Those of you in my generation might remember this guy from old re-runs of "The Honeymooners" about the piece-mealed life of temperamental New York bus driver Ralph Kramden. It always involved his volatile temper paired against the common sense of his wife and the tenuous friendship with his heart of gold pal Ed Norton.
What has slipped through the cracks over the years is Gleason's performance in the 1962 little know gem "Gigot" in which he portrays a mute janitor in the slums of Paris. It harkens back to the work of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplain, ground Gleason had covered early in his career when he portrayed a character he called "the poor soul". Gigot is a very similar depiction. Gleason pretty much did everything but direct (Gene Kelly) this film, including composing the score. It's not available on DVD unless you can find a rare bootleg and it RARELY can be seen on TCM or AMC (which no longer shows classics IMHO) BUT, some kind soul has uploaded it to YouTube in 11 consecutive segments. This is physical comedy at it's zenith and it is a shame that it is not more widely exposed today.
Toss some corn in the wave' and allow me to get you started right here....
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