GALE GORDON BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Gale Gordon was born Charles Thomas Aldrich on February 20, 1906 in New York City to British actress Gloria Gordon and vaudeville performer Charles Aldrich. When Gale was young, his family relocated to England to find jobs in the entertainment industry. While there, his cleft palate was fixed, a surgery that allowed him to have normal speech. In 1915 his family moved back to New York, although Gordon was sent back to Europe when he was seventeen to study at Woodbridge School in Suffolk. After graduating school, he immediately found himself with acting jobs. During his career on stage, he perfected his voice. A couple years after debuting on stage, he moved to Hollywood and did various odd jobs and performances in a variety of media. In 1926 he landed his first radio gig, playing the ukulele and singing. Gordon would eventually become a regular actor on various radio shows, which lead to his start in the movie business.

In 1933 he played a radio announcer on the film “Elmer, the Great”, but did not land a real role until 1942’s “Here We Go Again”. He continued on with radio, acting in many shows for many years to come.  As radio was giving way to television, he followed Lucille Ball from her radio show, “My Favorite Husband”, to her TV show, “I Love Lucy” (1952). He appeared in only two episodes, in favor of another series he was doing, called “Our Miss Brooks” (1952-56). Gordon also appeared in the movie, “Our Miss Brooks” (1956). After the series ended, the actor was signed up to star in the sitcom “The Brothers” (1956-67), which only lasted twenty six episodes.

Gordon met up with Ball again in her show “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” (1958). From 1960 until 1962, he had a co-starring role in the comedy “Pete and Gladys”, and shortly after had a regular role on “Dennis the Menace” (1962-63). Upon the draw of the show, he joined Ball on her new show, “The Lucy Show” (1963-68), which turned into “Here’s Lucy” (1968-74). In between, he appeared in a couple shows and a couple films. After “Here’s Lucy”, Gordon acted in the TV movies “Lucy Calls the President” (1977) and “The Honeymooner’s Christmas Special” (1977), and a TV short titled “Bungle Abbey” (1981) before performing in Balls subsequent series, “Life With Lucy” (1986). When Lucille Ball ended her career, he was the only person who could say he had co-starred with the actress in every weekly radio or television program since the 1940's.

Gordon’s final projects were the Tom Hanks comedy “The ‘burbs” (1989), and two television series, “Hi Honey, I’m Home” (1991) and “The New Lassie” (1991). The actor passed away from lung cancer on June 30, 1995 in Escondido, California, in the same hospital that his wife of nearly sixty years had died in about two months prior. 
 
Filmography

1991  The New Lassie  
1991  Hi Honey, I'm Home
1989  The 'burbs 
1986  Life with Lucy 
1981  Bungle Abbey
1977  The Honeymooners Christmas Special
1977  Lucy Calls the President 
1968  Here's Lucy  
1968  Speedway  
1967  The Danny Thomas Hour 
1966  Vacation Playhouse 
1965  Sergeant Dead Head  
1964  Mr. and Mrs.
1963  The Lucy Show
1962  Dennis the Menace 
1962  The Comedy Spot  
1962  The Donna Reed Show   
1961  Harrigan and Son   
1961  Angel 
1961  All Hands on Deck 
1961  Dondi 
1961  All in a Night's Work 
1960  Visit to a Small Planet
1960  Pete and Gladys
1959  The Danny Thomas Show 
1959  The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock 
1959  The Real McCoys 
1959  Don't Give Up the Ship 
1958  Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys! 
1958  The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour 
1958  Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse 
1958  Studio One in Hollywood  
1957  Playhouse 90  
1956  The Brothers 
1956  Climax!   
1953  Francis Covers the Big Town 
1952  Stars in the Eye 
1952  I Love Lucy 
1952  Here Come the Nelsons
1952  Our Miss Brooks  
1950  A Woman of Distinction 
1950  The Marionette Mystery 
1942  Here We Go Again 
1933  Elmer, the Great