Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts,[1][5] Cleary was the only child of Benjamin Francis Cleary and Mary Clair Lyon.[6] In 1909, the family relocated to Southern California, settling in Pasadena.[5]
Noted for his expert mimicry and mastery of dialects,[7] Cleary initially employed the standard "Jewface" portrayal of that era as his signature routine.[8] Billed variously as "the Hebrew comedian,"[9] "the Yiddish Gazotsky,"[10] "the funniest Hebrew on the stage,"[11] and the "Ghetto kid,"[12] while also garnering kudos for his singing, Cleary began performing professionally no later than 1917.[13] By 1919, his wife of seven years, soprano Naomi Plant, had joined the act.[14][15]
Radio
In an interview conducted 14 years after his death, some measure of Cleary's contribution to Lux Radio Theatre's success was provided by former Billboard staffer Dean Owen, who dubbed Cleary the "pillar [of] Lux Theatre's stock company."[16]
On April 20, 1942, Cleary appeared in Lux Radio Theatre's adaptation of the 1941, Oscar-nominated biographical drama, One Foot in Heaven, portraying Preston Thurston, the part played by Gene Lockhart in the film.[17]
Between 1935 and 1938, Cleary was part of a popular radio comedy team sometimes known as "Nuts and Bolts"—"Nuts" being Cleary and "Bolts" his fellow vaudeville alumnus, Ken Gillum.[18][19][20][21] In March 1937, the pair went from being heard locally—on programs produced, respectively, in Los Angeles and New York—to being broadcast nationally over the NBC Blue Network.[22]
One of Cleary's most substantial non-recurring roles was the protagonist of "My Brother Abe," an episode of the short-lived series Proudly We Hail, featuring a tremendously wealthy centenarian and his impatient heirs; "Abe" refers not only to his late, lamented brother, who had died at Gettysburg, but to the like-named late President, with whom he had had the good fortune to correspond.[23][24]
Film
Notwithstanding a film career confined strictly to small supporting roles, the lion's share uncredited, Cleary did manage, in at least two of the four films in which he received an onscreen credit, to elicit reviewers' acknowledgement of his good work; namely, the 1950 prison drama, State Penitentiary, in which he doubles as the Warden and Narrator, and the 1952 baseball biopic, The Pride of St. Louis, in which Cleary portrays Ed Monroe, Dizzy Dean's minor league manager.[25][26][27]
Miscellany
In 1940, Cleary was invited to a gathering of 50 members of the local Rotary Club in Arcadia, California, convened to honor the branch's outgoing president, John Vanderbur, who, in turn, received the brunt of Cleary's "ribbing,"[a] much to the amusement of those present.[29]
From May 18, 1912 until his death, Cleary was married to Naomi Aloha Plant.[30][31][32][33][34] They had two sons,[7] Jack and Richard. The latter had a brief acting career of his own during the late 1940s and early 50s, most notably with a substantial role in both the original Broadway run and subsequent tour of Stalag 17.[35]
As of January 1920, and continuing through at least May of that year, Cleary owned the company, Leo's Auto Painting Shop, offering "first class work" and "moderate prices".[36][37]
Judging from an article published by The Pasadena Post in March 1920 (dubbing him "the famous Elk comedian"),[38] Cleary was, at the very least, a member of the Elks Lodge for very near his entire adult life.[5]
^"KNGS Chat". The Sanford Sentinel. May 4, 1950. p. 14.
^Crowther, Bosley (May 3, 1952). "'Pride of St. Louis,' Starring Dan Dailey as Dizzy Dean, Opens at Rivoli Theatre". The New York Times. p. 17. ProQuest112511813. With the latter [Dizzy's brother, Paul] well played by Richard Crenna and with Joanne Dru as the wife, Mr. Dailey is ably supported in a difficult part of the film. He is further well supported by Richard Hylton as a St. Louis friend, Hugh Sanders as the scout who finds him, and Leo T. Cleary as Manager Ed Monroe.
^"'The Pride of St. Louis' Stirring Baseball Film; Dizzy Dean Saga a Gripping Story". The Hollywood Reporter. February 25, 1952. p. 3. ProQuest2320450917. Joanne Dru is wonderful as Dizzy's wife, playing Pat with a quiet sensitivity that is grippingly effective. Richard Crenna is convincing as Paul Dean, and Richard Hylton isn good as the friend who starts Dizzy on his broadcasting career. Leo T. Cleary, Cliff Clark, Victor Sutherland, Kathryn Card and Joan Sudlow are others who stand out.
^Bloomfield, Fred (May 3, 1952). "Full Family Enjoyment in 'Pride of St. Louis'". Valley Times. p. 6. "Of the 30 featured and supporting players, Leo T. Cleary as manager of the Houston team; Richard Hylton as a young St. Louis brewery executive who gives Dizzy his chance as a baseball broadcaster; Victor Sutherland as Kendall, Sr.; Stuart Randall as Manager Frankie Frisch, and Richard Crenna as Paul Dean are standouts."
^"Leo Cleary Rites". The Hollywood Reporter. April 13, 1955. ProQuest2338376151. Funeral services for Leo Cleary, 61, veteran actor, will be held tomorrow at 3 p.m. at Meyers Funeral Parlor, Van Nuys. He died Monday at Valley Hospital of a kidney ailment. His mother, wife and two sons survive.