Russell Gleason (February 6, 1908 – December 25, 1945)[a] was an American actor who began his career at the very beginning of the talking film era.

While still in the middle of a successful acting career, Gleason joined the U.S. Army in late 1943, during World War II.

While awaiting deployment to Europe in December 1945 in New York City, Gleason fell to his death from a hotel window.

After Russell Gleason's death, Cynthia remarried, to Lou Lindsay, and Michael took his step-father's last name, and went on to become a television producer.

[16] On December 25, 1945, Gleason was in New York City awaiting deployment to Europe with his regiment when he fell to his death out of a fourth story window in the Hotel Sutton on East 56th Street in Manhattan, which the army had commandeered to house the troops.

[17] It had been reported in some publications, such as Variety, that Gleason had been prescribed a sulfonamide to treat a cold at the time, and that the drug had resulted in grogginess that led him to accidentally falling.