System Mechanic - Clean, repair, protect, and speed up your PC!Milton Berle
July 12, 1908 - March 27, 2002
Milton Berle, born Mendel Berlinger in Harlem, New York died at his home on Wednesday, after a lengthy illness at the age of 93 years. In a career that had spanned over eight decades, and included everything from silent films to vaudeville to Broadway to radio, Milton Berle qualified as one of the personifications of "show business". Despite making a mark in each of the aforesaid media, Berle achieved his greatest success as the first acknowledged superstar of television. Between 1948 and 1956, Tuesday nights belonged to the comedian.
The success of his weekly variety show earned him the titles of "Mr. Television" and "Uncle Miltie". Famous for his extremely high energy level and for a series of outlandish characterizations--especially those featuring the star in drag--Berle was at the top of the TV ratings for several seasons. He stayed prominent in the public eye via many TV specials, both those built around him and in guest star spots, where his trademark cigar, snide wisecracks, unctuous manner and withering glare at the camera were put to good use.
He began his career as a child model, posing for the advertising campaign for Buster Brown shoes. He entered films in 1914, appearing in the serial "The Perils of Pauline" and Mack Sennett's "Tillie's Punctured Romance". Reportedly, he appeared in over 50 silent films as a child performer. He then began to perform on stage in 1920 in the Broadway production of "Floradora". Appearances in vaudeville, where the comedian perfected his wiseguy persona, led to engagements in editions of "Earl Carroll Vanities" and the "Ziegfeld Follies". He returned to features in "New Faces of 1937" (1937) and made sporadic appearances in the 1940s, including "Sun Valley Serenade" (1941) and "Always Leave Them Laughing" (1949).
After establishing himself in the developing medium of TV, he returned to features and the stage, searching for the role that would duplicate his success on the small screen. He had continued to work into the 1990s, with numerous guest appearances on comedies, variety shows, specials and dramas. He earned a Best Actor Emmy nomination for his dramatic performance in the "Doyle Against the House" episode of "The Dick Powell Show" (NBC, 1961) and a Best Guest Actor Emmy nomination for his turn as a veteran actor struggling with Alzheimer's Disease in an episode of "Beverly Hills, 90210" (Fox, 1995).
