight Zone and The Untouchables.
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Title: The Donna Reed Show
Released: September 24, 1958
Type: TV
Revolves around typical family problems, such as firing a clumsy housekeeper, throwing a retirement bash for a colleague, and finding quality time away from the children.
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Title: The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour
Character: Justice Philipps (uncredited)
Released: November 6, 1957
Type: TV
The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour is a collection of thirteen one-hour specials airing occasionally from 1957 to 1960, and originally served as part of Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse. Its original network title was The Ford Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show for the first season, and The Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Presents The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show for the following seasons. It was the successor to the classic comedy, I Love Lucy, and featured the same major cast members. The production schedule avoided the grind of a regular weekly series. Desilu produced the show, which was mostly filmed at their Los Angeles studios with occasional on-location shoots at Lake Arrowhead, Las Vegas and Sun Valley, Idaho. CBS reran the show under the "Lucy-Desi" title during the summers of 1962-1967, after which it went into syndication.
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Title: The Real McCoys
Released: October 3, 1957
Type: TV
The Real McCoys is an American situation comedy co-produced by Danny Thomas' "Marterto Productions", in association with Walter Brennan and Irving Pincus' "Westgate" company. The series aired for five seasons on the ABC-TV network from 1957 through 1962 and then for its final year on CBS from 1962 to 1963. The series, set in the San Fernando Valley of California, was filmed in Hollywood at Desilu studios.
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Title: Sally
Character: Bascomb Bleacher
Released: September 15, 1957
Type: TV
Sally is an American situation comedy which aired on NBC from September 15, 1957 to March 30, 1958. The series is the first filmed television series produced by Paramount Studios.
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Our Miss Brooks
Title: Our Miss Brooks
Character: Osgood Conklin
Released: April 24, 1956
Type: Movie
The big-screen translation of the successful television show of the 1950's. Arden stars as Connie Brooks, wisecracking English teacher at Madison High School, still hoping to tie the knot with shy biology teacher Philip Boynton (Robert Rockwell).
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Title: Climax!
Character: Dr. Raymond Forrest
Released: October 7, 1954
Type: TV
Climax! is an American anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS programs of that era to be broadcast in color. Many of the episodes were performed and broadcast live.
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Francis Covers the Big Town
Title: Francis Covers the Big Town
Character: Evans
Released: June 10, 1953
Type: Movie
A man who has a talking mule gets a job on a newspaper, and both get mixed up in a murder trial.
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Title: Our Miss Brooks
Character: Osgood Conklin
Released: October 3, 1952
Type: TV
Our Miss Brooks is an American situation comedy starring Eve Arden as a sardonic high school English teacher. It began as a radio show broadcast on CBS from 1948 to 1957. When the show was adapted to television, it became one of the medium's earliest hits. In 1956, the sitcom was adapted for big screen in the film of the same name.
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Here Come the Nelsons
Title: Here Come the Nelsons
Character: H.J. Bellows
Released: February 23, 1952
Type: Movie
The homespun Nelson family must deal with various comical situations, including an encounter with gangsters.
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Title: I Love Lucy
Character: Mr. Littlefield
Released: October 15, 1951
Type: TV
Cuban Bandleader Ricky Ricardo would be happy if his wife Lucy would just be a housewife. Instead she tries constantly to perform at the Tropicana where he works, and make life comically frantic in the apartment building they share with landlords Fred and Ethel Mertz, who also happen to be their best friends.
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A Woman of Distinction
Title: A Woman of Distinction
Character: Postal Clerk
Released: March 16, 1950
Type: Movie
Ice-cold college dean Susan Middlecott feels there's no room in her life for romance. Enter Prof. Alec Stevenson, British lecturer on astronomy, touring North America and in possession of a keepsake of Susan's he wants to return. Desperate for publicity, lecture bureau press agent Teddy Evans magnifies this into a great romance. The efforts of both dignified principals to quash the story have the opposite effect; matters get more and more involved.
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Title: Studio One
Character: R.J. Fuller
Released: November 7, 1948
Type: TV
An American radio–television anthology series, created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. Studio One, presented by Westinghouse, was one of the first of the anthology TV programs. The episodes were often abridged remakes of movies from years gone by and many future well-known television and movie actors appeared in the productions.
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Title: The Ed Sullivan Show
Character: Self
Released: June 20, 1948
Type: TV
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the CBS Sunday Night Movie, which ran only one season and was eventually replaced by other shows. In 2002, The Ed Sullivan Show was ranked #15 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.
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Here We Go Again
Title: Here We Go Again
Character: Otis Cadwalader
Released: October 9, 1942
Type: Movie
It's Fibber and Molly's 20th anniversary and they want to throw a big party. But when everyone declines their invitation, they decide to go on a second honeymoon instead. After one night at the broken down Ramble Inn, where they spent their first honeymoon, they decide to go across the lake to a swanky (and expensive) lodge, where they bump into their old friends Edgar Bergan, Charlie McCarthy, Gildersleeve, and Mrs. Uppington, so the party is on again.
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Elmer, the Great
Title: Elmer, the Great
Character: Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Released: April 29, 1933
Type: Movie
Elmer does not want to leave Gentryville, because Nellie is the one that he loves. Even when Mr. Wade of the Chicago Cubs comes to get him, it is only because Nellie spurns him that he goes. As always, Elmer is the king of batters and he wins game after game. When Nellie comes to see Elmer in Chicago, she sees him kissing Evelyn and she wants nothing to do with him anymore. So Healy takes him to a gambling club, where Elmer does not know that the chips are money. He finds that he owes the gamblers $5000 and they make him sign a note for it. Sad at losing Nellie, mad at his teammates and in debt to the gamblers, Elmer disappears as the Cubs are in the deciding game for the Series.