| Edgar Bergen | |
|---|---|
 Edgar Bergen with puppet "Charlie McCarthy" in Stage Door Canteen (1943) |
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| Born | Edgar John Bergren February 16, 1903 Chicago, Illinois |
| Died | September 30, 1978 (aged 75) Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Years active | 1930 - 1978 |
| Spouse(s) | Frances Westerman (1945-1978) |
Edgar John Bergen (February 16, 1903 – September 30, 1978) was an Academy Award-winning American actor and radio performer, best known as a ventriloquist. Stage Door Canteen ( 1943) is a Musical film produced by Sol Lesser Productions and distributed by United Artists. Events 1249 - Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khan of the Mongols Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Events 1399 - Henry IV is proclaimed King of England. 1744 - France and Spain defeat the Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally Frances Bergen, born Frances Westerman ( September 14 1922 - October 2 2006) was an American actress and Events 1249 - Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khan of the Mongols Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting Events 1399 - Henry IV is proclaimed King of England. 1744 - France and Spain defeat the Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works Radio is the transmission of signals by Modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible Light.
Contents |
Biography
Early life
Bergen was born Edgar John Bergren in Chicago, Illinois, to a Swedish family and grew up in Decatur, Michigan. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Decatur is a village in Van Buren County in the US state of Michigan. He taught himself ventriloquism from a pamphlet when he was eleven. A few years later he commissioned Chicago woodcarver Theodore Mack to sculpt a likeness of a rascally Irish newspaperboy he knew. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world The head went on a puppet named Charlie McCarthy, who became Bergen's lifelong sidekick. A puppet is a representational figure manipulated by a Puppeteer. SideKick was an early Personal Information Manager (PIM Software application by Borland launched in 1983 under Philippe Kahn At age sixteen, he came to Chicago, where he attended Lake View High School and worked at a silent movie house. Lake View — or Lakeview, as it is increasingly spelled — is a North Side Neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States
Radio
His first performances were in vaudeville, at which point he legally changed his last name to the eaiser-to-pronounce "Bergen". Vaudeville was a Genre of variety entertainment prevalent on the stage in the United States and Canada, from the early 1880s He also worked in one-reel movie shorts, but his real success was on the radio. Short subject is a format description originally coined in the North American Film industry in the early period of cinema. He and Charlie were seen at a New York party by Elsa Maxwell for Noel Coward, who recommended them for an engagement at the famous Rainbow Room. Sir Noël Peirce Coward ( 16 December 1899 26 March 1973) was an English Actor, Playwright It was there that two producers saw Bergen and Charlie perform. They then recommended them for a guest appearance on Rudy Vallee's program. Rudy Vallée ( July 28, 1901 - July 3, 1986) was an American Singer, Actor, Bandleader, and entertainer The appearance was so successful that the next year they were given their own show. Under various sponsors, they were on the air from December 17, 1937 to July 1, 1956. Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The popularity of a ventriloquist on radio, when one could see neither the dummies nor his skill, surprised and puzzled many critics, then and now. Even knowing that Bergen provided the voice, listeners perceived Charlie as a genuine person, but only through artwork, rather than photos, could the character be seen as truly lifelike. Thus, in 1947, Sam Berman caricatured Bergen and McCarthy for the network's glossy promotional book, NBC Parade of Stars: As Heard Over Your Favorite NBC Station.
It was Bergen's skill as an entertainer and vocal performer, and especially his characterization of Charlie, that carried the show. Luckily, many of the shows have survived and are available for audiences today to experience the phenomenon firsthand. Bergen's success on radio was paralleled in the UK by Peter Brough and his dummy Archie Andrews. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Peter Brough ( February 26, 1916 - June 3, 1999) was an English radio Ventriloquist who became a well-known name to audiences This article is about the British ventriloquist's puppet For the U
For the radio program, Bergen developed other characters, notably the slow-witted Mortimer Snerd and the man-hungry Effie Klinker. The star, however, was Charlie, who was always presented as a child (albeit in top hat, cape, and monocle) – a debonair, girl-crazy, child-about-town. For the item of clothing see Top hat. For the fictional TUGS character see Top Hat (TUGS. A monocle is a type of Corrective lens used to correct the vision in only one Eye. As a child, and a wooden one at that, Charlie could get away with double entendre that adult humans could not under broadcast standards of the day. Not to be confused with Puns which employ multiple phrases A double entendre is a Figure of speech similar to the Pun, in
- Charlie: "May I have a kiss good-bye?"
- Dale Evans: "Well, I can't see any harm in that!"
- Charlie: "Oh. Dale Evans was the Stage name of Frances Octavia Smith ( October 31, 1912 – February 7, 2001) a writer movie star I wish you could. A harmless kiss doesn't sound very thrilling. "
Similar lines given to Mae West in a sketch on the show broadcast December 12, 1937, resulted in her fifteen-year broadcasting ban. Mae West (August 17 1893 &ndash November 22 1980 was an American actress, Playwright, Screenwriter, and Sex symbol. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. "Charles, I remember our date and have the splinters to prove it. "
Charlie's feud with W. C. Fields was a regular feature of the show. W C Fields ( January 29, 1880 &ndash December 25, 1946) was an American Juggler, Comedian, and Actor
- W. C. Fields: "Well, Charlie McCarthy, the woodpecker's pinup boy!"
- Charlie: "Well, if it isn't W. C. Fields, the man who keeps Seagram's in business!"
- W. C. Fields: "I love children. I can remember when, with my own little unsteady legs, I toddled from room to room. "
- Charlie: "When was that? Last night?"
- W. C. Fields: "Quiet, Wormwood, or I'll whittle you into a venetian blind. "
- Charlie: "Ooh, that makes me shutter!"
- W. C. Fields: "Tell me, Charles, is it true that your father was a gate-leg table?"
- Charlie: "If it is, your father was under it. "
- W. C. Fields: "Why, you stunted spruce, I'll throw a japanese beetle on you. "
- Charlie: "Why, you bar-fly you, I'll stick a wick in your mouth, and use you for an alcohol lamp!"
- Charlie: "Pink elephants take aspirin to get rid of W. "Seeing pink elephants" is a Euphemism for drunken Hallucination, caused by Alcoholic hallucinosis or Delirium tremens. Aspirin, or acetylsalicylic acid (ASA (əˌsɛtɨlsælɨˌsɪlɨk ˈæsɨd is a Salicylate drug, often used as an Analgesic to relieve C. Fields. "
- W. C. Fields: "Step out of the sun Charles. You may come unglued.
- Charlie: "Mind if I stand in the shade of your Nose?"
Bergen was not the most technically skilled ventriloquist – Charlie McCarthy frequently twitted him for moving his lips—but Bergen's sense of comedic timing was superb, and he handled Charlie's snappy dialogue with aplomb. Bergen's wit in creating McCarthy's striking personality and that of his other characters was the making of the show. The fact that Bergen was widely popular for a ventriloquism act on radio (where the trick of "throwing his voice" was not visible) indicates that his appeal was pimarily the personality he applied to his characters.
Bergen and McCarthy are sometimes credited with "saving the world" because, on the night of October 30, 1938, when Orson Welles performed his War of the Worlds radio play that panicked many listeners, most of the American public had instead tuned in to Bergen and McCarthy on another station and never heard Welles's play. Events 637 - Antioch surrenders to the Muslim forces under Rashidun Caliphate after the Battle of Iron bridge. Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. George Orson Welles (May 6 1915 – October 10 1985 was an Academy Award -winning director, writer actor and producer for film stage radio and television Conversely, it has also been theorized that Bergen inadvertently contributed to the hysteria. When the musical portion of Bergen's show, The Chase and Sanborn Hour, aired approximately twelve minutes into the show, many listeners switched stations and found the War of the Worlds presentation already underway, with a realistic sounding reporter detailing terrible events. The Chase and Sanborn Hour was the umbrella title for a series of US comedy and variety shows sponsored by Chase and Sanborn Coffee, usually airing Sundays on NBC
Ray Noble was the musical director and composer and teen age singer Anita Gordon provided the songs on his show. Ray Noble ( December 17, 1903 &ndash April 3, 1978) was a British Bandleader, Composer, arranger and Actor Gordon was said to have been discovered by Charlie who had a crush on her.
Other media
In addition to his work as a ventriloquist, Bergen was also an actor and comic strip creator. He appeared as the shy Norwegian suitor in I Remember Mama (1948). This article is about the 1944 play and subsequent 1948 feature film He also appeared in Captain China (1949) and Don't Make Waves (1965). Don't Make Waves (1967 is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Comedy film which starred Tony Curtis, Claudia Cardinale and Sharon Tate He created the syndicated comic strip Mortimer & Charlie, which ran in 1939.
Bergen and his alter-ego McCarthy appeared together with top billing in several films, including the Technicolor extravaganza The Goldwyn Follies (1938), opposite The Ritz Brothers. Technicolor is the trademark for a series of color film processes pioneered by Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation The Goldwyn Follies is a 1938 movie written by Ben Hecht, Sam Perrin and Arthur Phillips with music by George Gershwin, Vernon Duke The Ritz Brothers were a comedy team who appeared in 1930s films and as live performers from 1925 to the late 1960s That year they also appeared in You Can't Cheat an Honest Man with W. C. Fields. } You Can't Cheat an Honest Man is a 1939 comedy film starring and scripted by W W C Fields ( January 29, 1880 &ndash December 25, 1946) was an American Juggler, Comedian, and Actor At the height of their popularity in 1938, Bergen was presented an Honorary Oscar (in the form of a wooden Oscar stauette) for his creation of Charlie McCarthy. The Academy Honorary Award, instituted in 1948 for the 21st Academy Awards (previously called the Special Award) is given by the discretion of the
Other film roles for the team include Look Who's Laughing (1941) and Here We Go Again (1942), both with Fibber McGee and Molly. Stage Door Canteen ( 1943) is a Musical film produced by Sol Lesser Productions and distributed by United Artists. Fibber McGee and Molly was a radio show that played a major role in determining the full form of what became classic old-time radio. Later Bergen and McCarthy were featured in Fun and Fancy Free (1947), and much later in The Muppet Movie (1979). Fun and Fancy Free (first released on September 27, 1947) is a Feature film produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio The Muppet Movie is the first of a series of Live-action musical Feature films starring Jim Henson 's Muppets. Bergen died shortly after completing his scenes, marking it as Bergen's last appearance; the film was dedicated to him.
Bergen made numerous appearances on television during his career. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic In a Thanksgiving special sponsored by Coca-Cola in 1950, the new character Podine Puffington was introduced. Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a traditional North American Holiday, which is a form of harvest festival. Coca-Cola is a carbonated Soft drink sold in stores restaurants and Vending machines in more than 200 countries This saucy Southern belle was as tall as a real woman, in contrast to Bergen's other sit-on-the-knee sized characters. Bergen also hosted the television show Do You Trust Your Wife? in 1956, later to be replaced by Johnny Carson. Who Do You Trust? was a fairly popular Game show during the 1950s and 1960s emceed by Johnny Carson. John William “Johnny” Carson ( October 23, 1925 &ndash January 23, 2005) was an American Television host and Bergen continued to appear regularly on television in the 1960s. For example, he did a stint as one of the What's My Line? Mystery Guests on the popular Sunday night CBS TV program. The following is an alphabetized list of persons who were Mystery Guests (originally called Mystery Challengers) on one (or both version(s of the United States version of the CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network.
Bergen appeared as Grandpa Walton in the original The Waltons movie The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971). The Waltons is an American Television series created by Earl Hamner Jr The Waltons is an American Television series created by Earl Hamner Jr The part was played by Will Geer in the subsequent series. Will Geer ( 9 March 1902 &ndash 22 April 1978) was an American Actor. Throughout the run of The Waltons – which took place in the late 1930s through the 1940s – the voices of Bergen and Charlie McCarthy were sporadically heard from the Walton family's radio, as family members regularly tuned in that program.
Death
Edgar Bergen died of kidney disease in Las Vegas, Nevada, aged 75. The kidneys are complicated organs that have numerous biological roles Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally Nevada ( is a state located in the western region of the United States of America. He is interred in the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California. Inglewood Park Cemetery founded in 1905 is at 720 E Florence Avenue in Inglewood California. Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. He was elected to the Radio Hall of Fame in 1990, the same year that The Charlie McCarthy Show was selected as an honored program. History The National Radio Hall of Fame and Museum, located in the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago Illinois, is a Museum dedicated It is said that Charlie McCarthy died along with Bergen: "Since retiring to the Smithsonian Institution in 1978, Charlie has uttered not one, single, solitary word. " [1] In the end credits, The Muppet Movie is dedicated to the memory and magic of Edgar. The Muppet Movie is the first of a series of Live-action musical Feature films starring Jim Henson 's Muppets.
Family
Edgar Bergen met Frances Westerman during a radio program when he was 39 and she was only 19. Frances Bergen, born Frances Westerman ( September 14 1922 - October 2 2006) was an American actress and Noticing Westerman in the audience, Bergen asked to meet the young fashion model, who was known as Frances Westcott during her modeling career. The two were married on 28 June 1945, and they remained married until Bergen's death in 1978. Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar They were the parents of actress Candice Bergen, whose first performances were on Bergen's radio show, and Kris Bergen. Candice Patricia Bergen (born May 9, 1946) is an Academy Award -nominated and Golden Globe - and Emmy Award -winning American Frances Bergen died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on October 2, 2006, aged 84, from undisclosed causes. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a Hospital located in Los Angeles California. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Events 1187 - Siege of Jerusalem: Saladin captures Jerusalem after 88 years of Crusader rule Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. [2]
References in popular culture
- The Looney Tunes character Beaky Buzzard, known for his goofy grin, was based on Mortimer Snerd. Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros Animated cartoon series which ran in many movie theatres from 1930 to 1969 Beaky Buzzard is an animated Cartoon character in the Warner Bros Bob Clampett often referred to Beaky as the "Snerd Bird. Robert Emerson "Bob" Clampett ( May 8 1913 &mdash May 4 1984) was an American Animator, producer "
- In Radio Days, young Joe's (Seth Green) Uncle Abe (Josh Mostel) and Aunt Ceil (Renee Lippin) have an argument over an unnamed Bergen's radio act; Abe is driven crazy by the thought of a ventriloquist over the radio ("How can you tell his lips aren't moving?!")
- A Charlie McCarthy doll figures into the storyline of The Rainmaker (1997), the film based on the John Grisham novel. Radio Days is a 1987 film directed by Woody Allen. The film looks back on American family life during the Golden Age of Radio. Seth Benjamin Green (born February 8, 1974) is an American Actor, Comedian, Voice actor, and Television producer Joshua "Josh" Mostel (born December 21, 1946) is an American Actor who is most known for his roles in Jesus Christ Superstar For the novel this film is based on see The Rainmaker (John Grisham.
- In The One Percent Doctrine by Ron Suskind, p. The One Percent Doctrine (ISBN 0-7432-7109-2 is a nonfiction book by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Ron Suskind about America's hunt for Terrorists Ron Suskind (b 1959 in Kingston, New York) is an American investigative journalist and author 213, it is said that "Cheney's nickname inside CIA was 'Edgar. Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney (born January 30 1941 is the forty-sixth and current Vice President of the United States. near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all ' As in Bergen. The President would, by implication, be in the Charlie McCarthy role. This isn't fair, but it is at least half true. "
- In The Waltons pilot special "The Homecoming: A Christmas Story", Mary Ellen, in a sarcastic response to one of her younger sisters if there is a Santa Claus, curtly replies "Sure there is. The Waltons is an American Television series created by Earl Hamner Jr The Waltons is an American Television series created by Earl Hamner Jr Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, or simply " Santa " is the AND I'M CHARLIE McCARTHY!!" Coincidentally enough, McCarthy's partner, Edgar Bergen, was in that same TV film as Grandpa.
- Bill Cosby compared the students of special education to Mortimer Snerd in a monologue entitled "Special Class" from his 1966 album, Wonderfulness. William Henry Cosby Jr (born July 12 1937 is an American Comedian, Actor, Author, Television producer and Activist.
- In Little Tough Guys in Society, David Gorcey and Billy Benedict briefly do an act where they address each other as "Mr. Dead End Kids and The Little Tough Guys were a group of actors who made a series of films and serials released by Universal Studios from 1938 through 1943 David Gorcey ( February 6, 1921 &ndash October 23, 1984) was an American Actor and Comedian best known as being a member Bergen" and "Charlie. "
Listen to
- Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy radio shows (24 episodes)
- OTR Network Library: "Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy (six episodes)
Notes
- ^ Dummy: Charlie McCarthy: Information and Much More from Answers.com
- ^ http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern_california/15671633.htm
References
- Grams, Jr., Martin. "The Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy Show: An Episode Guide and Brief History"
- Strickler, Dave. Syndicated Comic Strips and Artists, 1924-1995: The Complete Index. Cambria, CA: Comics Access, 1995. ISBN 0-9700077-0-1.
- Jerry Haendiges Vintage Radio Logs: The Charlie McCarthy Show
- Funni, Arthur. "The Radio Years of Bergen and McCarthy. " Thesis. The Margaret Herrick Library. 2000.
External links
- Edgar Bergen at the Internet Movie Database
- Edgar Bergen at Allmovie
- Edgar Bergen at the Radio Hall of Fame
- Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy in "At the Races" 1934 at YouTube
- "Charlie's Big Night" by Elizabeth McLeod
- Knock On Wood: An Insider's View of Belly Speaking
- "A Tribute to Ventriloquism" at CosterJoe. Allmovie (previously All Movie Guide) is a commercial database of information about Movie stars movies and television shows. History The National Radio Hall of Fame and Museum, located in the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago Illinois, is a Museum dedicated YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload view and share Video clips YouTube was created in February 2005 by three former PayPal employees com
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Bergen, Edgar |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Bergren, Edgar John |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | comedian, ventriloquist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 16, 1903 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Chicago, Illinois |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 30, 1978 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Las Vegas, Nevada |
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