Title Page | Collection Summary | Biographical/Organizational Note | Scope and Content | Arrangement
Biographical Note
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1908, July 12 | Born the fourth of five children to Moses Berlinger and Sarah Glantz Berlinger in Harlem, New York |
| circa 1914 | Took dancing lessons at Mrs. Rock's Appeared in dances at the Beaver Club, Rena Club, Anthlon-Pom Pom and other social clubs |
| 1914 | First film appearance in Perils of Pauline (with Pearl White) |
| 1914-1923 | Performed in bit parts in East Coast silent films Bunny's Little Brother, Divorce Coupons, The Maid's Night Out, Tess of the Storm Country (with Mary Pickford), Birthright, Love's Penalty, and the serial, Ruth of the Range |
| 1916 | Attended Professional Children's School, New York City |
| 1917-1921 | Appeared in Hollywood films Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (with Mary Pickford), The Mark of Zorro (with Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.), and Punctured Romance (with Charlie Chaplin, Mabel Normand, and Marie Dressler) |
| circa 1918-1919 | Appeared in five juvenile vaudeville acts created by Philadelphia entrepreneur E. W. Wolf: "Playmates," "Melody of Youth," The Rising Generation," "Ting-a-Ling," and "Tid-Bits" |
| 1920 | Appeared in the Atlantic City revival of musical comedy Floradora as part of the Baby Sextet |
| 1921 | Began performing as Milton Berle while legally retaining Berlinger surname |
| 1921-1924 | Toured the Keith Circuit with Elizabeth Kennedy as Kennedy & Berle in Hocky and Green's Broadway Bound. The show opened at New York's Palace Theatre on May 24, 1921 |
| 1924-1928 | Began performing as a single act, debuting a 12-minute routine, "The Wayward Youth, at Loew's State Theatre on Broadway on December 29, 1924 |
| 1929 | Began radio career on the Fleischmann Hour with Rudy Vallée |
| 1932, Sept. 27 | Broadway debut in Earl Carroll's Vanities |
| 1933 | Appeared in the theatrical featurette, Poppin' the Cork, for which Berle wrote the score |
| 1934, Aug. 28 | Appeared in the musical comedy satire, Saluta, for which Berle co-wrote the lyrics |
| 1935, Aug. 27 | Appeared in Life Begins at 8:40 |
| 1936, Sept. 6 | Hosted The Gillette Community Sing |
| 1937-1938 | Appeared in the films New Faces of 1937 and Radio City Revels |
| 1939 Sept. | Appeared in George Abbott's musical comedy, See My Lawyer |
| 1939, Oct. 7 | Hosted Stop Me If You've Heard This One |
| 1939 | Published joke compendium Laughingly Yours. New York: S. French |
| 1939-1948 | Performed in nightclubs throughout the country |
| 1940 | Wrote title song for the musical L'il Abner, with Ben Oakland and Milton Drake |
| 1940-1949 | Wrote The Berling Point, a weekly column printed on and off in newspapers, Variety, and The Hollywood Reporter |
| 1941 | Appeared in musical comedy films Tall, Dark, and Handsome, Sun Valley Serenade, Rise and Shine, A Gentleman at Heart, Whispering Ghost, and Over My Dead Body |
| 1941 | Joined ASCAP; Berle wrote lyrics for some 400 songs over the course of his career |
| 1941-1942 | Hosted Three Ring Time |
| 1941, Dec. 4 | Married show girl and actress Joyce Mathews (divorced Oct. 22, 1947) |
| 1943 | Appeared in Otto Preminger's Margin for Error in a well-received dramatic performance Co-produced I'll Take the High Road with Clifford Hayman |
| 1943, Mar. 3 | Hosted The Milton Berle Show |
| 1943, Apr. 1 | Appeared in the longest-running edition of Ziegfeld Follies at the Winter Garden and Imperial Theatres (553 performances), the first star to be billed above the title |
| 1943, Nov. 9 | Produced comedyI'll Take the High Road with Clifford Hayman at the Ritz Theatre |
| 1944-1945 | Hosted Let Yourself Go |
| 1945 | Published Out of My Trunk: Milton Berle's Joke Book. Garden City, N.Y.: Blue Ribbon Books |
| 1945, Sept. 2 | Adopted daughter Victoria Melanie |
| 1945, Oct. 1 | Appeared in 3-month tryout run for the musical Spring in Brazil |
| 1946, Jul. 1 | Hosted Kiss and Make Up |
| 1947 | Founded the Friars Club of Beverly Hills with Jimmy Durante, George Jessel, Robert Taylor, and Bing Crosby, among others |
| 1947, Mar. 11 | Hosted The Milton Berle Show (i.e. The Philip Morris Show) |
| 1948 Sept. | Hosted the radio version of Texaco Star Theatre |
| 1948-1953 | Hosted the television version of Texaco Star Theatre; began 40-year contract with the network. The program received the 1950 Emmy for Best Kinescope Show and Berle received one for Most Outstanding Kinescoped Personality |
| 1949 | Appeared in Always Leave Them Laughing |
| 1949 June.-Nov. | Wrote "Milton Berle Says," a weekly column for the McNaught syndicate |
| 1949 Apr. | Hosted the first televised charity fundraiser, a telethon that raised $1.1 million for the Damon Runyon Cancer Fund |
| 1949, June 16 | Remarried Joyce Mathews (divorced Mar. 30, 1950) |
| 1950-1978 | Hosted or appeared in television specials: Uncle Miltie's Christmas Party, Show of the Year, Uncle Miltie's Easter Party, The Big Time, The Milton Berle Special, The Chrysler Television Special, Opening Night: U.S.A., A Show Business Salute to Milton Berle, Milton Berle's Mad Mad Mad World of Comedy, and A Tribute to "Mr. Television" Milton Berle |
| 1951, June 21 | Produced Seventeen with Sammy Lambert and Bernie Foyer at the Broadhurst Theatre |
| 1951, Sept. 10 | Son Bob Williams born to actress Junior Standish |
| 1953-1955 | Hosted The Buick-Berle Show |
| 1953, Dec. 9 | Married to publicist Ruth Rosenthal Cosgrove (died 1989) |
| 1955-1956 | Hosted the Milton Berle RCA Color Show |
| 1958-1959 | Hosted Kraft Music Hall |
| 1959 | Published with John Roeburt Earthquake. New York: Random House |
| 1960, Feb. 8 | Received stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in radio and television |
| 1960-1961 | Hosted Jackpot Bowling |
| 1960-1999 | Made guest appearances on a number of television shows, including: Batman; The Big Valley; The Bold Ones; CHiPs; Diff'rent Strokes; Fresh Prince of Bel Air; Get Smart; Gimme a Break!; Here's Lucy; I Dream of Jeannie; Ironside; Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In; The Love Boat; Love, American Style; The Lucy Show; Make Room for Daddy; Mannix; Matlock; McCloud; Murder, She Wrote; The Nanny;andSister, Sister |
| 1961, Dec. 27 | Adopted son William Michael |
| 1962 | Received Outstanding Single Performance By an Actor Emmy nomination for role in "Doyle Against the House" episode of the Dick Powell Show |
| 1963 | Appeared in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World Appeared in Top Banana on the Northeast summer stock circuit |
| 1965-1984 | Appeared in numerous movies, including: Broadway Danny Rose; Can Hieronymous Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?; Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title'; For Singles Only; The Happening; The Loved One; The Muppet Movie; The Oscar; Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows; and Who's Minding the Mint? |
| 1966-1967 | Hosted the Milton Berle Show |
| 1968, Dec. 3 | Appeared in The Goodbye People |
| 1970s-1990s | Appeared in commercials for the Fairchild F video game console, Lum's Restaurants, Firestone Tires, BVD Underwear, and Taco Bell |
| 1970-1976 | Appeared in various regional productions: The Last of the Red Hot Lovers; Two By Two; Norman, Is That You?; The Best of Everybody; and The Sunshine Boys |
| 1970-1988 | Appeared in made-for-television movies: Seven In Darkness; Evil Roy Slade; The Legend of Valentino; and Side By Side |
| 1973, Oct. 13 | Honored by Friars Club of California for 60 years in show business |
| 1974 | Published with Haskel Frankel Milton Berle: An Autobiography. New York: Delacorte Press |
| 1983 Feb. | Appeared in Family Business on PBS's American Playhouse series |
| 1984 | Member of the first class to be inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame Appeared in videos (produced by nephew Marshall Berle) of Ratt's "Round and Round" and "Back for More" from the Out of the Cellar album |
| 1988-1993 | Published several joke collections: B.S. I Love You, Milton Berle's Private Joke File; and More of Milton Berle's Private Joke File |
| 1990, Nov. 26 | Married fashion designer Lorna Adams |
| 1990-1996 | Sold joke sets on floppy disk through his company, Comedy Software, Ltd. |
| 1991 | First entertainer to be inducted into the International Comedy Hall of Fame |
| 1992 July | Named special advisor on physical fitness for older adults to President's Council on Physical Fitness by national chairman Arnold Schwarzenegger |
| 1995 | Received Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Emmy nomination for role of Saul Howard in Beverly Hills 90210 |
| 2000 | Appeared in Kenan & Kelepisode "Two Heads are Better Than One," his final acting role |
| 2002, Mar. 27 | Died, Los Angeles, of colon cancer |
| 2007 | Inducted into the California Hall of Fame |