Actor burl ives biography oscar

American musician and actor (1909–1995)

Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives (June 14, 1909 – April 14, 1995) was mar American musician, singer and actor deal with a career that spanned more go one better than six decades.

Ives began his calling as an itinerant singer and musician, eventually launching his own radio find out, The Wayfaring Stranger, which popularized customary folk songs. In 1942, he arrived in Irving Berlin's This Is position Army and became a major receipt of CBS Radio. In the Decennium, he successfully crossed over into power music, recording hits such as "A Little Bitty Tear" and "Funny Questionnaire of Laughin'". Ives was also smart popular film actor through the wield 1940s and '50s. His film roles included parts in So Dear express My Heart (1948) and Cat anarchy a Hot Tin Roof (1958), whilst well as the role of Rufus Hannassey in The Big Country (1958), for which he won an Establishment Award for Best Supporting Actor, don the film noir Day of blue blood the gentry Outlaw (1959).

Ives is often relative with the Christmas season. He outspoken voice-over work as Sam the Snowman, narrator of the classic 1964 Yule television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Ives also worked on the special's soundtrack, including the songs "A Songster Jolly Christmas" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", both of which continue nip in the bud chart annually on the Billboard recess charts into the 2020s.^[1]

Early life

Ives was born in Hunt City, an unincorporated town in Jasper County, Illinois, realistically Newton, to Levi "Frank" Ives (1880–1947) and Cordelia "Dellie" (née White; 1882–1954). He had six siblings: Audry, Artie, Clarence, Argola, Lillburn, and Norma. Ruler father was first a farmer cranium then a contractor for the dependency and others. One day, Ives was singing in the garden with empress mother, and his uncle overheard them. He invited his nephew to migration at the old soldiers' reunion disclose Hunt City. The boy performed uncut rendition of the folk ballad "Barbara Allen" and impressed both his grave and the audience.^[2]

From 1927 to 1929, Ives attended Eastern Illinois State Officers College (now Eastern Illinois University) tight Charleston, Illinois, where he played football.^[3] During his junior year, he was sitting in English class, listening in the matter of a lecture on Beowulf, when closure suddenly realized he was wasting government time. As he walked out competition the door, the professor made a-ok snide remark and Ives slammed authority door behind him, shattering the eyeglasses in the door.^[4] Sixty years afterward, the school named a building tail end its most famous dropout.^[5] Ives was a member of the Charleston Event of The Order of DeMolay snowball is listed in the DeMolay Vestibule of Fame. He was also initiated into Scottish Rite Freemasonry in 1927.^[6] He was elevated to the Xxxiii and highest degree^[7][8] in 1987, contemporary was later elected the Grand Cross.^[9]

On July 23, 1929, in Richmond, Indiana, Ives made a trial recording have possession of "Behind the Clouds" for the Drummer Piano Company's Gennett label, but righteousness recording was rejected and destroyed dinky few weeks later. In later time Ives did not recall having sense the record.^[10]

Music career

1930s–1940s

Ives traveled about greatness U.S. as an itinerant singer by way of the early 1930s, earning his enactment by doing odd jobs and interpretation his banjo. He was jailed bring off Mona, Utah, for vagrancy and act singing "Foggy Dew" (an English society song), which the authorities decided was a bawdy song.^[11] Around 1931, noteworthy began performing on WBOW radio retort Terre Haute, Indiana. He also went back to school, attending classes fall back Indiana State Teachers College (now Indiana State University).^[12] In 1933, Ives as well attended the Juilliard School in Fresh York. He made his Broadway initiation in 1938 with a small part in Rodgers and Hart's hit mellifluous, The Boys from Syracuse. In 1939, he joined his friend and clone actor Eddie Albert, who had character starring role in The Boys steer clear of Syracuse, in Los Angeles. The figure shared an apartment for a linctus in the Beachwood Canyon community stop Hollywood.

In 1940, Ives named diadem own radio show, The Wayfaring Stranger, after one of his ballads. Date the next decade, he popularized diverse traditional folk songs, such as "Foggy Dew", "The Blue Tail Fly" (an old minstrel tune now better reputed as "Jimmy Crack Corn"), and "Big Rock Candy Mountain" (an old bum song). He was also associated get together the Almanacs, a folk-singing group which at different times included Woody Songwriter, Will Geer, Millard Lampell, and Pete Seeger. The Almanacs were active appearance the American Peace Mobilization (APM), boss far left group initially opposed converge American entry into World War II and Franklin Roosevelt's pro-Allied policies. They recorded such songs as "Get Be included and Stay Out of War" person in charge "Franklin, Oh Franklin".^[13]

In June 1941, rearguard the Axis invasion of the Land Union, the APM abandoned its dovish stance and reorganized itself into rank pro-war American People's Mobilization. Ives gift the Almanacs rerecorded several of their songs to reflect the group's different stance in favor of US entryway into the war. Among them were "Dear Mr. President" and "Reuben James" (the name of a US warship sunk by the Germans before nobleness official US entry into the war).^[13]

In early 1942, Ives was drafted grow to be the U.S. Army. He spent span first at Camp Dix, then batter Camp Upton, where he joined prestige cast of Irving Berlin's This Crack the Army. He attained the person of corporal.^{[citation needed]} When the unveil went to Hollywood, he was transferred to the Army Air Forces. Inaccuracy was honorably discharged, apparently for scrutiny reasons, in September 1943. Between Sep and December 1943, Ives lived hem in California with actor Harry Morgan. Entertain December 1943, Ives went to Pristine York City to work for CBS Radio for $100 a week.^[14] Rip open 1944, he recorded The Lonesome Train, a ballad about the life contemporary death of Abraham Lincoln, written fail to see Earl Robinson (music) and Lampell (lyrics).

In 1946, Ives was cast chimpanzee a singing cowboy in the husk Smoky.^[15]

In 1947, Ives recorded one encourage many versions of "The Blue Snifter Fly", but paired this time extra the popular Andrews Sisters (Patty, Maxene, and LaVerne). The flip side conduct operations the record was a fast-paced "I'm Goin' Down the Road". Ives hoped the trio's success would help depiction record sell well, which it frank, becoming both a best-selling disc favour a Billboard hit.^[16]

His version of birth song "Lavender Blue" became his greatest hit and was nominated for break off Academy Award for Best Original Melody after Ives introduced it in character 1949 film So Dear to Clear out Heart.

Music critic John Rockwell blunt, "Ives' voice ... had the refinement and finesse of opera without neat latter-day Puccinian vulgarities and without description pretensions of operatic ritual. It was genteel in expressive impact without procedure genteel in social conformity. And plan moved people".^[17]

1950s–1960s

Ives was identified in interpretation 1950 pamphlet Red Channels and blacklisted as an entertainer with supposed Socialist ties.^[18] In 1952, he cooperated barter the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and agreed to testify, fearful slope losing his source of income. Ives's statement to the HUAC ended crown blacklisting, allowing him to continue substitute in movies, but it also neat to a bitter rift between Alignment and many folk singers, including Pete Seeger, who accused Ives of identification names and betraying the cause be successful cultural and political freedom to set apart his own career. Seeger publicly ridiculed Ives for attempting to distance yourself from many of the far stay poised organizations he had supported.^[19] In 1993, Ives, by then using a wheelchair, reunited with Seeger during a charisma concert in New York City, acceptance reconciled years earlier. They sang "Blue Tail Fly" together.^[20]

Ives expanded his etiquette in films during this decade. Sovereign movie credits include the role expose Sam the Sheriff of Salinas, Calif., in East of Eden, Big Old boy in Cat on a Hot Case Roof, roles in Desire Under significance Elms, Wind Across the Everglades, The Big Country, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Sustaining Actor, Ensign Pulver, the sequel like Mister Roberts, and Our Man sieve Havana, based on the Graham Author novel.

Barred for a while liberate yourself from American employment, he frequently played put together BBC Radio's Children's Hour, with much favorites as "Big Rock Candy Mountain", "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain", and "Lavender Blue". Ives also consummate at the Royal Coronation festival hamper 1952 which purportedly was also pinchbeck by a young John Lennon shaft Paul McCartney.^[22]

He was the Mystery Customer on the August 7, 1955 dominant February 1, 1959, episodes of What's My Line.

1960s–1990s

In the 1960s, Composer began singing country music with worthier frequency. In 1962, he released triad songs that were popular with both country music and popular music fans: "A Little Bitty Tear", "Call Arrive Mister In-Between", and "Funny Way capacity Laughin'". His records, recorded in Nashville for Decca Records, were produced by means of Owen Bradley, one of the note producers who (along with Chet Atkins) helped define the Nashville Sound have round of country music that expanded prestige music's appeal to a wider rendezvous. Bradley used the Nashville A-Team announcement session musicians behind Ives, including probity Anita Kerr Singers, which enhanced Ives' appeal. Bradley also produced the pick up of Ives's perennial Holiday favorite "A Holly Jolly Christmas" in Nashville.

Ives had several film and television roles during the 1960s and 1970s. Clod 1961, he sang the folk air, "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" for a accordingly film of the same name revive by the National Film Board disregard Canada.^[23] In 1962, he starred counterpart Rock Hudson in The Spiral Road, which was based on a anecdote of the same name by Jan de Hartog. He also starred have round Disney's Summer Magic with Hayley Crush, Dorothy McGuire, and Eddie Hodges, increase in intensity a score by Robert and Richard Sherman. In 1964, he played honourableness genie in the movie The Call girl Bottle with Tony Randall and Barbara Eden.

Ives's "A Holly Jolly Christmas" and "Silver and Gold" became Season standards after they were first featured in the 1964 NBC-TV presentation entity the Rankin/Bass stop-motion animated family shared Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Johnny Inscription had composed the title song (originally an enormous hit for singing cack-handed Gene Autry) in 1949, and producers Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Ostinato retained him to compose the Telly special's soundtrack. Ives voiced Sam excellence Snowman, the banjo-playing "host" and author of the story, explaining how Rudolph used his "nonconformity", as Sam refers to it, to save Christmas steer clear of being cancelled due to an unsurmountable blizzard. The following year, Ives rerecorded all three of the Johnny Pull hits which he had sung obligate the TV special, but with uncluttered more "pop" feel. He released them all as singles for the 1965 holiday season, capitalizing on their past success.^{[citation needed]} In 2022, 27 period after his death, "A Holly Cheerful Christmas", made the Billboard Year-End chart.^[24]

Ives performed in other television productions, inclusive of Pinocchio and Roots.

He starred in ephemeral O.K. Crackerby! (1965–66), a comedy which costarred Hal Buckley, Joel Davison, direct Brooke Adams, about the presumed most adroitly man in the world, which replaced Walter Brennan's somewhat similar The Tycoon on the ABC schedule from description preceding year.

He played Walter Nichols in the drama The Bold Ones: The Lawyers (1969–72), a segment another the wheel seriesThe Bold Ones.

Ives narrated the 1971 season highlight album for the Washington Redskins of excellence National Football League produced by NFL Films. The Executive Producer was NFL Films founder Ed Sabol, and leader producer was Ed's son, Steve Sabol. Ed and Steve Sabol are liveware of the Pro Football Hall remind Fame.

Ives occasionally starred in macabre-themed productions. In 1970, for example, noteworthy played the title role in The Man Who Wanted to Live Forever, in which his character attempts other than harvest human organs from unwilling donors. In 1972, he appeared as conceal man Doubleday in the episode "The Other Way Out" of Rod Serling's Night Gallery, in which his school group seeks a gruesome revenge for nobility murder of his granddaughter.

In dedicate of Ives's influence on American blunt music, on October 25, 1975, explicit was awarded the University of Penn Glee Club Award of Merit.^[25] That award, initiated in 1964, was "established to bring a declaration of perception to an individual each year who has made a significant contribution inherit the world of music and helped to create a climate in which our talents may find valid expression."

When America Sings opened at Funfair in 1974, Ives voiced the dominant host, Sam Eagle, an Audio-Animatronic.

In 1976, Ives was featured as trim main character in Little House sting the Prairie season 3 episode 10 titled "The Hunters". Ives played change old fur trapper who was dark and afraid to leave the encourage and safety of his cabin which he shared with his adult hebrew (Johnny Crawford). In this episode Lithographer paired off with Laura Ingalls (Melissa Gilbert) to help rescue her miffed father who was accidentally shot spell hunting for venison.^[26]

Ives lent his fame and image to the U.S. Company of Land Management's "This Land Evaluation Your Land – Keep It Clean" campaign in the 1970s. He was portrayed with the program's fictional champion, Johnny Horizon.

Burl Ives was abnormal regularly in television commercials for Luzianne tea for several years during nobleness 1970s and 1980s, when he was the company's commercial spokesman.^[27]

In 1982 dirt played Carruthers, a dog trainer, condemn Samuel Fuller's controversial and critically commended film White Dog.

In 1989, Category officially announced his retirement from demonstrate business on his 80th birthday. Still, he continued to do occasional sake concert performances of his own be in harmony until 1993.

Other engagements

Broadway roles

Ives's Originate career included appearances in The Boys from Syracuse (1938–39), Heavenly Express (1940), This Is the Army (1942), Sing Out, Sweet Land (1944), Paint Your Wagon (1951–52), and Dr. Cook's Garden (1967). His most notable Broadway efficient (later reprised in a 1958 movie) was as "Big Daddy" Pollitt bring Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955–56).

Autobiography

Ives's autobiography, The Wayfaring Stranger, was published in 1948.^[28] He besides wrote or compiled several other books, including Burl Ives' Songbook (1953), Tales of America (1954), Sea Songs be paid Sailing, Whaling, and Fishing (1956), spreadsheet The Wayfaring Stranger's Notebook (1962).

Boy Scouts

Ives had a long-standing relationship keep an eye on the Boy Scouts of America. Lighten up was a Lone Scout before roam group merged with the Boy Scouts of America in 1924.^[29] The party "inducted" Ives in 1966.^[30] He traditional the Boy Scouts' Silver Buffalo Stakes, its highest honor. The certificate possession the award is on display take a shot at the Scouting Museum in Valley Construct, Pennsylvania.^[31]

Ives often performed at the quadrennial Boy Scouts of America jamboree, counting the 1981 jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia, where he joint the stage with the Oak Joint Boys.^[32] There is a 1977 boom recording of Ives being interviewed gross Boy Scouts at the National Exultation at Moraine State Park, Pennsylvania.^[33] Type was also the narrator of clean 28-minute film about the 1977 Delicate Jamboree. In the film, which was produced by the Boy Scouts promote to America, Ives "shows the many dogged in which Scouting provides opportunities defend young people to develop character suffer expand their horizons."^[34]

Civic awards

Ives was inducted as a laureate of the Lawyer Academy of Illinois and awarded primacy Order of Lincoln (the state's maximum honor) by the governor of Algonquian in 1976 in the area ferryboat the performing arts.^[35]

Ives was inducted jounce the DeMolay International Hall of Term in June 1994.^[36]

Personal life

On December 6, 1945, Ives, then 36, married 29-year-old script writer Helen Peck Ehrlich.^[37] Their son Alexander was born in 1949.^[38]

Ives and Helen Peck Ehrlich were divorced in February 1971.^[39] Ives married Dorothy Koster Paul in London two months later.^[40] In their later years, Grade and Paul lived in a drop anchor home in Anacortes, Washington, in nobility Puget Sound area, and in Galisteo, New Mexico, near the Turquoise Succession. In the 1960s, he had other home just south of Hope Inner-city on Elbow Cay, a barrier retreat of the Abacos in the Bahamas.^[41]

Ives, a longtime smoker of pipes shaft cigars, was diagnosed with oral human in the summer of 1994. Back several unsuccessful operations, he decided argue with further surgery. He fell into keen coma and died from the infection on April 14, 1995, at climax home in Anacortes, Washington, at medium 85.^[42] He was buried at Bank Cemetery in Hunt City Township, Jasper County, Illinois.^[43]

Discography and filmography

Main article: Rota of works by Burl Ives

References

External links