Sara Berner (born Lillian Ann Herdan; January 12, 1912 – December 19, 1969) was an American actress. Known for her expertise in

dialect The term dialect (from Latin , , from the Ancient Greek word , 'discourse', from , 'through' and , 'I speak') can refer to either of two distinctly different types of linguistic phenomena: One usage refers to a variety of a language that is ...

and

characterization Characterization or characterisation is the representation of persons (or other beings or creatures) in narrative and dramatic works. The term character development is sometimes used as a synonym. This representation may include direct methods ...

, she began her career as a performer 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 ...

before becoming a voice actress for

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 tr ...

and animated shorts. She starred in her own radio show on NBC, ''Sara's Private Caper'', and was best known as telephone operator Mabel Flapsaddle on ''

The Jack Benny Program ''The Jack Benny Program'', starring Jack Benny, is a radio-TV comedy series that ran for more than three decades and is generally regarded as a high-water mark in 20th century American comedy. He played one role throughout his radio and televis ...

''. Columnist

Erskine Johnson Erskine Johnson (December 14, 1910 - June 14, 1984) was a Hollywood gossip columnist who worked for the Hearst newspaper chain and appeared on the radio and in motion pictures. Career His column "Hollywood Notes" was syndicated by the Newspap ...

described Berner in 1944 as "the most famous voice in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

Early life and career

Born Lillian Ann Herdan in 1912 in

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York Cit ...

, she adopted her stage name by combining her mother's first name (Sarah) and her

maiden name When a person (traditionally the wife in many cultures) assumes the family name of their spouse, in some countries that name replaces the person's previous surname, which in the case of the wife is called the maiden name ("birth name" is also use ...

of Berner. She was the oldest of four children, and her family relocated to

Tulsa Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region wit ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

when she was a teenager. She became interested in performing after watching

silent movies A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, whe ...

and

shows at a theater and then imitating scenes in front of the women's restroom attendant. Berner performed in an adaptation of ''

Abie's Irish Rose ''Abie's Irish Rose'' is a popular comedy by Anne Nichols, which premiered in 1922. Initially a Broadway play, it has become familiar through repeated stage productions, films and radio programs. The basic premise involves an Irish Catholic g ...

'' after graduation, and she studied drama for two years at the

University of Tulsa The University of Tulsa (TU) is a private research university in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It has a historic affiliation with the Presbyterian Church and the campus architectural style is predominantly Collegiate Gothic. The school traces its origin to ...

. She and her family then moved to

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, where she worked in a

Wanamaker's John Wanamaker Department Store was one of the first department stores in the United States. Founded by John Wanamaker in Philadelphia, it was influential in the development of the retail industry including as the first store to use price tags. ...

department store until she was fired for mimicking a customer. Berner hosted her own fifteen-minute program (written by Arthur Q. Bryan) thereafter on a local radio station, then returned to New York City in hopes of pursuing a show-business career. She worked in a Broadway millinery in the meantime, and studied dialect by observing customers' Brooklyn accents. She sneaked out during a shift to audition for Major Edward Bowes'

amateur hour An open mic or open mike (shortened from "open microphone") is a live show at a venue such as a coffeehouse, nightclub, comedy club, strip club, or pub, usually taking place at night, in which audience members may perform on stage whether t ...

, and was hired the next day. Beginning in 1937, Berner toured the country as part of Bowes' sixteen-member "all-girl unit" of vaudeville acts over the next four years, and created a gimmick of a fired saleslady who performed imitations of celebrities such as

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 ...

and

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...

Career

Radio

After the Major Bowes tour ended, Berner began working in network radio in

, with recurring roles on '' Fibber McGee & Molly'' and ''

The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show ''The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show'', sometimes called ''The Burns and Allen Show'', was a half-hour television situation comedy broadcast from 1950 to 1958 on CBS. It starred George Burns and Gracie Allen, one of the most enduring acts i ...

''. On ''

'', she voiced one-time parts before joining the principal cast as the recurring characters of

Jack Benny Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky, February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success playing violin on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century wit ...

's girlfriend Gladys Zybisco, and wisecracking telephone operator Mabel Flapsaddle, who gossiped about Benny with her cohort Gertrude Gearshift (

Bea Benaderet Beatrice Benaderet ( ; April 4, 1906 – October 13, 1968) was an American actress and comedienne. Born in New York City and raised in San Francisco, she began performing in Bay Area theatre and radio before embarking on a Hollywood career that s ...

), while Benny waited impatiently on the other end of the line for them to connect his call. Intended as a one-time appearance, they began recurring roles in the 1945–46 season, and in early 1947, Berner and Benaderet momentarily took over the actual NBC switchboards in Hollywood for publicity photos. Other radio work included waitress Dreamboat Mulvany on ''Arthur's Place''; Mrs. Horowitz on '' Life with Luigi''; Helen Wilson on ''

Amos 'n' Andy ''Amos 'n' Andy'' is an American radio sitcom about black characters, initially set in Chicago and later in the Harlem section of New York City. While the show had a brief life on 1950s television with black actors, the 1928 to 1960 radio sho ...

''; and an Italian housekeeper on '' The Jimmy Durante Show''. She was cast alongside Rudy Vallée on his show '' The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour''; however, she sued Vallée in 1945 for $19,500 in damages over claims he reneged on an "oral agreement" that he would hire her for 39 appearances on his show at $500 weekly. As a result of her radio successes, Berner was given her own series on NBC, ''Sara's Private Caper'', in which she starred as a police department stenographer who moonlighted as an amateur sleuth to solve crimes. Billed as "a satire on private detective stories" that claimed to feature Berner's actual voice, the show premiered on June 15, 1950 but was canceled after just eleven weeks, with its final broadcast on August 24. It had been hampered by multiple title changes prior to its debut, as well as confusion over whether to market the program as a mystery, comedy, or drama. Berner returned to supporting roles, but was temporarily removed from ''The Jack Benny Program'' for an eighteen-month period between 1954 and 1955 due to an undisclosed dispute with Benny, and was substituted by Shirley Mitchell as Mabel Flapsaddle in that duration.

Animation

Berner was active in vocal

for animated cartoons, working with several studios from the late 1930s through the 1940s. She was initially utilized for her imitations of Hollywood film actresses, such as

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragic ch ...

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her p ...

Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, ncertain year from 1904 to 1908was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion pict ...

, and

Martha Raye Martha Raye (born Margy Reed; August 27, 1916 – October 19, 1994), nicknamed The Big Mouth, was an American comic actress and singer who performed in movies, and later on television. She also acted in plays, including Broadway. She was honored ...

. This led to her being cast in celebrity-ensemble shorts such as Disney's '' Mother Goose Goes Hollywood'' (1938) and ''

The Autograph Hound ''The Autograph Hound'' is a 1939 Donald Duck cartoon which features Donald Duck as an autograph hunter in Hollywood. Many celebrities from the 1930s are featured. This is the first cartoon where Donald Duck is featured in his blue sailor hat. Pl ...

'' (1939);

Walter Lantz Productions Walter Lantz Productions was an American animation studio. It was in operation from 1928 to 1972 and was the principal supplier of animation for Universal Studios. The studio was originally formed as Universal Cartoon Studios on the initiative o ...

' ''Hollywood Bowl'' (1938); and Warner Bros.' ''

Hollywood Steps Out ''Hollywood Steps Out'' is a 1941 short ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon by Warner Bros., directed by Tex Avery. The short was released on May 24, 1941. The cartoon features caricatures of over 40 Hollywood celebrities. Plot A bird's-eye view of Los A ...

'' (1941). Her mimicking of Hepburn led to her being hired by Lantz as the debut voice of

Andy Panda Andy Panda is a cartoon character who starred in his own series of animated cartoon short subjects produced by Walter Lantz. These "cartunes" were released by Universal Pictures from 1939 to 1947, and United Artists from 1948 to 1949. The titl ...

, which she played only twice, in '' Life Begins for Andy Panda'' (1939) and '' Knock Knock'' (1940). Berner focused on voicing animals thereafter, with her work for

Warner Bros. Cartoons Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc. was an American animation studio, serving as the in-house animation division of Warner Bros. during the Golden Age of American animation. One of the most successful animation studios in American media history, it was ...

(where she replaced

Bernice Hansen Berneice Edna Hansell (July 11, 1897 – April 16, 1981), known as Bernice Hansen, was an American voice actress. She was best known for providing the voices for both female and young male characters in the mid to late 1930s for various cartoon s ...

) ranging from Mama Buzzard in ''

Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid ''Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid'' is a 1942 ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon, directed by Bob Clampett, produced by Leon Schlesinger, and released to theatres by Warner Bros. Pictures. It marks the first appearance of Beaky Buzzard in a Warner Bros. sho ...

'' (1942) and '' The Bashful Buzzard'' (1945); to A. Flea in the short ''

An Itch in Time ''An Itch in Time'' is a 1943 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon, directed by Bob Clampett. The short was released on December 4, 1943 and features Elmer Fudd, with a dog and cat that look similar to Willoughby and Claude Cat. The voice ...

'' (1943); and as part of an ensemble of voices in ''

Book Revue ''Book Revue'' is a 1946 Warner Bros. '' Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The cartoon was released on January 5, 1946, and features Daffy Duck. The plotline is a mixture of the plots of Frank Tashlin's ''Speaking of the Weather' ...

'' (1946). For the

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio was an American animation studio operated by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) during the Golden Age of American animation. Active from 1937 until 1957, the studio was responsible for producing animated shorts to ...

, Berner portrayed minor characters in the ''

Tom and Jerry ''Tom and Jerry'' is an American animated media franchise and series of comedy short films created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Best known for its 161 theatrical short films by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the series centers on the ...

'' shorts ''

Baby Puss This is a complete list of the 164 shorts in the ''Tom and Jerry'' series produced and released between 1940 and 2014. Of these, 162 are theatrical shorts, one is a made-for-TV short, and one is a 2-minute sketch shown as part of a telethon. ...

'' and ''

The Zoot Cat ''The Zoot Cat '' is a 1944 American Technicolor one-reel animated short and is the 13th ''Tom and Jerry'' short. It was released to theatres on February 26, 1944 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The cartoon features much 1940s slang, a parody of the p ...

'' (both 1943), and '' The Mouse Comes to Dinner'' (1945). In the MGM live-action film ''

Anchors Aweigh "Anchors Aweigh" is the fight song of the United States Naval Academy and unofficial march song of the United States Navy. It was composed in 1906 by Charles A. Zimmermann with lyrics by Alfred Hart Miles. When he composed "Anchors Aweigh", Zim ...

'' (1945), she voiced the otherwise-silent Jerry Mouse for the animated dance sequence with star

Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American actor, dancer, singer, filmmaker, and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style and sought to create a new form of American dance accessibl ...

. In August 1953, Berner provided the debut voice of another Walter Lantz character, the

anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...

penguin Chilly Willy. Though she received onscreen credit for her work, her duties consisted only of her singing the cartoon's opening theme, as the character himself was mute until his speaking voice was developed by

Daws Butler Charles Dawson Butler (November 16, 1916May 18, 1988) was an American voice actor. He worked mostly for the Hanna-Barbera animation production company where he originated the voices of many familiar characters, including Yogi Bear, Huckleberry H ...

in the 1960s.

Film and television

Berner filmed supporting roles in motion pictures from 1942 to 1957, including voicing a camel named Mabel in '' Road to Morocco'' (1942). During production, the film's casting director introduced her to

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

executive

Buddy DeSylva George Gard "Buddy" DeSylva (January 27, 1895 – July 11, 1950) was an American songwriter, film producer and record executive. He wrote or co-wrote many popular songs and, along with Johnny Mercer and Glenn Wallichs, he co-founded Capitol Recor ...

as "Mrs. Camel" instead of her actual name. DeSylva, who had to approve her voice for the character, addressed Berner by the title thereafter, which she disdained. In

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

's ''

Rear Window ''Rear Window'' is a 1954 American mystery thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and written by John Michael Hayes based on Cornell Woolrich's 1942 short story "It Had to Be Murder". Originally released by Paramount Pictures, the film st ...

'' (1954), she and

Frank Cady Frank Randolph Cady (September 8, 1915 – June 8, 2012) was an American actor best known for his role as storekeeper Sam Drucker in three American television series during the 1960s – '' Petticoat Junction'', '' Green Acres'', and ...

portrayed a married couple living in a

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

apartment complex shared by the film's temporarily immobile main character (played by

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality ...

). Aside from playing Mabel Flapsaddle in three episodes of ''The Jack Benny Program'', Berner appeared on television mainly on

variety show Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a co ...

s and

anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a dif ...

through the 1950s, and was the guest of honor on a December 10, 1952, episode of

Ralph Edwards Ralph Livingstone Edwards (June 13, 1913DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . Pp. 86-87. – November 16, 2005) was an American radio ...

' reality series ''

This Is Your Life This Is Your Life may refer to: Television * ''This Is Your Life'' (American franchise), an American radio and television documentary biography series hosted by Ralph Edwards * ''This Is Your Life'' (Australian TV series), the Australian versio ...

''. However, she worked little in the 1960s, aside from performing at the 1961 Grammy Awards in a comic-relief role alongside

Mort Sahl Morton Lyon Sahl (May 11, 1927 – October 26, 2021) was a Canadian-born American comedian, actor, and social satirist, considered the first modern comedian. Sahl pioneered a style of social satire that pokes fun at political and current event t ...

, and appearing as a guest on

Gypsy Rose Lee Gypsy Rose Lee (born Rose Louise Hovick, January 8, 1911 – April 26, 1970) was an American burlesque entertainer, stripper and vedette famous for her striptease act. Also an actress, author, and playwright, her 1957 memoir was adapted in ...

's daytime talk show in November 1966. Her final acting role was on an episode of ''

CBS Playhouse ''CBS Playhouse'' is an American anthology drama television series that aired on CBS from 1967 to 1970. Airing twelve plays over the course of its run, the series won ten Primetime Emmy Awards and featured many noteworthy actors and playwrights. ...

'' that aired on January 29, 1967.

Personal life and death

In November 1950, Berner was photographed outside a mobile

X-ray An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 picometers to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30&nb ...

unit as part of an awareness campaign by the Los Angeles County X-ray Survey Foundation that encouraged screenings to help combat the spread of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, ...

. She adhered to

Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in th ...

and was a Democrat who supported the campaign of Adlai Stevenson during the 1952 presidential election. Berner married her theatrical agent, Milton Rosner, in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

, on August 11, 1951; the couple had one daughter, Eugenie, whom they

adopted Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from ...

two years later at eight months old. Rosner remained Berner's agent despite their separation in 1954, but she filed for divorce in May 1958, citing "extreme" verbal cruelty. Though she was awarded custody of their daughter, Berner was arrested in December 1959 on a misdemeanor charge of child endangerment. Berner died at age 57 on December 19, 1969, and was interred at

Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery is the largest Jewish cemetery organization in California. History Mount Sinai Memorial Parks and Mortuaries, owned by Sinai Temple of Los Angeles, refers to two Jewish cemeteries in the Los Angeles metropol ...

in Los Angeles, but her death was not made public until her family placed a memorial in the ''Van Nuys News'' in November 1970. She had been recovering from major surgery at a

Culver City Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most ...

convalescent home A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often ...

two months before her death. Berner's

personal property property is property that is movable. In common law systems, personal property may also be called chattels or personalty. In civil law systems, personal property is often called movable property or movables—any property that can be moved fr ...

was sold at auction in

Van Nuys Van Nuys () is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. History In 1909, ...

in November 1971.

Acting style and reception

Berner's range of

s included French, Spanish, Italian, Southern American, and

New York English New York City English, or Metropolitan New York English, is a regional dialect of American English spoken by many people in New York City and much of its surrounding New York metropolitan area, metropolitan area. It is described by sociolinguis ...

, which she learned by interacting with people who spoke in such accents. Her radio voice work gained unwelcome attention after a columnist described it as "being in bad taste". This in turn led to radio producers ordering her to not use foreign accents to get laughs, a ruling which Berner overturned: "I know I haven't offended anybody because in all the years I’ve been doing ccentsI’ve never, not even once, got a nasty letter."

Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Familiar to Broadway, radio, movie, and early television audiences ...

, with whom Berner first worked in the early 1930s on ''

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 and Sanborn Coffee, usually airing Sundays on NBC from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. during the years 1929 to ...

'', considered her then as "the greatest impersonator and dialectician of all time." Journalist

Kay Gardella Genevieve C. "Kay" Gardella (February 23, 1923 – April 13, 2005) was an American journalist who worked for the '' New York Daily News'' for nearly 60 years. Early life and education Born in Belleville, New Jersey, Gardella joined the ''Daily ...

remarked in 1953 that interviewing Berner was "a Herculean feat" and "like trying to interview a trapeze artist while he's performing" due to Berner's switching to multiple dialects. Berner was an in-demand entertainer for American servicemen 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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, giving over 300 performances at

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

bases in addition to 84 appearances at the

Hollywood Canteen The Hollywood Canteen operated at 1451 Cahuenga Boulevard in the Los Angeles, California, neighborhood of Hollywood between October 3, 1942, and November 22, 1945 (Thanksgiving Day), as a club offering food, dancing and entertainment for serv ...

and one on the in 1944.

Selected filmography

Shorts

Warner Bros.

*''

Confederate Honey ''Confederate Honey'' is a 1940 ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. It is a sendup of ''Gone with the Wind'', and features an early appearance by Elmer Fudd in his most familiar form. The cartoon's title is meant to evoke "Confed ...

'' (1940) (voice) *''

The Hardship of Miles Standish ''The Hardship of Miles Standish'' is a 1940 ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on April 27, 1940, and features Elmer Fudd. The title is derived from the narrative poem '' The Courtship of Miles Standish' ...

'' (1940) (voice) *''

The Henpecked Duck ''The Henpecked Duck'' is a Warner Bros. '' Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Bob Clampett and written by Warren Foster Warren Foster (October 24, 1904 – December 13, 1971) was an American writer, cartoonist and composer for the animati ...

'' (1941) (voice) *''

The Daffy Duckaroo ''The Daffy Duckaroo'' is a Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Norman McCabe. The cartoon was released on October 24, 1942, and stars Daffy Duck. The film is set in the American West, and Daffy plays a singing cowboy (a genre of We ...

'' (1942) (voice) *''

The Hep Cat ''The Hep Cat'' is a 1942 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Bob Clampett, written by Warren Foster, animated primarily by Robert McKimson, and set to a musical score composed by Carl W. Stalling. The short was released on October ...

'' (1942) (voice) *''

'' (1943) (voice) *''

Goldilocks and the Jivin' Bears ''Goldilocks and the Jivin' Bears'' is a 1944 Warner Bros. '' Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Friz Freleng and produced by Eddie Selzer. The short was released on September 2, 1944. Because of the racial stereotypes of black people througho ...

'' (1944) (voices) *'' The Bashful Buzzard'' (1945) (voice) *''

'' (1946) (voices) *''

Baby Bottleneck ''Baby Bottleneck'' is a 1946 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Bob Clampett and written by Warren Foster. The cartoon was released on March 16, 1946, and stars Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. Tweety makes a cameo appearance in the fil ...

'' (1946) (voice) *'' Bacall to Arms'' (1946) (voice) *'' Hare Splitter'' (1948) (voice)

MGM

*''

'' (1943) (voices) *''

Red Hot Riding Hood ''Red Hot Riding Hood'' is an animated cartoon short subject, directed by Tex Avery and released with the movie '' Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case'' on May 8, 1943, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In 1994, it was voted number 7 of The 50 Greatest Cartoons ...

'' (1943) (voices) *''

'' (1944) (voice) *''

Swing Shift Cinderella ''Swing Shift Cinderella'' is a 1945 MGM animated cartoon short subject directed by Tex Avery. The plot involves the Big Bad Wolf and Cinderella. Frank Graham voiced the wolf, and Sara Berner voiced both Cinderella and The Fairy Grandmother, with ...

'' (1945) (voice) *'' The Mouse Comes to Dinner'' (1945) (voice) *''

Lonesome Lenny ''Lonesome Lenny'' is a 1946 Screwy Squirrel cartoon directed by Tex Avery and released to theaters on March 9, 1946 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It is the last ''Screwy Squirrel'' cartoon; he is "killed" off on-screen at the end of the short. Plot ...

'' (1946) (voice) *''

King-Size Canary ''King-Size Canary'' is an animated cartoon short that debuted in movie theaters in 1947. It was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by Tex Avery. The canary in this short was a primary inspiration for the design of Maurice, a character ...

'' (1947) (voice)

Walter Lantz Productions

*'' Life Begins for Andy Panda'' (1939) (voice) *'' Knock Knock'' (1940) (voice) *''

Chilly Willy Chilly Willy is a cartoon character, a diminutive penguin. He was created by director Paul Smith for the Walter Lantz studio in 1953, and developed further by Tex Avery in the two subsequent films following Smith's debut entry. The character ...

'' (1953) (voice, opening theme only)

Walt Disney Productions

*'' Mother Goose Goes Hollywood'' (1938) (voices) *''

'' (1939) (voices)

Radio

*''

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 ...

'' (1939) *''

'' (1940-1949) *''

'' (1940-1955) *'' Command Performance'' (1942-1948) *''

Lux Radio Theatre ''Lux Radio Theatre'', sometimes spelled ''Lux Radio Theater'', a classic radio anthology series, was broadcast on the NBC Blue Network (1934–35) (owned by the National Broadcasting Company, later predecessor of American Broadcasting Company ...

'' (1942-1948) *''

The Red Skelton Program ''The Raleigh Cigarette Program'' (alternatively known as ''The Raleigh Cigarette Program Starring Red Skelton'') was an American old-time radio comedy program that starred comedian Red Skelton. Skelton was, at the time, an up-and-coming comedian ...

'' (1944-1949) *''

Cavalcade of America ''Cavalcade of America'' is an anthology drama series that was sponsored by the DuPont Company, although it occasionally presented musicals, such as an adaptation of ''Show Boat'', and condensed biographies of popular composers. It was initially ...

'' (1944) *'' The Rudy Vallee Show'' (1945-1946) *''

The Baby Snooks Show ''The Baby Snooks Show'' was an American radio program starring comedian and ''Ziegfeld Follies'' alumna Fanny Brice as a mischievous young girl who was 40 years younger than the actress who played her when she first went on the air. The series b ...

'' (1946) *'' The Eddie Cantor Pabst Blue Ribbon Show'' (1947-1948) *''Sara's Private Caper'' (1950) *'' Life with Luigi'' (1950-1952) *'' The Amos 'n' Andy Show'' (1950-1955) *'' The Jimmy Durante Show''

Film

Television

References

External links

* *
Sara Berner
at RadioGOLDIndex

at The Digital Deli Too {{DEFAULTSORT:Berner, Sara 1912 births 1969 deaths Actors from Albany, New York Actresses from New York (state) American film actresses American radio actresses Burials at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery California Democrats Jewish American actresses Converts to Judaism Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio people New York (state) Democrats Walter Lantz Productions people Warner Bros. Cartoons voice actors 20th-century American actresses