Milton Berle Net Worth

Milton Berle's Quotes

• An adult western is where the hero still kisses his horse at the end, only now he worries about it.
• If evolution works, why do mothers only have two hands.
• If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door.
• Money can't buy you happiness, but it helps you look for it in a lot more places.
• A good wife always forgives her husband when she's wrong.

Interesting Facts about Milton Berle

1. Appeared for the first time on television in an experimental TV broadcast in 1929, and sometimes is credited with being the first person to appear on television, possibly because a film of the broadcast has survived. On April 7, 1927, an image of Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover was transmitted by AT&T in the first successful long distance demonstration of TV. Later that day, AT&T broadcast other material, including vaudeville comedian A. Dolan. WRNY (Coytesville, New Jersey) became the first standard radio station to transmit a television image, the face of Mrs. John Geloso, on August 13, 1928 in a process resembling early Web "broadcasts", with a delay of a few seconds between image and voice, while on August 22, 1928, WGY simultaneously broadcast Alfred E. Smith accepting the Democratic presidential nomination on radio and TV. "The Queen's Messenger" was the first play broadcast by television, on September 11, 1928 by W2XAD, an event that made the front page of the New York Times. Thus, Berle cannot be considered the first "television performer" in history.
2. Parents were Moses Berlinger (1873-1938) and Sarah/Sadie (Glantz) Berlinger (1877-1954). His father was born in New York, to German Jewish immigrants, and his mother was also born in NY, to Russian Jewish parents.
3. Had four siblings: Phil Berle (born 1901), Francis (born 1904), Jack (born 1905) and Rosalind (born 1913) (all deceased).
4. Stepfather-in-law of Richard Moll.
5. On Dec. 5, 1999, he suffered a mild stroke at his home in California.
6. Had a longtime joking rivalry with Bishop Fulton J. Sheen ("Uncle Fultie"), whose television show was on opposite his for many years ("He stayed on longer than I did because, let's face it, he had better writers. Mark, Luke ...").
7. Credits his survival as a television icon with his 30-year contract with NBC (Groucho Marx once joked about this saying: "30 years with NBC? That's not a contract. That's a sentence!").
8. Always opened his television show by making an entrance in a different costume each week.
9. Changed his name to Berle from Berlinger in 1920.
10. His mother, Sarah Berlinger (later called Sandra Berle), was often shown on camera as she sat in the audience for Texaco Star Theatre Starring Milton Berle (1948).
11. Was well-known as an outrageous joke thief, which frequently rankled some of his fellow performers. One time, he said to Groucho Marx, "You know, Groucho, I've stolen some of my best jokes from you." Without missing a beat, Groucho replied, "Then you weren't listening.". One of Berle's nicknames was "The Thief of Bad Gags.".
12. Was a regular on the "Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts".
13. In 1984 he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame, and in 1991 became the first entertainer inducted into the International Comedy Hall of Fame.
14. Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald S. Smith, pg. 46-48. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387
15. Uncle of Warren Berlinger.
16. In 1962 NBC tried to develop a television series around incidents in his life, but the series never got beyond the planning stage.
17. Had three children: Victoria, William and Bob Williams.
18. Had three grandsons: James, Mathew and Tyler Roe.
19. Began his professional career at age five, working in motion pictures at the American Mutoscope and Biograph Co. studios in Fort Lee, NJ.
20. In May 1949 he hosted the world's first charity telethon, benefiting the Damon Runyon Cancer Fund. The program lasted 24 hours.