Edward Vincent Bracken (February 7, 1915 – November 14, 2002) was an American actor. Bracken became a Hollywood comedy legend with lead performances in the films ''

Hail the Conquering Hero ''Hail the Conquering Hero'' (1944) is a satirical comedy-drama film written and directed by Preston Sturges, starring Eddie Bracken, Ella Raines and William Demarest, and featuring Raymond Walburn, Franklin Pangborn, Elizabeth Patterson, Bill ...

'' and ''

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek ''The Miracle of Morgan's Creek'' is a 1944 American screwball comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges, starring Eddie Bracken and Betty Hutton, and featuring Diana Lynn, William Demarest and Porter Hall. Brian Donlevy and Akim Tamir ...

'' both from 1944, both of which have been preserved by the

National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation, each selected for its historical, cultural and aesthetic contributions since the NFPB’s inception i ...

. During this era, he also had success on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, with performances in plays like '' Too Many Girls'' (1940). Bracken's later movie roles include ''

National Lampoon's Vacation ''National Lampoon's Vacation'', sometimes referred to as simply ''Vacation'', is a 1983 American road trip comedy film directed by Harold Ramis starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Imogene Coca, Randy Quaid, John Candy, and Christie Brink ...

'' (1983), ''

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

'' (1991), '' Home Alone 2: Lost in New York'' (1992), '' Rookie of the Year'' (1993), and ''

Baby's Day Out ''Baby's Day Out'' is a 1994 American adventure comedy film directed by Patrick Read Johnson and written by John Hughes, who also produced the film. Starring Joe Mantegna, Lara Flynn Boyle, Joe Pantoliano, and Brian Haley. The plot centers on ...

'' (1994).

Life and career

Edward Vincent Bracken was born in

Astoria, Queens Astoria is a neighborhood in the western portion of the New York City borough of Queens. Astoria is bounded by the East River and is adjacent to three other Queens neighborhoods: Long Island City to the southwest, Sunnyside to the southeast ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

on February 7, 1915, the son of Joseph L. and Catherine Bracken. Bracken performed in vaudeville at the age of nine and gained fame with the

musical '' Too Many Girls'' in a role he reprised for the 1940 film adaptation. He had performed in a short film series called ''The Kiddie Troupers'' (one of many ''

Our Gang ''Our Gang'' (also known as ''The Little Rascals'' or ''Hal Roach's Rascals'') is an American series of comedy short films chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by film producer Hal Roach, also the ...

''-like series) prior to that, but that film was his big break. In 1936, Bracken enjoyed success on Broadway with his starring run in the Joseph Viertel play ''So Proudly We Hail''. The military drama, co-starring

Richard Cromwell Richard Cromwell (4 October 162612 July 1712) was an English statesman who was the second and last Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland and son of the first Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell. On his father's death ...

, opened to much fanfare but closed after 14 performances at the 46th Street Theatre. In the 1940s, director

Preston Sturges Preston Sturges (; born Edmund Preston Biden; August 29, 1898 – August 6, 1959) was an American playwright, screenwriter, and film director. In 1941, he won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the film '' The Great McGinty'' (1940), h ...

cast Bracken in two of his best-loved films, ''

'', opposite

Betty Hutton Betty Hutton (born Elizabeth June Thornburg; February 26, 1921 – March 11, 2007) was an American stage, film, and television actress, comedian, dancer, and singer. Early life and education Hutton was born Elizabeth June Thornburg on February 2 ...

, and ''

''. Due to the popularity of these films, Eddie Bracken was a household name during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He made numerous

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...

broadcasts and had his own program, ''

The Eddie Bracken Show ''The Eddie Bracken Show'' is an American old-time radio situation comedy . It was broadcast on NBC from January 28, 1945, to May 27, 1945, and on CBS from September 29, 1946, to March 23, 1947. Format Eddie Bracken played himself in this situati ...

''. In 1953, Bracken left Hollywood. He appeared on Broadway in '' Shinbone Alley''; '' Hello, Dolly!''; ''

The Odd Couple Odd Couple may refer to: Neil Simon play and its adaptations * ''The Odd Couple'' (play), a 1965 stage play by Neil Simon ** ''The Odd Couple'' (film), a 1968 film based on the play *** ''The Odd Couple'' (1970 TV series), a 1970–1975 televisi ...

''; and '' Sugar Babies''. His last appearance on Broadway was in the musical ''

Dreamtime The Dreaming, also referred to as Dreamtime, is a term devised by early anthropologists to refer to a religio-cultural worldview attributed to Australian Aboriginal mythology, Australian Aboriginal beliefs. It was originally used by Francis Ja ...

'', directed by David Niles at the

Ed Sullivan Theater The Ed Sullivan Theater (originally Hammerstein's Theatre; later the Manhattan Theatre, Billy Rose's Music Hall, CBS Radio Playhouse No. 3, and CBS Studio 50) is a theater at 1697–1699 Broadway, between 53rd and 54th Streets, in the Theater ...

, at the age of 77. Bracken's extensive television roles between 1952 and 2000 include an episode of ''

The Golden Girls ''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Bea Arthur, Betty White ...

'' as Rose Nylund's ex-childhood boyfriend from St. Olaf, as well as an episode of ''

Tales from the Darkside ''Tales from the Darkside'' is an American anthology horror TV series created by George A. Romero. Debuting in October 1983 with a pilot episode and then being picked up for syndication in September 1984, the show ran for 4 seasons through July ...

'' playing a stubborn old man who refuses to believe that he has died. After nearly 30 years out of feature films, he returned to perform character roles, including the sympathetic ''Walley World'' theme park founder Mr. Roy Walley in ''

''(1983) and Duncan's Toy Chest toy store owner Mr. Duncan in '' Home Alone 2: Lost in New York'' (1992). Bracken also had a long career with

Paper Mill Playhouse Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theater with approximately 1200 seats, located in Millburn, New Jersey on the Rahway River. Due to its relatively close location to Manhattan, it draws from the pool of actors (and audience members) who live in ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, starring in dozens of productions in the 1980s–early 2000s. One high point was their production of ''

Show Boat ''Show Boat'' is a musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the performers, stagehands and dock worke ...

'' in which he played Captain Andy Hawkes. This production was broadcast on PBS in 1990. He also played a cameo in

Patrick Read Johnson Patrick Read Johnson (born May 7, 1962) is an American filmmaker, special effects artist and screenwriter. Born in Wadsworth, Illinois, he is best known for his directorial work on the films '' Spaced Invaders'', '' Angus'', '' Baby's Day Out'', ...

's 1994 film, ''

'', as one of the veterans in the old soldier's home. Bracken acted in films with two actors who later became

U.S. Presidents The president of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States, indirectly elected to a four-year term Term may refer to: * Terminology, or term, a noun or compound word used in a specific context, in pa ...

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

and

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

. He co-starred in ''

The Girl from Jones Beach ''The Girl from Jones Beach'' is a 1949 American comedy film directed by Peter Godfrey (director), Peter Godfrey and written by I. A. L. Diamond. The film stars Ronald Reagan, Virginia Mayo, Eddie Bracken, Dona Drake, Henry Travers and Lois Wilso ...

'' with Reagan in 1949, and Trump played minor parts in '' Home Alone 2: Lost in New York'' in 1992.

Death

On November 14, 2002, Bracken died in

Glen Ridge, New Jersey Glen Ridge is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough’s population was 7,802, reflecting an increase of 275 (+3.7%) from the 2 ...

, of complications from surgery for a crushed disk in his neck at the age of 87. His wife of 63 years, Connie Nickerson, a former actress, died in August 2002, just three months before his death. He met Connie when they performed together in a road company of the Broadway play '' What a Life'' in 1938. Together Eddie and Connie had five children: two sons (Michael and David) and three daughters (Judy, Carolyn and Susan).

Hollywood Walk of Fame

For his contributions to radio and television, Bracken has two stars on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...

, at 1651 Vine Street and 6751 Hollywood Boulevard respectively.

Filmography

*''

Pacific Liner ''Pacific Liner'' is a 1939 American action/adventure film directed by Lew Landers. The film stars Victor McLaglen, Chester Morris and Wendy Barrie. ''Pacific Liner'' is primarily set in the engineering section of the vessel, where a stowaway ha ...

'' (1939) as Junior officer (uncredited) *'' Too Many Girls'' (1940) as Jojo Jordan *''

Life with Henry ''Life with Henry'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Theodore Reed and written by Clifford Goldsmith and Don Hartman. The film stars Jackie Cooper, Leila Ernst, Eddie Bracken, Fred Niblo, Hedda Hopper and Kay Stewart. The film was relea ...

'' (1941) as 'Dizzy' Stevens *''

Reaching for the Sun ''Reaching for the Sun'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by William A. Wellman and written by W.L. River. The film stars Joel McCrea, Ellen Drew, Eddie Bracken, Albert Dekker, Billy Gilbert, George Chandler and Bodil Ann Rosing. The f ...

'' (1941) as Benny Hogan *''

Caught in the Draft ''Caught in the Draft'' is a 1941 comedy/war film with Bob Hope directed by David Butler. Plot Famous Hollywood actor Don Bolton (Hope) is a vain movie star whose biggest fear is to be drafted into the US Army. He definitely lacks the qualities ...

'' (1941) as Bert Sparks *''Safeguarding Military Information'' (1942) (short subject for military training) *''

The Fleet's In ''The Fleet's In'' is a 1942 movie musical produced by Paramount Pictures, directed by Victor Schertzinger, and starring Dorothy Lamour and William Holden. Although sharing the title of the 1928 Paramount film starring Clara Bow and Jack Oakie, ...

'' (1942) as Barney Waters *'' Star Spangled Rhythm'' (1942) as Johnny Webster *'' Sweater Girl'' (1942) as Jack Mitchell *'' Happy Go Lucky'' (1943) as Wally Case *''

Young and Willing ''Young and Willing'' is a 1943 American comedy film produced and directed by Edward H. Griffith and starring William Holden, Eddie Bracken, Robert Benchley, and Susan Hayward. With a screenplay by Virginia Van Upp based on the play ''Out of the ...

'' (1943) as George Bodell *''

'' (1944) as Norval Jones *''

'' (1944) as Woodrow Truesmith *'' Rainbow Island'' (1944) as Toby Smith *'' Bring on the Girls'' (1945) as J. Newport Bates *'' Out of this World'' (1945) as Herbie Fenton *''

Duffy's Tavern ''Duffy's Tavern'' is an American radio situation comedy that ran for a decade on several networks ( CBS, 1941–42; NBC-Blue Network, 1942–44; and NBC, 1944–51), concluding with the December 28, 1951, broadcast. The program often featured ...

'' (1945) as Eddie Bracken *''

Hold That Blonde ''Hold That Blonde'' is a 1945 American comedy crime film directed by George Marshall and starring Eddie Bracken, Veronica Lake and Albert Dekker. Plot Bracken plays a kleptomaniac who unwittingly becomes involved with a gang of jewel thieves, i ...

'' (1945) as Ogden Spencer Trulow III *''

Ladies' Man A ladies' man or lady's man is a man who enjoys spending time socially with women, who strives to please them and that women find attractive. Ladies' man or lady's man may also refer to: Literature * ''Ladies' Man'' (novel), a 1978 novel by R ...

'' (1947) as Henry Haskell *''

Fun on a Weekend ''Fun on a Weekend'' is a 1947 American comedy film written and directed by Andrew L. Stone. The film stars Eddie Bracken, Priscilla Lane, Tom Conway, Allen Jenkins, Arthur Treacher, Clarence Kolb and Fritz Feld. The film was released on May 15, ...

'' (1947) as Pete Porter aka P.P. Porterhouse III *''

'' (1949) as Chuck Donovan *''

Summer Stock In American theater, summer-stock theater is a theater that presents stage productions only in the summer. The name combines the season with the tradition of staging shows by a resident company, reusing stock scenery and costumes. Summer stock the ...

'' (1950) as Orville Wingait *'' Two Tickets to Broadway'' (1951) as Lew Conway *'' About Face'' (1952) as Biff Roberts *''

We're Not Married! ''We're Not Married!'' is a 1952 American anthology romantic comedy film directed by Edmund Goulding. It was released by 20th Century Fox. The screenplay was written by Nunnally Johnson Nunnally Hunter Johnson (December 5, 1897 – March 25 ...

'' (1952) as Wilson Boswell 'Willie' Fisher *'' The Gulf Playhouse'' (Television series, 1952) as Lt. Merivale R. Colquhoun *'' A Slight Case of Larceny'' (1953) as Frederick Winthrop Clopp *''

Lux Video Theatre ''Lux Video Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1957. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays. Overview The ''Lux Vid ...

'' (Television series, 1953) as Larry *''

Schlitz Playhouse ''Schlitz Playhouse of Stars'' is an anthology series that was telecast from 1951 until 1959 on CBS. Offering both Television comedy, comedies and Dramatic programming, drama, the series was sponsored by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. The ti ...

'' (Television series, 1953–1956) as Gunner's Mate *''

Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' was an American television anthology series, anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology dr ...

'' (Television series, 1957) as Stephen Minch *'' The Roaring 20s'' (Television series, 1961) as Ace Johnson *''Always on Sunday'' (1962) as Bit Part (uncredited) *''

Going My Way ''Going My Way'' is a 1944 American musical comedy drama film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald. Written by Frank Butler and Frank Cavett based on a story by McCarey, the film is about a new young priest ta ...

'' (Television series, 1962) as Danny Everett *'' Rawhide'' (Television series, 1963–1964) as Edgar Allan Smithers / Morris G. Stevens *'' Burke's Law'' (Television series, 1964–1965) as Simeon Quatraine / 'Evil Eye' Hatton *'' Shinbone Alley'' (1970) as Archy (voice) *''

The New Dick Van Dyke Show ''The New Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American sitcom starring Dick Van Dyke that aired on CBS from 1971 to 1974. It was Van Dyke's first return to series television since ''The Dick Van Dyke Show''. Background CBS was so eager to have Dick Van ...

'' (Television series, 1973) as Eddie *'' Busting Loose'' (Television series, 1977) *''

'' (1983) as Roy Walley *''

'' (Television series, 1984) 'A Case of the Stubborns' as Grandpa *''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...

'' (Television series, 1985) as Barney Ogden *''

The Wind in the Willows ''The Wind in the Willows'' is a children's novel by the British novelist Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. It details the story of Mole, Ratty, and Badger as they try to help Mr. Toad, after he becomes obsessed with motorcars and gets ...

'' (1987) as Moley *''

'' (Television series, 1990) as Buzz *''

'' (1991) as Five Spot Charlie *'' Home Alone 2: Lost in New York'' (1992) as E.F. Duncan *'' Rookie of the Year'' (1993) as Bob Carson *''

'' (1994) as Old Timer *''

The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue ''The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue'' is a 1997 American animated film, animated musical film. Unlike other novellas in "The Brave Little Toaster" lineup, it is the first film not to be based on the novella of the same name by Thomas M. Dis ...

'' (1997) as Sebastian (voice) (direct-to-video)

Stage credits

*''Lottery'' (1930) *''The Man in Stilts'' (1931) *''The Lady Refuses'' (1933) *''

The Drunkard ''The Drunkard; or, The Fallen Saved'' is an American temperance play first performed on February 12, 1844.

'' (1934) *''Life's Too Short'' (1935) *''So Proudly We Hail'' (1936) *''Iron Men'' (1936) *''

Brother Rat ''Brother Rat'' is a 1938 American comedy drama film about cadets at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia, directed by William Keighley, and starring Ronald Reagan, Priscilla Lane, Eddie Albert (in his film debut), Jane Wyman, and ...

'' (1937) *''What A Life'' (1938–1939) *'' Too Many Girls'' (1939) *''

The Seven Year Itch ''The Seven Year Itch'' is a 1955 American romantic comedy film directed by Billy Wilder, from a screenplay he co-wrote with George Axelrod from the 1952 three-act play. The film stars Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell, who reprised his stage role. ...

'' (1953–1959) *'' The Tender Trap'' (1953–1956) *''

Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? ''Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?'' is a 1957 American satirical comedy film starring Jayne Mansfield and Tony Randall, with Betsy Drake, Joan Blondell, John Williams, Henry Jones, Lili Gentle, and Mickey Hargitay, and with a cameo by Groucho M ...

'' (1956) *'' The Teahouse of the August Moon'' (1956) *'' Shinbone Alley'' (1957) *''

Three Men on a Horse ''Three Men on a Horse'' is a three-act farce co-authored by John Cecil Holm and George Abbott. The comedy focuses on a man who discovers he has a talent for choosing the winning horse in a race as long as he never places a bet himself. Originally ...

'' (1957) *''

The Tunnel of Love ''The Tunnel of Love'' is a 1958 romantic comedy film directed by Gene Kelly and starring Doris Day and Richard Widmark. The film follows a married suburban couple who, for reasons unknown, are unable to conceive a child and soon endure endless ...

'' (1958) *''

Where's Charley? ''Where's Charley?'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by George Abbott. The story was based on the 1892 play ''Charley's Aunt'' by Brandon Thomas. The musical debuted on Broadway in 1948 and was revived on Broadway an ...

'' (1958) *''

Visit to a Small Planet ''Visit to a Small Planet'' is a 1960 American black-and-white science fiction comedy film directed by Norman Taurog and starring Jerry Lewis, Joan Blackman, Earl Holliman, and Fred Clark. Distributed by Paramount Pictures, it was produced by Hal ...

'' (1958) *''

Say Darling ''Say, Darling'' is a three-act comic play by Abe Burrows and Richard and Marian Bissell about the creation of a Broadway musical. Although the play featured nine original songs with lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and music by Jule Sty ...

'' (1959) *''The Golden Fleecing'' (1960) *'' Finian's Rainbow'' (1960) *'' Mister Roberts'' (1960) *''Beg, Borrow or Steal'' (1960) *''Hot September'' (1965) (closed on the road) *''

'' (1965) *''

You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running ''You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running'' is a collection of four unrelated one-act comedy plays by Robert Anderson. In ''The Shock of Recognition'', playwright Jack Barnstable auditions Richard Pawling for a role that requires nudi ...

'' (1967–1968) *''The Girl in the Freudian Slip'' (1972) *'' Never Too Late'' (1973) *'' Born Yesterday'' (1974) *''

The Sunshine Boys ''The Sunshine Boys'' is an original two-act play written by Neil Simon that premiered December 20, 1972 on Broadway starring Jack Albertson as Willie Clark and Sam Levene as Al Lewis and later adapted for film and television. Plot The play's ...

'' (1975) *''Hot Line to Heaven'' (1975) *'' Hello Dolly!'' (1977–1980) *''

'' (1979–1980) *'' Sugar Babies'' (1981–1982) *''

Damn Yankees ''Damn Yankees'' is a 1955 musical comedy with a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop, music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story is a modern retelling of the Faust legend set during the 1950s in Washington, D.C., during ...

'' (1981) *'' Kismet'' (1984) *''Show Boat'' (1985) *''Sugar Babies'' (1986–1987) *''Show Boat'' (1988–1989) *'' Babes in Toyland'' (1991) *'' The Wizard of Oz'' (1992) *''

'' (1992) *''It Runs in the Family'' (1993–1994) *''These Golden Years'' (1996) *''

No, No, Nanette ''No, No, Nanette'' is a musical comedy with lyrics by Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach, music by Vincent Youmans, and a book by Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel, based on Mandel's 1919 Broadway play ''My Lady Friends''. The farcical story involves th ...

'' (1997) *''

Follies ''Follies'' is a Musical theater, musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. The plot takes place in a crumbling Broadway theater, now scheduled for demolition, previously home to a musical revue (based on t ...

'' (1998) *''

The Student Prince ''The Student Prince'' is an operetta in four acts with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly. It is based on Wilhelm Meyer-Förster's play '' Old Heidelberg''. The piece has a score with some of Romberg's most enduri ...

'' (2000) *''

Carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (List of sovereign states, international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in South Australia, SA) is a type of amusement ...

'' (2001)

Radio appearances

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bracken, Eddie 1915 births 2002 deaths American male film actors American male voice actors American male radio actors American male stage actors American male musical theatre actors People from Astoria, Queens People from Glen Ridge, New Jersey Vaudeville performers 20th-century American male actors American male television actors American male comedians 21st-century American male actors Male actors from New York City Comedians from New York City 20th-century American comedians 21st-century American comedians 20th-century American singers 20th-century American male singers