UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television & Film and Television Archive Present an Evening Dedicated to George Burns Oct. 7, 1999

Business Wire, Sept 15, 1999

LOS ANGELES--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Sept. 14, 1999--

UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and UCLA Film and Television Archive present an evening dedicated to the memory of comedian George Burns on Oct. 7, 1999.

The evening will include a theatrical clip-show of Burns' show business career in film and television, which spanned almost the entire 20th century. Prior to the screening at 6:30 P.M., an invitation-only reception and dedication ceremony of a campus sound facility named in honor of the legendary entertainer will take place.

The screening is open to the public and will take place at 7:30 P.M. All screenings take place at the James Bridges Theater located on the northeast corner of UCLA's campus (nearest cross streets are Sunset Boulevard and Hilgard Avenue in Westwood.)

In 1997, The George Burns Trust donated $1 million to the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. The gift was divided into two endowments: the George Burns and Gracie Allen Scholarships/Fellowships in Comedy, and the George Burns Endowment Fund to be used at the Dean's discretion. In recognition of the gift, a campus soundstage facility, located in Melnitz Hall, was named the George Burns Sound Stage.

The dedication ceremony will involve Burns' longtime business manager, Irving Fein, and former Dean of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, Gilbert Cates, who directed Burns in "Oh, God! Book II" (1980). Also attending the event is the current Dean of the School, Robert Rosen, and new Archive director Tim Kittleson.

"George was unbelievable, he transcended the decades and ages -- from vaudeville to the digital. He was always helpful, hard working and professional -- not to mention a supremely gifted actor," said Cates.

"It has been a wonderful honor to curate this evening from the Archive's collections. The audience will see a wide spectrum of this comic genius' career from TV's `The Jack Benny Show' to his Oscar-winning performance in 'The Sunshine Boys,'" commented Kittleson.

One of the world's most loved entertainers, George Burns entered show business in 1903 at the age of 7. He married his comedy partner Gracie Allen in 1926 and the pair performed on stage, radio, television and films until her retirement in 1958. Allen died of a heart attack in 1964 at the age of 62.

Burns won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in his 1975 film "The Sunshine Boys." He starred in three "Oh, God!" films and his best-selling book "Gracie: A Love Story" won the Grammy for Best Spoken Word Recording. Burns died in March 1996 just weeks after his 100th birthday.

Admission to the Burns tribute is free. For further public information, call 310/206-FILM or visit the website at www.cinema.ucla.edu.

Programming at the UCLA Film and Television Archive is made possible by grants from the California Arts Council, the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and other sponsors.