- published: 16 Sep 2010
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George Burns (January 20, 1896 – March 9, 1996), born Naftaly Birnbaum, was an American comedian, actor, and writer.
He was one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, film, radio, and television. 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.
Naftaly (late called Nathan) Birnbaum was the ninth of 12 children born to Louis and Dorah (nèe Bluth) Birnbaum, Jewish immigrants who had come to the United States from Romania. Burns was an active member of the First Roumanian-American congregation. His father was a substitute cantor at the local synagogue but usually worked as a coat presser. During the influenza epidemic of 1903, Lippe Birnbaum contracted the flu and died at the age of 47. Nattie (as he was then called) went to work to help support the family, shining shoes, running errands, and selling newspapers.
David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC. Letterman recently surpassed friend and mentor Johnny Carson for having the longest late-night hosting career in the United States of America.
Letterman is also a television and film producer. His company Worldwide Pants produces his show as well as its network follow-up The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Worldwide Pants has also produced several prime-time comedies, the most successful of which was Everybody Loves Raymond, currently in syndication.
In 1996, David Letterman was ranked #45 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.
Letterman was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. His father, Harry Joseph Letterman (April 1915 – February 1973), was a florist of British descent; his mother Dorothy Letterman (née Hofert, now Dorothy Mengering), a Presbyterian church secretary of German descent, is an occasional figure on the show, usually at holidays and birthdays.
Donald Jay "Don" Rickles (born May 8, 1926) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. A frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Rickles has acted in comedic and dramatic roles, but is best known as an insult comic.
Rickles was born in the New York City borough of Queens to Max Rickles, who had emigrated in 1902 with his parents Joseph and Frances Rickles from Kaunas, Lithuania (then in the Russian Empire), and Etta (Feldman) Rickles, born in New York to immigrant parents from the Austrian Empire. His family was Jewish and spoke Yiddish at home. Rickles grew up in the Jackson Heights area.
After graduating from Newtown High School, Rickles enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served during World War II on the USS Cyrene as a seaman first class. He was honorably discharged in 1946. Two years later, he studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and then played bit parts on television. Frustrated by a lack of acting work, Rickles began doing stand-up comedy. He became known as an insult comedian by responding to his hecklers. The audience enjoyed these insults more than his prepared material, and he incorporated them into his act. When he began his career in the early 1950s he started calling ill-mannered members of the audience a "hockey puck". His style was similar to an older insult comic, "Mr. Warmth" Jack E. Leonard, though Rickles denies that Leonard influenced his style.
Actors: William James Kelly (actor), Johnny Williams (actor), Brian Anthony Wilson (actor), Mickey Rooney (actor), Gary Gustin (actor), David Born (actor), Gavin Peretti (actor), Lionel Anthony Cook (actor), Vincent Riviezzo (actor), Dan Van Wert (actor), Tommy Lafitte (actor), Keyon Smith (actor), Connie Lamothe (actress), Robert Gulya (composer), Carl Clemons (actor),
Genres: Comedy,Actors: Adam West (actor), Paul Greenberg (producer), Frank Stallone (actor), Jeffrey Weissman (actor), Frank Gorshin (actor), David Proval (actor), Branscombe Richmond (actor), Henry Darrow (actor), Johann Benét (actor), Carmen Argenziano (actor), Rodney Dangerfield (actor), Richard Moll (actor), Frank Gorshin (actor), Bret Culpepper (miscellaneous crew), Arturo Gil (actor),
Plot: An Angel Level 1 named George Burns wants to be reunited with his long lost love, Gracie Allen, who resides at Level 6. In order to do so he is sent on a mission by God to save a big time loser named Steven Shoomie Shoomer.
Keywords: angel, independent-filmActors: Bessie Love (actress), Felix Aylmer (actor), Valerie Hobson (actress), Joss Ambler (actor), Charles Victor (actor), John Salew (actor), Ian Wilson (actor), Milton Rosmer (actor), Frederick Leister (actor), Aubrey Mallalieu (actor), Leslie Bradley (actor), Henry Oscar (actor), Roddy Hughes (actor), Michael Redgrave (actor), Queen Elizabeth II (actress),
Plot: In 1840 two rival steamship companies race to see who should have the best cargo between England and America. Two brothers are involved, one on each ship.
Keywords: 1830s, banker, boston-massachusetts, brother, business-competition, contract, engagement, engineer, epic, fightActors: Leonard Mudie (actor), Clive Morgan (actor), Montagu Love (actor), Frank Moran (actor), Fred Kelsey (actor), Jack George (actor), George Burns (actor), Jack Carson (actor), Fred Astaire (actor), Sam Harris (actor), Monte Blue (actor), Charles Bennett (actor), Ralph Brooks (actor), Reginald Gardiner (actor), William J. O'Brien (actor),
Plot: Lady Alyce Marshmorton must marry soon, and the staff of Tottney Castle have laid bets on who she'll choose, with young Albert wagering on "Mr. X." After Alyce goes to London to meet a beau (bumping into dancer Jerry Halliday, instead), she is restricted to the castle to curb her scandalous behavior. Albert then summons Jerry to Alyce's aid in order to "protect his investment."
Keywords: aristocrat, arranged-marriage, based-on-novel, based-on-play, class-differences, dance, daughter, press-agent, secretaryActors: Louis Fitzroy (actor), George Ovey (actor), William Ryno (actor), Goldie Colwell (actress), Dolly Larkin (actress), David Horsley (producer), Milton J. Fahrney (director),
Genres: Comedy, Short,Actors: Gerda Holmes (actress), John Cossar (actor), Lester Cuneo (actor), Thomas Commerford (actor), Richard Travers (actor), Bryant Washburn (actor), Rapley Holmes (actor),
Genres: Drama, Short,