George Burns
Birthday: 20 January 1896, New York City, New York, USA
Birth Name: Nathan Birnbaum
Height: 170 cm
George Burns was born on January 20, 1896 in New York City, New York, USA as Nathan Birnbaum. He was an actor and producer, known for The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950), Oh, God! (1977) and ...Show More
In what other business can a guy my age drink martinis, smoke cigars and sing? I think all people wh Show more
In what other business can a guy my age drink martinis, smoke cigars and sing? I think all people who retire ought to go into show business. I've been retired all my life. Hide
[on his wedding] The justice of the peace spoke so fast I didn't know if Gracie and I had gotten mar Show more
[on his wedding] The justice of the peace spoke so fast I didn't know if Gracie and I had gotten married or had bought land in Florida. Hide
I don't believe in dying . . . it's been done.
I don't believe in dying . . . it's been done.
You know, lots of times people have asked me what [Gracie Allen] and I did to make our marriage work Show more
You know, lots of times people have asked me what [Gracie Allen] and I did to make our marriage work. It's simple - we didn't do anything. I think the trouble with a lot of people is that they work too hard at staying married. They make a business out of it. When you work too hard at a business you get tired, and when you get tired you get grouchy, you start fighting, and when you start fighting you're out of business. Hide
At my age, the only thing hot waiting for me in my dressing room is a bowl of soup.
At my age, the only thing hot waiting for me in my dressing room is a bowl of soup.
If you live to the age of a hundred, you have it made, because very few people die past the age of a Show more
If you live to the age of a hundred, you have it made, because very few people die past the age of a hundred. Hide
It's one of the old show business axioms. No matter how successful you've been, there's always a you Show more
It's one of the old show business axioms. No matter how successful you've been, there's always a younger and sexier seal coming along. Hide
If you stay in the business long enough and get to be old enough, you get to be new again.
If you stay in the business long enough and get to be old enough, you get to be new again.
[as he was about to sing "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" during the 1983 All-Star Game at Comiskey Pa Show more
[as he was about to sing "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" during the 1983 All-Star Game at Comiskey Park in Chicago] I not only sang this song at the first All-Star Game, I also sang it at the first ballgame. Hide
Smartness runs in my family. When I went to school I was so smart my teacher was in my class for fiv Show more
Smartness runs in my family. When I went to school I was so smart my teacher was in my class for five years. Hide
[at 87 years old] I was brought up to respect my elders and now I don't have to respect ANYBODY.
[at 87 years old] I was brought up to respect my elders and now I don't have to respect ANYBODY.
[on W.C. Fields] When he was 22 he played England with his young wife, who was 20. His trick was jug Show more
[on W.C. Fields] When he was 22 he played England with his young wife, who was 20. His trick was juggling cigar boxes. The star of the show was an old geezer who had a funny voice. The wife fell in love with the old man. Fields stole his accent and delivery, and the old guy stole Fields' wife. I think Fields got the best of the deal. Hide
The most important thing to succeed in show business is sincerity. And if you can fake that, you've Show more
The most important thing to succeed in show business is sincerity. And if you can fake that, you've got it made. Hide
Nice to be here? At my age it's nice to be anywhere.
Nice to be here? At my age it's nice to be anywhere.
Acting is all about honesty. If you can fake that, you've got it made.
Acting is all about honesty. If you can fake that, you've got it made.
Well, anybody can be a straight man if he hears well. You just have to wait for laughs. A straight m Show more
Well, anybody can be a straight man if he hears well. You just have to wait for laughs. A straight man just repeats the questions and the comedian gets the laughs and you just wait for them and don't let them die completely at the tail end of the laugh. Hide
[on gravity] Everything that goes up must come down. But there comes a time when not everything that Show more
[on gravity] Everything that goes up must come down. But there comes a time when not everything that's down can come up. Hide
[asked what he thought of Mary Pickford] I never slept with her.
[asked what he thought of Mary Pickford] I never slept with her.
[when asked how he got the title role in Oh, God! (1977)] I was the closest to Him in age.
[when asked how he got the title role in Oh, God! (1977)] I was the closest to Him in age.
Yale men do not like to be told anything by people who didn't go to Yale. The closest I came to Yale Show more
Yale men do not like to be told anything by people who didn't go to Yale. The closest I came to Yale was once I had one of their padlocks. Hide
[on appearance] Take care not to wear stripes that are out of sync with your wrinkles.
[on appearance] Take care not to wear stripes that are out of sync with your wrinkles.
[commenting on winning the Oscar at age 80] It couldn't have happened to an older guy.
[commenting on winning the Oscar at age 80] It couldn't have happened to an older guy.
[on vaudeville] When we played the back end of a horse we always knew that if we worked hard and did Show more
[on vaudeville] When we played the back end of a horse we always knew that if we worked hard and did a good job we could become the front end. Hide
[interviewed in his old age about sex scenes] What actresses do today when they appear on the screen Show more
[interviewed in his old age about sex scenes] What actresses do today when they appear on the screen is what they did once upon a time for getting to appear on the screen. Hide
[on his age] I get a standing ovation just standing.
[on his age] I get a standing ovation just standing.
I'd rather be a failure at something I love than a success at something I hate.
I'd rather be a failure at something I love than a success at something I hate.
I use the cigar for timing purposes. If I tell a joke, I smoke as long as they laugh and when they s Show more
I use the cigar for timing purposes. If I tell a joke, I smoke as long as they laugh and when they stop laughing I take the cigar out of my mouth and start my next joke. Hide
Retire? I'm going to stay in show business until I'm the only one left.
Retire? I'm going to stay in show business until I'm the only one left.
"I never wanted to play Shakespeare", [Gracie Allen] a statement she had proved by becoming my partn Show more
"I never wanted to play Shakespeare", [Gracie Allen] a statement she had proved by becoming my partner. Instead we played Cleveland. Hide
[about his relationship with wife Gracie Allen] The only thing I ever felt guilty about was a telegr Show more
[about his relationship with wife Gracie Allen] The only thing I ever felt guilty about was a telegram we got in vaudeville. It was from [Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.] and he was out front and that was one of the nights I blew smoke in Gracie's face and he hated my guts. So he sends a cable saying, "I'll pay $200 for the dame, $100 for the act". I never read it to her. I told her it was from some of the boys at the Friars Club. Before she died I said, "Gracie, I got a confession to make. Remember that cable we got that time in vaudeville?" and she said, "You mean the one from Ziegfeld?" Hide
I'd announce that I was going to sing, and all our guests would make a ring around the piano. But so Show more
I'd announce that I was going to sing, and all our guests would make a ring around the piano. But somehow I managed to fight my way through the ring and sing anyway. Hide
[sitting in an empty movie theater] The first movie I ever saw was the first movie I was ever in. I Show more
[sitting in an empty movie theater] The first movie I ever saw was the first movie I was ever in. I was sitting alone in the theater then like I am now. Hide
I've been a straight man for so many years that from force of habit I repeat everything. I went out Show more
I've been a straight man for so many years that from force of habit I repeat everything. I went out fishing with a fellow the other day and he fell overboard. He yelled, "Help! Help! Help!" so I said, "Help? Help? Help?" And while I was waiting for him to get his laugh, he drowned. Hide
[during Dean Martin's roast for Frank Sinatra] We singers aren't worried about getting laughs . . . Show more
[during Dean Martin's roast for Frank Sinatra] We singers aren't worried about getting laughs . . . see, nobody's laughing, and I'm not worried. Hide
I did go to school - my kind of school. When I was a kid I went out . . . and you meet people. You t Show more
I did go to school - my kind of school. When I was a kid I went out . . . and you meet people. You talk to them. Anybody says something that makes sense, it stays with you, rubs off on you. That kind of school. Hide
Fall in love with what you do for a living. I don't care what it is. It works.
Fall in love with what you do for a living. I don't care what it is. It works.
You know you're getting old when you stoop to tie your shoelaces and wonder what else you could do w Show more
You know you're getting old when you stoop to tie your shoelaces and wonder what else you could do while you're down there. Hide
[on his act with Gracie Allen]: The only rule we followed was that we would only use jokes that were Show more
[on his act with Gracie Allen]: The only rule we followed was that we would only use jokes that were funny. If people wanted jokes that weren't funny they could listen to our competitors. Hide
[on adultery] If you were married to Marilyn Monroe, you'd cheat with some ugly girl.
[on adultery] If you were married to Marilyn Monroe, you'd cheat with some ugly girl.
[on Carol Channing] She never just enters a room. Even when she comes out of the bathroom, her husba Show more
[on Carol Channing] She never just enters a room. Even when she comes out of the bathroom, her husband applauds. Hide
A young mind in a healthy body is a wonderful thing. Especially for an old man with an open night.
A young mind in a healthy body is a wonderful thing. Especially for an old man with an open night.
At home we ate fish every Friday, as Catholics were then supposed to do. Being Jewish, I compromised Show more
At home we ate fish every Friday, as Catholics were then supposed to do. Being Jewish, I compromised. I wore a hat when I ate fish, out of respect for my own religion and the fish's family. Hide
[on how his act with Gracie Allen got started in vaudeville] Gracie was supposed to be the straight Show more
[on how his act with Gracie Allen got started in vaudeville] Gracie was supposed to be the straight woman. The first night we had 40 people out front and they didn't laugh at one of my jokes, but every time Gracie asked me a question they fell out of their seats. So I made her the comic and the act was a hit from that moment on. That was the beginning of Burns and Allen. Hide
[on Al Jolson] It was easy enough to make Jolson happy at home. You just had to cheer him for breakf Show more
[on Al Jolson] It was easy enough to make Jolson happy at home. You just had to cheer him for breakfast, applaud wildly for lunch, and give him a standing ovation for dinner. Hide
I would go out with women my age, but there are no women my age.
I would go out with women my age, but there are no women my age.
Bridge is a game that separates the men from the boys. It also separates husbands and wives.
Bridge is a game that separates the men from the boys. It also separates husbands and wives.
There are many ways to die in bed, but the best way is not alone.
There are many ways to die in bed, but the best way is not alone.
Happiness is: A good martini, a good meal, a good cigar and a good woman . . . or a bad woman, depen Show more
Happiness is: A good martini, a good meal, a good cigar and a good woman . . . or a bad woman, depending on how much happiness you can stand. Hide
[on meeting Gracie Allen] I remember looking down at her, looking right into her green eye and her b Show more
[on meeting Gracie Allen] I remember looking down at her, looking right into her green eye and her blue eye, and thinking what a pretty little girl she is. I was hoping she'd work with me. Hide
Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.
Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.
[discussing his role in Going in Style (1979)] I had to learn how to act old."
[discussing his role in Going in Style (1979)] I had to learn how to act old."
I can't afford to die; I'd lose too much money.
I can't afford to die; I'd lose too much money.
George Burns's FILMOGRAPHY
as Actor (58)
George Burns'S roles
Mr. Kite
God
Al Lewis
