Overview (5)

Mini Bio (1)

One of the truly great and gifted performers of the century, who often suffered lesser roles, Burgess Meredith was born in 1907 in Cleveland, Ohio. He was educated in Amherst College in Massachusetts, before joining Eva Le Gallienne's Student Repertory stage company in 1929. By 1934 he was a star on Broadway in 'Little 'Ol Boy', a part for which he tied with George M. Cohan as Best Performer of the Year.. He became a favorite of dramatist Maxwell Anderson, premiering on film in the playwright's Winterset (1936). Other Broadway appearances included 'The Barretts of Wimpole Street'. 'The Remarkable Mr Pennypacker', 'Candida', and 'Of Mice and Men. 'Meredith served in the United States Army Air Corps in World War II, reaching the rank of captain. He continued in a variety of dramatic and comedic roles often repeating his stage roles on film until being named an unfriendly witness by the House Un-American Activities Committee in the early 1950s, whereupon studio work disappeared. His career picked up again, especially with television roles, in the 1960s, although younger audiences know him best for either the Rocky (1976) or Grumpy Old Men (1993) films. Meredith also did a large amount of commercial work, serving as the voice for Skippy Peanut Butter and United Air Lines, among others. He was also an ardent environmentalist who believed pollution one of the greatest tragedies of the time, and an opponent of the Vietnam War. Burgess Meredith died at age 89 of Alzheimer's disease and melanoma in his home in Malibu, California on September 9, 1997.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: <anthony-adam@tamu.edu>

Spouse (4)

Trade Mark (2)

Distinctive raspy voice





Often worked with director Otto Preminger

Trivia (28)

Was placed on the "Red Channel" list of the HUAC.





Otto Preminger was instrumental in restoring his film career.



His character, the Penguin, was so popular as a villain on the television series Batman (1966), the producers always had a Penguin script ready in case Meredith wanted to appear as a guest star.

Had two children (with fourth wife Kaja Sundsten): Jonathon Meredith (musician) and Tala Meredith (painter).





On the television series Batman (1966), he developed his grunting Penguin laugh out of necessity. Meredith had given up smoking some 20+ years earlier, but his character was required to smoke with a cigarette holder. The smoke would get caught in his throat and he would start coughing. Rather than constantly ruin takes in this matter, he developed the laugh to cover it up. "Actually, it was a pretty funny noise for a penguin to make," he once said. "I sounded more like a duck." He gave up smoking again immediately after the series ended.

Suffered from melanoma and other ailments, including Alzheimer's disease, at the time of his death.





Was only 17 years older than Jack Lemmon when he played his father in Grumpy Old Men (1993).



Was the second choice for the role of the Penguin on Batman (1966). Producers had originally wanted Spencer Tracy in the role, but Tracy would not sign unless his character was allowed to kill Batman. Obviously, they did not want to kill the main character, so the role went to Meredith.

Biography in: "American National Biography". Supplement 1, pp. 406-407. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.



Was fascinated by the subject of non-human intelligence, particularly dolphins. He once believed that a dolphin somehow called to him for help in the middle of the night while he was staying at a friend's home on the beach. He ran out and found the dolphin, caught in a net under a dock down the beach, although there was no way he should have been able to know it was there. He released it, saving its life. He believed it had made some sort of connection with him, perhaps telepathic, to call for help.





Was offered the role of the Penguin's father in Batman Returns (1992) (which eventually went to Paul Reubens ), but could not film it because of his delicate health.



Relied on cue cards during the filming of Grumpier Old Men (1995), attributed to his being in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.



Despite his character dying in Rocky III (1982), he has appeared in every "Rocky" film, as either the real character, a flashback, or through archive footage.

Nephew of comedian and character actor, Jay "Handsome Danny Mann" Burgess (1856-1937).



After dropping out of Amherst College, he held down various jobs in journalism, retail, as a clerk, and as an editor. He also had a brief spell in the merchant marine and as a runner on Wall Street.



His father was a doctor, and his mother a Methodist revivalist.



Loved to cook and was a noted connoisseur of fine wine and good cuisine.



Served in the US Army Air Corps during World War II and held the rank of captain by 1945.



His father, William George Meredith, was Canadian (born in Toronto, Ontario). His mother, Ida Beth (Burgess), was from Ohio.





French avant-garde composer Edgard Varèse , a friend, wrote "Dance for Burgess" for him in 1949.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6904 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on November 5, 1987.



Revealed in 1994 that he suffered from Cyclothymia, a form of Bipolar Disorder.





In March 1937 industry trade papers announced that he would star in RKO's Stage Door (1937), but he ultimately did not appear in it.



Named Best Supporting Actor by the National Board of Review for his role in Advise & Consent (1962). [1962]

Personal Quotes (7)



I did Batman (1966) for two reasons, one of which was the salary. The other was that, after the first few episodes, "Batman" became the in-thing to do. Everybody . . . would either play a villain or appear as himself in that cameo showcase where a celebrity would poke his head through the window of a building that Batman and Robin were climbing. Actually, we didn't get as much money from the show as you might think, although we were paid decent money for the feature film version. The main impetus to continue appearing on "Batman"--beyond the desire to get some TV work--was that it was fashionable.

I was born a character actor. I was never really a leading man type.



Like the seasons of the year, life changes frequently and drastically. You enjoy it or endure it as it comes and goes, as it ebbs and flows.



I'll just take amusement at being a paradox.



[on his childhood] All my life, to this day, the memory of my childhood remains grim and incoherent. If I close my eyes and think back, I see little except violence and fear. In those early years, I somehow came to understand I would have to draw from within myself whatever emotional resources I needed to go wherever I was headed. As a result, for years, I became a boy who lived almost totally within himself.





Franchot Tone is nuttier than a fruitcake, so don't let the genteel frosting fool you.