Milton Berle
(1908 - 2002)
Milton Berle's career is one of the longest and most varied
in show business, spanning silent film, vaudeville, radio,
motion pictures, and television. He started in show business
at the age of five, appearing as a child in The Perils
of Pauline and Tillie's Punctured Romance. Through
the 1920s, Berle moved up through the vaudeville circuit,
finding his niche in the role of a brash comic known for
stealing the material of fellow comedians. He also became
a popular master of ceremonies in vaudeville, achieving top
billing in the largest cities and theaters. During the 1930s,
Berle appeared in a variety of Hollywood films and further
polished his comedy routines in night clubs and on radio.
Berle is best known for his role as host
of Texaco Star Theater, television's most popular
program during its early years. The show had begun on the
ABC radio network in the spring of 1948, and Berle took part
in a televi-sion test version for Texaco and NBC in June
of that year. He was selected as host, and the first East
Coast broadcast of the TV series began in Septem-ber. Within
two months, Berle became television's first super-star, with
the highest ratings ever attained and was soon referred to
as "Mr. Television," "Mr. Tuesday Night," and "Uncle Miltie."
Restau-rants, theaters, and nightclubs adjusted their schedules
so patrons would not miss Berle's program at 8:00 P.M. on
Tuesday nights. Berle is said to have stimu-lated television
sales and audience size in the same way Amos 'n' Andy had sparked the growth of radio.
Although the budget for each program was a modest $15,000,
many well-known entertainers were eager to appear for the
public exposure Texaco Star Theater afforded, providing
further viewer appeal and popularity for the program. The
one-hour live shows typi-cally included visual vaude-ville
routines, music, comedy and sketch-es. Other regular features
included the singing Texaco station attendants and the pitchman
commercials by Sid Stone. Berle was noted for interj-ecting
himself into the acts of his guests, which, along with his
opening appear-ance in out-landish costumes, became a regular
feature. His use of sight gags, props, and visual style seemed
well-suited for the TV medium. In 1951, Berle signed a contract
With NBC granting him $200,000 a year for 30 years providing
he appear on NBC exclusively.
His was one of the first television shows
to be promoted through merchandising, including Uncle Miltie
tee-shirts, comic books and chewing gum. When other programs
evolved to compete with Berle's popularity, his domi-nance
of the television audience began to wane, and Texaco ended
its sponsorship. In the 1953-54 season, the Buick-Berle
Show was set into the 8:00 P.M. Tuesday time slot. Facing
greater competition and sensing the need for more determined
effort to compensate for the dwin-dling novelty of both the
program and the medium, Berle's staff and writers changed
focus from the zany qualities of the show's early days to
a more structured format. Berle continued to attract a substantial
audience, but he was dropped by Buick at the end of the season
in 1955. Hour long variety shows had become more difficult
to orchestrate due to higher costs, in-creasing salary demands,
and union complications. Also, Berle's persona had shifted
from the impetuous and aggres-sive style of the Texaco
Star Theater days to a more cultivated, but less distinc-tive
personality, leaving many fans somehow unsatisfied. The next
year, a new Milton Berle Show was produced in California
for the 1955-56 season, but it failed to capture either the
spirit or the audience of Uncle Miltie in his prime. Berle
was featu-red on Kraft Music Hall in the late 1950s
and Jackpot Bowling, a 1960s game show. In 1965, Berle
renego-tiated his 30-year contract with NBC, allowing him
to appear on any network. He later made gu-est appearances
in dramas as well as comedy programs. In addition to televi-sion,
Berle's career in the later years includ-ed film, night clubs,
and benefit shows. He has been the subject of nearly every
show business tribute and award, including an Emmy and TV
specials devoted to his contribu-tions and legacy in broadcasting.
MILTON BERLE. (Mendel Berlinger).
Born in New York City, New York, U.S., 12 July 1908. Attended
Professional Children's School. Married 1) Joyce Mathews
(twice) (divorced, twice); two children; 2) Ruth Gosgrove
Rosenthal, 1953; children: Vicki and Billy. Began career
by winning contest for Charlie Chaplin imitators, 1913; childrens'
roles in Biograph silent film productions; cast member of
E.W. Wolf's vaudeville children's acts; in theater since Floradora, Atlantic City, New Jersey, 1920; debuted in
New York City with Floradora, 1920; in radio, 1930s;
toured with Ziegfeld Follies, 1936; television series and
specials from 1948; lyricist of more than 300 songs; contributor
to Variety magazine. Honorary H.H.D., McKendree College,
Lebanon, Illinois, 1984. Member: ASCAP; American Guild of
Authors and Composers; Grand Street Boys; Friar's (re-elected
honorary abbot emeritus, 1968; president [Los Angeles] from
1978). Recipient: Yiddish Theatrical Alliance Humanitarian
Award, 1951; Look magazine TV Award, 1951; National Academy
of Arts and Sciences Award, Man of the Year, 1959; Emmy Award
Nominee, 1961; AGVA Golden Award, 1977; Special Emmy Award
for Lifetime Achievement, 1978/79.
Sources: The
Museum of Broadcast Communications |