Edgar John Bergen (born Edgar John Berggren; February 16, 1903 – September 30, 1978) was an American ventriloquist, actor, comedian, vaudevillian and radio performer, best known for his proficiency in
ventriloquism
Ventriloquism, or ventriloquy, is a performance act of stagecraft in which a person (a ventriloquist) creates the illusion that their voice is coming from elsewhere, usually a puppeteered prop known as a "dummy". The act of ventriloquism is ve ...
and his characters
Charlie McCarthy
Charlie McCarthy is Edgar Bergen's famed ventriloquist dummy partner. Charlie was part of Bergen's act as early as high school, and by 1930, was attired in his famous top hat, tuxedo, and monocle. The character was so well-known that his populari ...
and Mortimer Snerd. He was the father of actress
Candice Bergen
Candice Patricia Bergen (born May 9, 1946) is an American actress. She won five Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for her portrayal of the title character on the CBS sitcom ''Murphy Brown'' (1988–1998, 2018). She is also know ...
.
Early life
Bergen was born in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
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, subdivision_name ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
, one of five children and the younger of two sons of
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
immigrants Nilla Svensdotter (née Osberg) and Johan Henriksson Berggren. He lived on a farm near
Decatur, Michigan
Decatur is a village in Van Buren County, Michigan, United States. The population was 1,819 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Decatur Township.
History
Decatur Township and the Village of Decatur are named after Stephen Decatu ...
until he was four, when his family returned to Sweden, where he learned the language. After his family had returned to Chicago, when he was eleven, he taught himself ventriloquism from a pamphlet called "The Wizard's Manual". He attended
Lake View High School. After his father died, when Edgar was 16, he went out to work as an apprentice accountant, a furnace stoker, a player-piano operator, and a projectionist in a silent-movie house.
Edgar so impressed the famous ventriloquist
Harry Lester that he gave the teenager almost daily lessons for three months in the fundamentals of ventriloquism. In the fall of 1919, Edgar paid Chicago woodcarver Theodore Mack $36 to sculpt a likeness of a rascally red-headed Irish
newspaper boy he knew. The head went on a
dummy named Charlie McCarthy, which became Bergen's lifelong
sidekick
A sidekick is a slang expression for a close companion or colleague (not necessarily in fiction) who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to the one they accompany.
Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, ...
. He had created the body himself, using a nine-inch length of broomstick for the backbone, and rubber bands and cords to control the lower jaw mechanism of the mouth.
For college, he attended
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
, where he enrolled in the pre-med program to please his mother. He later switched to speech and drama, but never completed his degree. He gave his first public performance at Waveland Avenue Congregational Church located on the northeast corner of Waveland and Janssen. He lived across the street from the church. In 1965, he gave the church a generous contribution, a thoughtful letter, and a photograph of himself which had been requested by the minister and was displayed in the church's assembly room which was dedicated to Bergen. He cut out an "R" and a "G" from his family name and went from Berggren to Bergen on the showbills. Between June 1922 and August 1925, he performed every summer on the professional
Chautauqua circuit and at the Lyceum theater in Chicago. Bergen had an interest in aviation, becoming a private pilot.
''The Chase and Sanborn Hour''
His first performances were in
vaudeville
Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
, at which point he legally changed his last name to the easier-to-pronounce "Bergen". He worked in one-reel
movie shorts, but his real success was on the radio. He and Charlie were seen at a New York party by
Elsa Maxwell
Elsa Maxwell (May 24, 1883 – November 1, 1963) was an American gossip columnist and author, songwriter, screenwriter, radio personality and professional hostess renowned for her parties for royalty and high society figures of her day.
Maxw ...
for
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...
, who recommended them for an engagement at the famous
Rainbow Room
The Rainbow Room is a private event space on the 65th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza at Rockefeller Center in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Run by Tishman Speyer, it is among the highest venues in New York City. The Rainbow Room serves clas ...
. It was there that two producers saw Bergen and Charlie perform. They then recommended them for a guest appearance on
Rudy Vallée
Hubert Prior Vallée (July 28, 1901 – July 3, 1986), known professionally as Rudy Vallée, was an American singer, musician, actor, and radio host. He was one of the first modern pop stars of the teen idol type.
Early life
Hubert Prior Vall ...
's program.
Their initial appearance (December 17, 1936) was so successful that the following year they were given regular cast roles as part of ''
The Chase and Sanborn Hour
''The Chase and Sanborn Hour'' is the umbrella title for a series of American comedy and variety radio shows sponsored by Standard Brands' Chase & Sanborn Coffee Company, Chase and Sanborn Coffee, usually airing Sundays on NBC Radio Network, NBC ...
''.
Under various sponsors (and two different networks), they were on the air from May 9, 1937, to July 1, 1956. The popularity of a ventriloquist on radio, when one could see neither the dummies nor his skill, surprised and puzzled many critics, then and now. Even knowing that Bergen provided the voice, listeners perceived Charlie as a genuine person. In 1947, Sam Berman caricatured Bergen and McCarthy for the network's glossy promotional book, ''NBC Parade of Stars: As Heard Over Your Favorite NBC Station''.
Bergen's skill as an entertainer, especially his characterization of Charlie, carried the show (many recordings of which have survived).
[ Bergen's success on radio was paralleled in the ]United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
by Peter Brough
Peter Brough (26 February 1916 – 3 June 1999) was an English radio ventriloquist who became a well-known name to audiences in the 1950s. He is associated with his puppet Archie Andrews.
Early career
Peter Brough’s father, Arthur Broug ...
and his dummy Archie Andrews
Archibald "Archie" Andrews, created in 1941 by publisher John L. Goldwater and artist Bob Montana in collaboration with writer Vic Bloom, (''Educating Archie
''Educating Archie'' was a BBC Light Programme comedy show which was broadcast for nearly ten years between June 1950 and February 1960, mostly at lunchtime on Sundays. The programme featured ventriloquist Peter Brough and his doll Archie Andr ...
'').
For the radio program, Bergen developed other characters, notably the slow-witted Mortimer Snerd and the man-hungry Effie Klinker. The star remained Charlie, who was always presented as a highly precocious child (albeit in top hat
A top hat (also called a high hat, a cylinder hat, or, informally, a topper) is a tall, flat-crowned hat for men traditionally associated with formal wear in Western dress codes, meaning white tie, morning dress, or frock coat. Traditionally m ...
, cape, and monocle
A monocle is a type of corrective lens used to correct or enhance the visual perception in only one eye. It consists of a circular lens, generally with a wire ring around the circumference that can be attached to a string or wire. The other ...
)—a debonair, girl-crazy, child-about-town. As a child, and a wooden one at that, Charlie could get away with double entendres
A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, of which one is typically obvious, whereas the other often conveys a message that would be too socially a ...
which were otherwise impossible under broadcast standards of the time.
:Charlie: "May I have a kiss good-bye?"
:Dale Evans
Dale Evans Rogers (born Frances Octavia Smith; October 31, 1912 – February 7, 2001) was an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She was the third wife of singing cowboy Roy Rogers.
Early life
Evans was born Frances Octavia Smith on Oc ...
: "Well, I can't see any harm in that!"
:Charlie: "Oh. I wish you could. A harmless kiss doesn't sound very thrilling."
Charlie and Mae West
Mae West (born Mary Jane West; August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American stage and film actress, playwright, screenwriter, singer, and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned over seven decades. She was known for her breezy ...
had this conversation on December 12, 1937.
:Charlie: "Not so loud, Mae, not so loud! All my girlfriends are listening."
:Mae: "Oh, yeah! You’re all wood and a yard long."
:Charlie: "Yeah."
:Mae: "You weren’t so nervous and backward when you came up to see me at my apartment. In fact, you didn’t need any encouragement to kiss me."
:Charlie: "Did I do that?"
:Mae: "Why, you certainly did. I got marks to prove it. An' splinters, too."
Charlie's feud with W. C. Fields
William Claude Dukenfield (January 29, 1880 – December 25, 1946), better known as W. C. Fields, was an American comedian, actor, juggler, and writer. Fields's comic persona was a misanthropic and hard-drinking egotist who remained a sympathe ...
was a regular feature of the show.
:W. C. Fields: "Well, if it isn't Charlie 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 can remember when, with my own little unsteady legs, I toddled from room to room."
:Charlie: "When was that? Last night?"
:W. C. Fields: "Quiet, Wormwood, or I'll whittle you into a venetian blind."
:Charlie: "Ooh, that makes me shutter!"
:W. C. Fields: "Tell me, Charles, is it true that your father was a gate-leg table?"
:Charlie: "If it is, your father was under it."
:W. C. Fields: "Why, you stunted spruce, I'll throw a Japanese beetle on you."
:Charlie: "Why, you bar-fly you, I'll stick a wick in your mouth, and use you for an alcohol lamp!"
:Charlie: "Pink elephants take aspirin to get rid of W. C. Fields."
:W.C. Fields: "Step out of the sun Charles. You may come unglued."
:Charlie: "Mind if I stand in the shade of your nose?"
Bergen was a technically skilled ventriloquist, but after his talent moved to radio, it was more important that Charlie McCarthy be clearly understood, so Bergen's skill at not moving his lips was allowed to slip—and Charlie McCarthy frequently twitted him for moving his lips—but Bergen's sense of comedic timing was superb, and he handled Charlie's snappy dialog with aplomb. Bergen's wit in creating McCarthy's striking personality and that of his other characters was the making of the show. Bergen's popularity as a ventriloquist on radio, where the trick of "throwing his voice" was not visible, suggests his appeal was primarily the personality he applied to his characters.
Bergen and McCarthy are sometimes credited with "saving the world" because, on the night of October 30, 1938, when Orson Welles
George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
performed his ''War of the Worlds
''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by '' Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appearance in hardcover was i ...
'' radio play that panicked many listeners, most of the American public had instead tuned to Bergen and McCarthy on another station and never heard Welles' play. Conversely, it has also been theorized that Bergen inadvertently contributed to the hysteria. When the musical portion of Bergen's show, ''The Chase and Sanborn Hour'', aired approximately 12 minutes into the show, many listeners adjusted their dial and found the ''War of the Worlds'' presentation already underway with a realistic-sounding reporter detailing terrible events.
Ray Noble
Raymond Stanley Noble (17 December 1903 – 2 April 1978) was an English jazz and big band musician, who was a bandleader, composer and arranger, as well as a radio host, television and film comedian and actor; he also performed in the United ...
was the musical director and composer, and teenage singer Anita Gordon
Anita Gordon (December 21, 1929 - May 10, 2015) was an American singer who performed on radio and television and sang on films and records.
Early years
Gordon was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Pete Gordon of Corsicana, Texas. Her father was a b ...
provided the songs on his show. Gordon was said to have been discovered by Charlie, who had a crush on her.
In the fall (autumn) of 1948, Edgar and Charlie faced serious competition from ABC's "jackpot" quiz show, '' Stop the Music'', which suddenly drew more listeners (Fred Allen
John Florence Sullivan (May 31, 1894 – March 17, 1956), known professionally as Fred Allen, was an American comedian. His absurdist, topically pointed radio program ''The Fred Allen Show'' (1932–1949) made him one of the most popular and for ...
faced a similar problem because he directly appeared before them). In December 1948, Edgar announced he was temporarily "retiring" from radio, admitting that ''Stop the Music'' was too popular to compete with. His final NBC broadcast was on December 26, 1948.
''The Charlie McCarthy Show''
In October 1949, Bergen went to CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
, with a new weekly program, '' The Charlie McCarthy Show'', sponsored by Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...
. After their sponsorship ended in June 1952, Richard Hudnut
Richard Alexander Hudnut (June 2, 1855 – October 30, 1928) was an American businessman recognized as the first American to achieve international success in cosmetics manufacturing. The company once maintained separate US and European headquarte ...
, on behalf of "Lanolin Plus" cosmetics, primarily sponsored the series until the end of the 1953–54 season. In October 1954, Kraft Foods
The second incarnation of Kraft Foods is an American food manufacturing and processing conglomerate, split from Kraft Foods Inc. in 2012 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It became part of Kraft Heinz in 2015.
A merger with Heinz, arra ...
sponsored a new ''Edgar Bergen Hour''. After Kraft's departure, the series continued with participating sponsors as a 55-minute series in the fall of 1955. However, because more people were watching television on Sunday nights than listened to radio (and advertisers preferred to sponsor TV shows by then), the series finally ended on July 1, 1956.
Comic strip
In addition to his work as a ventriloquist, Bergen was also an actor and comic strip creator. He established the syndicated comic strip ''Mortimer & Charlie'', which ran in newspapers from July 10, 1939, to May 1940, illustrated first by Ben Batsford and then by Carl Buettner Carl may refer to:
*Carl, Georgia, city in USA
*Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
*Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name
*Carl², a TV series
* "Carl", an episode of tel ...
. The comic strip's writer was uncredited, but some of the gags certainly were lifted from the hit radio show. Between 1947 and 1954 Harvey Eisenberg also drew a comic strip based on Charlie McCarthy, scripted by Bergen.
Films
Bergen and his alter ego Charlie McCarthy were given top billing in several films, including the Technicolor
Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades.
Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...
extravaganza ''The Goldwyn Follies
''The Goldwyn Follies'' is a 1938 Technicolor film written by Ben Hecht, Sid Kuller, Sam Perrin and Arthur Phillips, with music by George Gershwin, Vernon Duke, and Ray Golden, and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and Sid Kuller. Some sources credit Kurt We ...
'' (1938), opposite the Ritz Brothers
The Ritz Brothers were an American family comedy act who performed extensively on stage, in nightclubs and in films from 1925 to the late 1960s. A fourth brother, George, acted as their manager.
Early life
The four brothers were born to Austria ...
. That year they also appeared in ''You Can't Cheat an Honest Man
''You Can't Cheat an Honest Man'' is a 1939 American comedy film directed by George Marshall and Edward F. Cline and starring W. C. Fields. Fields also wrote the story on which the film is based under the name Charles Bogle.
Plot
Circus propr ...
'' with W. C. Fields
William Claude Dukenfield (January 29, 1880 – December 25, 1946), better known as W. C. Fields, was an American comedian, actor, juggler, and writer. Fields's comic persona was a misanthropic and hard-drinking egotist who remained a sympathe ...
. At the height of their popularity in 1937, Bergen was presented an Honorary Oscar
The Academy Honorary Award – instituted in 1950 for the 23rd Academy Awards (previously called the Special Award, which was first presented at the 1st Academy Awards in 1929) – is given annually by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Mot ...
(in the form of a wooden Oscar statuette, the only wooden Oscar given so far) for his creation of Charlie McCarthy. Bergen, along with Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd, was also featured in the 1938 film ''Letter of Introduction
''Letter of Introduction'' is a 1938 American comedy-drama film directed by John M. Stahl.
In 1966, the film entered the public domain in the United States because the claimants did not renew its copyright registration in the 28th year after pu ...
''.
As an actor alone, Bergen portrayed the timid suitor of the sister Trina in '' I Remember Mama'' (1948), and appeared in ''Captain China
''Captain China'' is a 1950 American adventure film directed by Lewis R. Foster and written by Lewis R. Foster and Gwen Bagni. The film stars John Payne, Gail Russell, Jeffrey Lynn, Lon Chaney Jr., Edgar Bergen, Michael O'Shea and Ellen Corb ...
'' (1949), '' The Hanged Man'' (1964) and ''Don't Make Waves
''Don't Make Waves'' is a 1967 American sex comedy (with elements of the beach party genre) starring Tony Curtis, Claudia Cardinale, Dave Draper and Sharon Tate. Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the film was directed by Alexander Mackendric ...
'' (1967). Other film roles for the team include ''Look Who's Laughing
''Look Who's Laughing'' (aka ''Look Who's Talking'') is a 1941 film from RKO Radio Pictures. The film is built around a number of radio stars from the Golden Age of Radio and centers around radio personality Jim Jordan as Fibber McGee from the co ...
'' (1941) and '' Here We Go Again'' (1942), both with Fibber McGee and Molly
''Fibber McGee and Molly'' (1935–1959) was a longtime highly popular husband-and-wife team radio comedy program.
The situation comedy was a staple of the NBC Red Network from 1936 on, after originating on NBC Blue in 1935. One of the most p ...
. Charlie McCarthy wore a US Army uniform in ''Stage Door Canteen
The Stage Door Canteen was an entertainment venue for American and Allied servicemen that operated in the Broadway theatre district of New York City throughout World War II. Founded by the American Theatre Wing (ATW) in 1942, the entertainers we ...
'' (1943) with Mortimer Snerd. Bergen, McCarthy and Snerd were also featured in Walt Disney
Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
's ''Fun and Fancy Free
''Fun and Fancy Free'' is a 1947 American animated musical fantasy package film produced by Walt Disney and released on September 27, 1947 by RKO Radio Pictures. It is the ninth Disney animated feature film and the fourth of the package films th ...
'' (1947). He later cameoed in all-star films such as ''The Phynx
''The Phynx'' is a 1970 American comedy film directed by Lee H. Katzin about a rock and roll band named The Phynx and their mission in foreign affairs. The group is sent to Albania to locate celebrity hostages taken prisoner by Communists.
This ...
'' (1970), ''Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood
''Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood'' is a 1976 American comedy film directed by Michael Winner, and starring Bruce Dern, Madeline Kahn, Teri Garr and Art Carney. Spoofing the craze surrounding Rin Tin Tin, the film is notable for the lar ...
'' (1976), and ''The Muppet Movie
''The Muppet Movie'' is a 1979 American musical road comedy film directed by James Frawley, produced by Jim Henson, and the first theatrical film featuring the Muppets. A co-production between the United Kingdom and the United States, the fil ...
'' (1979). In 1977, Bergen had made a guest appearance on a second-season episode of ''The Muppet Show
''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC in 1974 and 1975. While neither episode was moved forward as a ser ...
'', the highly acclaimed television comedy/variety program produced by Jim Henson
James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, animator, cartoonist, actor, inventor, and filmmaker who achieved worldwide notice as the creator of The Muppets and '' Fraggle Rock'' (1983–1987) and ...
who considered Bergen a major inspiration. His daughter Candice had also guest-starred on the show during its first season. Bergen died shortly after filming his ''Muppet Movie'' scene, which was also his final public appearance, and was subsequently dedicated to him. In 2009 Bergen was featured in the comedy documentary '' 'I'm No Dummy'', directed by Bryan W. Simon
Bryan. W. Simon, is a stage and film director, and writer. Simon grew up in Waukegan, Illinois and attended Waukegan High School, College of Lake County. Simon directed his first professional stage play at age 17, the regional tour of a children ...
.
Television appearances
Although his regular series never made the transition to television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
, Bergen made numerous appearances on the medium during his career. His first appearance was with Charlie McCarthy on NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
's pioneering television variety show ''Hour Glass
An hourglass (or sandglass, sand timer, sand clock or egg timer) is a device used to measure the passage of time. It comprises two glass bulbs connected vertically by a narrow neck that allows a regulated flow of a substance (historically sand) ...
'' in November 1946. In a filmed Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden and ...
special, billed as his official TV debut, sponsored by Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...
on CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
in 1950, the new character Podine Puffington was introduced; this saucy Southern belle was as tall as a real woman, in contrast to Bergen's other sit-on-the-knee sized characters. On Christmas Day that same year, Bergen and McCarthy appeared as guests on Walt Disney
Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
's first television show, ''One Hour in Wonderland
''One Hour in Wonderland'' is a 1950 television special made by Walt Disney Productions. It was first seen on Christmas Day, 1950, over NBC (4–5 pm in all time zones) for Coca-Cola, and was Walt Disney's first television production. It featured ...
''.
In 1954, Bergen was a co-host on a memorable TV musical special, '' General Foods 25th Anniversary Show: A Salute to Rodgers and Hammerstein''.
On December 26, 1954, Bergen appeared on ''What's My Line
''What's My Line?'' is a panel game show that originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, originally in black and white and later in color, with subsequent U.S. revivals. The game uses celebrity panelis ...
'' as a mystery guest. Bergen also hosted the television game show '' Do You Trust Your Wife?'' in 1956–1957, later succeeded, in a daytime edition, by Johnny Carson
John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He is best known as the host of ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson received six Pr ...
.
He appeared in the Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...
1957 episode of NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
's ''The Gisele MacKenzie Show
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
''. In 1958, Bergen appeared with his 12-year-old daughter Candice on an episode of ''You Bet Your Life
''You Bet Your Life'' is an American comedy quiz series that has aired on both radio and television. The original and best-known version was hosted by Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers, with announcer and assistant George Fenneman. The show deb ...
'' starring Groucho Marx
Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, stage, film, radio, singer, television star and vaudeville performer. He is generally considered to have been a master of quick wit an ...
. In 1959, he appeared in the second episode titled "Dossier" of the NBC espionage
Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangibl ...
series
Series may refer to:
People with the name
* Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series
* George Series (1920–1995), English physicist
Arts, entertainment, and media
Music
* Series, the ordered sets used in ...
'' Five Fingers'' starring David Hedison
Albert David Hedison Jr. (May 20, 1927 – July 18, 2019) was an American film, television, and stage actor. He was billed as Al Hedison in his early film work until 1959 when he was cast in the role of Victor Sebastian in the short-lived espion ...
. On May 21, 1959, he guest-starred with Charlie McCarthy on NBC's ''The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford
''The Ford Show'' (also known as ''The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford'' and ''The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show'') is an American variety program, starring singer and folk humorist Tennessee Ernie Ford, which aired on NBC on Thursday eveni ...
''. Bergen continued to appear regularly on television during the 1960s and into the 1970s, appearing on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' was an American late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson on NBC, the third iteration of the ''Tonight Show'' franchise. The show debuted on October 1, 1962, and aired its final episode on May 22, ...
'' as late as 1977. He guest-starred as Charlie in the 1960 episode "Moment of Fear" of CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
's ''The DuPont Show with June Allyson
''The DuPont Show with June Allyson'' (also known as ''The June Allyson Show'') is an American anthology drama series which aired on CBS from September 21, 1959, to April 3, 1961, with rebroadcasts continuing until June 12, 1961.
The series was ...
''. He did a stint as one of the ''What's My Line?
''What's My Line?'' is a panel game show that originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, originally in black and white and later in color, with subsequent U.S. revivals. The game uses celebrity panelis ...
'' mystery guests on the popular Sunday night CBS series. His colleague Paul Winchell
Paul Winchell (''né'' Wilchinsky; December 21, 1922 – June 24, 2005) was an American actor, comedian, humanitarian, inventor and ventriloquist whose career flourished in the 1950s and 1960s. From 1950 to 1954, he hosted ''The Paul Winchell S ...
happened to be a panel member during that episode. Bergen appeared on the NBC interview program ''Here's Hollywood
''Here's Hollywood'' is an American celebrity interview program which aired on weekday afternoons on NBC at 4:30 Eastern time from September 26, 1960, to December 28, 1962.
Overview
In the first season, the interviews were conducted by Dean Mille ...
''.
Bergen appeared as Grandpa Zeb Walton in the original '' Waltons'' television movie, '' The Homecoming: A Christmas Story'' (1971). The role was played by Will Geer
Will Geer (born William Aughe Ghere; March 9, 1902 – April 22, 1978) was an American actor, musician, and social activist, who was active in labor organizing and other movements in New York and Southern California in the 1930s and 1940s. In Ca ...
in the subsequent TV series. During the run of ''The Waltons''—which took place throughout the 1930s and 1940s—the voices of Bergen and Charlie McCarthy were sporadically heard from the Waltons' radio, as family members regularly tuned in for that program.
He appeared on ''The Muppet Show
''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC in 1974 and 1975. While neither episode was moved forward as a ser ...
'' in Season 2. His daughter, Candice Bergen
Candice Patricia Bergen (born May 9, 1946) is an American actress. She won five Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for her portrayal of the title character on the CBS sitcom ''Murphy Brown'' (1988–1998, 2018). She is also know ...
, who closely resembled her mother, appeared in Season 1.
Family
In 1941, Bergen met 18-year-old Frances Westerman, a young fashion model, who had graduated from Los Angeles High School the prior year. He spotted her in the live audience of his radio program, where she was the guest of one of his staff members. From Westerman's front-row seat, her legs caught the attention of 38-year-old Bergen, who asked to meet her. A long-distance courtship, spanning years, ensued. The two were eventually married, in Mexico, on June 28, 1945. On May 9, 1946, Frances gave birth to future actress Candice Bergen
Candice Patricia Bergen (born May 9, 1946) is an American actress. She won five Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for her portrayal of the title character on the CBS sitcom ''Murphy Brown'' (1988–1998, 2018). She is also know ...
, whose first performances were on Bergen's radio show. In 1950, the family were living on Beverly Grove Drive in Los Angeles. The couple's second child was film and television editor Kris Bergen. Frances also acted, appearing in several movies, co-starring in the 1958 television series ''Yancy Derringer
''Yancy Derringer'' is an American action/adventure series that was broadcast on CBS from 1958 to 1959, with Jock Mahoney (1919–1989) in the title role. The show was produced by Derringer Productions and filmed in Hollywood by Desilu Production ...
'', and guest-starring in many other shows.
Death
In mid-September 1978, Bergen announced that he was retiring after more than 50 years in show business, and sending his monocled, top-hatted partner, Charlie McCarthy, to the National Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves, and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific, and military history. Among the items on display is t ...
, at the Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
in Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
He opened at Caesar's Palace Hotel Las Vegas on September 27, for a two-week "Farewell to Show Business" engagement. Three days later, on September 30, 1978, he died of kidney disease. Bergen was interred with his parents (who are buried under their true surname of "Berggren"), in Inglewood Park Cemetery
Inglewood Park Cemetery, 720 East Florence Avenue in Inglewood, California, was founded in 1905.
A number of notable people, including entertainment and sports personalities, have been interred or entombed there.
History
The proposed est ...
, Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 107,762. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. The city is in the South Bay ...
.
In his will, according to Candice Bergen's memoir, 'A Fine Romance,' he left his daughter nothing, but bequeathed his dummy, Charlie McCarthy, $10,000. "I’d chased my father's approval all my life, and here was proof I’d never get it," the actress wrote. "I was hurt, shocked, when I discovered he had left me out of his will." She further explained that her father had provided this inheritance for the dummy, so that the funds could be managed, invested, and reinvested to provide for his future performances. She said her father wrote in his will: "I make this provision for sentimental reasons, which to me are vital due to the association with Charlie McCarthy, who has been my constant companion and who has taken on the character of a real person and from whom I have never been separated even for a day." Throughout the book, she suggested that her father seemed to have a stronger kinship with Charlie than with her. The dummy "dominated" her childhood, she explained, and even had his own bedroom in their house. "Those were unique circumstances to grow up in," she wrote. "Sometimes I have to give myself credit for being a functional human being. I knew my father loved me, but with his Swedish reserve, it wasn’t his nature to tell me."
On October 2, 2006, Bergen's wife of 33 years, Frances Westerman Bergen, died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a nonprofit, tertiary, 886-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science center located in Los Angeles, California. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over 2 ...
in Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, aged 84, from undisclosed causes. Unlike her husband, she is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park – Hollywood Hills is one of the six Forest Lawn cemeteries in Southern California. It is located at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles, California 90068, in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Histor ...
. In 1990, Bergen was elected to the Radio Hall of Fame
The Radio Hall of Fame, formerly the National Radio Hall of Fame, is an American organization created by the Emerson Radio Corporation in 1988.
Three years later, Bruce DuMont, founder, president, and CEO of the Museum of Broadcast Communicatio ...
, the same year that ''The Charlie McCarthy Show'' was selected as an honored program. A message in the closing credits
Closing credits or end credits are a list of the Cast member, cast and Film crew, crew of a particular Film, motion picture, television program, or video game. Where opening credits appear at the beginning of a work, closing credits appear clos ...
dedicates ''The Muppet Movie
''The Muppet Movie'' is a 1979 American musical road comedy film directed by James Frawley, produced by Jim Henson, and the first theatrical film featuring the Muppets. A co-production between the United Kingdom and the United States, the fil ...
'' (which featured Bergen and Charlie in their last screen appearance) to the memory and magic of Bergen. In 1991, the United States Postal Service honored him with a 29-cent commemorative stamp.
Hollywood Walk of Fame
Bergen was inducted into 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 ...
with three stars in 1960, for his contributions to television, motion pictures
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
, and radio. The stars are located at 6425, 6766, and 6801 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It begins in the east at Sunset Boulevard in the Los Feliz district and proceeds to the west as a major thoroughfare through Little Armenia and Thai Town, Hollywoo ...
, respectively.
Filmography
* 1931: ''The Eyes Have It'' as Dr. Wilbur Grant
* 1938: ''The Goldwyn Follies
''The Goldwyn Follies'' is a 1938 Technicolor film written by Ben Hecht, Sid Kuller, Sam Perrin and Arthur Phillips, with music by George Gershwin, Vernon Duke, and Ray Golden, and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and Sid Kuller. Some sources credit Kurt We ...
'' as Himself / Charlie McCarthy
Charlie McCarthy is Edgar Bergen's famed ventriloquist dummy partner. Charlie was part of Bergen's act as early as high school, and by 1930, was attired in his famous top hat, tuxedo, and monocle. The character was so well-known that his populari ...
* 1938: ''Letter of Introduction
''Letter of Introduction'' is a 1938 American comedy-drama film directed by John M. Stahl.
In 1966, the film entered the public domain in the United States because the claimants did not renew its copyright registration in the 28th year after pu ...
'' as Himself / Charlie McCarthy / Mortimer Snerd
* 1939: ''You Can't Cheat an Honest Man
''You Can't Cheat an Honest Man'' is a 1939 American comedy film directed by George Marshall and Edward F. Cline and starring W. C. Fields. Fields also wrote the story on which the film is based under the name Charles Bogle.
Plot
Circus propr ...
'' as The Great Edgar / Charlie McCarthy / Mortimer Snerd
* 1939: ''Charlie McCarthy, Detective
''Charlie McCarthy, Detective'' is a 1939 American comedy film starring Edgar Bergen, Charlie McCarthy (ventriloquist), Charlie McCarthy and Robert Cummings.
Plot
Scotty Hamilton is a reporter who works for a crooked editor. Bill Banning is ano ...
'' as Himself / Charlie McCarthy / Mortimer Snerd
* 1941: ''Look Who's Laughing
''Look Who's Laughing'' (aka ''Look Who's Talking'') is a 1941 film from RKO Radio Pictures. The film is built around a number of radio stars from the Golden Age of Radio and centers around radio personality Jim Jordan as Fibber McGee from the co ...
'' as Himself / Charlie McCarthy
* 1942: '' Here We Go Again'' as Himself / Charlie McCarthy / Mortimer Snerd
* 1943: ''Stage Door Canteen
The Stage Door Canteen was an entertainment venue for American and Allied servicemen that operated in the Broadway theatre district of New York City throughout World War II. Founded by the American Theatre Wing (ATW) in 1942, the entertainers we ...
'' as Himself / Charlie McCarthy / Mortimer Snerd
* 1944: ''Song of the Open Road
''Song of the Open Road'' is a 1944 Musical film, musical comedy film directed by S. Sylvan Simon, from a screenplay by Irving Phillips and Edward Verdier. It was the debut film of teenage singer Jane Powell. Powell's real name was Suzanne Burce ...
'' as Himself / Charlie McCarthy
* 1947: ''Fun and Fancy Free
''Fun and Fancy Free'' is a 1947 American animated musical fantasy package film produced by Walt Disney and released on September 27, 1947 by RKO Radio Pictures. It is the ninth Disney animated feature film and the fourth of the package films th ...
'' as Himself / Charlie McCarthy / Mortimer Snerd
* 1948: '' I Remember Mama'' as Mr. Thorkelson
* 1950: ''Captain China
''Captain China'' is a 1950 American adventure film directed by Lewis R. Foster and written by Lewis R. Foster and Gwen Bagni. The film stars John Payne, Gail Russell, Jeffrey Lynn, Lon Chaney Jr., Edgar Bergen, Michael O'Shea and Ellen Corb ...
'' as Mr. Haasvelt
* 1950: ''Charlie's Haunt'' as Himself / Charlie McCarthy
* 1953: ''Mystery Lake'' as Dr. Sorenson
* 1964: '' The Hanged Man'' (TV Movie) as Hotel Clerk
* 1965: '' One Way Wahine'' as Sweeney
* 1967: ''Don't Make Waves
''Don't Make Waves'' is a 1967 American sex comedy (with elements of the beach party genre) starring Tony Curtis, Claudia Cardinale, Dave Draper and Sharon Tate. Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the film was directed by Alexander Mackendric ...
'' as Madame Lavinia
* 1968: ''Rogue's Gallery
A rogues' gallery (or rogues gallery) is a police collection of mug shots or other images of criminal suspects kept for identification purposes.
History
In 1855, Allan Pinkerton, founder of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, established a ...
'' as Roy Benz
* 1970: ''The Phynx
''The Phynx'' is a 1970 American comedy film directed by Lee H. Katzin about a rock and roll band named The Phynx and their mission in foreign affairs. The group is sent to Albania to locate celebrity hostages taken prisoner by Communists.
This ...
'' as Himself / Charlie McCarthy
* 1976: ''Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood
''Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood'' is a 1976 American comedy film directed by Michael Winner, and starring Bruce Dern, Madeline Kahn, Teri Garr and Art Carney. Spoofing the craze surrounding Rin Tin Tin, the film is notable for the lar ...
'' as Professor Quicksand
* 1979: ''The Muppet Movie
''The Muppet Movie'' is a 1979 American musical road comedy film directed by James Frawley, produced by Jim Henson, and the first theatrical film featuring the Muppets. A co-production between the United Kingdom and the United States, the fil ...
'' as Himself / Charlie McCarthy (final film role)
* 2009: ''I'm No Dummy
''I'm No Dummy'' is a 2009 documentary film about ventriloquism directed by Bryan W. Simon, produced by Marjorie Engesser through Montivagus Productions. It premiered at the 2009 Seattle International Film Festival before being released theatrical ...
'' as Himself / Charlie McCarthy (archival footage)
See also
References
Further reading
* Bergen, Candice. ''Knock Wood''.
Grams, Martin Jr.. "''The Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy Show'': An Episode Guide and Brief History"
* Strickler, Dave. ''Syndicated Comic Strips and Artists, 1924–1995: The Complete Index.'' Cambria, California: Comics Access, 1995.
* Funni, Arthur. Thesis: ''The Radio Years of Bergen and McCarthy''. Margaret Herrick Library, 2000.
External links
"Edgar Bergen"
Website
*
*
*
*
*
Audio
* Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy's first show fo
The Chase And Sanborn Hour 1937-05-09 (01) Guest: Ann Harding, with a new introduction.
Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy 1942-05-03 Guest: Judy Garland
Zoot Radio, Free Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy old time radio shows
Video
* – ''Eddie in Decatur'', a 15-part documentary about Bergen's early life in Michigan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bergen, Edgar
1903 births
1930s American radio programs
1940s American radio programs
1950s American radio programs
1978 deaths
Academy Honorary Award recipients
Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award
American male film actors
American people of Swedish descent
American male radio actors
Burials at Inglewood Park Cemetery
Deaths from kidney failure
Peabody Award winners
People from Van Buren County, Michigan
Vaudeville performers
Ventriloquists
20th-century American male actors
Northwestern University School of Communication alumni
Comedy franchises