Gracie Allen and George Burns - Glendale, CA - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

Gracie Allen, who hailed from San Francisco, first appeared on stage at the age of three. After struggling as a dancer, she had almost given up on a show business career when she met another Vaudeville performer, George Burns, who was looking for a new partner. Burns’ act was a song and dance routine with some comedy thrown in for good measure. Gracie Allen’s flare for comedy as Burns’ zany foil proved highly successful and propelled the couple to superstardom. The couple were married in 1926.

George Burns whose real name was Nathan Birnbaum was born in New York City in 1896 to Jewish immigrants from eastern Europe. Deciding at an early age to pursue a career in entertainment, Burns toured the Vaudeville circuit with several partners performing various song and dance routines. After marrying Gracie Allen, the couple concentrated on comedy and eventually landed roles in some feature films.

Burns and Allen, as they came to be known, got their big break when they were offered their own radio show in 1932. That show was an instant hit and lasted until 1950 when the couple moved to the new venue of television with “The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show.” The ‘sitcom’ featured Burns and Allen basically as themselves – the set was even modeled on the actual living room of their Beverly Hills home. Their highly successful television stint lasted until 1958 when Gracie retired due largely to health concerns.

Gracie Allen died of heart failure in 1964 and was laid to rest in the Freedom Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale California. It would be another 32 years before George Burns, who lived to be 100, would join her. At that time, the inscription on the crypt was changed from “Beloved Wife And Mother” to “Together Again.”

George Burns, who continued to work in the entertainment business after his wife’s death, revitalized his career as an aging comedian when he starred in several films such as “The Sunshine Boys” and “Oh, God!” Both Burns and Allen appeared on a U.S. postage stamp issued in 2002 commemorating early television memories.
(Sources: wikipedia.com, tcmdb.com)

Description: The crypt of George Burns and Gracie Allen is located in the Sanctuary of Heritage on the upper floor of the Freedom Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. The information below is for George Burns. Gracie Allen, whose birth date is uncertain due to records being destroyed in the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, died on 8/27/1964. Date of birth: 01/20/1896 Date of death: 03/09/1996 Area of notoriety: Entertainment Marker Type: Tomb (above ground) Setting: Indoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

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