Known for movies
Short Info
Died | August 27, 1964, Los Angeles, California, United States |
Spouse | George Burns |
Mark | Her scatterbrained antics to George Burns' straight man |
Fact | Profiled in the book "Funny Ladies" by Stephen Silverman. [1999] |
Payments | Earned $850 from Lambchops (1929) |
Gracie Allen was born on July 26, 1895, in San Francisco, California. Her parents were George Allen and Margaret Allen. Gracie had two siblings: George Jr. and Harriet. Gracie’s early education took place at the Sacred Heart Convent in San Francisco.
Gracie’s career began when she was just a teenager. She started out as a vaudeville performer and then transitioned to film and television. Gracie is best known for her work on the popular comedy series “The Burns and Allen Show.” The show ran for eight seasons and earned Gracie two Emmy nominations.
After “The Burns and Allen Show” ended, Gracie continued to work in television and film. Some of her notable later roles include appearances on “The Love Boat” and “Murder, She Wrote.” Gracie also did voice work for several animated films, including “The Aristocats” and “The Rescuers.”
Gracie retired from show business in 1958. She died of a heart attack on August 27, 1964, at the age of 69.
Gracie Allen was a successful actress and comedian. She was best known for her work on the popular comedy series “The Burns and Allen Show.” Gracie retired from show business in 1958 and died of a heart attack in 1964.
General Info
Full Name | Gracie Allen |
Died | August 27, 1964, Los Angeles, California, United States |
Height | 1.52 m |
Profession | Actor, Comedian, Singer, Radio personality, Dancer, Vaudeville Performer |
Nationality | American |
Family
Spouse | George Burns |
Children | Ronnie Burns, Sandra Burns |
Parents | George Allen, Molly Darragh |
Siblings | Bessie Allen, Hazel Allen, Pearl Allen |
Accomplishments
Nominations | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, Primetime Emmy Award for Best Actress Starring In A Regular Series, Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance - Variety Or Music Program, Primetime Emmy Award for Best Actress - Continuing Performance, Primetime Emmy Award f... |
Movies | A Damsel in Distress, Lambchops, The Big Broadcast, Six of a Kind, College Swing, International House, We're Not Dressing, College Holiday, The Big Broadcast of 1937, The Big Broadcast of 1936, College Humor, The Gracie Allen Murder Case, Mr. and Mrs. North, Honolulu, Two Girls and a Sailor, Here Co... |
TV Shows | Burns and Allen, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show |
Social profile links
Marks
# | Marks / Signs |
---|---|
1 | Innocent, high-pitched voice |
2 | Her scatterbrained antics to George Burns' straight man |
Salary
Title | Salary |
---|---|
Lambchops (1929) | $850 |
Quotes
# | Quote |
---|---|
1 | [In a campaign speech (1940) when she was running opposite FDR on the 'Surprise Party' ticket] As I look around me and see all all these trusting and believing faces shining up at me with love and respect, tears come into my eyes. And do you know why? My girdle is killing me. |
2 | [on George Burns] My husband will never chase another woman. He's too fine, too decent, too old. |
3 | [explaining her "Gracie Allen" character] Gracie's the kind of girl who shortens the cord on the electric iron to save electricity. |
4 | [explaining her "Gracie Allen" character] Gracie thought she was terribly smart. Gracie's character was different. Gracie thought everybody was out of step but her. She was always helping people. She was always sorry for you. Like if she would say, "My sister got up in the middle of the night, she screamed, she looked down at her feet and they turned black". You would say to her, "What did she do?" She was sorry for you for asking that question. She thought you were pretty dumb not to know what to do if your feet turned black. "She took off her stocking and went to sleep again." |
5 | [explaining her "Gracie Allen" character] Gracie isn't really crazy. She makes sense in an illogical sort of way. She's off-center. Not quite right really, but nearly right. |
Facts
# | Fact |
---|---|
1 | In Star trek IV The Voyage Home Admiral Kirk and Captain Spock set out to retrieve 2 humpback whales from 20th Century earth and transport them to 24th century earth too save the planet. Those two humpback whales were named "George" and "Gracie". They were cared for and featured at the Cetacean Institute near San Francisco. |
2 | She and her husband-to-be became the comedy team of Burns & Allen in 1922 (she was the daft one). They remained spouses and performing partners until her passing. |
3 | Profiled in the book "Funny Ladies" by Stephen Silverman. [1999] |
4 | Has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6672 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California. |
5 | Pictured with husband George Burns on a 44¢ USA commemorative postage stamp, issued 11 August 2009, in the Early TV Memories issue honoring The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950). |
6 | Although she was in love with another man when they first met, George Burns carried a ring in his pocket until she finally agreed to marry him. |
7 | Had a driver's license, issued under her married name, Grace Burns. Was once pulled over by a policeman, who thought the license was fake because it didn't give her last name as Allen. |
8 | In the early 1940s, during the height of their popularity, George Burns had a brief extramarital affair. He felt so guilty, he bought her an extravagant silver centerpiece for the dining room table, but since neither brought up the affair even once, he assumed she knew nothing about it. Years later, when Gracie had a friend over for coffee, George overheard her say, "You know, I wish George would cheat on me again. I'd really like a new centerpiece for the table". |
9 | Her idol and first childhood crush was Charles Chaplin. |
10 | In 1949, she missed a radio show when she had a migraine so bad she couldn't get out of bed. She was replaced by Jane Wyman, who had won the Best Actress Oscar earlier that year. It turned out to be the only performance she missed in over 35 years of performing with George Burns. |
11 | Graduated from Star of the Sea School for Girls [now co-ed] in San Francisco; graduation ceremony was held in the Columbia Theatre [now American Conservatory Theatre] on 19 June 1914. |
12 | The annual Gracie Allen Awards are presented by American Women in Radio and Television, Inc., to programs by, for and about women. |
13 | Their running gags: Gracie's endless relatives, the elaborate search for Gracie's "missing brother" (who actually left town in the wake of the publicity), Gracie's infatuation with matinée idol Charles Boyer, Gracie's enthusiasm for George's singing. |
14 | Accidentally spilled a pot of boiling water on her arm as a child, which left a bad scar she kept concealed for the rest of her life (her one big wish was to wear a strapless evening gown and no gloves, just once). |
15 | Suffered occasional migraines, which sometimes lasted for days; the only thing that seemed to help was a tight bandana, and bed rest in absolute quiet. |
16 | Staged a mock Presidential campaign in 1940; the theme of her campaign speech appeared to be "My girdle is killing me." |
17 | Had a fear of water and drowning; took swimming lessons secretly to be able to teach her children. |
18 | Declined only one photo session request in her career, when she was asked to pose outside a mental hospital; husband George Burns compared this to having Mae West pose outside a brothel. |
19 | "The Burns & Allen Show" (on CBS and NBC from 1934 to 1950) was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1994. |
20 | When she went to work with George Burns, she was engaged to another man. It took four years for George to change her mind, but they went on to become one of the best remembered couples in Hollywood history. |
21 | Her father left the family - her, her mother, her three sisters and one brother when she was 5 years old, and she never spoke of him again. |
22 | Started out in an Irish dancing group called "The Allen Sisters" with her three older sisters, Bessie, Hazel and Pearl. |
23 | She and George Burns have two adopted children, Sandra Burns and Ronald John (Ronnie Burns). |
24 | The words "Together Again" are engraved on her and George Burns' crypt at the Freedom Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California. This inscription replaced the previous one, "Good Night, Gracie", which appeared on the crypt prior to George's death. She is interred to the left of him as you view the crypt, not above him as has been previously reported, along with the explanation that George "wanted her to have top billing". |
25 | During her run on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950), she stood only 5 feet tall and weighed a dainty, petite 100 pounds. |
26 | The Gracie Allen rose (scientific name Rosa 'WEKuyreg') is named for her. |
27 | Began having mild heart attacks in the late 1950s, which continued until her death in 1964. |
28 | Most people did not know when she was born, as her birth certificate was lost during the California earthquake in 1906, and she was usually evasive about her age. Her family was even forced to guess her birthdate for her death certificate, settling on 1902. Her true age would not be revealed until 1972, when the 1900 Census became public, and gave her actual birth year as 1895. |
29 | The 1939 film The Gracie Allen Murder Case (1939) was especially written for her by the creator of Philo Vance, writer S.S. Van Dine. It was one of the few times she appeared on-screen without her husband, George Burns, though he was on the set to support her. |
30 | Had one blue eye and one green. |
31 | Interred along with husband George Burns at Forest Lawn (Glendale), Glendale, California, in the Freedom Mausoleum, Sanctuary of Heritage. |
32 | George Burns called Gracie "Googie", while she called him "Natty". |
33 | In 1922, she and George Burns made their first performance at the Hill Street Theatre in Newark, New Jersey, where they were paid $5 per day. George saw that the audience not only found Gracie's character funny but they fell in love with her, and he did, too. He immediately changed the act to give her all the funny lines and played her straight man. They became a hit. |
34 | Attending secretarial school, Gracie was invited by her roommate to Union Hill, New Jersey, to see if she was interested in working with either member of an act that was splitting up. The act was George Burns and Billy Lorraine, and she chose George. |
Pictures
Movies
Actress
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
The Jack Benny Program | 1952-1964 | TV Series | Gracie Allen |
Startime | 1959 | TV Series | Gracie Allen |
The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show | 1950-1958 | TV Series | Gracie Allen |
The Bob Cummings Show | 1957 | TV Series | Gracie Allen |
Two Girls and a Sailor | 1944 | Concerto Number | |
Mr. and Mrs. North | 1942 | Pamela North | |
The Gracie Allen Murder Case | 1939 | Gracie Allen | |
Honolulu | 1939 | Millie De Grasse | |
College Swing | 1938 | Gracie | |
A Damsel in Distress | 1937 | Gracie | |
College Holiday | 1936 | Calliope 'Gracie' Dove | |
The Big Broadcast of 1937 | 1936 | Mrs. Platt | |
The Big Broadcast of 1936 | 1935 | Gracie Allen | |
Here Comes Cookie | 1935 | Gracie Allen | |
Love in Bloom | 1935 | Gracie Downey | |
Many Happy Returns | 1934 | Gracie Allen | |
We're Not Dressing | 1934 | Gracie | |
Six of a Kind | 1934 | Gracie Devore | |
College Humor | 1933 | Gracie | |
International House | 1933 | Nurse Allen | |
Walking the Baby | 1933 | Short | Mamie (as Allen) |
Let's Dance | 1933 | Short | Gracie, a Dance Hostess (as Allen) |
Your Hat | 1932 | Short | Gracie (as Allen) |
The Big Broadcast | 1932 | Gracie (as Grace Allen) | |
The Babbling Book | 1932 | Short | Gracie (as Allen) |
Oh, My Operation | 1931 | Short | Nurse Allen (as Allen) |
100% Service | 1931 | Short | Salesgirl |
Once Over, Light | 1931 | Short | Grace, the Manicurist (as Allen) |
The Antique Shop | 1931 | Short | Miss Allen (as Allen) |
Pulling a Bone | 1931 | Short | Gracie |
Fit to Be Tied | 1930 | Short | Miss Allen, a Salesgirl (as Allen) |
Lambchops | 1929 | Short | Gracie the Girlfriend (as Allen) |
Soundtrack
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
American Masters | 1997 | TV Series documentary performer - 1 episode | |
The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show | 1951-1956 | TV Series performer - 9 episodes | |
Two Girls and a Sailor | 1944 | performer: "Concerto for Index Finger" 1943 - uncredited | |
The Gracie Allen Murder Case | 1939 | performer: "Snug as a Bug in the Rug" | |
Honolulu | 1939 | performer: "Honolulu" 1939, "The Leader Doesn't Like Music" 1939 | |
College Swing | 1938 | performer: "What A Rumba Does To Romance", "You're A Natural", "Irish Washerwoman" | |
A Damsel in Distress | 1937 | performer: "Put Me to the Test" I've Just Begun to Live 1937, "Stiff Upper Lip" 1937 - uncredited | |
Here Comes Cookie | 1935 | performer: "Vamp of the Pampas" | |
Love in Bloom | 1935 | performer: " Lookie, Lookie, Lookie, Here Comes Cookie" - uncredited | |
We're Not Dressing | 1934 | performer: "Aloha Oe" 1908 - uncredited | |
Fit to Be Tied | 1930 | Short performer: "I'm a Whole Lot Wilder Than I Look" | |
Lambchops | 1929 | Short performer: "Do You Believe Me?" - uncredited |
Self
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
The World Our Stage | 1957 | TV Movie | Herself - Broadcast from America |
The Ed Sullivan Show | 1957 | TV Series | Herself |
The Jackie Gleason Show | 1957 | TV Series | Herself |
Climax! | 1956 | TV Series | Herself |
Shower of Stars | 1955 | TV Series | Herself |
This Is Your Life | 1955 | TV Series | Herself |
What's My Line? | 1954 | TV Series | Herself - Mystery Guest |
Stars in the Eye | 1952 | TV Special | Herself |
Olympic Fund Telethon | 1952 | TV Special | Herself |
The Actor's Society Benefit Gala | 1949 | TV Movie | Herself |
Hollywood on Parade No. A-9 | 1933 | Short | Herself (uncredited) |
Hollywood on Parade No. A-2 | 1932 | Short | Herself |
Archive Footage
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
America's Clown: An Intimate Biography of Red Skelton | 2014 | Video | Herself |
Pioneers of Television | 2014 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Herself - Burns and Allen Show |
Mel Blanc: The Man of a Thousand Voices | 2008 | Video documentary | Herself |
The O'Reilly Factor | 2008 | TV Series | Herself |
The Dawn of Sound: How Movies Learned to Talk | 2007 | Video documentary | Gracie the Girlfriend (as Allen) |
Paul Henning & The Hillbillies | 2005 | Video documentary | Herself |
Larry King Live | 2003 | TV Series | Herself |
Biography | 2002 | TV Series documentary | Herself |
Television: The First Fifty Years | 1999 | Video documentary | Herself |
American Masters | 1997 | TV Series documentary | Herself |
Classic Stand-Up Comedy of Television | 1996 | TV Special documentary | Herself |
Pioneers of Primetime | 1995 | TV Movie documentary | Herself |
50 Years of Funny Females | 1995 | TV Movie documentary | Herself |
Paul Merton's Palladium Story | 1994 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Herself |
The First Annual Comedy Hall of Fame | 1993 | TV Movie | Herself |
Legends of Comedy | 1992 | TV Movie documentary | |
5th Annual TV Academy Hall of Fame | 1989 | TV Special | Herself - Inductee |
Classic Comedy Teams | 1986 | Video documentary | Herself |
Going Hollywood: The '30s | 1984 | Documentary | |
The Great Standups | 1984 | TV Movie documentary | Herself |
Bob Hope's World of Comedy | 1976 | TV Movie | Tribute Montage |
The Great Radio Comedians | 1972 | TV Movie documentary | Gracie Allen |
The DuPont Show of the Week | 1961 | TV Series | Herself |
Screen Snapshots Series 33, No. 10: Hollywood Grows Up | 1954 | Documentary short | Film Clips Character |
Screen Snapshots: Memories of Famous Hollywood Comedians | 1952 | Documentary short | Herself |
Awards
Won Awards
Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
---|---|---|---|---|
2005 | OFTA TV Hall of Fame | Online Film & Television Association | Actors and Actresses | |
1960 | Star on the Walk of Fame | Walk of Fame | Television | On 8 February 1960. At 6672 Hollywood Blvd. |
Nominated Awards
Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
---|---|---|---|---|
1959 | Primetime Emmy | Primetime Emmy Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role (Continuing Character) in a Comedy Series | The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950) |
1958 | Primetime Emmy | Primetime Emmy Awards | Best Continuing Performance (Female) in a Series by a Comedienne, Singer, Hostess, Dancer, M.C., Announcer, Narrator, Panelist, or any Person who Essentially Plays Herself | The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950) |
1957 | Primetime Emmy | Primetime Emmy Awards | Best Continuing Performance by a Comedienne in a Series | The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950) |
1956 | Primetime Emmy | Primetime Emmy Awards | Best Actress - Continuing Performance | The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950) |
1956 | Primetime Emmy | Primetime Emmy Awards | Best Comedienne | |
1955 | Primetime Emmy | Primetime Emmy Awards | Best Actress Starring in a Regular Series | The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950) |
Source: IMDb, Wikipedia