George Burns and the Hundred-year Dash

George Burns and the Hundred-year Dash PDF Author: Martin Gottfried
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 360

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Book Description
Examines the person behind the persona of George Burns through his friendships with such contemporaries as Jack Benny, Groucho Marx, and Milton Berle, as well as his relationship with wife Gracie Allen.

George Burns and the Hundred-year Dash

George Burns and the Hundred-year Dash PDF Author: Martin Gottfried
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 360

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Book Description
Examines the person behind the persona of George Burns through his friendships with such contemporaries as Jack Benny, Groucho Marx, and Milton Berle, as well as his relationship with wife Gracie Allen.

George Burns and the Hundred-year Dash

George Burns and the Hundred-year Dash PDF Author: George Burns
Publisher: Macmillan Reference USA
ISBN: 9780783816890
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 412

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Book Description
A tribute to America's favorite centenarian provides an in-depth look at the personal and professional life of his nearly 100 years of show business.

Close But No Cigar

Close But No Cigar PDF Author: Melissa Miller
Publisher: Dove Books
ISBN: 9780787112912
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 280

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Book Description
Assembled by Miller as a surprise for her guardian angel in anticipation of his 100th birthday, this collection of anecdotes, photos, letters, and comedy routines showcases her once-in-a-lifetime friendship with George Burns.

George Burns Television Productions

George Burns Television Productions PDF Author: Richard Irvin
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786494867
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 197

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Book Description
An elementary school dropout, George Burns went on to become one of America's most beloved entertainers. This book covers a neglected part of his career--his work as a television producer. Burns was not only a behind-the-scenes producer, but also filled the role of producer in various comedies in which he starred. Though his forte was situation comedies, Burns' company, McCadden Productions, also produced dramatic anthology series and pilots, including a pilot considered to be a precursor to the popular TV series Mission: Impossible. This book focuses on Burns' wide variety of production efforts, and follows his involvement in television productions from his 1950 comedy series with his wife, Gracie Allen, through his participation in the fantasy sitcom Mister Ed, and finally to his last producer credit in 1981, I Love Her Anyway, a remake of The Burns and Allen Show.

George Burns

George Burns PDF Author: Lawrence J. Epstein
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786487933
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 213

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Book Description
Having entered the world in 1896 as a poverty-stricken child named Naftaly (Nathan) Birnbaum, George Burns rose from New York's Lower East Side to the uppermost heights of celebrity in the entertainment industry. His storied romance with Gracie Allen led to their success in vaudeville, films, radio and television as one of the greatest comedy teams in history. Burns experienced both tragedy and triumph during his 100-year lifespan, ultimately recovering from the death of his beloved Gracie in 1964 to re-emerge as a solo performer and an Oscar-winning actor. This all-inclusive biography explores George Burns's career against the backdrop of American entertainment history in the 20th century. His loves, his close friendship with Jack Benny, his rivalry with Groucho Marx, and his latter-day success in films are all carefully detailed.

Vaudeville old & new

Vaudeville old & new PDF Author: Frank Cullen
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 0415938538
Category : Entertainers
Languages : en
Pages : 1362

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Book Description


The Women Who Made Television Funny

The Women Who Made Television Funny PDF Author: David C. Tucker
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786487321
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 217

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Book Description
Most of the bright and talented actresses who made America laugh in the 1950s are off the air today, but their pioneering Hollywood careers irrevocably changed the face of television comedy. These smart and sassy women successfully negotiated the hazards of the male-dominated workplace with class and humor, and the work they did in the 1950s is inventive still by today's standards. Unable to fall back on strong language, shock value, or racial and sexual epithets, the female sitcom stars of the 1950s entertained with pure talent and screen savvy. As they did so, they helped to lay the foundation for the development of television comedy. This book pays tribute to 10 prominent television actresses who played lead roles in popular comedy shows of the 1950s. Each chapter covers the works and personalities of one actress: Lucille Ball (I Love Lucy), Gracie Allen (The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show), Eve Arden (Our Miss Brooks), Spring Byington (December Bride), Joan Davis (I Married Joan), Anne Jeffreys (Topper), Donna Reed (The Donna Reed Show), Ann Sothern (Private Secretary and The Ann Sothern Show), Gale Storm (My Little Margie and The Gale Storm Show: Oh! Susanna), and Betty White (Life with Elizabeth). For each star, a career sketch is provided, concentrating primarily on her television work but also noting achievements in other areas. Appendices offer cast and crew lists, a chronology, and an additional biographical sketch of 10 less familiar actresses who deserve recognition.

The Secret Power of Middle Children

The Secret Power of Middle Children PDF Author: Catherine Salmon Ph.D.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0452297931
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 305

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Book Description
Middle children are underachievers, overshadowed and overlooked, right? Wrong. Combining research in evolutionary biology, psychology and sociology with real-life stories, psychologist Catherine Salmon, Ph.D., and journalist Katrin Schumann reveal what it really means to grow up in between, including how: • Middles receive less financial and emotional support from their parents, but become remarkably successful and innovative adults • Middles can be stubbornly independent as teens, but are extraordinary team players later in life • Middles are often seen as outcasts, but are actually far less likely to get divorced or be in therapy than their siblings. With surprising insights into how our birth order affects us, as well as constructive advice on how to maximize advantages and overcome drawbacks, The Secret Power of Middle Children shows middleborns at any age (and their parents) how to use what seems to be a disadvantage as a strategy for personal and professional success.

Fools and Jesters in Literature, Art, and History

Fools and Jesters in Literature, Art, and History PDF Author: Vicki K. Janik
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 0313033579
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 571

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Book Description
Jesters and fools have existed as important and consistent figures in nearly all cultures. Sometimes referred to as clowns, they are typological characters who have conventional roles in the arts, often using nonsense to subvert existing order. But fools are also a part of social and religious history, and they frequently play key roles in the rituals that support and shape a society's system of beliefs. This reference book includes alphabetically arranged entries for approximately 60 fools and jesters from a wide range of cultures. Included are entries for performers from American popular culture, such as Woody Allen, Mae West, Charlie Chaplin, and the Marx Brothers; literary characters, such as Shakespeare's Falstaff, Rabelais' Gargantua and Pantagruel, and Singer's Gimpel; and cultural and mythological figures, such as India's Birbal, the American circus clown, the Native American Coyote, Taishu Engeki of Japan, Hephaestus, Loki the Norse fool, schlimiels and schlimazels, and the drag queen. The entries, written by expert contributors, are critical as well as informative. Each begins with a biographical, artistic, religious, or historical background section, which places the subject within a larger cultural and historical context. A description and analysis follow. This section may include a discussion of the fool's appearance, gender role, ethical and moral roles, social function, and relationship to such themes as nature, time, and mortality. The entry then discusses the critical reception of the subject and concludes with an extensive bibliography of general works.

The Oxford Companion to the American Musical

The Oxford Companion to the American Musical PDF Author: Thomas S. Hischak
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199887322
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
From the silver screen to the Great White Way, small community theatres to television sets, the musical has long held a special place in America's heart and history. Now, in The Oxford Companion to the American Musical, readers who flocked to the movies to see An American in Paris or Chicago, lined up for tickets to West Side Story or Rent, or crowded around their TVs to watch Cinderella or High School Musical can finally turn to a single book for details about them all. For the first time, this popular subject has an engaging and authoritative book as thrilling as the performances themselves. With more than two thousand entries, this illustrated guide offers a wealth of information on musicals, performers, composers, lyricists, producers, choreographers, and much more. Biographical entries range from early stars Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Mary Martin, and Mae West to contemporary show-stoppers Nathan Lane, Savion Glover, and Kristin Chenoweth, while composers Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, and Andrew Lloyd Webber all have articles, and the choreography of Bob Fosse, Tommy Tune, and Debbie Allen receives due examination. The plays and films covered range from modern hits like Mamma Mia! and Moulin Rouge! to timeless classics such as Yankee Doodle Dandy and Show Boat. Also, numerous musicals written specifically for television appear throughout, and many entries follow a work-Babes in Toyland for example-as it moves across genres, from stage, to film, to television. The Companion also includes cross references, a comprehensive listing of recommended recordings and further reading, a useful chronology of all the musicals described in the book, plus a complete index of Tony Award and Academy Award winners. Whether you are curious about Singin' in the Rain or Spamalot, or simply adore The Wizard of Oz or Grease, this well-researched and entertaining resource is the first place to turn for reliable information on virtually every aspect of the American musical.