MILTON BERLE

July 12, 1908

Milton Berle was born Milton (Mendel) Berlinger in New York City on July 12, 1908. He started performing at the age of five. He perfected his comedy in vaudeville, early silent films, and then on radio, before taking his act to the small screen, where he would be proclaimed “Mr. Television” and later “Uncle Miltie.” He hosted “Texaco Star Theater” on NBC from 1948 to 1956. The variety show was re-titled “The Milton Berle Show” in 1954 when Texaco dropped their sponsorship. The program was briefly revived in 1958, but lasted only one season. One of his classic bits was to dress in drag. 

Berle won two Emmy Awards in 1950 for Most Kinescoped Personality and Best Kinescope show – a category that only existed in 1950. Here they are used as set dressing for his office on “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” in 1959. Desilu also reproduced his TV Guide cover from earlier in the year. The caricature is by Al Hirschfeld. Berle received an honorary Emmy in 1979 engraved “Mr. Television”. 

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz appeared on “The Milton Berle Show” on February 22, 1949, although Berle was out sick, replaced by Walter O’Keefe, delaying a Berle and Ball collaboration until 1950, when Berle hosted “Show of The Year: Cerebral Palsy Telethon” on June 10 and Lucy and Desi were guests.  In the decade that followed, Berle (on NBC) and Ball (on CBS) both became the biggest stars of television. 

Like Lucille Ball, Uncle Miltie had his own comic book!  This is the first issue dated December 1950. 

Ball and Berle returned for a second season of their respective TV shows in 1952, sharing the cover of this regional TV Guide. 

Lucille Ball was atop the TV totem pole on the cover of this April 1953 TV Guide while Milton Berle stands on the shoulders of Imogene Coca and Sid Caesar, flanked by the Texaco gas pump and holding a jester’s staff. This was only the third National issue and the second to feature Lucille Ball. 

‘Mr. Television’ and ‘The Queen of Comedy’ finally came together in 1959 on “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” episode “Milton Berle Hides Out at the Ricardos” (LDCH E11). Berle plays himself, promoting his new novel “Earthquake”.  As the above photo shows, Berle does his drag act while hiding out to finish his next book. That same year, Lucy and Milton both participated in a tribute to Eleanor Roosevelt on her Diamond Jubilee. It was broadcast on NBC. 

Also in 1959, Lucy and Desi returned the favor by appearing on “Sunday Showcase: The Lucy-Desi Milton Berle Special” on NBC.  The special was set in Las Vegas and the Arnaz’s played the Ricardos.  

In December 1965, shortly after Lucy Carmichael moved to Los Angeles on “The Lucy Show,” “Lucy Saves Milton Berle” when she thinks he has taken to drink. Berle (playing himself) is doing research for a movie, and tells Lucy that the drunk she saw was actually his brother Arthur!  

In payback, Lucille Ball appears on the first episode of Berle’s new variety show, “The Milton Berle Show” on September 9, 1966. The show only lasts one season. 

A few weeks later, once again trading appearances, Milton Berle does a brief wordless cameo in “Lucy and John Wayne” on “The Lucy Show.” 

Two seasons later, Lucy Carmichael will again meet Milton Berle for the first time in "Lucy Meets the Berles”. This time, however, she meets both Milton and his wife, Ruth Cosgrove Berle, who also plays herself. 

On “Here’s Lucy,” Berle finally gets to play a character different than himself as used car dealer Cheerful Charlie in a November 1969 installment that also features his real-life brother Jack (right).

For the opening of season 24 of “The Ed Sullivan Show” Ed hosts the ‘Georgie Awards’ for Entertainer of the Year, from Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas. Lucille Ball and Milton Berle are on hand to present awards.

“The 23rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards” were broadcast on NBC on . May 9, 1971. Lucy attended the Awards with her husband Gary, her daughter Lucie, and her son-in-law Phil Vandervoort. Milton Berle was also in attendance.

“Zenith Presents: A Salute to Television’s 25th Anniversary” on September 10, 1972, brought together many of the most popular names of early broadcasting and included classic film clips, kine-scopes, video tape segments, and the personal memories of those who were a vital part of entertainment history.  Naturally this included Ball, Berle, and Hope. 

In late 1973, the Friars Club celebrated presented “A Show Business Salute To Milton Berle”. Sammy Davis Jr. hosted with guests Lucille Ball, Jackie Gleason, Bob Hope, Kirk Douglas, Red Foxx, and Carol O’Connor.  

A few months later, Berle made his only appearance on “Here’s Lucy” (once again playing himself) in “Milton Berle is the Life of the Party”.  Lucy Carter bids on Berle’s appearance on a telethon in order to enliven one of her dreary parties. 

When “The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast” feted Lucille Ball in 1975, Milton Berle was one of the many colleagues on hand to roast and toast the Queen of Comedy. 

While America was celebrating its bicentennial in 1976, the National Broadcast Corporation was celebrating 50 years in show business with “NBC: The First 50 Years.”  Naturally, “Mr. Television” (an NBC star) and Lucille Ball (then very associated with CBS) were there to mark the occasion.  A few days later, CBS honored Lucille Ball for a quarter century of television with “CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years”.  Berle hopped over to the Tiffany Network to help pay tribute. 

Less than a month later, Lucy and Milton were back on “The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast” to rib their mutual friend Danny Thomas, who spent time on both NBC and CBS during his career. 

On March 26, 1978, Lucille Ball, Joey Bishop, George Carlin, Johnny Carson, Angie Dickinson, Kirk Douglas, Jim Henson, Bob Hope, Gabe Kaplan, Gene Kelly, Donny and Marie Osmond, Gregory Peck, and Carl Reiner were all on hand for “A Tribute to Mr. Television, Milton Berle”. 

Lucy and Milton were back in Vegas for yet another “Dean Martin Celebrity Roast” to honor actor Jimmy Stewart in 1979.  

In 1980, Lucy and Miltie were present for “Sinatra: The First 40 Years” at Caesar’s Palace Las Vegas. 

“Bob Hope’s 30th Anniversary Television Special” on January 18, 1981, was a retrospect of Bob Hope’s first 30 years on TV. Celebrating with Bob are guests Lucille Ball, Milton Berle, Danny Thomas, George Burns, Sammy Davis Jr., and many others.

Milton Berle (in drag) joined Lucille Ball for “Bob Hope’s Women I Love – Beautiful But Funny” on February 28, 1982.  Other than Bob, Milton was the only other biological male in the show! 

Appropriately, Milton Berle and Lucille Ball were among the first inductees into “The First Annual Television Academy Hall of Fame Awards” on March 4, 1984. Steve Allen introduces Berle while Carol Burnett does the honors for Ball.

That same year “Bob Hope’s Unrehearsed Antics of the Stars”.  Ball tells Hope about her disastrous audition for Gone With the Wind. 

Berle and Ball (now an NBC employee) are there for the special “Bob Hope Buys NBC?” in 1985. Former President Gerald Ford also makes an appearance! 

As President of the Friars Club, Milton Berle was present for most all of their events, including their tribute to Gene Kelly in late 1985.  Lucille Ball and Gary Morton also attending the honoring. 

Lucille Ball was a presenter at “The 38th Primetime Emmy Awards” on September 21, 1986.  Milton Berle was also in attendance. 

The final performance of Lucille Ball on television was in “Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years at NBC” on May 16, 1988. She sang “Comedy is No Joke”.  Milton Berle was also in attendance. 

For the “AFI Life Achievement Award: A Salute to Jack Lemmon” on March 10, 1988

The audience is full of celebrity friends, including including Lucille Ball and Milton Berle.

“The Princess Grace Foundation Special Gala Tribute to Cary Grant” on October 19, 1988. Lucille Ball attends with her husband, Gary Morton. Milton Berle is also there. 

This would be the last time Ball and Berle shared the same television marquee.  Lucille Ball died six months later. A week before her passing, Ruth Cosgrove Berle died. In 1991, he married again to Lorna Adams. They remained married until Milton Berle died of colon cancer in 2002 at age 93.   

“I live to laugh, and I laugh to live.” ~ Milton Berle