- In full:
- Oliver Burgess Meredith
- Died:
- September 9, 1997, Malibu, California (aged 89)
- Awards And Honors:
- Emmy Award
- Notable Works:
- “The Yin and Yang of Mr. Go”
- Notable Family Members:
- spouse Paulette Goddard
Burgess Meredith
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Who was Burgess Meredith?
Burgess Meredith (1907–1997) was a versatile American actor and director with a career spanning seven decades. He played diverse characters on stage, television, and film. After working as a reporter and merchant seaman, he debuted on Broadway in Romeo and Juliet in 1930. He achieved success in 1935 as Mio in Winterset, reprising the role in the 1936 film.
During World War II, Meredith served as a captain in the U.S. Army Air Forces. Afterward, he continued acting and directed Broadway productions, winning a Tony Award for A Thurber Carnival (1960).
Meredith's film roles included George Milton in Of Mice and Men (1939) and Ernie Pyle in The Story of G.I. Joe (1945). His career stalled in the 1950s due to blacklisting but rebounded with roles in Otto Preminger films. He earned Oscar nominations for The Day of the Locust (1975) and Rocky (1976). He gained renewed popularity as the Penguin in the Batman TV series (1960s).
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What are some famous movies or shows Burgess Meredith acted in?
Burgess Meredith was an American actor and director who played diverse characters across stage, television, and film. After serving in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, Meredith made numerous film appearances, including George Milton in Of Mice and Men (1939) and Ernie Pyle in The Story of G.I. Joe (1945).
Meredith was known for his role as the villainous Penguin in the 1960s TV series Batman, and he reprised the role for the 1966 film version. He also appeared in such series as Rawhide, Bonanza, and The Virginian, and he was cast in numerous TV movies, notably Tail Gunner Joe (1977). Later movies included Grumpy Old Men (1993) and Grumpier Old Men (1995).
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What roles is Burgess Meredith best known for?
Burgess Meredith, a versatile American actor and director, had a career spanning seven decades in theatre, television, and film. He is known for stage performances in Winterset, High Tor, and Liliom. His notable film roles include George Milton in Of Mice and Men and Ernie Pyle in The Story of G.I. Joe.
Meredith's career stalled due to blacklisting but rebounded with roles in Otto Preminger films. He earned Oscar nominations for The Day of the Locust and Rocky. However, he is most widely recognized as the villainous Penguin in the 1960s TV series Batman, which brought him renewed popularity.
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Did Burgess Meredith work as a director as well as an actor?
Yes, Burgess Meredith was an American actor and director whose career spanned nearly seven decades. He directed a number of Broadway productions, including A Thurber Carnival (1960), for which he received a special Tony Award; James Baldwin’s Blues for Mister Charlie (1964); and Ulysses in Nighttown (1974), for which he earned a Tony Award nomination. Meredith also directed the films The Man on the Eiffel Tower (1950) and The Yin and Yang of Mr. Go (1978), the latter of which he wrote.
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How did Burgess Meredith’s career change over time?
Burgess Meredith, an American actor and director, had a diverse career across stage, television, and film. He debuted on Broadway in 1930 in Romeo and Juliet and gained recognition in 1935 for Winterset.
After serving in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, Meredith returned to acting and directing on Broadway. His film career faced a setback in the 1950s due to his liberal views and blacklisting, but he later had roles in Advise & Consent (1962) and received Oscar nominations for The Day of the Locust (1975) and Rocky (1976).
Meredith was also known for his role as the Penguin in the Batman TV series and won an Emmy Award for Tail Gunner Joe (1977).
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How did Burgess Meredith influence American film and television?
Burgess Meredith, a versatile American actor and director, significantly impacted American film and television across seven decades. After achieving success on Broadway, Meredith transitioned to film, starring in Of Mice and Men (1939) and The Story of G.I. Joe (1945). His career faced a setback in the 1950s due to blacklisting but rebounded with roles in Otto Preminger's films.
Meredith remained a prominent figure in television, with roles in series like Rawhide, Bonanza, and The Virginian. His portrayal of the Penguin in the Batman series brought him renewed popularity and a younger audience. Meredith also won an Emmy for his role in Tail Gunner Joe (1977).
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Burgess Meredith (born November 16, 1907, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.—died September 9, 1997, Malibu, California) was an American actor and director who, in a career that spanned nearly seven decades, played a diverse range of characters on the stage, on television, and in film.
Meredith attended Amherst College but left before graduating. He subsequently held a variety of jobs—notably working as a reporter and a merchant seaman—before pursuing an acting career. In 1929 he became an unpaid apprentice with Eva Le Gallienne’s Civic Repertory Company in New York City. The following year he made his Broadway debut in Romeo and Juliet, and he achieved great success in 1935 as Mio in the Maxwell Anderson play Winterset. He reprised the role for the 1936 film version, which was his first credited screen appearance.
After notable stage performances in High Tor (1937) and Liliom (1940), he served as a captain in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. He returned to acting after the war, in plays that included The Playboy of the Western World (1946–47), Major Barbara (1956–57), and I Was Dancing (1964). Meredith also directed a number of Broadway productions, notably A Thurber Carnival (1960), for which he received a special Tony Award; James Baldwin’s Blues for Mister Charlie (1964); and Ulysses in Nighttown (1974), for which he earned a Tony Award nomination.
During this time Meredith made numerous film appearances. He had memorable roles as George Milton in Of Mice and Men (1939), an adaptation of John Steinbeck’s classic novella, and as Ernie Pyle in The Story of G.I. Joe (1945). Meredith also wrote and starred in Jean Renoir’s The Diary of a Chambermaid (1946), a romantic drama that featured his third wife, Paulette Goddard. His film career stalled in the 1950s, however, when his liberal views drew the ire of U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee. His blacklisting eased with his roles in several Otto Preminger films, including Advise & Consent (1962).
In 1975 Meredith played a former vaudeville performer working as a door-to-door salesman in The Day of the Locust, for which he received his first Academy Award nomination. He garnered a second Oscar nod for his portrayal of a cantankerous boxing trainer in Rocky (1976). The film was a blockbuster, and Meredith appeared in several sequels. Later movies included Grumpy Old Men (1993) and Grumpier Old Men (1995). Meredith also directed the films The Man on the Eiffel Tower (1950) and The Yin and Yang of Mr. Go (1978), the latter of which he wrote.
In addition to his work on stage and screen, Meredith was a staple character actor in American television. He appeared in such series as Rawhide, Bonanza, and The Virginian, and he was cast in numerous TV movies, notably Tail Gunner Joe (1977). The latter was a biopic about McCarthy, and Meredith gave an Emmy Award-winning performance as army lawyer Joseph Welch, who famously asked the senator, “Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?” However, Meredith was perhaps most widely known for his role as the villainous Penguin in the 1960s TV series Batman. The character brought him renewed popularity—as well as a younger fan base—and he reprised the role for the 1966 film version. In 1994 Meredith published his autobiography, So Far, So Good.