Walter Brennan and I Wish I Was 18 Again

American comedian, role player, and writer

George Burns
Burns in 1961
Born	Nathan Birnbaum (1896-01-20)January 20, 1896 New York City, New York, U.Southward.
Died	March 9, 1996(1996-03-09) (aged 100) Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California, U.S.
Other names	Nattie, Nate
Occupation	Player television host comedian writer singer
Years agile	1928–1996
Spouse(due south)	Gracie Allen (one thousand. 1926; died 1964)
Children	2, including Ronnie Burns

George Burns (born Nathan Birnbaum; Jan twenty, 1896 – March 9, 1996) was an American comedian, role player, vocaliser and writer, and one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, radio, film and television. His arched eyebrow and cigar-smoke punctuation became familiar trademarks for over three-quarters of a century. He and his married woman Gracie Allen appeared on radio, boob tube and picture as the one-act duo Burns and Allen.

At the historic period of 79, Burns experienced a sudden career revival as an amiable, beloved and unusually active one-act elder statesman in the 1975 film The Sunshine Boys, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Burns, who became a centenarian in 1996, connected to work until just weeks before his death of cardiac arrest at his home in Beverly Hills.

Early life [edit]

George Burns was born Nathan Birnbaum on January xx, 1896 in New York City,^[1] the ninth of 12 children built-in to Hadassah "Dorah" (née Bluth; 1857–1927) and Eliezer Birnbaum (1855–1903), known equally Louis or Lippe, Jewish immigrants who had come to the U.s.a. from Kolbuszowa, Galicia, at present Poland.^[2] Burns was a member of the First Roumanian-American Congregation.^[iii]

His father was a substitute cantor at the local synagogue but usually worked equally a coat presser. During the influenza epidemic of 1903, Lippe Birnbaum contracted the flu and died at the historic period of 47. Burns, called Nattie or Nate at the time, went to piece of work to assist support the family unit, shining shoes, running errands and selling newspapers.^[four]

When he landed a job as a syrup maker in a local candy shop at age seven, Burns was "discovered", equally he recalled long after:^[5]

We were all virtually the same age, six and 7, and when nosotros were bored making syrup, we used to do singing harmony in the basement. I day our letter carrier came down to the basement. His name was Lou Farley. Feingold was his real proper name, but he changed it to Farley. He wanted the whole world to sing harmony. He came downwardly to the basement once to deliver a letter and heard the four of us kids singing harmony. He liked our style, then we sang a couple more than songs for him. And so nosotros looked upwardly at the caput of the stairs and saw iii or four people listening to us and smiling. In fact, they threw downwardly a couple of pennies. So I said to the kids I was working with: no more chocolate syrup. It's bear witness business concern from now on.

We called ourselves the Pee-Wee Quartet. We started out singing on ferryboats, in saloons, in brothels, and on street corners. We'd put our hats down for donations. Sometimes the customers threw something in the hats. Sometimes they took something out of the hats. Sometimes they took the hats.

—George Burns

Ane of the Burns brothers' first regular gigs was operating the curtains at the vaudeville and nickelodeon theatre of Frank Seiden, begetter of Joseph Seiden, who would later become a Yiddish film producer.^{[half dozen]} Burns started smoking cigars when he was fourteen.^[7]

Burns was drafted into the United States Ground forces when the U.Due south. entered World War I in 1917, but he failed the physical examination because he was extremely nearsighted.^{[ commendation needed ]} To hide his Jewish heritage, he adopted the stage name past which he would be known for the residual of his life. He later claimed that he selected the name of George Burns because at that place were 2 active star professional baseball players with the proper noun (George H. Burns and George J. Burns, unrelated), each of whom would accumulate more 2,000 hits and hold some major-league records. Burns also was reported to have taken George from his brother Izzy (who had start adopted the proper name because he hated his own) and Burns from the Burns Brothers Coal Company, from whose trucks he would steal coal every bit a youth.^[8] ^[nine] ^: 33

His first married woman was Hannah Siegel (stage name Hermosa Jose), one of his trip the light fantastic partners. The wedlock lasted 26 weeks and merely occurred because Siegel's family would not permit her to bout with Burns unless they were married. They divorced at the end of the tour.^[9] ^: 58

Burns normally partnered with a girl, sometimes in an adagio trip the light fantastic routine, sometimes in comic patter. Though he had an apparent flair for comedy, he never quite clicked with whatsoever of his partners until he met Gracie Allen, a immature Irish Cosmic woman, in 1923. "And all of a sudden," he said in later years, "the audience realized I had a talent. They were right. I did have a talent—and I was married to her for 38 years."^[10] Burns midweek Allen in 1926.^[seven]

Burns, Allen and children simply before sailing for Hawaii in 1938

Stage to screen [edit]

Burns and Allen began their career in motion pictures with a series of comic curt films in the late 1920s and early 1930s, such as The Large Circulate (1932), International Firm (1933), Six of a Kind (1934), The Big Broadcast of 1936, The Big Broadcast of 1937, A Damsel in Distress (1937) and College Swing (1938) with Bob Promise and Martha Raye. Honolulu (1939) would be Burns's last film for nearly 40 years.

In 1938, Paramount producer and managing manager William LeBaron was planning a vehicle for Burns and Allen to team with established star Bing Crosby, with a script written by Don Hartman and Frank Butler. However, the story did fit Burns and Allen's manner, then LeBaron ordered script rewrites to fit two male person costars: Crosby and Bob Hope. The projection became Road to Singapore (1940), the kickoff in a long-running and pop serial of "Route" films.

Radio stars [edit]

Burns and Allen first appeared on radio as the comedy relief for bandleader Guy Lombardo. In his memoir The Third Time Around, Burns shared a letter from a college fraternity complaining that its weekly trip the light fantastic toe parties were interrupted past Burns and Allen routines.

Burns and Allen found their ain show and radio audience, first ambulation on February 15, 1932. Their testify was based on their archetype stage routines and sketch one-act in which their style was woven into multiple smaller scenes, in a manner similar to that of the short films that they had made in Hollywood. They were too known for clever publicity stunts, such as Gracie's chase for her missing blood brother that carried over into guest spots on other radio shows.

The couple was portrayed at first as single, with Allen the object of Burns'due south angel as well as those of other cast members. Bandleaders Ray Noble (known for his phrase "Gracie, this is the offset fourth dimension we've e'er been lonely") and Artie Shaw played beloved interests for Gracie. Singer Tony Martin as well played Gracie'southward unwilling dear interest whom she comically threatened to fire if he would not reciprocate her romantic involvement.

Over fourth dimension, as ratings declined and with their audition'south close familiarity with their existent-life marriage, Burns and Allen adapted their radio show in the autumn of 1941 to present them every bit a married couple. Artie Shaw, who also appeared as a character in some of the show'south sketches, was the bear witness's bandleader at one fourth dimension. Allen'southward character also changed slightly during this era, as she would oftentimes now be hateful to Burns.

As this format grew stale over the years, Burns and his fellow writers redeveloped the show equally a state of affairs comedy in the fall of 1941. The reformat focused on the couple's married life and their friends and neighbors, including Elvia Allman as Tootsie Sagwell, a human being-hungry spinster in love with Bill Goodwin. The characters of Harry and Blanche Morton became a mainstay of the programme.

As with The Jack Benny Program, the new George Burns & Gracie Allen Show portrayed Burns and Allen as entertainers with their own weekly radio evidence. Goodwin remained, and the music was now led past Meredith Willson (after to be better known for composing the Broadway musical The Music Man). Willson as well played himself on the show as naïve, friendly and shy with women. The new format's success fabricated it one of the few archetype radio comedies to completely reinvent itself and regain great success.

Supporting players [edit]

The supporting cast during this phase included Mel Blanc as the melancholy, ironically named "Happy Postman" (his catchphrase was "Think, keep grinning!"); Bea Benaderet (later on Cousin Pearl in The Beverly Hillbillies, Kate Bradley in Petticoat Junction and the voice of Betty Rubble in The Flintstones) and Hal March (after more than famous as the host of The $64,000 Question) as neighbors Blanche and Harry Morton; and the various members of Gracie'south ladies' club, the Beverly Hills Uplift Guild. One running gag during this menstruum, stretching into the tv set era, was Burns's questionable singing voice, every bit Gracie lovingly referred to her married man equally "Carbohydrate Throat." The show received and maintained a Top x rating for the rest of its radio life.

New network [edit]

In the fall of 1949, after 12 years at NBC, the couple took the bear witness dorsum to its original network CBS, where they had risen to fame from 1932 to 1937. Their proficient friend Jack Benny reached a negotiating impasse with NBC over the corporation he prepare upwardly ("Amusement Enterprises") to package his show, the better to put more than of his earnings on a upper-case letter-gains footing and avert the lxxx percentage taxes slapped on very high earners in the World War II period. When CBS executive William South. Paley convinced Benny to move to CBS (Paley, among other things, impressed Benny with his attitude that the performers brand the network, not the other way around, as NBC main David Sarnoff reputedly believed); Benny in turn convinced several NBC stars to bring together him, including Burns and Allen. Thus, CBS reaped the benefits when Burns and Allen moved to television in 1950.

Tv [edit]

George Burns and Gracie Allen, 1955.

On boob tube, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show put faces to the radio characters audiences had come up to love. A number of pregnant changes were seen in the testify:

A parade of actors portrayed Harry Morton: Hal March, The Life of Riley alumnus John Brown, veteran movie and television character actor Fred Clark, and future Mister Ed co-star Larry Keating.
Burns often bankrupt the 4th wall, and chatted with the home audience, telling understated jokes and commenting wryly about what prove characters were doing or undoing. In later shows, he would actually plough on a television and watch what the other characters were up to when he was off-camera, then return to foil the plot.
When journalist Bill Goodwin left after the first flavour, Burns hired announcer Harry Von Zell, a veteran of the Fred Allen and Eddie Cantor radio shows, to succeed him. Von Zell was cast as the good-natured, easily confused Burns and Allen announcer and buddy. He as well became ane of the show's running gags, when his involvement in Gracie'southward harebrained ideas would go him fired at to the lowest degree one time a week by Burns.
The first shows were simply a copy of the radio format, complete with lengthy and integrated commercials for sponsor Carnation Evaporated Milk past Goodwin. Yet, what worked well on radio appeared forced and plodding on television receiver. The bear witness was changed into the now-standard situation comedy format, with the commercials distinct from the plot.
Midway through the run of the idiot box evidence the Burns's two children, Sandra and Ronald, began to brand appearances: Sandy in an occasional voice-over or brief on-air office (often as a telephone operator), and Ronnie in diverse pocket-size roles throughout the 4th and 5th seasons. Ronnie joined the regular cast in season 6. Typical of the blurred line between reality and fiction in the show, Ronnie played George and Gracie'southward on-air son, showing upward in the second episode of season 6 ("Ronnie Arrives") with no caption offered as to where he had been for the by five years of the testify. Originally his character was an aspiring dramatic player who held his parents' one-act style in addled contempt and deemed it unsuitable to the "serious" drama student. When the testify's characters moved back to California in season vii after spending the prior year in New York City, Ronnie'south grapheme dropped all apparent acting aspirations and instead enrolled in USC, becoming an inveterate daughter chaser.

Burns and Allen likewise took a cue from Lucille Brawl and Desi Arnaz's Desilu Productions and formed a company of their own, McCadden Corporation (named after the street on which Burns's brother lived), headquartered on the General Service Studio lot in the eye of Hollywood, and set to film television shows and commercials. Besides their own hitting show (which made the transition from a bi-weekly live series to a weekly filmed version in the autumn of 1952), the couple's company produced such television serial as The Bob Cummings Show (later syndicated and rerun as Honey That Bob); The People'southward Choice, starring Jackie Cooper; Mona McCluskey, starring Juliet Prowse; and Mister Ed, starring Alan Young and a talented "talking" horse. Several of their adept friend Jack Benny's 1953–55 filmed episodes were as well produced by McCadden for CBS as well.

The George Burns Show [edit]

The George Burns and Gracie Allen Prove ran on CBS Idiot box from 1950 to 1958, when Burns at last consented to Allen'due south retirement. The onset of heart trouble in the early on 1950s had left her wearied from full-time work and she had been anxious to terminate, but could not say "no" to Burns.

Burns attempted to continue the bear witness (for new sponsor Colgate-Palmolive on NBC), but without Allen to provide the classic Gracie-isms, the bear witness expired after a twelvemonth.

Wendy and Me [edit]

Burns subsequently created Wendy and Me, a sitcom in which he co-starred with Connie Stevens, Ron Harper, and J. Pat O'Malley. He acted primarily as the narrator, and secondarily as the adviser to Stevens' Gracie-like character. The start episode involved the almost lxx-yr-old Burns watching his younger neighbor'southward activities with amusement, just as he would watch the Burns and Allen television prove while information technology was unfolding to get a jump on what Gracie was up to in its last two seasons. Once again as in the Burns and Allen goggle box prove, George ofttimes broke the fourth wall by commenting directly to viewers. The series only lasted a year. In a promotion, Burns had joked that "Connie Stevens plays Wendy, and I play 'me'."

The Sunshine Boys [edit]

Afterwards Gracie's death in 1964, George immersed himself in work. McCadden Productions co-produced the telly series No Fourth dimension for Sergeants, based on the striking Broadway play; George also produced Juliet Prowse's 1965–66 NBC situation comedy, Mona McCluskey. At the same fourth dimension, he toured the U.South. playing nightclub and theater engagements with such diverse partners every bit Carol Channing, Dorothy Provine, Jane Russell, Connie Haines, and Berle Davis. He also performed a series of solo concerts, playing university campuses, New York's Philharmonic Hall and winding upwardly a successful season at Carnegie Hall, where he wowed a capacity audition with his show-stopping songs, dances, and jokes.

In 1974, Jack Benny signed to play one of the atomic number 82 roles in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film version of Neil Simon'due south The Sunshine Boys (Cherry Skelton was originally the other, but he objected to some of the script's linguistic communication). Benny's wellness had begun to neglect, however, and he advised his managing director Irving Fein to let longtime friend Burns fill in for him on a serial of nightclub dates to which Benny had committed around the U.Southward.

Burns, who enjoyed working, accustomed the job for what would be his first feature film appearance for 36 years. As he recalled years later:^[v]

"The happiest people I know are the ones that are withal working. The saddest are the ones who are retired. Very few performers retire on their own. Information technology's usually because no one wants them. Six years ago Sinatra announced his retirement. He'south yet working."—George Burns

Sick health had prevented Benny from working on The Sunshine Boys; he died of pancreatic cancer on December 26, 1974. Burns, heartbroken, said that the only fourth dimension he ever wept in his life other than Gracie'southward death was when Benny died. He was called to give i of the eulogies at the funeral and said, "Jack was someone special to all of you, but he was and then special to me ... I cannot imagine my life without Jack Benny, and I will miss him then very much."^[eleven] Burns then broke down and had to be helped to his seat. People who knew George said that he never could really come to terms with his dearest friend's death.

6 weeks before filming started, Burns had triple bypass surgery.^[12]

Burns replaced Benny in the film too as the guild tour, a movement that turned out to be i of the biggest breaks of his career; his wise functioning equally faded vaudevillian Al Lewis won him the 1975 Academy Award for Best Supporting Thespian, and permanently secured his career resurgence. At the historic period of lxxx, Burns was the oldest Oscar winner in the history of the University Awards, a record that would remain until Jessica Tandy won an Oscar for Driving Miss Daisy in 1989.

Oh, God! [edit]

In 1977, Burns made another hit film, Oh, God!, playing the omnipotent title office opposite singer John Denver as an hostage but addled supermarket director, whom God picks at random to revive his bulletin. The prototype of Burns in a sailor'south cap and light springtime jacket as the droll Almighty influenced his subsequent comedic work, as well equally that of other comedians. At a celebrity roast in his honor, Dean Martin adapted a Burns crack: "When George was growing upwards, the Pinnacle 10 were the Ten Commandments".

Burns appeared in this graphic symbol along with Vanessa Williams on the September 1984 cover of Penthouse magazine, the consequence which contained the notorious nude photos of Williams, besides equally the first appearance of underage pornographic film star Traci Lords. A blurb on the cover fifty-fifty announced "Oh God, she'due south nude!"

Oh, God! inspired two sequels Oh, God! Book II (in which the Almighty engages a precocious schoolgirl played by Louanne Sirota to spread the give-and-take) and Oh, God! You Devil—in which Burns played a dual role as God and the devil, with the soul of a would-be songwriter (played past Ted Wass) at stake.

Later films [edit]

Subsequently guest-starring on The Muppet Show and Alice,^[13] Burns appeared in 1978's Sgt. Pepper'southward Lonely Hearts Guild Band, the motion picture based on The Beatles' album of the aforementioned proper name. In 1979, at the age of 83, Burns starred in two feature films, Only Y'all and Me, Kid and Going in Style. Burns remained active in films and TV by his 90th birthday. One of his last films was 1988's 18 Again!, based on his half-novelty, half-country music-based striking single, "I Wish I Was 18 Again". In this film, Burns played an 81-yr-old cocky-made millionaire industrialist who switched bodies with his awkward, artistic, eighteen-year-old grandson (played by Charlie Schlatter).

Burns also did regular nightclub stand up-up acts in his later years, unremarkably portraying himself equally a lecherous erstwhile homo. He always smoked a cigar onstage and reputedly timed his monologues by the amount the cigar had burned down. For this reason, he preferred cheap El Producto cigars as the loosely wrapped tobacco burned longer. Burns once quipped "In my youth, they called me a rebel. When I was centre-anile, they called me eccentric. At present that I'thou sometime, I'm doing the aforementioned thing I've always done and they're calling me senile."^{[ citation needed ]}

Arthur Marx estimated that Burns smoked around 300,000 cigars during his lifetime, starting at the age of fourteen. In his final years, he smoked no more than than four a day and he never used cigarettes or marijuana, claiming "Wait, I can't become any more kicks than I'grand getting. What can marijuana practise for me that show business organization hasn't done?" His last characteristic film role was the cameo part of Milt Lackey, a 100-year-old stand-up comedian, in the 1994 comedy mystery Radioland Murders.

Final years and decease [edit]

Catacomb of George Burns, in the Freedom Mausoleum, Forest Lawn Glendale

Burns was still actualization at major hotel/casinos in Las Vegas, Reno, and Lake Tahoe during the early 1980s. When Burns turned xc in 1986, the city of Los Angeles renamed the northern end of Hamel Road "George Burns Road."^[14] Metropolis regulations prohibited naming a city street after a living person, merely an exception was made for Burns.^{[ citation needed ]} In celebration of Burns's 99th birthday in January 1995, Los Angeles renamed the eastern end of Alden Drive "Gracie Allen Drive." Burns was present at the unveiling anniversary (ane of his last public appearances) where he quipped, "It's good to be here at the corner of Burns & Allen. At my age, it's good to be anywhere!"^[14] George Burns Road and Gracie Allen Drive cross just a few blocks west of the Beverly Center mall in the middle of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Burns remained in expert health for virtually of his life, in part cheers to a daily exercise regimen of swimming, walks, sit-ups, and push button-ups. He bought new Cadillacs every year and drove until the historic period of 93. After that, Burns had chauffeurs drive him around. In his later years, he also had difficulty reading fine print.

Burns suffered a head injury later on falling in his bathtub in July 1994 and underwent surgery to remove fluid in his skull. Burns never fully recovered and his performing career came to an end. In February 1995, Burns, in what would be his concluding television advent, was presented with the very commencement SAG Lifetime Accomplishment Laurels by the Screen Actors Guild. In Dec of that year, a month earlier his 100th altogether, Burns was well enough to attend a Christmas political party hosted by Frank Sinatra (who turned 80 that month), where he reportedly caught the flu, which weakened him further. When Burns was 96, he had signed a lifetime contract with Caesars Palace in Las Vegas to perform stand-up comedy there, which included the guarantee of a show on his centenary, Jan 20, 1996. When that day actually came, however, he was besides weak to evangelize the planned performance. He released a argument joking how he would love for his 100th birthday to have "a dark with Sharon Stone."

On March 9, 1996, 49 days after his centenary, Burns died in his Beverly Hills home.^[15] His funeral was held three days afterward at the Wee Kirk o' the Heather church in Wood Backyard Memorial Park Cemetery, Glendale.^[15] Equally much every bit he looked frontwards to reaching the age of 100, Burns also stated, well-nigh a year earlier he died, that he also looked forrad to death, maxim that on the day he would die, he would be with Gracie again in Heaven. Upon being interred with Gracie, the catacomb's marker was changed from, "Grace Allen Burns—Beloved Wife And Female parent (1902–1964)" to "Gracie Allen (1902–1964) & George Burns (1896–1996)—Together Again". George had always said that he wanted Gracie to have meridian billing.

Legacy [edit]

George Burns has three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: a motion pictures star at 1639 Vine Street, a telly star at 6510 Hollywood Boulevard, and a live performance star at 6672 Hollywood Boulevard. The first two stars were placed during the initial installations of 1960, while the third star anniversary was held in 1984,^[xvi] ^[17] in the new category of live performance, or live theatre, established that yr.^[eighteen] Burns is also a fellow member of the Boob tube Hall of Fame, where he and Gracie Allen were both inducted in 1988.

He is the bailiwick of Rupert Holmes's 1-actor play Say Goodnight Gracie.

Bibliography [edit]

Burns was a bestselling author who wrote 10 books:

Burns, George; Hobart Lindsay, Cynthia (1955). I Love Her, That's Why: An Autobiography. Simon and Schuster.
Burns, George (1976). Living It Upwardly; or, They All the same Dearest Me in Altoona!. Putnam. ISBN978-0-399-11636-0.
Burns, George (1980). The Third Time Around. Putnam. ISBN978-0-399-12169-2.
Burns, George (1983). How to Live to Be 100 – Or More than: The Ultimate Diet, Sex and Exercise Book (At My Age, Sex Gets Second Billing). Putnam. ISBN978-0-399-12939-1.
Burns, George (1984). Dr. Burns' Prescription for Happiness:* *Buy Ii Books and Telephone call Me in the Morning . Putnam. ISBN0-399-12964-2.
Burns, George (1985). Dear George: Advice and Answers from America's Leading Adept on Everything from A to B . Putnam. ISBN0-399-13105-1.
Burns, George (1988). Gracie: A Love Story. Putnam. ISBN978-0-399-13384-viii.
Burns, George; Fisher, David (1989). All My Best Friends. Putnam. ISBN978-0-399-13483-eight.
Burns, George; Goldman, Hal (1991). Wisdom of the ninety'south. Putnam. ISBN0-399-13695-9.
Burns, George (1996). 100 Years, 100 Stories. Putnam. ISBN978-0-399-14179-9.

Filmography [edit]

Features

The Big Broadcast (1932) every bit Himself
International House (1933) equally Doctor Burns
Higher Humor (1933) as Himself
Vi of a Kind (1934) every bit George Edward
Nosotros're Not Dressing (1934) as Himself
Many Happy Returns (1934) as Himself
Beloved in Flower (1935) as Himself
Here Comes Cookie (1935) as Himself
The Big Broadcast of 1936 (1935) as Himself
The Large Broadcast of 1937 (1936) as Mr. Platt
Higher Holiday (1936) as George Hymen
Winterset (1936)
A Dryad in Distress (1937) equally Himself
College Swing (1938) equally George Jonas
Honolulu (1939) as Joe Duffy
The Solid Golden Cadillac (1956) as the Narrator (voice)
The Sunshine Boys (1975) as Al Lewis
Oh, God! (1977) equally God
Motion-picture show Movie (1978) as Himself – Introductory Segments (uncredited)
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Society Band (1978) as Mr. Kite
Just Yous and Me, Kid (1979) as Bill
Going in Mode (1979) as Joe
Oh, God! Book Ii (1980) equally God
Two of a Kind (1982) every bit Ross "Boppy" Minor
Oh, God! You Devil (1984) as God / Harry O. Tophet
eighteen Again! (1988) every bit Jack Watson / David Watson
A Century of Movie house (1994) (documentary)
Radioland Murders (1994) as Milt Lackey (last film advent)

Short subjects

Lambchops (1929) as George the Young man
Fit to Be Tied (1930) as a Tie Customer
Pulling a Bone (1931) as a Homo with a Bone
The Antique Store (1931) as Customer
One time Over, Lite (1931) every bit a Barbershop Customer
100% Service (1931) as George
Oh, My Performance (1932) as the New Patient
The Babbling Volume (1932) as George
Your Hat (1932) as a Hat Salesman
Let's Trip the light fantastic toe (1933) as George, a Sailor
Hollywood on Parade No. A-9 (1933) as Himself (uncredited)
Walking the Babe (1933) as George
Screen Snapshots: Famous Fathers and Sons (1946) as Himself
Screen Snapshots: Hollywood Grows Up (1954)
Screen Snapshots: Hollywood Beauty (1955) as Himself
All Almost People (1967) every bit Narrator
A Look at the Globe of Soylent Greenish (1973) as Himself
The King of beasts Roars Again (1975) every bit Himself

Discography [edit]

Albums [edit]

Year	Album	Nautical chart positions		Characterization
Year	Album	U.Due south. Country	U.S.	Characterization
1973	George Burns Sings	—	—	Buddah
1975	An Evening with George Burns: Live at Shubert Theater	—	—	Pride
1980	I Wish I Was Eighteen Again	12	93	Mercury
1980	George Burns in Nashville	—	—
1982	Young at Heart	—	—
1992	As Fourth dimension Goes By			Curb

Singles [edit]

Year	Single	Chart positions					Anthology
Year	Single	U.S. Country	U.S.	CAN Country	Can	CAN Air conditioning	Anthology
1980	"I Wish I Was Eighteen Again"	15	49	8	25	19	I Wish I Was 18 Over again
1980	"The Arizona Whiz"	85	—	—	—	—	I Wish I Was 18 Over again
1981	"Willie, Won't You Sing a Song with Me"	66	—	—	—	—	George Burns in Nashville

Soundtracks [edit]

1978 – Sgt. Pepper's Solitary Hearts Club Band (soundtrack)

Radio series [edit]

The Robert Burns Panatella Show 1932–1933; CBS

In their debut series, George and Gracie shared the pecker with Guy Lombardo and his orchestra. The pair launched themselves into national stardom with their start major publicity stunt, Gracie's ongoing search for her missing blood brother.

The White Owl Program 1933–1934; CBS
The Adventures of Gracie 1934–1935; CBS
The Campbell's Tomato Juice Program 1935–1937; CBS
The Grape Nuts Program 1937–1938; NBC
The Chesterfield Program 1938–1939; CBS
The Hinds Honey and Almond Cream Program 1939–1940; CBS

This series featured another wildly successful publicity stunt which had Gracie running for President of the United States.

The Hormel Program 1940–1941; NBC

Advertised a make new product called Spam;^[19] this show featured musical numbers past jazz great Artie Shaw.

The Swan Soap Show 1941–1945; NBC, CBS

This serial featured a radical format change, in that George and Gracie played themselves as a married couple for the get-go time, and the testify became a full-fledged domestic state of affairs comedy. This was George's response to a marked driblet in ratings under the sometime "Amour Human action" format (equally he later recalled, he finally realized "our jokes are too young for us").

Maxwell House Java Fourth dimension 1945–1949; NBC
The Amm-i-Dent Toothpaste Show 1949–1950; CBS

Boob tube series [edit]

The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show 1950–1958; CBS

Broadcast live every other week for the first two seasons, 26 episodes per year. Starting in the 3rd season, all episodes were filmed and circulate weekly, xl episodes per year. A full of 291 episodes were created.

The George Burns Evidence 1958–1959; NBC

An unsuccessful endeavour to continue the format of the Burns and Allen show without Gracie, the residual of the cast intact.

Wendy and Me 1964–1965; ABC

George plays narrator in this short-lived series, simply as he had in the Burns and Allen show, simply with far less on-screen fourth dimension, as the focus is on a young couple played past Connie Stevens and Ron Harper. Stevens is, essentially, playing a version of Gracie's character.

George Burns Comedy Calendar week 1985; CBS

Another curt-lived serial, a weekly comedy anthology program whose only connecting thread was George's presence as host. He does not appear in whatever of the actual storylines. He was 89 years onetime when the series was produced.

Come across also [edit]

List of actors with Academy Award nominations

References [edit]

^ Newcomb, Horace (2004). Encyclopedia of Television. Vol. 1, A–C (Second ed.). Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers. p. 369. ISBN9781579583941. Archived from the original on April 26, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
^ Epstein, Lawrence J. (2011). George Burns: An American Life. McFarland & Company. p. 189. ISBN9780786487936. Archived from the original on May 12, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
^ Lueck, Thomas J. (Jan 24, 2006). "Downtown Congregation Vows to Repair Roof or Build Anew". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June eighteen, 2015. Retrieved March 17, 2010.
^ "Archives | the Philadelphia Inquirer". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved Feb 17, 2016.
^ ^a ^b Marx, Arthur. "Ninety-eight-year-old George Burns Shares Memories of His Life". Cigar Aficionado. Archived from the original on March vii, 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2007. Comedian George Burns is not but a living legend, he's living proof that smoking between 10 and 15 cigars a day for 70 years contributes to one's longevity.
^ Burns, George (1955). I Honey Her, That's Why! an Autobiography. Simon and Schuster. p. fourteen. ISBN9781456636425.
^ ^a ^b "George Burns, Laughing All the Way". Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved March xix, 2019.
^ Lawrence J. Epstein (2011). George Burns: An American Life. McFarland. p. xviii. ISBN978-0-7864-5849-3. OCLC 714086527.
^ ^a ^b Burns, George (November 1988). Gracie: A Love Story. New York: One thousand.P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN978-0-399-13384-8. 'The one issue that never came upward betwixt Gracie and me was religion. Gracie was a practicing Irish Catholic. She tried to go to Mass every Sunday. I was Jewish, simply I was out of practice. My religion was always treat other people nicely and be ready when they play your music. Mary Kelly, who was also Irish Cosmic, wouldn't ally Jack Benny because she didn't want to marry out of her faith, but Gracie didn't seem to care. In fact, I was a lot more concerned about what my mother thought than I was near Gracie'.
^ Burns, George (1989). How to live to exist 100—or more than: the ultimate diet, sex, and exercise book. Penguin Group United states of america. p. 61.
^ "'Well!' Jack Would Have Said at the Turnout of the Stars". People. March 13, 1975. Archived from the original on March 10, 2011. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
^ Natale, Richard (March xi, 1996). "George Burns: A Fable Laid To Remainder". Daily Diversity. p. 26.
^ Garlen, Jennifer C.; Graham, Anissa Grand. (2009). Kermit Culture: Critical Perspectives on Jim Henson's Muppets. McFarland & Company. p. 218. ISBN978-0786442591.
^ ^a ^b "The Corner of Burns & Allen". Seeing-Stars.com. Archived from the original on October 13, 2000. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
^ ^a ^b Krebs, Albin (March 10, 1996). "George Burns, Straight Man And Ageless Wit, Dies at 100". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December xvi, 2014. Retrieved December 11, 2014. He died at his home in Beverly Hills, Calif., said his managing director, Irving Fein. ...
^ "Hollywood Walk of Fame – George Burns". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Hollywood Bedroom of Commerce. Archived from the original on December 28, 2017. Retrieved Dec 28, 2017.
^ "George Burns – Hollywood Star Walk". Los Angeles Times. March 10, 1996. Archived from the original on January 5, 2014. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
^ "Hollywood Walk of Fame – History". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Hollywood Sleeping room of Commerce. Archived from the original on October 27, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
^ "George Burns and Gracie Allen Spam Advertisement". Woman's Day. Gallery of Graphic Design. November i, 1940. Archived from the original on Feb 9, 2012. Retrieved February 28, 2012.

External links [edit]

George Burns at IMDb
George Burns at the Internet Broadway Database
George Burns at AllMovie
Home of George Burns & Gracie Allen-Radio Television Mirror-December 1940 (page 17)
Georgeburns.com at the Wayback Machine (archived July 11, 2011)
FBI Records: The Vault – George Burns at vault.fbi.gov

realewhowne.blogspot.com

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Burns