Burns and Allen facts for kids
Burns and Allen was a super famous American comedy team. It was made up of George Burns and his wife, Gracie Allen. They worked together for over 40 years. They made people laugh in vaudeville shows, movies, on the radio, and on TV!
George and Gracie met in 1922 and got married in 1926. George was the "straight man." This means he played the serious one. Gracie played a funny, a bit silly woman. Her ideas were often mixed up, and George would try to understand them.
They starred in many movies like Lambchops (1929) and The Big Broadcast (1932). Their radio show started in 1934. It was first called The Adventures of Gracie. Later, it became The Burns and Allen Show. It ran until 1950. After radio, they had a very popular TV show. The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show was on from 1950 to 1958.
Their radio show is in the National Radio Hall of Fame. Their TV show got 11 Emmy Award nominations. One episode was even ranked among the "100 greatest episodes of all time" by TV Guide. They are also in the Television Hall of Fame.
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Their Start in Vaudeville
George and Gracie first performed together in 1922. This was at the Hill Street Theatre in Newark, New Jersey. They kept performing in small vaudeville theaters. Vaudeville was a type of live stage show with different acts. They got married in Cleveland in 1926. Then, they started performing on bigger stages.
George wrote most of their jokes. He played the serious "straight man." Gracie played a funny, slightly confused woman. At first, they played opposite roles. But they noticed audiences laughed more at Gracie's serious lines. So, they switched! Later, they both said the other was the reason for their success.
Burns and Allen did not become famous overnight. George said they were a "good man-and-woman act." But they were not the main stars at first. They were usually fourth on the list in an eight-act show. Their career really took off when they made their first movie.
Movies They Made
When movies started having sound, studios wanted actors who could talk or sing. Warner Bros. was one studio that filmed many vaudeville stars.
Burns and Allen were known as "disappointment acts." This meant they could fill in if another performer was sick. This is how they got their first movie role. They replaced another act at the last minute. They performed their jokes and songs in Lambchops (1929). This film was later put on DVD in 2007.
Paramount Pictures also filmed many New York stage stars. Burns and Allen joined Paramount in 1930. They made many short comedies until 1933. George usually wrote these films.
In 1932, Paramount made The Big Broadcast. This movie featured many popular radio stars. Burns and Allen were in it. They were so good that they kept appearing in Paramount movies until 1937. These movies often had many stars, just like The Big Broadcast. In 1935, they also starred in two other movies: Here Comes Cookie and Love in Bloom.
In 1937, they were in the movie A Damsel in Distress with Fred Astaire. Their names were shown before the movie title, along with Astaire's. Fred Astaire did most of his dancing with Burns and Allen in this film. Their funny dance in the "Fun House" scene won an award for the choreographer. George even suggested a dance using whiskbrooms as props!
Their last movie together was Honolulu in 1939. Gracie made two more movies by herself. But Burns and Allen did not act together in movies again until their TV show started in 1950.
George Burns had a big comeback in movies later in life. He was 79 when he starred in The Sunshine Boys (1975). He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for this role. In 1977, he starred in Oh, God!. These movies made him famous again. At 80, he was the oldest Oscar winner ever at that time. George lived to be 100 years old. He kept working almost until he passed away in 1996.
Movies with Burns and Allen
| Year | Title | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 1929 | Lambchops | Short |
| 1930 | Fit to Be Tied | Short |
| 1931 | Pulling a Bone | Short |
| 1931 | The Antique Shop | Short |
| 1931 | Once Over, Light | Short |
| 1931 | 100% Service | Short |
| 1931 | Oh, My Operation | Short |
| 1932 | The Babbling Book | Short |
| 1932 | The Big Broadcast | Feature |
| 1932 | Your Hat | Short |
| 1932 | Walking the Baby | Short |
| 1933 | Let's Dance | Short |
| 1933 | International House | Feature |
| 1933 | College Humor | Feature |
| 1934 | Six of a Kind | Feature |
| 1934 | We're Not Dressing | Feature |
| 1934 | Many Happy Returns | Feature |
| 1935 | Love in Bloom | Feature |
| 1935 | Here Comes Cookie | Feature |
| 1935 | The Big Broadcast of 1936 | Feature |
| 1936 | The Big Broadcast of 1937 | Feature |
| 1936 | College Holiday | Feature |
| 1937 | A Damsel in Distress | Feature |
| 1938 | College Swing | Feature |
| 1939 | Honolulu | Feature |
Radio Stars
Burns and Allen first performed on radio in London in 1929. In the U.S., they started on The Guy Lombardo Show in 1932. Then, they got their own show on CBS in 1934. It was called The Adventures of Gracie.
They became super famous with a funny trick. Gracie started a "hunt for her lost brother." This joke began in 1933. Gracie would even show up on other radio shows looking for him! Her real brother was a quiet accountant. He actually went into hiding until the joke ended!
In 1940, they did another big joke: "Gracie Allen for President." Gracie pretended to run for president for the "Surprise Party." She said silly things as her ideas. This "campaign" was so popular that people actually wrote her name on their ballots!
Their show changed its name to The Burns and Allen Show in 1936. In 1941, they changed the show's style. Instead of just jokes, it became a sitcom about a married couple. George realized they were "too old for our jokes" as single people. This change made their show even more popular.
Many people were regulars on their radio show. These included Gale Gordon and Bea Benaderet. Announcers like Bill Goodwin and Harry Von Zell also became part of the comedy. The show moved between NBC and CBS. It was often named after its sponsor, like Maxwell House Coffee Time. Their radio show ran until 1950. You can still find recordings of many of their old radio shows today.
Radio Awards
The Burns and Allen Show was put into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1994.
Moving to Television
In 1950, Burns and Allen started their TV show, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. It was an instant hit! The show was on CBS from 1950 to 1958. At first, it was live every other week. Later, it became a weekly show filmed in California. There were 291 episodes in total.
The TV show's sets looked like George and Gracie's real home. They even showed a picture of their actual house in Beverly Hills, California. George had a study above the garage. He would "escape" there from Gracie's funny ideas. George lived in that house until he died in 1996.
In the show, George would often watch the action. He would then talk directly to the audience. He would comment on what was happening. This was a unique part of the show.
The TV show had many of the same actors and crew for years. Bea Benaderet played their neighbor, Blanche Morton. Their adopted children, Ronnie and Sandra, also appeared. Ronnie was often on the show. He played himself as a drama student. He would sometimes question his parents' comedy style.
In 1953, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show joined I Love Lucy on Monday nights. This made it one of the top TV shows. It stayed popular for many years.
Gracie Allen decided to retire on February 17, 1958. She was tired of the hard work. George convinced her to do one more year. This was their eighth and final year on TV.
They filmed their last show on June 4, 1958. It was a very emotional day. Gracie took a small sip of champagne at the party. She hugged her friend Bea Benaderet and said, "Okay, that's it." She looked around the set one last time. Then she said, "And thank you very much, everyone."
George said Gracie "deserved a rest." She had worked her whole life. Her lines were very hard to remember. They didn't always make sense, so she had to learn every word exactly. She was happy to stop working.
George tried to continue the show without Gracie. The George Burns Show lasted for one season on NBC. Gracie Allen had some heart problems after retiring. She passed away on August 27, 1964.
TV Show Awards
The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show got 11 Emmy Award nominations. In 1997, one episode was ranked #56 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All-Time.
McCadden Productions
George Burns had his own company called McCadden Productions. This company produced The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. George named it after the street where his brother lived. While making their show, George also started producing other TV shows and commercials.
McCadden Productions had over 300 employees. They made shows like Mister Ed, The Bob Cummings Show, and Panic. George said that TV was new back then. He thought people would like the same things they liked in vaudeville. So, he made shows with "pretty girls and animals."
Their Lasting Impact
George Burns was known for being very generous. He gave a lot of money to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. There is a street there called George Burns Road. It was named in 1986. Another street, Gracie Allen Drive, was named in 1995.
A special fund for heart research was started in their names in 1989. The Burns and Allen Research Institute was opened in 1996. This was on George's 100th birthday. Their legacy continues to help people today.
Images for kids
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Burns and Allen in 1953
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Burns and Allen in 1955
