Short Biography

Milton Berle (July 12, 1908 – March 27, 2002), born Milton Berlinger, was an Emmy-winning American comedian and actor. As the manic host of NBC`s Texaco Star Theater (1948–55), he was the first major star of television and as such became known as Uncle Miltie and Mr. Television to millions during TV`s golden age. As "Mr. Television," Berle was one of the first seven people to be inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1984. The following year, he appeared on NBC`s Amazing Stories (created by Steven Spielberg) in an episode called "Fine Tuning". In this episode, friendly aliens from space receive TV signals from the Earth of the 1950s and travel to Hollywood in search of their idols, Lucille Ball, Jackie Gleason, The Three Stooges, Burns and Allen—and Milton Berle. Speaking gibberish, Berle is the only person able to communicate directly with the aliens.

After twice marrying and divorcing Joyce Mathews, a showgirl, Berle in 1953 married Ruth Cosgrove, a onetime publicist; she died in 1989. He married his fourth wife, Lorna Adams, a fashion designer, in 1991. He had two children, Victoria (adopted by Berle and Mathews) and William (adopted by Berle and Cosgrove). Berle also had two stepdaughters from his marriage to Lorna Adams—Leslie and Susan Brown, who is married to actor Richard Moll. In later life, Berle found solace in Christian Science and called himself a Jew and a Christian Scientist.

In April 2001, Berle announced that he was suffering from a cancerous tumor in his colon, but would not undergo surgery.[12] At the time of the announcement, Berle`s wife said the tumor was growing so slowly that it would take ten to twelve years to affect him in any significant or life-threatening way. Unfortunately, less than one year after the announcement, Berle died on March 27, 2002 in Los Angeles, California

Miscellaneous Information

Friends and Family

Sammy Davis Jr. [Friend]

Martha Raye [Friend]

Bob Hope [Friend]

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