USA: Comedian George Burns is buried in Los Angeles

Record ID: 227234

  • Title: USA: Comedian George Burns is buried in Los Angeles
  • Date: 9th March 1996
  • Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (MARCH 12, 1996) (REUTERS) WIDE VIEW OF FOREST LAWN MEMORIAL PARK WIDE VIEW OF CHURCH WHERE MEMORIAL SERVICE WAS HELD PEOPLE ARRIVING FOR MEMORIAL SERVICE PEOPLE BEING GREETED BY GEORGE BURNS' SON BURNS' MANAGER IRVING FEIN ARRIVING CLOSE OF INVITATION FOR MEMORIAL SERVICE WIDE VIEW OF PEOPLE LEAVING THE CHURCH IRVING FEIN LEAVING THE CHURCH WOMAN GETTING INTO LIMOUSINE GEORGE BURNS' SON RONALD J. BURNS LEAVING LIMOUSINE DRIVING AWAY
  • Embargoed: 24th March 1996 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: VARIOUS LOCATIONS, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Entertainment,Obituaries
  • Reuters ID: LVA51WXGOW11HAQK4GW8H5CX8PHI
  • Story Text: Comedian George Burns was buried on Tuesday (March 12) in Los Angeles just the way he said he wanted to be ... below the space occupied by his late wife, radio and television star Gracie Allen.
    The cigar-chomping entertainer, who died on Saturday at the age of 100, once quipped that he wanted the position of the bodies that way "so that Gracie will have top billing." Family members and close friends paid their final respects to the legendary comedian in the private funeral.
    Burns will also share a crypt at the celebrity-laden Forest Lawn Cemetery with Errol Flynn, Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable, Carole Lombard and W.C. Fields.
    Mourners at the low-key event included Burns' two adopted children, seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
    A pianist played a 10-minute medley of Burns songs, including "When You're Young at Heart" and "By The Light Of the Silvery Moon." After the ceremony in light rainfall, the guests left for a reception at an undisclosed location.
    Burns died peacefully at his Beverly Hills home less than two months after his 100th birthday. He had been ill for several years but still managed regular office visits and bridge games until his final days.
    For 19 years Burns and Allen appeared on radio and television, Allen playing a daffy, scatterbrained wife and Burns the bemused, tolerant husband and straight man. When Allen died in 1964 at the age of 58, Burns said he had to start working again.
    Burns won the Academy Award as best supporting actor for his role in "The Sunshine Boys" in 1976. He went on to make more films, including playing God in 1978's "Oh, God" and its two sequels during the 1980s, as well as "Just You and Me, Kid" with Brooke Shields and "Going in Style." His manager and longtime friend, Irving Fein, said Burns who "was not a quitter, loved show business and he loved audience laughter," would sometimes walk onto stage feeling weak and walk away invigorated just from making the audience laugh.
    Earlier this year, Burns' frailty caused him to cancel performances celebrating his centenary at the London Palladium and Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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