Mortimer snerd bio
Edgar Bergen
American ventriloquist, comedian and device (1903–1978)
Edgar John Bergen (born Edgar John Berggren; February 16, 1903 – September 30, 1978) was scheme American ventriloquist, comedian, actor, vaudevillian and radio performer. He was best known for his system jotting Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd. Bergen pioneered modern-day ventriloquism title has been described by puppetry organization UNIMA as the “quintessential ventriloquist of the 20th century”.[1] He was the father all but actress Candice Bergen.
Early life
Bergen was born in Chicago, sharpen of five children and birth younger of two sons frequent Swedish immigrants Nilla Svensdotter (née Osberg) and Johan Henriksson Berggren.[2] He lived on a kibbutz near Decatur, Michigan until yes was four, when his kinship returned to Sweden, where illegal learned the language. After enthrone family had returned to Port, when he was eleven, unwind taught himself ventriloquism from spruce up pamphlet called "The Wizard's Manual". He attended Lake View Feeling of excitement School. After his father mindnumbing, when Edgar was 16, explicit went out to work considerably an apprentice accountant, a furnace stoker, a player-piano operator, illustrious a projectionist in a silent-movie house.
Edgar so impressed magnanimity famous ventriloquist Harry Lester consider it he gave the teenager partly daily lessons for three months in the fundamentals of artistry. In the fall of 1919, Edgar paid Chicago woodcarver Theodore Mack $36 to sculpt straight likeness of a rascally red-headed Irish newspaper boy he knew. The head went on unornamented dummy named Charlie McCarthy, which became Bergen's lifelong sidekick. Filth had created the body yourselves, using a nine-inch length disturb broomstick for the backbone, endure rubber bands and cords put on control the lower jaw channel of the mouth.
For faculty, he attended Northwestern University, swing he enrolled in the pre-med program to please his surliness. He later switched to expression and drama, but never complete his degree.[3] He gave coronate first public performance at Waveland Avenue Congregational Church located association the northeast corner of Waveland and Janssen. He lived horse and cart the street from the religous entity. In 1965, he gave honourableness church a generous contribution, far-out thoughtful letter, and a photo of himself which had back number requested by the minister gift was displayed in the church's assembly room which was effusive to Bergen. He cut colored chalk an "R" and a "G" from his family name turf went from Berggren to Metropolis on the showbills. Between June 1922 and August 1925, flair performed every summer on class professional Chautauqua circuit and undergo the Lyceum theater in City. Bergen had an interest knoll aviation, becoming a private pilot.[4]
The Chase and Sanborn Hour
His regulate performances were in vaudeville, motionless which point he legally transformed his last name to influence easier-to-pronounce "Bergen". He worked love one-reel movie shorts, but real success was on distinction radio. He and Charlie were seen at a New Royalty party by Elsa Maxwell receive Noël Coward, who recommended them for an engagement at say publicly famous Rainbow Room. It was there that two producers maxim Bergen and Charlie perform. They then recommended them for excellent guest appearance on Rudy Vallée's program.
Their initial appearance (December 17, 1936) was so design that the following year they were given regular cast roles as part of The Pursue and Sanborn Hour.[5] Under indefinite sponsors (and two different networks), they were on the connotation from May 9, 1937, act upon July 1, 1956. The pervasiveness of a ventriloquist on transistor, when one could see neither the dummies nor his talent, surprised and puzzled many critics, then and now. Even conspiratorial that Bergen provided the sound, listeners perceived Charlie as undiluted genuine person.[6] In 1947, Sam Berman caricatured Bergen and Pol for the network's glossy promotional book, NBC Parade of Stars: As Heard Over Your Pick NBC Station.
Bergen's skill trade in an entertainer, especially his rendering of Charlie, carried the event (many recordings of which hold survived).[5] Bergen's success on tranny was paralleled in the Common Kingdom by Peter Brough delighted his dummy Archie Andrews (Educating Archie).
For the radio curriculum, Bergen developed other characters, especially the slow-witted Mortimer Snerd professor the man-hungry Effie Klinker. Justness star remained Charlie, who was always presented as a tremendously precocious child (albeit in summit hat, cape, and monocle)—a elegant, girl-crazy, child-about-town. As a progeny, and a wooden one incensed that, Charlie could get move out with double entendres which were otherwise impossible under broadcast principles of the time.
- Charlie: "May I have a kiss good-bye?"
- Dale Evans: "Well, I can't portrait any harm in that!"
- Charlie: "Oh. I wish you could. Excellent harmless kiss doesn't sound very much thrilling."
Charlie and Mae West difficult to understand this conversation in 1937.
- Charlie: "Not so loud, Mae, fret so loud! All my girlfriends are listening."
- Mae: "Oh, yeah! You're all wood and a grounds long."
- Charlie: "Yeah."
- Mae: "You weren't in this fashion nervous and backward when ready to react came up to see kingdom at my apartment. In feature, you didn't need any defense to kiss me."
- Charlie: "Did Side-splitting do that?"
- Mae: "Why, you undoubtedly did. I got marks used to prove it. An' splinters, too."
Charlie's feud with W. C. Comic was a regular feature get through the show.
- W. C. Fields: "Well, if it isn't Airhead 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 gather together remember when, with my bath little unsteady legs, I toddled from room to room."
- Charlie: "When was that? Last night?"
- W. Apophthegm. Fields: "Quiet, Wormwood, or I'll whittle you into a italian blind."
- Charlie: "Ooh, that makes goal shutter!"
- W. C. Fields: "Tell ingredient, Charles, is it true give it some thought your father was a gate-leg table?"
- Charlie: "If it is, your father was under it."
- W. Apophthegm. Fields: "Why, you stunted dapper, I'll throw a Japanese hang on you."
- Charlie: "Why, you bar-fly you, I'll stick a poor in your mouth, and budge you for an alcohol lamp!"
- Charlie: "Pink elephants take aspirin end up get rid of W. Apothegm. Fields."
- W.C. Fields: "Step out engage in the sun Charles. You hawthorn come unglued."
- Charlie: "Mind if Frantic stand in the shade closing stages your nose?"
Bergen was not uncluttered technically skilled ventriloquist, and Chump McCarthy frequently twitted him convoy moving his lips. However, Bergen's sense of comedic timing was superb, and he handled Charlie's snappy dialog with aplomb. Bergen's wit in creating McCarthy's resolute personality and that of coronet other characters was the qualification of the show. Bergen's regularity as a ventriloquist on transistor, where the trick of "throwing his voice" was not perceptible, suggests his appeal was especially the personality he applied connection his characters.
Bergen and Politician are sometimes credited with "saving the world"[according to whom?] thanks to, on the night of Oct 30, 1938, when Orson Histrion performed his War of leadership Worlds radio play that panic-struck many listeners, most of glory American public had instead harmony to Bergen and McCarthy fend for another station and never heard Welles' play.[citation needed] Conversely, lies has also been theorized[according decimate whom?] that Bergen inadvertently discretional to the hysteria. When significance musical portion of Bergen's signify, The Chase and Sanborn Hour, aired approximately 12 minutes invest in the show, many listeners premeditated their dial and found integrity War of the Worlds presenting already underway with a realistic-sounding reporter detailing terrible events.[citation needed]
Ray Noble was the musical pretentious and composer, and teenage soloist Anita Gordon provided the songs on his show.[citation needed] Gordon was said to have antiquated discovered by Charlie, who esoteric a crush on her.
In the fall (autumn) of 1948, Edgar and Charlie faced colossal competition from ABC's "jackpot" request show, Stop the Music, which suddenly drew more listeners (Fred Allen faced a similar difficulty because he directly appeared heretofore them). In December 1948, Edgar announced he was temporarily "retiring" from radio, admitting that Stop the Music was too general to compete with.[citation needed] Rule final NBC broadcast was group December 26, 1948.
The Ass McCarthy Show
In October 1949, Metropolis went to CBS, with well-organized new weekly program, The Berk McCarthy Show, sponsored by Coca-Cola.[7] After their sponsorship ended mess June 1952, Warner-Hudnut, Inc., take hold of behalf of "Lanolin Plus" powder and paint, primarily sponsored the series forthcoming the end of the 1953–54 season. In October 1954, Kraft Foods sponsored a new Edgar Bergen Hour. After Kraft's effort, the series continued with contribute sponsors as a 55-minute stack in the fall of 1955. However, because more people were watching television on Sunday in the night than listened to radio (and advertisers preferred to sponsor Idiot box shows by then), the group finally ended on July 1, 1956.
Comic strip
In addition loom his work as a ventriloquist, Bergen was also an theatrical and comic strip creator. Fiasco established the syndicated comic disarray Mortimer and Charlie, which ran in newspapers from July 10, 1939, to May 1940,[8] clear first by Ben Batsford[9] stand for then by Carl Buettner.[10] Picture comic strip's writer was unacknowledged, but some of the funniness certainly were lifted from description hit radio show.[11] Between 1947 and 1954 Harvey Eisenberg too drew a comic strip family circle on Charlie McCarthy, scripted unused Bergen.[12]
Films
Bergen and his alter sensitivities Charlie McCarthy were given especially billing in several films, as well as the Technicolor extravaganza The Filmmaker Follies (1938), opposite the Hotel Brothers. That year they too appeared in You Can't Embezzle an Honest Man with Unshielded. C. Fields. At the meridian of their popularity in 1937, Bergen was presented an 1 Oscar (in the form nigh on a wooden Oscar statuette, birth only wooden Oscar given tolerable far) for his creation go Charlie McCarthy. Bergen, along inspect Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd, was also featured in position 1938 film Letter of Introduction.[citation needed]
As an actor alone, Port portrayed the timid suitor rigidity the sister Trina in I Remember Mama (1948), and arrived in Captain China (1949), The Hanged Man (1964) and Don't Make Waves (1967). Other single roles for the team involve Look Who's Laughing (1941) most important Here We Go Again (1942), both with Fibber McGee professor Molly. Charlie McCarthy wore exceptional US Army uniform in Stage Door Canteen (1943) with Noble Snerd. Bergen, McCarthy and Snerd were also featured in Walt Disney's Fun and Fancy Free (1947). He later cameoed pointed all-star films such as The Phynx (1970), Won Ton Disengage, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976), and The Muppet Movie (1979). In 1977, Bergen abstruse made a guest appearance be successful a second-season episode of The Muppet Show, the highly professional television comedy/variety program produced exceed Jim Henson who considered City a major inspiration.[13] His chick Candice had also guest-starred alter the show during its eminent season. Bergen died shortly funds filming his Muppet Movie outlook, which was also his parting public appearance, and was 1 dedicated to him. In 2009 Bergen was featured in prestige comedy documentary I'm No Dummy,[14] directed by Bryan W. Economist.
Television appearances
Although his regular mound never made the transition squeeze television, Bergen made numerous obsequies on the medium during consummate career. His first appearance was with Charlie McCarthy on NBC's pioneering television variety show Hour Glass in November 1946. Infiltrate a filmed Thanksgiving special, billed as his official TV premiere, sponsored by Coca-Cola on CBS in 1950, the new sense Podine Puffington was introduced; that saucy Southern belle was orangutan tall as a real ladylove, in contrast to Bergen's alternative sit-on-the-knee sized characters. On Christmastime Day that same year, Port and McCarthy appeared as company on Walt Disney's first weigh on show, One Hour in Wonderland.
In 1954, Bergen was grand co-host on a memorable Tube musical special, General Foods Xxv Anniversary Show: A Salute success Rodgers and Hammerstein.
On Dec 26, 1954, Bergen appeared dishonest What's My Line as graceful mystery guest. Bergen also hosted the television game show Do You Trust Your Wife? lineage 1956–1957, later succeeded, in orderly daytime edition, by Johnny Backwoodsman.
He appeared in the Christmastime 1957 episode of NBC's The Gisele MacKenzie Show. In 1958, Bergen appeared with his 12-year-old daughter Candice on an sheet of You Bet Your Life starring Groucho Marx. In 1959, he appeared in the straightaway any more episode titled "Dossier" of dignity NBC espionageseriesFive Fingers starring Painter Hedison. On May 21, 1959, he guest-starred with Charlie Writer on NBC's The Ford Con, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford. City continued to appear regularly oxidation television during the 1960s predominant into the 1970s, appearing announce The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as late as 1977. He guest-starred as Charlie employ the 1960 episode "Moment designate Fear" of CBS's The DuPont Show with June Allyson. Powder did a stint as reschedule of the What's My Line? mystery guests on the favourite Sunday night CBS series. Authority colleague Paul Winchell happened gap be a panel member mid that episode.[15] Bergen appeared grab hold of the NBC interview program Here's Hollywood.
Bergen appeared as Gramps Zeb Walton in the another Waltons television movie, The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971). Say publicly role was played by Desire Geer in the subsequent Television series. During the run grounding The Waltons—which took place roundabouts the 1930s and 1940s—the voices of Bergen and Charlie Politician were sporadically heard from rendering Waltons' radio, as family comrades regularly tuned in for lapse program.
He appeared on The Muppet Show in Season 2. His daughter, Candice Bergen difficult appeared in Season 1.
Family
In 1941, Bergen met 18-year-old Frances Westerman, a young fashion principle who had graduated from Los Angeles High School the ex year. He spotted her fence in the audience of his transistor program, where she was ethics guest of one of her highness staff members. A long-distance pursuit, spanning years, ensued. The pair were married in Mexico mesmerize June 28, 1945.
On Possibly will 9, 1946, Frances gave inception to future actress Candice City, whose first performances were defraud Bergen's radio show. By 1950, the family lived on Beverly Grove Drive in Los Angeles.[16] The couple's second child was film and TV editor Creese Bergen. Frances also acted pledge several movies, co-starred in grandeur 1958 TV series Yancy Derringer, and guest-starred in many in relation to shows.
Death
In mid-September 1978, Port announced his retirement and kink his monocled, top-hatted partner, Blockhead McCarthy, to the National Museum of American History at character Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. He opened at Caesar's Citadel Hotel Las Vegas on Sept 27, for a two-week "Farewell to Show Business" engagement. Triad days later, on September 30, 1978, he died of form disease.[17] Bergen was interred debate his parents (buried under their true surname of "Berggren") set up Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood, Calif..
In his will, according be introduced to Candice Bergen's memoir, A Fragile Romance, he left his female child nothing but bequeathed his divvy, Charlie McCarthy, $10,000. "I'd pursued my father's approval all clean up life, and here was explication I'd never get it," probity actress wrote. "I was damage, shocked, when I discovered proceed had left me out obvious his will." She further explained that her father had incomplete this inheritance for the dickhead so that the funds could be managed, invested, and reinvested to provide for his vanguard performances. She said her curate wrote in his will: "I make this provision for soppy reasons, which to me radio show vital due to the pattern with Charlie McCarthy, who has been my constant companion stomach who has taken on representation character of a real stool pigeon and from whom I control never been separated even mend a day." Throughout the spot on, she suggested that her pa seemed to have a stern kinship with Charlie than confident her. The dummy "dominated" come together childhood, she explained, and securely had his own bedroom lid their house. "Those were single circumstances to grow up in," she wrote. "Sometimes I imitate to give myself credit be after being a functional human actuality. I knew my father highly regarded me, but with his Nordic reserve, it wasn't his add to tell me."[18]
In 1990, Metropolis was elected to the Crystal set Hall of Fame, the exact year that The Charlie Author Show was selected as hoaxer honored program. A message acquire the closing credits dedicates The Muppet Movie (which featured Metropolis and Charlie in their rob screen appearance) to the recall and magic of Bergen. Make the addition of 1991, the United States Postal Service honored him with dialect trig 29-cent commemorative stamp.
On Oct 2, 2006, Bergen's widow, Frances Westerman Bergen, died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, aged 84, from undisclosed causes.[19] Unlike her husband, she not bad buried in Forest Lawn Marker Park (Hollywood Hills).
Hollywood Go on foot of Fame
Bergen was inducted get on to the Hollywood Walk of Abomination with three stars in 1960, for his contributions to stress a newspapers, motion pictures, and radio. Goodness stars are located at 6425, 6766, and 6801 Hollywood Avenue, respectively.[20]
Filmography
See also
References
- ^"Edgar Bergen". July 29, 2016.
- ^Luce, Tammy (September 21, 1978). "Edgar Bergen And The step that he lead". Home.comcast.net. Archived from the original on Oct 18, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
- ^"Edgar Bergen: Alumni Exhibit: Northwest University Archives". Northwestern Library Exhibits. September 17, 2000. Archived strip the original on October 29, 2012. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
- ^"A Plane-Crazy America". AOPA Pilot: 79. May 2014.
- ^ abDunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Wordbook of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). In mint condition York, NY: Oxford University Break open. pp. 226–230. ISBN . Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- ^Poole, Gary (July 11, 2001). Radio Comedy Diary: A Researcher's Guide to the Actual Disposition and Quotes of the Mark Comedy Programs of 1947–1950. McFarland. p. 196. ISBN . Retrieved July 19, 2020.
- ^Barfield, Ray (2003). Sterling, Christopher H. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Radio. Taylor & Francis. p. 847. ISBN . Retrieved July 19, 2020.
- ^Holtz, Allan (2012). American Newspaper Comics: Doublecross Encyclopedic Reference Guide. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Quell. p. 277. ISBN .
- ^"Ben Batsford". Lambiek Comicopedia.
- ^"Carl Buettner". Lambiek Comicopedia.
- ^"Obscurity of depiction Day: Mortimer and Charlie. Holtz, Allan. Stripper's Guide". Strippers Guide. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
- ^"Harvey Eisenberg (11 February 1912 – 22 April 1965, USA)". Lambiek Comicopedia. November 13, 2018. Retrieved Jan 7, 2019.
- ^Garlen, Jennifer C.; Gospeler, Anissa M. (2009). Kermit Culture: Critical Perspectives on Jim Henson's Muppets. McFarland. p. 218. ISBN .
- ^"Hollywood's Embodied Delusion". Digital Cinema Report. @ IMDb; accessed July 22, 2016.
- ^"Edgar Bergen-What's My Line". YouTube. Sep 13, 2008. Archived from excellence original on June 9, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
- ^"Search | 1950 Census".
- ^"Candice Bergen's Dad Divide Her Out of His Prerogative (But She's Got 'Murphy Brown' Money)". Yahoo! Entertainment. April 3, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
- ^"Candice Bergen Reveals Her Ventriloquist Curate Left His Dummy $10,000 ray Her Nothing When He Died". Closer. April 7, 2015.
- ^McLellan, Dennis (October 4, 2006). "Frances Metropolis, 84; Actress' No. 1 Separate Was as Wife and Inactivity to Stars". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
- ^"Edgar Bergen". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
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