| Victor Borge |
Victor Borge in 1990 |
| Born |
(1909-01-03)3 January 1909
Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Died |
23 December 2000(2000-12-23) (aged 91)
Greenwich, Connecticut, United States |
| Occupation |
Classical pianist, entertainer, comedian, humorist |
Victor Borge (
/ˈbɔrɡə/ BOR-gə; 3 January 1909 – 23 December 2000),[1] born Børge Rosenbaum, was a Danish and American comedian, conductor and pianist, affectionately known as The Clown Prince of Denmark,[2] The Unmelancholy Dane,[3] and The Great Dane.[4]
Borge was born Børge Rosenbaum in Copenhagen, Denmark, into a Jewish family. His parents, Bernhard and Frederikke Rosenbaum, were both musicians—his father a violist in the Royal Danish Orchestra[5] and his mother a pianist.[6] Like his mother, Borge began piano lessons at the age of two, and it was soon apparent that he was a prodigy. He gave his first piano recital when he was eight years old, and in 1918 was awarded a full scholarship at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, studying under Olivo Krause. Later on, he was taught by Victor Schiøler, Liszt's student Frederic Lamond, and Busoni's pupil Egon Petri.
Borge played his first major concert in 1926 at the Danish concert-hall Odd Fellow Palæet (The Odd Fellow's Lodge building). After a few years as a classical concert pianist, he started his now famous "stand up" act, with the signature blend of piano music and jokes. He married American Elsie Chilton in 1933, the same year he debuted with his revue acts.[7] Borge started touring extensively in Europe, where he began telling anti-Nazi jokes.
When the Nazis occupied Denmark during World War II, Borge was playing a concert in Sweden, and managed to escape to Finland.[8] He traveled to America on the USS American Legion, the last neutral ship to make it out of Petsamo, Finland,[9] and arrived 28 August 1940, with only 20 dollars (equal to $332 today), with $3 (equal to $49.77 today) going to the customs fee. Disguised as a sailor, Borge returned to Denmark once during the occupation to visit his dying mother.[10]
Even though Borge did not speak a word of English upon arrival, he quickly managed to adapt his jokes to the American audience, learning English by watching movies. He took the name of Victor Borge, and, in 1941, he started on Rudy Vallee's radio show,[11] but was hired soon after by Bing Crosby for his Kraft Music Hall.[12]
From then on, fame rose quickly for Borge, who won Best New Radio Performer of the Year in 1942. Soon after the award, he was offered film roles with stars such as Frank Sinatra (in Higher and Higher). While hosting The Victor Borge Show on NBC beginning in 1946,[13] he developed many of his trademarks, including repeatedly announcing his intent to play a piece but getting "distracted" by something or other, making comments about the audience, or discussing the usefulness of Chopin's "Minute Waltz" as an egg timer.[14] Or he would start out with some well-known classical piece like Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" and suddenly move into a harmonically suitable pop or jazz tune like Cole Porter's "Night and Day" or "Happy Birthday to You".
Among Borge's other famous routines is the "Phonetic Punctuation" routine, in which he recites a story, with full punctuation (comma, period, exclamation mark, etc.) as exaggerated onomatopoeic sounds.[15] Another is his "Inflationary Language", where he incremented numbers embedded in words, whether they are visible or not ("once upon a time" becomes "twice upon a time", "wonderful" becomes "twoderful", "forehead" becomes "fivehead", "tennis" becomes "elevennis", "I ate a tenderloin with my fork and so on and so forth" becomes "'I nine an elevenderloin with my five'k' and so on and so fifth").[16]
Borge used physical and visual elements in his live and televised performances. He would play a strange-sounding piano tune from sheet music, looking increasingly confused; turning the sheet upside down, he would then play the actual tune, flashing a joyful smile of accomplishment to the audience (he had, at first, been literally playing the actual tune upside down). When his energetic playing of another song would cause him to fall off the piano bench, he would open the seat lid, take out the two ends of an automotive seat belt, and buckle himself onto the bench, "for safety." Conducting an orchestra, he might stop and order a violinist who had played a sour note to get off the stage, then resume the performance and have the other members of the section move up to fill the empty seat while they were still playing. From off stage would come the sound of a gunshot. His musical sidekick in the 1950s, Leonid Hambro, was a well-known concert pianist. In 1968, classical pianist Şahan Arzruni joined him as his straight man, performing together on one piano a version of Liszt's Second Hungarian Rhapsody, considered a musical-comedic classic.[17]
He also enjoyed interacting with the audience. Seeing an interested person in the front row, he would ask them, "Do you like good music?" or "Do you care for piano music?" After an affirmative answer, Borge would take a piece of sheet music from his piano and say, "Here is some", and hand it over. After the audience's laughter died down, he would say, "That'll be $1.95" (or whatever the current price might be). He would then ask whether the audience member could read music; if the member said yes, he would ask a higher price. If he got no response from the audience after a joke, he would often add "...when this ovation has died down, of course". The delayed punch line to handing the person the sheet music would come when he would reach the end of a number and begin playing the penultimate notes over and over, with a puzzled look. He would then go back to the person in the audience, retrieve the sheet music, tear off a piece of it, stick it on the piano, and play the last couple of notes from it.
Making fun of modern theater, he would sometimes begin a performance by asking if there were any children in the audience. There always were, of course. He would sternly order them out, then say, "We do have some children in here that means I can't do the second half in the nude. I'll wear the tie. (pause) The long one. (pause) The very long one, yes."[18]
In his stage shows in later years, he would include a segment with opera singer Marilyn Mulvey. She would try to sing an aria, and he would react and interrupt, with such antics as falling off the bench in "surprise" when she hit a high note. He would also remind her repeatedly not to rest her hand on the piano. After the routine, the spotlight would fall upon Mulvey and she would sing a serious number with Borge accompanying in the background.
The footstone of Victor Borge
Borge appeared on Toast of the Town hosted by Ed Sullivan several times during 1948. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States the same year. He started the Comedy in Music show at John Golden Theatre in New York City on 2 October 1953. Comedy in Music became the longest running one-man show in the history of theater with 849 performances when it closed on 21 January 1956, a feat which placed it in the Guinness Book of World Records.[19]
Continuing his success with tours and shows, Borge played with and conducted orchestras including Chicago Symphony Orchestra,[20] the New York Philharmonic[21] and London Philharmonic.[22] Always modest, he felt honored when he was invited to conduct the Royal Danish Orchestra at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1992.
His later television appearances included his "Phonetic Punctuation" routine on The Electric Company in a filmed sketch; he would also use it on the record to follow during the "Punctuation" song. He appeared several times on Sesame Street[23] and was a guest star during the fourth season[24] of The Muppet Show.[25]
Victor Borge continued to tour until his last days, performing up to 60 times per year when he was 90 years old.
Borge made several appearances on the long-running TV show What's My Line?, both as a celebrity panelist, and as a contestant with the occupation "poultry farmer"; Starting in the 1950s, as a businessman, Borge raised and popularized Rock Cornish hens.[26]
Borge helped start several trust funds, including the Thanks to Scandinavia Fund,[27] which was started in dedication to those who helped the Jews escape the German persecution during the war.[28]
Aside from his musical work, Borge wrote three books, My Favorite Intermissions[29] and My Favorite Comedies in Music[30] (both with Robert Sherman), and the autobiography Smilet er den korteste afstand ("The Smile is the Shortest Distance") with Niels-Jørgen Kaiser.[31]
He married his first wife, Elsie Chilton, in 1933. After divorcing Elsie, he married Sarabel Sanna Scraper in 1953, and they stayed married until her death at the age of 83 in September 2000.[32]
Borge fathered five children (who occasionally performed with him): Ronald Borge and Janet Crowle with Elsie Chilton, and Sanna Feirstein, Victor Bernhard (Vebe) Jr., and Frederikke (Rikke) Borge with Sarabel.[33]
Borge died in Greenwich, Connecticut, at the age of 91, after more than 75 years of entertaining. He died peacefully in his sleep a day after returning from a concert in Denmark. "It was just his time to go", Frederikke Borge said. "He's been missing my mother terribly."[34] According to his wish, to mark his connection to both the United States and Denmark a part of Victor Borge's ashes is interred at Putnam Cemetery in Greenwich, with a replica of Danish icon The Little Mermaid sitting on a large rock at the gravesite, the other part in Western Jewish Cemetery (Mosaisk Vestre Begravelsesplads), Copenhagen, Denmark.[35]
Borge received an honorary degree from Trinity College, Hartford in 1997.[36]
When in 1998 the Royal Danish Orchestra celebrated its 550th anniversary, Borge was appointed an honorary member[37] – at that time one of only 10 in the orchestra's history.[38]
Borge received Kennedy Center Honors in 1999.[39]
Victor Borge Hall,[40] located in Scandinavia House in New York City, was named in Borge's honor in 2000, as was Victor Borges Plads ("Victor Borge Square") in Copenhagen in 2002.[41] Celebrating Borge's Centennial in 2009 a statue was erected on the square.[42]
From 23 January to 9 May 2009, the life of Borge was celebrated by The American-Scandinavian Foundation with "Victor Borge: A Centennial Celebration."
A television special about his life, 100 Years of Music and Laughter, aired on PBS on 14 March 2009.[43]
- Phonetic Punctuation Parts 1 and 2 (1945, Columbia Records 36911, 78 rpm)[44][45]
- The Blue Serenade / A Lesson in Composition (1945, Columbia Records 36912, 78 rpm)[44][45]
- Brahms’ Lullaby / Grieg Rhapsody (1945, Columbia Records 36913, 78 rpm)[44]
- A Mozart Opera by Borge / All The Things You Are (1945, Columbia Records 36914, 78 rpm)[44]
- A Victor Borge Program (1946, Columbia Album C-111, 4 discs 78 rpm – a set containing the four previous releases)[46]
- Unstarted Symphony / Bizet's Carmen (1947, Columbia Records 38181, 78 rpm)[47]
- Intermezzo / Stardust (1947, Columbia Records 38182, 78 rpm)[47]
- Rachmaninoff's Concerto No. 2 / Inflation Language (1947, Columbia Records 38183, 78 rpm)[47]
- Clair de Lune / Vuggevise (1947, Columbia Records 38184, 78 rpm)[47]
- An Evening with Victor Borge (1948 Columbia Album C-161, 4 discs 78 rpm – a set containing the four previous releases)[47]
- A Victor Borge Program (1951, Columbia Records CL-6013, 10'' LP)[48]
- Comedy in Music, Vol. 1 (1954, Columbia Records CL-6292, 10'' LP)[49]
- Comedy in Music, Vol. 2 (1954, Columbia Records CL-6293, 10'' LP)[49]
- Comedy in Music (1954, Columbia Records CL-554, LP)[50]
- Caught in the Act (1955, Columbia Records CL-646, LP)[51]
- Brahms, Bizet and Borge (1955, Columbia Records CL-2538, 10'' LP)[48]
- ½ Time På Dansk (1958, Fona 251 HI-FI, 10'' LP)[52]
- The Adventures of Piccolo, Saxie and Company (1959, Columbia Records CL-1223, LP)[48]
- The Adventures of Piccolo, Saxie and Company (1959, Coronet KLP 762, LP (AUS))[53]
- Victor Borge Plays and Conducts Concert Favorites (1959, Columbia Records CL-1305/CS-8113, LP)[54]
- Borge's Back (1962, MGM E/SE-3995P, LP)[55]
- Borge's Back (1962, MGM CS-6055, LP (UK))[56]
- Borgering on Genius (1962, MGM 2354029, LP – same material as Borge's Back)[49]
- Great Moments of Comedy (1964, Verve V/V6 15044, LP – same material as Borge's Back)[49]
- Victor Borge presents his own enchanting version of Hans Christian Andersen (1966, Decca DL7-34406 Stereo, LP)[48]
- Comedy in Music (1972, CBS S 53140, LP)
- Victor Borge at His Best (1972, PRT Records COMP 5, 2 LPs)[48]
- Victor Borge Live At The London Palladium (1972, Pye NSPL 18394, LP)[57]
- My Favorite Intervals (1975, PYE NSPD 502, LP)[48]
- 13 Pianos Live in Concert (1975, Telefunken-Decca LC-0366)
- Victor Borge 50 Års Jubilæum (1976, Philips 6318035, LP)
- Victor Borge Show (1977, CBS 70082, LP, in Danish)[49]
- Victor Borge Live in der Hamburger Musikhalle (1978, Philips 6305 369, LP)
- Victor Borge Live (1978, Starbox LX 96 004 Stereo, LP)
- Victor Borge – Live(!) (1992, Sony Broadway 48482, CD)
- The Piano & Humor of the Great Victor Borge (1997, Sony Music Special Products 15312, 3 CDs)
- The Two Sides of Victor Borge (1998, GMG Entertainment, CD)
- Caught in the Act (1999, Collectables Records 6031, CD)
- Comedy in Music (1999, Collectables Records 6032, CD)
- Phonetically Speaking – And Don't Forget The Piano (2001, Jasmine 120, CD)
- En aften med Victor Borge (2003, UNI 9865861, CD)
- I Love You Truly (2004, Pegasus (Pinnacle) 45403, CD)
- Victor Borge King of Comedy (2006, Phantom 26540, CD)
- Verdens morsomste mand: alle tiders Victor Borge (2006, UNI 9877560, CD)
- Unstarted Symphony (2008, NAX-8120859, CD)
- Comedy in Music (2009, SHO-227, CD)
- ^ Bjørn Rasmussen (1969) (in Danish). Filmens hvem-vad-hvor. Politiken. p. 239. http://books.google.com/books?id=-fzrAAAAMAAJ. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
- ^ Andrew Bender; Sally O'Brien (February 2005). Denmark. Lonely Planet. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-74059-489-9. http://books.google.com/books?id=1AJqoYpKoQcC&pg=PA36. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
- ^ Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (14 October 1944). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. p. 23. ISSN 00062510. http://books.google.com/books?id=sxoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT23. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
- ^ Elliott Robert Barkan (May 2001). Making it in America: a sourcebook on eminent ethnic Americans. ABC-CLIO. p. 46. ISBN 978-1-57607-098-7. http://books.google.com/books?id=WwwY_eJnodgC&pg=PA46. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
- ^ "Det Kongelige Teater – Kort fortalt" (in Danish). http://www.kglteater.dk/site/OmKunstarterne/Ensembler/Det_Kongelige_Kapel/Tidslinjen.aspx. Retrieved 3 October 2010. "My father played in the orchestra for more than 30 years – we couldn't recognise him, when he came home. (Om Bernhard Rosenbaum, som var bratschist i Kapellet fra 1888–1919 sagde Victor Borge: "Min far spillede i Kapellet i over 30 år – vi kunne heller ikke kende ham, da han kom hjem".)"
- ^ Ove Holger Krak (1 January 1964) (in Danish). Kraks blaa bog: ...nulevende danske mænd og kvinders levnedsløb .... Krak.. p. 186. http://books.google.com/books?id=juthAAAAIAAJ. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
- ^ Bernhardt Jensen (1966) (in Danish). Som Århus morede sig: Folkelige forlystelser fra 1890'erne til 2. verdenskrig. Universitetsforlaget. p. 128. http://books.google.com/books?id=eOwNAQAAIAAJ. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
- ^ Richard S. Sears (3 December 1986). V-discs: first supplement. Greenwood Press. p. 23. ISBN 978-0-313-25421-5. http://books.google.com/books?id=0ZJHAAAAMAAJ. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
- ^ (in Danish) Information. R.Levin. 1977. p. 26. http://books.google.com/books?id=lWgvAAAAMAAJ. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
- ^ National Geographic Society (US) (1 July 1998). The National geographic. National Geographic Society. p. 59. http://books.google.com/books?id=RflKAAAAYAAJ. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (19 December 1953). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. p. 21. ISSN 00062510. http://books.google.com/books?id=awoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA19. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
- ^ Frank Cullen (2007). Vaudeville, old & new: an encyclopedia of variety performers in America. Psychology Press. p. 132. ISBN 978-0-415-93853-2. http://books.google.com/books?id=XFnfnKg6BcAC&pg=PA132. Retrieved 2 October 2010. "When not working, Victor attended movies all day, day after day, to grasp the American version of the English language. Borge ended up performing on the Kraft Music Hall for 56 weeks, after which he got his own five-minute spot on NBC."
- ^ Grolier Incorporated (1991). The Encyclopedia Americana. Grolier. p. 272. ISBN 978-0-7172-0122-8. http://books.google.com/books?id=dEVKwVGO4e0C. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
- ^ Borge, Victor (March 1985). Popular Mechanics. Hearst Magazines. p. 107. ISSN 00324558. http://books.google.com/books?id=YOQDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA107. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (29 April 1944). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. p. 25. ISSN 00062510. http://books.google.com/books?id=igwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT24. Retrieved 3 October 2010. "Victor Borge and his dead-pan interpretations of phonetic punctuation and gags clicked soundly with the pew-sitters."
- ^ Cullen, Frank (2007). Vaudeville, old & new: an encyclopedia of variety performers in America. Psychology Press. p. 132. ISBN 978-0-415-93853-2. http://books.google.com/books?id=XFnfnKg6BcAC&pg=PA132. Retrieved 3 October 2010. "He had several famous verbal routines. One was inflationary language. Borge wondered if prices kept increasing, ... Perhaps the favorite with most people was phonetic punctuation."
- ^ YouTube – Victor Borge – Hungarian Rhapsody #2
- ^ YouTube – Victor Borge – Funny Jokes -Part 1
- ^ Young, Mark (2 March 1998). The Guinness Book of World Records 1998. Bantam Books. p. 439. ISBN 978-0-553-57895-9. http://books.google.com/books?id=ZSyswNFqTycC. Retrieved 3 October 2010. "The longest run of one-man shows is 849, by Victor Borge (Denmark) in his Comedy in Music from October 2, 1953 through 21 January 1956 at the Golden Theater, Broadway, New York City."
- ^ Elliott Robert Barkan (May 2001). Making it in America: a sourcebook on eminent ethnic Americans. ABC-CLIO. p. 47. ISBN 978-1-57607-098-7. http://books.google.com/books?id=WwwY_eJnodgC&pg=PA46. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ New York Media, LLC (27 January 1978). New York Magazine. New York Media, LLC. p. 54. ISSN 00287369. http://books.google.com/books?id=cNECAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA54. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ H.W. Wilson Company (1 January 1993). Current biography yearbook. H.W. Wilson. p. 82. http://books.google.com/books?id=a4cYAAAAIAAJ. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ "YouTube – Victor Borge on Sesame Street". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkE38Y7m1tM. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
- ^ "Episode 405: Victor Borge – Muppet Wiki:". 22 May 1979. http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Episode_405:_Victor_Borge. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
- ^ "YouTube – Victor Borge on the Muppet show:". 22 May 1979. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5iCVytIbmk. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
- ^ "YouTube – Victor Borge—What's My Line:". 11 October 1959. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-Ps0H6Fwro. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
- ^ "Paid Notice – Deaths BORGE, VICTOR – Paid Death Notice – NYTimes.com:". The New York Times. 26 December 2000. http://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/26/classified/paid-notice-deaths-borge-victor.html?ref=victor_borge. Retrieved 2 October 2010. "Thanks To Scandinavia is profoundly saddened by the passing of its co-founder and National Chairman Victor Borge. Escaping from Denmark in 1940 to freedom in the US just ahead of the Nazi invasion, Mr. Borge continually showed vigorous appreciation for the opportunities provided by both his native country and his adopted land. Among those efforts -Thanks To Scandinavia, a scholarship fund created in 1963 for Scandinavian students and doctors which stands as a perpetual American thank you to Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden for the protection and rescue heroically offered Scandinavian Jews and others during World War II. This time Victor, this last time, we say thanks to you for your generosity of spirit, your friendship, your legendary humor, your sublime musicianship and your eloquent devotion to the wellbeing of your fellow man."
- ^ "Paid Notice – Deaths BORGE, VICTOR – Paid Death Notice – NYTimes.com:". The New York Times. 27 December 2000. http://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/27/classified/paid-notice-deaths-borge-victor.html?ref=victor_borge. Retrieved 2 October 2010. "The American Jewish Committee remembers with great affection and enduring admiration Victor Borge, a man who embodied the rare and wonderful qualities of genuine humor, deep compassion, and true humanity. We are especially grateful for Mr. Borge's gift of performance that enabled us to partake of his exceptional spirit and enriched our lives. AJC was deeply honored to recently become affiliated with Thanks To Scandinavia, the scholarship fund founded by Mr. Borge and New York attorney Richard Netter to thank Scandinavians for rescuing Jews during the Second World War. Through the foundation, we are committed to keeping Mr. Borge's memory-and his vision-vibrant for future generations."
- ^ Borge, Victor; Sherman, Robert (August 1971). My favorite intermissions. Doubleday. http://books.google.com/books?id=93gfAAAAMAAJ. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ Borge, Victor; Sherman, Robert (1980). Victor Borge's My favorite comedies in music. Dorset Press. ISBN 978-0-88029-807-0. http://books.google.com/books?id=R7rBAAAACAAJ. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ Borge, Victor; Kaiser, Niels-Jørgen (2001) (in Danish). Smilet er den korteste afstand -: erindringer. Gyldendal. ISBN 978-87-00-75182-8. http://books.google.com/books?id=RYlWAAAACAAJ. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ "Comic Pianist Victor Borge Dies At 91". CBS News. 24 December 2000. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2000/12/24/entertainment/main259469.shtml. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
- ^ "Paid Notice – Deaths BORGE, SANNA SARABEL. – Paid Death Notice – NYTimes.com:". NYT. 11 October 2000. http://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/11/classified/paid-notice-deaths-borge-sanna-sarabel.html. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
- ^ "Celebrity Deathwatch: Victor Borge, Comic Pianist, 91". http://slick.org/deathwatch/mailarchive/msg00154.html. Retrieved 2 October 2010. "Borge, who had not been ill, had been planning to tour Australia next week. "It was just his time to go," his daughter said. "He's been missing my mother terribly.""
- ^ Clausen, Bente (9 May 2001). "Victor Borges aske deles" (in Danish). Kristeligt Dagblad. http://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/artikel/219265:Kirke---tro--Victor-Borges-aske-deles. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ "Danish Rabbi Will Visit Area Temple". Hartford Courant. 15 September 1997. http://articles.courant.com/1997-09-15/news/9709150421_1_victor-borge-sabbath-rabbi. Retrieved 3 October 2010. "[Bent Melchior] will also speak at Trinity College and, along with Victor Borge, receive an honorary degree from the college."
- ^ "Årets Pressefoto 1998" (in Danish). http://www.aaretspressefoto.dk/index.php?aar=1998&vis=liste. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ The others wereEdwin Fischer, A.W. Nielsen, Svend Wilhelm Hansen, Igor Markevitch, Sergiu Celibidache, Hanne Wilhelm Hansen, Henning Rohde, Peter Augustinus and Danny Kaye.
- ^ "Victor Borge / Explore the Arts – The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts:". http://www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/artists/?entity_id=3700&source_type=A. Retrieved 3 October 2010. "He looks like a elder statesman and speaks with the charming accents of a middle European fairytale kingdom, but the whole world knows him as the Great Dane. Victor Borge's unique combination of concert pianist and sit-down comedian – an intoxicating mixture of melodies and mirth – has made him a living legend for most of the 20th century. His ability to puncture the pretensions of humanity in general, musicians in particular, whether he's lampooning stuffy conductors or grandiose concert pianists, remains undiminished, seventy years after his professional debut. As every good musician and comic knows, it's all in the timing and Borge is a master. He holds the Guinness Book of Records citation for longest-running one-man show in the history of the theater, with 849 performances on Broadway of his "Comedy in Music," which began in 1952."
- ^ "Events @ Scandinavia House – The Nordic Center in America:". http://www.scandinaviahouse.org/events.html. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
- ^ "Nye og ændrede vejnavne 2001–2003" (in Danish). http://www.kk.dk/Borger/ByOgTrafik/VejePladser/Vejnavne/NyVejnavn2001Til2003.aspx. Retrieved 3 October 2010. "Victor Borges Plads. Benævnelse for en plads beliggende i J.E. Ohlsensgades udmunding i Nordre Frihavnsgade. Besluttet i Bygge- og Teknikudvalget den 9. oktober 2002."
- ^ "Så kom Victor Borge på plads / Dinby.dk" (in Danish). Østerbro Avis. 8 July 2009. http://www.dinby.dk/kobenhavn-o/saa-kom-victor-borge-paa-plads. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ Starr, Michael (26 November 2008). "Starr Report". New York Post. http://www.nypost.com/seven/11262008/tv/starr_report_140884.htm. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ a b c d Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (19 January 1946). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. p. 28. ISSN 00062510. http://books.google.com/books?id=dBgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT27. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ a b Wilson, H.W. (32 December 1945). Current biography yearbook. H. W. Wilson.. p. 63. http://books.google.com/books?id=JpMYAAAAIAAJ. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (23 March 1946). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. p. 130. ISSN 00062510. http://books.google.com/books?id=-RkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT129. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (5 June 1948). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. p. 34. ISSN 00062510. http://books.google.com/books?id=iPUDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA34. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f Smith, Ronald L. (1 March 1988). Comedy on record: the complete critical discography. Garland Pub.. p. 82. ISBN 978-0-8240-8461-5. http://books.google.com/books?id=GVUrAQAAIAAJ. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Debenham, Warren (August 1988). Laughter on record: a comedy discography. Scarecrow Press. p. 38. ISBN 978-0-8108-2094-4. http://books.google.com/books?id=ZpNZAAAAMAAJ. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (12 June 1954). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. p. 22. ISSN 00062510. http://books.google.com/books?id=Ux8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA22. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ National Collegiate Players (1955). The Players magazine. National Collegiate Players.. p. 83. http://books.google.com/books?id=ojVaAAAAMAAJ. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ Borges first performance in Denmark since World War II recorded 12 August 1958 in the Copenhagen concert-hall Odd Fellow Palæet (The Odd Fellow's Lodge building). Listen The 32 minutes show was sponsored by FONA, tansmitted by the recently established Radio Mercur to 275.000 listeners and subsequently sold as a 10'' LP for kroner 19.50.
- ^ Music and dance. Australian Musical News Publishing Co.. 32 December 1957. p. 27. http://books.google.com/books?id=PuoKAQAAIAAJ. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (27 July 1959). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. p. 28. ISSN 00062510. http://books.google.com/books?id=RQoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA28. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (28 April 1962). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. p. 30. ISSN 00062510. http://books.google.com/books?id=IhYEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA30. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
- ^ Mackenzie, Sir Compton; Stone, Christopher (1963). Gramophone. General Gramophone Publications Ltd.. p. 23. http://books.google.com/books?id=BAXkAAAAMAAJ. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ Raymond, Jack (1 May 1982). Show music on record: from the 1890s to the 1980s. F. Ungar. p. 190. ISBN 978-0-8044-5774-3. http://books.google.com/books?id=QXMYAAAAIAAJ. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
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| Persondata |
| Name |
Borge, Victor |
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| Short description |
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| Date of birth |
3 January 1909 |
| Place of birth |
Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Date of death |
23 December 2000 |
| Place of death |
Greenwich, Connecticut, United States |
_by_Erling_Mandelmann_-_2.jpg)
_by_Erling_Mandelmann.jpg)
