Gracie Allen
Gracie Allen
Born	July 26, 1895[1] San Francisco, California  United States
Died	August 27, 1964 at age 69 Hollywood, California

Gracie Allen (July 26, 1895^[1] – August 27, 1964) was an American comedian who became internationally famous as the zany partner and comic foil of husband George Burns. Burns himself phrased it perfectly in a gag that got laughs no matter how often he repeated it for the rest of his life: "One day, the audience realised I had a terrific talent. They were right. I did have a terrific talent. And I was married to her for 38 years." gracie Allen posted by A. J. Marik on Find a Grave The copyright status of this vintage image is undetermined; it may still be copyrighted. ... July 26 is the 207th day (208th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 158 days remaining. ... 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Nickname: The City by the Bay; Fog City; The City Location of the City and County of San Francisco, California Coordinates: Country United States of America State California City-County San Francisco Government  - Mayor Gavin Newsom Area  - City  47 sq mi (122 km²)  - Land  46. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... August 27 is the 239th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (240th in leap years), with 126 days remaining. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... Greetings from Hollywood Hollywood is a district of the city of Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., that extends from Vermont Avenue on the east to just beyond Laurel Canyon Boulevard above Sunset and Crescent Heights Boulevards on the west; the north to south boundary east of La Brea Avenue... July 26 is the 207th day (208th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 158 days remaining. ... 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... August 27 is the 239th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (240th in leap years), with 126 days remaining. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... A comedian, or comic, is an entertainer who amuses an audience by making them laugh. ... George Burns[1], born Nathan Birnbaum (January 20, 1896 – March 9, 1996), was an American comedian and actor. ...

In a career spanning vaudeville through television, Gracie Allen's daffy character became a national institution. Highly intelligent in real life, her character's humor came from a near perfect ability to misunderstand whatever was said to her. If a word had multiple meanings, Gracie could be counted on to choose the wrong one every time. What made the character so endearing was her good-natured patience with the rest of the world — which clearly wasn't as bright as she was. Vaudeville is a style of multi-act theatre which flourished in North America from the 1880s through the 1920s. ...

A classic example of Gracie's miscommunication:

George: (looking at Gracie, who is arranging a large vase of beautiful flowers) Grace, those are beautiful flowers. Where did they come from?

Gracie: Don't you remember, George? You said that if I went to visit Clara Bagley in the hospital I should be sure to take her flowers. So, when she wasn't looking, I did.

Biography

Life and early career

Allen was born Grace Ethel Cecile Rosalie Allen in San Francisco, California to parents George and Margaret (Darragh) Allen, into an Irish Catholic show-business family. She was educated at the Star of the Sea Convent School. She was a talented dancer, and began performing Irish folk dances with her three sisters, billed as The Four Colleens. Nickname: The City by the Bay; Fog City; The City Location of the City and County of San Francisco, California Coordinates: Country United States of America State California City-County San Francisco Government  - Mayor Gavin Newsom Area  - City  47 sq mi (122 km²)  - Land  46. ... Irish Catholics are persons of predominantly Irish descent who adhere to the Roman Catholic faith. ...

She became a vaudeville performer with her sister Bessie in 1909. She teamed up with George Burns to form a comedy act in 1922, and married him in 1926, a controversial matter at the time, as Burns was Jewish and Allen was Catholic. Vaudeville is a style of multi-act theatre which flourished in North America from the 1880s through the 1920s. ... George Burns[1], born Nathan Birnbaum (January 20, 1896 – March 9, 1996), was an American comedian and actor. ...

Double act

The Burns and Allen act began with Gracie as the straight man, setting up George to deliver the punchlines -and get the laughs. In his book Gracie: A Love Story George later explained that he noticed Gracie's straight lines were getting more laughs than his punchlines, so he cannily flipped the act over — he made himself the straight man and let Gracie get the laughs. Audiences immediately fell in love with Gracie's zany character, and the team toured the country, eventually headlining in major vaudeville houses. Many of their famous routines, including "Lambchops" were preserved on early one and two-reelers made while the couple was still performing on the stage. George Burns attributed all of the couple's early success to Gracie, modestly ignoring his own brilliance as a straight man. He summed up their act in a classic quip: "All I had to do was say, 'Gracie, how's your brother?' and she talked for 38 years. And sometimes I didn't even have to remember to say 'Gracie, how's your brother?'" Laurel and Hardy are one of the worlds most popular double acts A double act, also known as a comedy duo, is a comic device in which humor is derived from the uneven relationship between two partners, usually of the same gender, age, ethnic origin, and profession, but drastically...

Radio

In the early 1930s, like many vaudeville stars of their era, Burns and Allen graduated to radio. Their show was modestly successful, though the ratings began to decline. The show was originally a continuation of their original "flirtation act" (as their vaudeville and short film routines had been). George realized that they were simply too old for that material, and changed the show's format into the situation comedy vehicle for which they are best remembered: a working show business couple negotiating ordinary problems caused by Gracie's "illogical logic", usually with the help of neighbors Harry and Blanche Morton, and their announcer, Bill Goodwin (later replaced by Harry von Zell during the run of their television series). One of the show's running gags (both in radio and television) had George firing the announcer at least once every other episode. Harry von Zell (11 July, 1906 - 21 November 1981) was a U.S. radio announcer and a film and television actor, best remembered for a verbal slip made as a young announcer, when he referred to U.S. President Herbert Hoover as Hoobert Heever. ...

Publicity Stunts

Burns & Allen frequently used running gags as publicity stunts. In 1932-33 they pulled off one of the most successful in the business: a yearlong search for Gracie's apparently missing brother. They would make unannounced cameo appearances on other shows, asking if anyone had seen Gracie's brother. Gracie's real-life brother was apparently the only person who didn't find the gag funny, and he eventually asked them to stop.

In 1940, the team launched a similar stunt when Gracie announced she was running for President of the United States on the Surprise Party ticket. George and Gracie did a cross-country whistlestop campaign tour on a private train, performing their live radio show in different cities. In one of her campaign speeches Gracie said, "I don't know much about the Lend-Lease Bill, but if we owe it we should pay it." Another typical Gracie-ism on the campaign trail went like this: "Everybody knows a woman is better than a man when it comes to introducing bills into the house." The Surprise Party mascot was the kangaroo; the motto was "It's in the bag." As part of the gag, Gracie (in reality, the Burns and Allen writers) published a book, Gracie Allen For President, which included photographs from their nationwide campaign tour, and the Surprise Party convention. Gracie actually drew some votes in the November election.

Gracie was also the subject of one of S.S. Van Dine's famous Philo Vance mystery novels, The Gracie Allen Murder Case. Typically, she couldn't resist a classic Gracie review: "S.S. Van Dine is silly to spend six months writing a novel when you can buy one for two dollars and ninety five cents." The Gracie Allen Murder Case (1938) is a detective novel by S. S. Van Dine featuring his famous fictional detective of the 1920s and 1930s, Philo Vance, and the zany half of the George Burns & Gracie Allen comedy team. ...

Another publicity stunt had Gracie playing a piano concerto at the Hollywood Bowl (and later at Carnegie Hall). The Burns & Allen staff hired a composer to write the Concerto For Index Finger, a joke piece that had the orchestra playing madly, only to pause while Gracie played a single (incorrect) note with one finger. On her final "solo," she would finally hit the right note, causing the entire orchestra to applaud. Ironically, the actual index-finger playing was done off-stage by a professional pianist. Hollywood Bowl opening night 2005. ... Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street. ...

Television

Gracie Allen & George Burns

By 1948-49, Burns and Allen were part of the CBS talent raid: their good friend (and frequent guest star) Jack Benny, once CBS mastermind William S. Paley made it clear that he believed the talent and not the network made the difference, had decided to jump from NBC to CBS, and he convinced among others Burns & Allen to join him. A year after they made the move, Burns and Allen brought their show to television. They continued the formula which had kept them longtime radio stars, playing themselves as television stars, still living next door to Harry and Blanche Morton. They concluded each show a brief dialogue performance in the style of their classic vaudeville and earlier radio routines. Image File history File links Burns&allen. ... Image File history File links Burns&allen. ... George Burns & Gracie Allen Burns and Allen were an American comedy duo consisting of George Burns and his wife, Gracie Allen. ... CBS is one of the largest radio and television networks in the United States. ... It has been suggested that The Jack Benny Program be merged into this article or section. ... William S. Paley (1901-1990) This article is about the broadcast executive. ... NBC (an acronym for National Broadcasting Company) is an American television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... CBS is one of the largest radio and television networks in the United States. ... George Burns & Gracie Allen Burns and Allen were an American comedy duo consisting of George Burns and his wife, Gracie Allen. ...

From the beginning, the television show blurred the traditional boundaries between the actors and the characters they played:

• George regularly broke the fourth wall and spoke directly to the television audience. The camera would pull back showing George watching and commenting on the show's action — punctuated by occasional puffs on his cigar. Later on, George acquired a television set, on which he could watch Gracie in other parts of the house.

• When the actor playing Harry Morton, Fred Clark, decided to leave the show, the new actor, Larry Keating, was introduced to the audience by George, yelling "Stop!" and causing everyone on stage to freeze, with Blanche Morton holding a telephone directory over her head, ready to hit her husband Harry as he enters the room. George explained the cast change to the audience, invited the new actor out to say hello, and meet actress Bea Benaderet (who played Blanche Morton). The two actors exchange friendly greetings, saying how much they have admired the other's work, and George then called for the scene to resume. Harry enters, and Blanche promptly smacks him on the head with a phone book.

Gracie retired in 1957, and Burns tried to soldier on without her. The show was re-named The George Burns Show with the cast intact except for Gracie. The locale of the show was changed form the Burns home to George's office, with Blanche Morton working as George's secretary so she could help Gracie keep an eye on him. Gracie's absence was only too obvious, and impossible to overcome. The re-named show barely lasted a year. This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Clark in his film debut, The Unsuspected (1947) Frederick Leonard Clark (born March 19, 1914; died December 5, 1968) was an American film character actor. ... Larry Keating (born in June 13, 1896, in St. ... Bea Benaderet (IPA: ) (April 4, 1906—October 13, 1968) was an American actress, born in New York City and raised in San Francisco, California. ...

Movies

In the early 1930s, George and Gracie made several short films, preserving several of their classic vaudeville routines on celluloid. They also made two films with W.C. Fields, and co-starred with Fred Astaire in A Damsel in Distress, a musical film with an original score by George Gershwin which introduced the song "A Foggy Day". In spite of their vaudeville beginnings, George and Gracie amazed the film critics with their ability to keep up with Astaire during their Oscar-nominated dance routine in an amusement park funhouse. W. C. Fields (January 29, 1880 - December 25, 1946) was an American comedian and actor. ... Fred Astaire (May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987), born Frederick Austerlitz in Omaha, Nebraska,[1] was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. ... A Damsel in Distress (RKO) is a 1937 English-themed Hollywood musical comedy film starring Fred Astaire, Joan Fontaine, George Burns and Gracie Allen, with a screenplay by P.G. Plum Wodehouse based on his novel, music and lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin, and directed by George Stevens. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... The Academy Awards for Best Dance Direction (1935-1937 only) 1935 Dave Gould - Broadway Melody of 1936 (Ive Got a Feeling Youre Fooling) and Folies Bergere (Straw Hat) Busby Berkeley - Gold Diggers of 1935 (Lullaby of Broadway) and (Words Are in My Heart) Bobby Connolly - Broadway Hostess (Playboy... Funhouse http://www. ...

"Say goodnight, Gracie"

The signature Burns and Allen signoff became part of the country's vernacular and the title of Rupert Holmes' 2002 play about the couple. Born of their vaudeville routine and carried over to both radio and television, their shows normally ended with George asking Gracie to say goodnight, and she would comply with "Good night." Popular legend has it that Gracie would say, "Good night, Gracie." According to her husband, recordings of their radio and television shows, and other references, that never happened. It is likely that the confusion was caused by Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. Stars Dan Rowan and Dick Martin used a similar routine wherein Dan would face the camera to say "Say goodnight, Dick." Dick's reply would always be "Good night, Dick." Rupert Holmes (born February 24, 1947 in Northwich, Cheshire, England) is a composer and writer who grew up in the northern New York City suburb of Nanuet, New York, and attended nearby Nyack High School. ... Broadway Playbill Goodnight, Gracie is a one-man play by Rupert Holmes. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...

Private Life

In the 1930s George and Gracie adopted two children, Sandra Jean and Ronald John, who were raised nominally Catholic, though Sandra was expelled from Catholic school for her liberal views. Ronnie eventually joined the cast of his parents' television show playing George and Gracie's son, a serious drama student who disdained comedy. Sandy, by contrast, made only occasional appearances on the show, and left show business to become a teacher. Ronald John Ronnie Burns (born July 9, 1935) is the adopted son of comic actors George Burns and Gracie Allen. ...

As a child, Gracie had been scalded badly on one arm, and she was extremely sensitive about the scarring. Throughout her life she wore either full or three-quarter length sleeves in order to hide the scars. The half-forearm style became as much a Gracie Allen trademark as her many aprons and her illogical logic. When the couple moved to Beverly Hills and acquired a swimming pool, Gracie put on a bathing suit and swam the length of the pool, to prove to her children that she could swim. She never put on a bathing suit or entered the pool again.

Gracie was said to be sensitive about having one green eye and one blue eye (heterochromia), and there was some speculation that plans to film the eighth season of The Burns & Allen Show in color prompted her retirement. The real reason she retired in 1957 was her health; George Burns noted more than once that she stayed with the television show as long as she did to please him, in spite of her health problems. An example of heterochromia in a human. ... George Burns & Gracie Allen Burns and Allen were an American comedy duo consisting of George Burns and his wife, Gracie Allen. ...

Farewell

Gracie fought a long battle with heart disease, finally succumbing to a heart attack in Hollywood in 1964. She was interred in a crypt at the Freedom Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California; George was interred at her side when he died thirty-two years later. ("Gracie Allen and George Burns — Together Again," reads the engraving on the marker.) Gracie's age almost depended on whom you asked; even her husband professed not to know exactly when she was born. (See note below.) Acute myocardial infarction (AMI or MI), commonly known as a heart attack, is a disease state that occurs when the blood supply to a part of the heart is interrupted. ... ... Gates of Forest Lawn Forest Lawn Memorial Park is a cemetery in Glendale, Los Angeles County, California. ... Nickname: The Jewel City Location of Glendale within Los Angeles County and the State of California. ...

Filmography

• Lambchops (1929) (a "short" film)
• The Big Broadcast (1932) (1st feature film)
• College Humor (1933)
• International House (1933)
• Many Happy Returns (1934) (1st leading rôle)
• Six Of A Kind (1934)
• We're Not Dressing (1934)
• Love in Bloom (1935)
• Here Comes Cookie (1936)
• A Damsel in Distress (1937) (1st Fred Astaire movie without Ginger Rogers & 1st in which Burns and Allen danced)
• College Swing (1938)
• Honolulu (1939)
• The Gracie Allen Murder Case (1939) (without Burns — a "Philo Vance" mystery by S. S. Van Dine)
• Mr. and Mrs. North (1941) (2nd murder mystery without Burns)
• Two Girls and a Sailor (1944) (guest appearance & last movie)

Fred Astaire (May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987), born Frederick Austerlitz in Omaha, Nebraska,[1] was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. ... Ginger Rogers (July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an Academy Award-winning American film and stage actress and singer. ... Philo Vance was a fictional American detective created by S. S. Van Dine in the 1920s who appeared in 12 novels. ...

Radio series

• The Robert Burns Panatella Show: 1932 - 1933 CBS
• 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
• The Hormel Program: 1940 - 1941 NBC
• The Swan Soap Show: 1941 - 1945 NBC, CBS
• Maxwell House Coffee Time: 1945 - 1949 NBC
• The Amm-i-Dent Toothpaste Show: 1949 - 1950 CBS

TV series

• The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show: 1950 - 1958 CBS

George Burns & Gracie Allen Burns and Allen were an American comedy duo consisting of George Burns and his wife, Gracie Allen. ...

Gracie Allen Award

The Gracie Allen Award is presented by The Foundation of American Women in Radio and Television to recognize and encourage positive and realistic portrayals of women in entertainment, commercials, news, features and other programs.

Notes

The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake at San Francisco, California on the early morning of Wednesday, April 18, 1906. ... July 26 is the 207th day (208th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 158 days remaining. ... 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... June 1 is the 152nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (153rd in leap years), with 213 days remaining. ... Year 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar, but a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. ... Official language(s) English Capital  Sacramento Largest city  Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ...

References

• Ancestry of Gracie Allen (from Genealogy.com)

• I Love Her, That's Why (by George Burns)

• Gracie: A Love Story (by George Burns)

• Say Goodnight, Gracie: The Story of George Burns and Gracie Allen (by Cheryl Blythe and Susan Hackett)

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Gracie Allen

• Gracie Allen at the Internet Movie Database
• Gracie Allen at Findagrave.com
• How to Become President by Gracie Allen