Gracie Allen

At 69 years old, Gracie Allen has this physical status:

Grace Ethel Allen (July 26, 1895 – August 27, 1964) was an American vaudevillian and comedienne whose straight man appeared alongside her on television, television, and film as the duo Burns and Allen. Gracie Allen was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6672 Hollywood Boulevard in 1988, when she and Burns were inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1988. Bea Benaderet, a co-star, said of Allen in 1966: "She was definitely one of the greatest actresses of our time."

Early life

Allen was born in San Francisco, California, to George Allen and Margaret Theresa ("Molly") Allen (née Darragh; later Mrs. Edward Pidgeon), who were both of Irish Catholic descent. Eddie Cantor gave her first appearance on stage at age three and her first appearance on the radio. 94-95 She graduated from Star of the Sea Convent School in 1914 and became a natural dancer during that time.

She and her three sisters, who were described as "The Four Colleens," began performing Irish folk dances shortly. Allen, 28, Bessie Bessie, a 1909 actress, became a vaudeville performer. Allen met George Burns during a 1922 performance and the two formed a comedy act. They were married on January 7, 1926, by a justice of the peace, who appeared onstage at the Palace Theatre in Cleveland.

Allen was born with heterochromia, with two of her eyes having different colors; one blue and one green.

As to her date of birth, there is some discrepancy. Allen is thought to have been born on July 26, 1895, 1902, or 1906, depending on the source. In the 1906 earthquake and blaze, all public important records kept by San Francisco's city and county were destroyed. George Burns, her husband, said she didn't know how old she was, though it was likely she was born on the date of July 26, 1902, which appears on her death certificate. Allen's crypt marker also dates her birth year as 1902.

A dialogue in which she would claim she was born in 1906 was one of Allen's most amusing parodies. Her foil would press her for evidence or corroborating details, and she'll reply that her birth certificate was lost in the disaster. Her foil would claim that she was born in July but that the earthquake occurred three months earlier in April. Allen would simply smile and say, "Well, it was an awfully large earthquake."

Grace Allen, age four (born in July 1895), along with her parents and five siblings, seems to be the most reliable source of information. Allen was born before 1900, so the birthdate of July 26, 1895 may have been correct. In addition, her senior year high school year book has been found.

Private life

Burns and Allen adopted two children, Sandra Jean and Ronald Jon, after learning that they could not reproduce on their own. They decided to raise the children as Catholics and encourage them to make their own religious decisions as adults. Ronnie later joined the cast of their parents' television show, playing their son, a serious drama student who detests comedy. Sandy made only occasional appearances on the program (usually as a telephone operator, waitress, secretary, or clerk) before deciding on teaching as a teacher.

Allen had been scalded on one arm as an infant, and she was extremely concerned about the scarring. She wore long or three-quarter length sleeves to hide the scars, and the half-forearm style became her signature throughout her life. Allen wore a bathing suit and swam the length of the pool to show her children that she could swim; she had taken swimming lessons to combat a long-running fear of drowning. She never took a bathing suit or entered the pool again.

Allen was said to be concerned over one green eye and one blue eye (heterochromia), and that some doubt that plans to film the eighth season of The Burns & Allen Show in color prompted her to leave, but this seems unlikely, considering that a color episode was filmed and broadcast in 1954 (a clip of the episode was included in a CBS anniversary show). Allen resigned in 1958 for health reasons; Burns has stated that she continued with the television show as long as she did in order to please him, despite her health problems.

Burns admitted to having a brief extramarital affair in later years. Allen did get a call from Jack Benny and informed him of the indiscretion, but Burns kept it private, and she bought her a costly centerpiece. Allen had allegedly told one of her friends about the affair, but Burns later revealed that he did not cheat on me again. A new centerpiece could be used. "": The 306 Burns also said he spent $10,000 on a diamond ring for Gracie after the event's conclusion, with Allen years later remarking to a friend that she wishes that Burns had another affair because she wanted another ring."

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