3/19/11
FORMER HOME
of LATE GREAT
GEORGE BURNS
& GRACIE ALLEN
FORMER HOME
of LATE GREAT
GEORGE BURNS
& GRACIE ALLEN
"George Burns (January 20, 1896 – March 9, 1996), born Nathan Birnbaum, was an was an American comedian, actor, and writer. His career spanned vaudeville, film, radio, and television, with and without his wife, Gracie Allen. His arched eyebrow and cigar smoke punctuation became familiar trademarks for over three quarters of a century. Beginning at the age of 79, Burns' career was resurrected as an amiable, beloved and unusually active old comedian, continuing to work until shortly before his death, in 1996 at the age of 100 ..."(wiki) "ce Ethel Cecile Rosalie Allen was born into an Irish Catholic show business family and educated at Star of the Sea Convent School in San Francisco California in girlhood. She began in vaudeville around 1909, teamed as an Irish-dance act, "The Four Colleens", with her sisters, Bessie, Hazel, and Pearl She met George Burns and the two immediately launched a new partnership with Gracie playing the role of the "straight man" and George delivering the punchlines as the comedian. Burns knew something was wrong when the audience ignored his jokes but snickered at Gracie's questions. Burns cannily flipped the act around: After a Hoboken, New Jersey performance in which they tested the new style for the first time, Burns's hunch proved right. Gracie was the better "laugh-getter," especially with the "illogical logic" that formed her responses to Burns's prompting comments o..."(wiki)
