His 67-year career spanned eight decades and two centuries, during which time he appeared in over a dozen Broadway plays, produced two others, acted in over a 130 films, as well as numerous television shows.

[2] His last stage performance was in the hit play Broadway, directed by George Abbott and Philip Dunning, which ran from 1926–28 at the Broadhurst Theatre.

[3] Jackson's portrayal of the sarcastic detective Dan McCorn earned him an invitation to reprise the role the following year in the film version of the play.

[8] Notable films in which he appeared included The Thin Man (1934); Angels With Dirty Faces (1938); Beau Geste (1939), Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), Union Station (1950); and Stars and Stripes Forever (1952).

[4] He also appeared in the original 1945 version of the classic film noir The Big Sleep (1946), but his on-screen time was cut out when changes were made to it before its ultimate release in 1946.