Ronnie Burns (actor)
Encyclopedia
Ronald Jon "Ronnie" Burns (July 9, 1935 – November 14, 2007) worked briefly as a television actor, but is primarily remembered as the adopted son of comedians George Burns
and Gracie Allen
.
, Illinois
, and was adopted at the age of three months. According to George Burns, Ronnie had been the most sickly baby up for adoption from the agency, and Gracie chose him because she particularly felt he needed their help. Ronnie's older sister, Sandra Jean, had been adopted shortly before. At seventeen, Ronnie joined the cast of his parents' The Burns & Allen Show which ran from 1950-1958. Later he appeared on The George Burns Show, which did not feature Gracie Allen, who had retired. This show failed despite the presence of George, Ronnie and Sandra Burns as well as Bea Benaderet
and Harry von Zell
, who had appeared on The Burns & Allen Show.
comedy series Happy
in which he and Yvonne Lime played Chris and Sally Day, the parents of a talking baby called "Happy". Burns played the manager of the Palm Desert Hotel in Palm Springs
, California
. Lloyd Corrigan
, Doris Packer
, and Burt Metcalfe
had supporting roles in the series.
Burns' most memorable appearance was uncredited, as "Wallace" on the Young at Heart episode of The Honeymooners
, which featured Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason
) trying to roller skate, with disastrous results. His career did not go much further. His sister, Sandra Burns, now Mrs. Sandra Luckman, made only bit appearances on her parents' shows, and soon retired from showbiz permanently to marry and raise a family.
at the age of seventy-two at his Pacific Palisades home. In addition to his sister, he was survived by his wife, Janice, three sons, and six grandchildren.
George Burns
George Burns , born Nathan Birnbaum, was an American comedian, actor, and writer.He was one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, film, radio, television and movies, with and without his wife, Gracie Allen. His arched eyebrow and cigar smoke punctuation became...
and Gracie Allen
Gracie Allen
Grace Ethel Cecile Rosalie Allen , known as Gracie Allen, was an American comedian who became internationally famous as the zany partner and comic foil of husband George Burns...
.
Early life
Burns was born in EvanstonEvanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and was adopted at the age of three months. According to George Burns, Ronnie had been the most sickly baby up for adoption from the agency, and Gracie chose him because she particularly felt he needed their help. Ronnie's older sister, Sandra Jean, had been adopted shortly before. At seventeen, Ronnie joined the cast of his parents' The Burns & Allen Show which ran from 1950-1958. Later he appeared on The George Burns Show, which did not feature Gracie Allen, who had retired. This show failed despite the presence of George, Ronnie and Sandra Burns as well as Bea Benaderet
Bea Benaderet
Bea Benaderet was an American actress born in New York City and raised in San Francisco, California. She is best remembered for her wide variety of television work, which included a starring role in the 1960s television series Petticoat Junction and Green Acres as Shady Rest Hotel owner Kate...
and Harry von Zell
Harry von Zell
Harry von Zell , born in Indianapolis, made his mark as an announcer of radio programs and an actor in films and television shows....
, who had appeared on The Burns & Allen Show.
Further career
Burns starred in the 1960-1961 NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
comedy series Happy
Happy (1960 TV series)
Happy is an NBC situation comedy about a talking baby, starring Ronnie Burns , the adopted son of George Burns and Gracie Allen, which aired from June 8 to September 28, 1960, and again from January 13 to September 8, 1961....
in which he and Yvonne Lime played Chris and Sally Day, the parents of a talking baby called "Happy". Burns played the manager of the Palm Desert Hotel in Palm Springs
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Lloyd Corrigan
Lloyd Corrigan
Lloyd Corrigan was an American film actor, producer, screenwriter and director who began working in films in the 1920s...
, Doris Packer
Doris Packer
Doris Packer was an American actress, possibly best known as Mrs. Cornelia Rayburn, Theodore Cleaver's principal in Leave It to Beaver....
, and Burt Metcalfe
Burt Metcalfe
Burt Metcalfe is a Canadian American television and film producer, director, and writer.-Biography:...
had supporting roles in the series.
Burns' most memorable appearance was uncredited, as "Wallace" on the Young at Heart episode of The Honeymooners
The Honeymooners
The Honeymooners is an American situation comedy television show, based on a recurring 1951–'55 sketch of the same name. It originally aired on the DuMont network's Cavalcade of Stars and subsequently on the CBS network's The Jackie Gleason Show hosted by Jackie Gleason, and filmed before a live...
, which featured Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason was an American comedian, actor and musician. He was known for his brash visual and verbal comedy style, especially by his character Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners, a situation-comedy television series. His most noted film roles were as Minnesota Fats in the drama film The...
) trying to roller skate, with disastrous results. His career did not go much further. His sister, Sandra Burns, now Mrs. Sandra Luckman, made only bit appearances on her parents' shows, and soon retired from showbiz permanently to marry and raise a family.
Death
Burns died of cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
at the age of seventy-two at his Pacific Palisades home. In addition to his sister, he was survived by his wife, Janice, three sons, and six grandchildren.