Grace Ethel Cecile Rosalie Allen (July 26, 1895 - August 27, 1964) is an American comedian who became internationally renowned as a funny partner and comic freak of husband George Burns, his straight man. For his contribution to the television industry, Gracie Allen was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6672 Hollywood Boulevard, while he and Burns were inducted into the Hall of Fame Television in 1988.
Bea Benaderet said of Allen in 1966: "He is probably one of the greatest actresses of our time."
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Allen was born in San Francisco, California, to George Allen and Margaret Theresa ("Molly") Allen (nÃÆ' Â © e Darragh; then Mrs. Edward Pidgeon), both of whom are Irish Catholics. She made her first appearance on stage at the age of three and was given her first role on the radio by Eddie Cantor. He was educated at Star of the Sea Convent School and during that time became a talented dancer.
He immediately began performing Irish folk dancing with his three sisters, who were billed as "The Four Colleens". In 1909, Allen joined his sister, Bessie, as a vaudeville player. At the 1922 show, Allen meets George Burns and the two form a comedy action. They married on January 7, 1926, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Allen was born with a heterochromia, giving him two different eye colors; one blue and one green.
Myth of birth date
Depending on the source, Allen is allegedly born on July 26, 1895, 1896, 1902 or 1906. All public records held by City and County of San Francisco were destroyed in the April 1906 earthquake and major fire. Her husband, George Burns, also claimed not to know exactly how old he was, though perhaps he gave the date of July 26, 1902, which appeared on his death note. The cryptic sign also shows the year of his birth as 1902.
Among Allen's typical jokes is a dialogue in which Allen will claim that he was born in 1906, his paper will suppress him for corroborating evidence or information; he will say that his birth certificate has been destroyed in the earthquake, his foil will show that he was born in July but the earthquake happened three months earlier in April, and Allen will just smile and reply "Well, it is a> . "The most reliable information comes from US Census data collected on June 1, 1900. According to information in the Census records for the State of California, City and County of San Francisco, 38 enumeration districts, family 217, page 11- A, one Grace Allen - the daughter of George and Maggie Allen, and Bessie's youngest sister, Hazel and Pearl Allen - were born in California in July 1895. In a census taken on April 15, 1910, however, for San Francisco's 39th Assembly District, District 216, Page 5A, Grace Allen listed as 13 (instead of 14), indicates the year of birth of 1896, but this is not definitive and the census records sometimes vary from year to year based on many factors.
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Multiple actions
The Burns and Allen action begins with Allen as a straight man, preparing Burns to deliver punchlines - and getting a laugh. In his book Gracie: A Love Story , Burns then explains that he saw Allen's straight line was more ridiculed than his punch, so he easily reversed his actions - he made himself straight man and let him get a giggle. The audience soon fell in love with the character Allen, who combined naivete, zaniness, and total innocence. The reformulated team, focusing on Allen, toured the country, eventually becoming headlining in the main vaudeville homes. Many of their famous routines are preserved in short and one-on-one films, including Lambchops (1929), made when the couple is still performing on stage.
Burns attributes all of the pair's initial success to Allen, simply ignoring his own brilliance as a straight man. He sums up their actions in classic jokes: "All I have to do is say, 'Gracie, how's your brother?' and he's been talking for 38. And sometimes I do not even have to remember to say 'Gracie, how's your brother?' "
Radio
In the early 1930s, like many stars in their era, Burns and Allen graduated onto the radio. The event was originally a continuation of their original "flirtation act" (such as vaudeville and short films of their routines). Burns realized that they were too old for the material ("Our jokes are too young for us," he later commented) and changed the format of the show in the fall of 1941 into the most reminiscent vehicle sitcoms they remember: work shows the business of married couples discussing issues commonly caused by Gracie's "logical logic", usually with the help of Harry's neighbor and Blanche Morton, and their broadcaster, Bill Goodwin (later replaced by Harry von Zell during their television series).
Stunt publicity
Burns and Allen often use jokes as publicity stunts. During the years 1932-33, they performed one of the most successful in the business: a year-long search for Allen's brother should have been lost. They will make a cameo appearance without notice at another event, asking if anyone has seen Allen's brother. Gracie Allen's real sister was the only one who did not find the joke funny, and she finally asked them to stop. (He disappeared from view for several weeks, at the peak of publicity.)
In 1940, the team launched a similar action when Allen announced he was running for president of the United States on a surprise party ticket. Burns and Allen toured a cross-country whistlestop campaign on private trains, broadcasting their live radio in various cities. In one of his campaign speeches, Gracie said, "I do not know much about the Lend-Lease bill, but if we owe it, we have to pay it." Another typical gracie-ism in the campaign trail goes something like this: "Everyone knows a woman is better than a man when he introduces money home." The Surprise Party Mascot is a kangaroo; the motto is "It's in the bag." As part of the joke, Allen (in fact, the authors of Burns and Allen) published a book, Gracie Allen for the President , which included photos from their national campaign tour and the surprise party convention. Allen received support from Harvard University.
Allen is also the subject of one of the famous Mystery novels of Philo Vance S. Van Dine, The Gracie Allen Murder Case . Usually, he can not refuse the classic review of Gracie Allen: "S.S. Van Dine is silly spending six months writing a novel when you can buy one for two dollars and nine five cents."
Another publicity action made him play the piano at the Hollywood Bowl (and later at Carnegie Hall). The Burns and Allen staff hired a composer to write Concerto for Index Finger, a joke that made the orchestra play wild, only to pause while Allen played a one-fingered, false final score.
The orchestra will then play a musical work that develops around the "wrong" tone. In his final "solo", Allen will finally hit the right note, causing the whole orchestra to clap. In fact, the real fingers are performed off-stage by a professional pianist. The concert was featured in the 1944 movie "Two Girls and a Sailor", with an orchestra hosted by Albert Coates.
Television
In the fall of 1949, Burns and Allen became part of CBS's talent attack. Their good friend (and frequent guest star) Jack Benny has decided to jump from NBC to CBS. William S. Paley, the CBS mastermind, recently publicly explained that he believed in talent and not the network that made a difference, which did not happen at NBC. Benny convinced Burns and Allen (among others) to join him in a move to CBS. The Burns and Allen radio shows became part of CBS's lineup and a year later they also took their show to television. They continue to use formulas that have made them into old radio stars, playing themselves, only now as television stars, still living next to Harry and Blanche Morton. They concluded each show with a brief dialogue show in their classic vaudeville style and previous radio routine.
Allen retired in 1958, and Burns tried his army without him. The show is named The George Burns Show with the cast intact except for Allen. The location of the show changed from Burns's home to George Burns's office, with Blanche Morton working as Burns secretary so he could help Allen keep an eye on him. The absence of Allen is just too obvious and impossible to overcome. The renamed event hardly lasts a year.
Movies
In the early 1930s, Burns and Allen made several short films, preserving some of their classic vaudeville routines in celluloid. They also made two films with W. C. Fields - International House (1933) and Six of a Kind (1934). In 1937, Burns and Allen starred in Fred Astaire in A Damsel in Distress , a musical with the original score by George Gershwin, who introduced the song "A Foggy Day". This is Astaire's first RKO film without a dancing partner, Ginger Rogers.
Co-star Astaire Joan Fontaine is not a dancer, and she is reluctant to dance on screen alone. He also feels his script needs more comic help to improve the overall appeal of the film. Burns and Allen each work in vaudeville as dancers ("hoofers") before forming their actions, and when the word project reaches them, they call Astaire and he asks them to audition.
Burns contacted an act he had seen performing a dance using a broom. Over the next few weeks, he and Allen work at home to learn the intricate routines for their auditions. When they presented "Whisk Broom Dance" to Astaire, he was so touched by him, that he told them to teach it to him and it was added to the movie. Their talents are highlighted as they fit Astaire step-by-step in the demanding "Funhouse Dance". Throughout the pictures, Burns and Allen amaze spectators and critics as they "easily" follow the most famous dancers in the movie, as many do not know one of them can dance.
"Say good night, Gracie"
This legend was born from their vaudeville routine and taken to radio and television. When the show is over, Burns will see Allen and say, "Good evening, Gracie", which he usually answers "Good night." The popular legend says that Allen will say, "Good evening, Gracie." According to George Burns, recordings of their radio and television shows, and some old radio history (John Dunning's On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio, for example), Gracie never uses phrases. Confusion may be caused by Rowan & amp; Martin's Laugh-In . Stars Dan Rowan and Dick Martin use a similar sign-off routine in which Rowan will tell Martin to "Say good night, Dick." Martin's answer was always "Good night, Dick." Looks like something Gracie Allen would say.
George Burns himself said as much as possible in an interview a few years later, adding that, surprisingly enough, nobody ever thinks to have Allen say "Good evening, Gracie". However, Burns and Allen's former head writer Paul Henning does use the word "good night" a bit in at least one episode of Beverly Hillbillies ("Richest Woman", aired Jan. 5 1966, two years before Laugh-In aired JED: "Say good night, Jethro." JETHRO: "Good evening, Jethro.")
Personal life
In 1930, Burns and Allen adopted two children, Sandra Jean and Ronald Jon, after discovering they could not conceive themselves. They agreed to raise children as Catholics, then let them make their own religious choice as adults. Ronnie eventually joins the cast of his parents' television show, playing George and son Gracie, a serious drama student who belittles comedy. Instead, Sandy only makes occasional appearances on the show (usually as a telephone operator, waitress, secretary, or scribe), and leaves the show business to become a teacher.
As a child, Allen has been scalded in one arm, and he is very sensitive to scarring. Throughout his life, he wore full sleeves or three quarters to hide the scars. The half-arm style became the trademark of Gracie Allen as many aprons and illogical logic. When the couple moved to Beverly Hills and bought the pool, Gracie wore a swim suit and swam along the pool to prove to her children that she could swim. (She struggles to fear drowning by taking private swimming lessons.) She never wore a swimsuit or went into the pool again.
Allen is said to be sensitive about having one green eye and one blue eye (heterochromia), and some speculation there are plans to film the eighth season of The Burns & amp; Allen Show in color encourages him to retire. However, this seems unlikely, because one color episode was only filmed and broadcast in 1954 (a clip seen on a CBS anniversary show). The reason he retired in 1958 was his health; George Burns noted more than once that he stayed with television shows as long as he did so to please him, regardless of his health problems. A few years later, Burns admitted that he had very brief affairs. Against guilt, he called Jack Benny and told him about the affair. However, Allen hears the conversation and Burns secretly buys an expensive center. Nothing to say. Years later, he discovered that Allen then told one of his friends about the episode, ending with, "You know, I really wish George would betray me again.I could use the new center."
Death
Gracie Allen fought a long time with heart disease, which eventually died of a heart attack in Hollywood on August 27, 1964, at the age of 69 years. His body was buried in a tomb in the Freedom Mausoleum in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California.
A former burn was buried by his side in 1996 when he died 32 years later at the age of 100; marker in the basement changed from "Grace Allen Burns - Beloved Wife And Mother (1902-1964)" to "Gracie Allen (1902-1964) and George Burns (1896-1996) - Together Again".
Filmography
- Lambchops (1929; short film)
- Big Broadcast (1932; first feature movie)
- College Humor (1933)
- International Home (1933)
- Many Happy Returns (1934) (first major role)
- Six of a Kind (1934)
- We Do not Dress (1934)
- Love in Bloom (1935)
- Here Comes Cookie (1935)
- Big Broadcast of 1936 (1935)
- College Holidays (1936)
- Big Broadcast of 1937 (1936)
- A Damsel in Distress (1937)
- Swing College (1938)
- Honolulu (1939)
- Gracie Allen Murder Case (1939; without George Burns - mystery of "Philo Vance" by S. S. Van Dine)
- Master. and Mrs. North (1941; mystery film of the second murder without a burn)
- Two Girls and Seaman (1944) (guest appearance; last movie role)
Radio series
- Robert Burns Panatella event: 1932-1933, CBS
- White Owl Program : 1933-1934, CBS
- Gracie Adventure : 1934-1935, CBS
- Campbell Tomato Juice Program : 1935-1937, CBS
- Grape Nuts Program : 1937-1938, NBC
- Chesterfield Program : 1938-1939, CBS
- Honey and Almond Cream Hinds 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
- Dental Amm-i-Dent Show : 1949-1950, CBS
Gracie Award
The Gracie Awards are presented by the Alliance for Women in Media to recognize female programming examples for women and women on radio, television, cable and web-based media, including news, drama, comedy, commercials, public services, documentaries and sports. The award program encourages realistic and multi-faceted depictions of women in entertainment, news, features and other programs. Allen has twice been nominated to the National Women's Hall of Fame which so far chose not to induct her. He has been honored by James L. Brooks, who was named "Gracie Films" afterwards.
See also
- The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show , 1950-58, CBS
References
Further reading
- Burns, George (1988). Gracie: A Love Story . New York: Penguin Books. ISBN: 0-14-012656-2. OCLCÃ, 19740761.
- Gracie Love Story by George Burns (New York: G. P. Putnam, 1988) ISBNÃ, 0-399-13384-4
- The Great American Broadcast by Leonard Maltin (New York: Dutton, 1997)
- I Love Her, That's Why !: An Autobiography by George Burns (1955, 2003, 2011) ISBN 978-1258012144
- McClintock, Walter. Current Annual Biography Book: 1951 . Place of unidentified publication: H W Wilson, 1951. Print.
- In the Air: The Old Time Radio Encyclopedia by John Dunning (New York: Oxford University Press, 1998)
- Say Good Night, Gracie: Burns and Allen Story by Cheryl Blythe and Susan Sackett (1986, 1989) ISBN: 1-55958-019-4
- Say Good Night, Gracie: Burn and Allen Stories, Revised and Updated by Cheryl Blythe and Susan Sackett (2016) Amazon eBebook ASIN B01D3X6R34
- Third Time Around by George Burns (New York: Putnam, 1980), including multiple transcripts Burns & amp; classic; Allen's routine.
External links
- Gracie Allen on IMDb
- Gracie Allen in the Search of the Mausoleum
- George Burns & amp; Gracie Allen-Radio Television Mirror - December 1940 (page 17)
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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