31 Facts About Edgar Bergen

Edgar Bergen lived on a farm near Decatur, Michigan until he was four, when his family returned to Sweden, where he learned the language.

Edgar Bergen so impressed the famous ventriloquist Harry Lester that he gave the teenager almost daily lessons for three months in the fundamentals of ventriloquism.

Edgar Bergen had created the body himself, using a nine-inch length of broomstick for the backbone, and rubber bands and cords to control the lower jaw mechanism of the mouth.

Edgar Bergen later switched to speech and drama, but never completed his degree.

Edgar Bergen gave his first public performance at Waveland Avenue Congregational Church located on the northeast corner of Waveland and Janssen.

Edgar Bergen cut out an "R" and a "G" from his family name and went from Berggren to Bergen on the showbills.

Edgar Bergen had an interest in aviation, becoming a private pilot.

Edgar Bergen worked in one-reel movie shorts, but his real success was on the radio.

Edgar Bergen was not a technically skilled ventriloquist, and Charlie McCarthy frequently twitted him for moving his lips.

Conversely, it has been theorized that Edgar Bergen inadvertently contributed to the hysteria.

In December 1948, Edgar Bergen announced he was temporarily "retiring" from radio, admitting that Stop the Music was too popular to compete with.

In October 1949, Edgar Bergen went to CBS, with a new weekly program, The Charlie McCarthy Show, sponsored by Coca-Cola.

At the height of their popularity in 1937, Edgar Bergen was presented an Honorary Oscar for his creation of Charlie McCarthy.

Edgar Bergen later cameoed in all-star films such as The Phynx, Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood, and The Muppet Movie.

Edgar Bergen died shortly after filming his Muppet Movie scene, which was his final public appearance, and was dedicated to him.

In 2009 Bergen was featured in the comedy documentary 'I'm No Dummy, directed by Bryan W Simon.

In 1954, Edgar Bergen was a co-host on a memorable TV musical special, General Foods 25th Anniversary Show: A Salute to Rodgers and Hammerstein.

On December 26,1954, Edgar Bergen appeared on What's My Line as a mystery guest.

Edgar Bergen appeared in the Christmas 1957 episode of NBC's The Gisele MacKenzie Show.

In 1958, Edgar Bergen appeared with his 12-year-old daughter Candice on an episode of You Bet Your Life starring Groucho Marx.

Edgar Bergen has appeared regularly on television during the 1960s and into the 1970s, appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as late as 1977.

Edgar Bergen guest-starred as Charlie in the 1960 episode "Moment of Fear" of CBS's The DuPont Show with June Allyson.

Edgar Bergen appeared as Grandpa Zeb Walton in the original Waltons television movie, The Homecoming: A Christmas Story.

Edgar Bergen appeared on The Muppet Show in Season 2.

In 1941, Edgar Bergen met 18-year-old Frances Westerman, a young fashion model, who had graduated from Los Angeles High School the prior year.

Edgar Bergen spotted her in the live audience of his radio program, where she was the guest of one of his staff members.

From Westerman's front-row seat, her legs caught the attention of 38-year-old Edgar Bergen, who asked to meet her.

In mid-September 1978, Edgar Bergen announced that he was retiring after more than 50 years in show business, and sending his monocled, top-hatted partner, Charlie McCarthy, to the National Museum of American History, at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC He opened at Caesar's Palace Hotel Las Vegas on September 27, for a two-week "Farewell to Show Business" engagement.

Edgar Bergen was interred with his parents, in Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood, California.

In 1990, Edgar Bergen was elected to the Radio Hall of Fame, the same year that The Charlie McCarthy Show was selected as an honored program.

Edgar Bergen was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame with three stars in 1960, for his contributions to television, motion pictures, and radio.