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I Love Her, That's Why!: An Autobiography
She puts salt in the pepper shaker and pepper in the salt shaker because then if she gets mixed up, she’s right. She shortens the electric cords in the house to save electricity. That’s the character Gracie Allen has played for years. And for all that time people have asked George Burns, “How do you stand it? Why do you put up with it?” And for twenty-eight years George has been answering, “I love her, that’s why!”
This story of the life George Burns has led, both B.G. and A.G. (before and after Gracie), is genuinely funny and genuinely moving. Nobody knows more jokes than he—he’s used only his best here; nobody knows so well how far down down can be, while very few have been at the top so long. He tells it all, and he tells it well (he admits unblushingly that he has the best collaborator in the business). And he has succeeded in making this love letter to Gracie a letter that will delight anyone lucky enough to read it.
This story of the life George Burns has led, both B.G. and A.G. (before and after Gracie), is genuinely funny and genuinely moving. Nobody knows more jokes than he—he’s used only his best here; nobody knows so well how far down down can be, while very few have been at the top so long. He tells it all, and he tells it well (he admits unblushingly that he has the best collaborator in the business). And he has succeeded in making this love letter to Gracie a letter that will delight anyone lucky enough to read it.
259 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1955
113 people are currently reading
225 people want to read
About the author
George Burns
95 books77 followersPopular American comedian acted George Burns, originally Nathan Birnbaum from 1922 teamed with Gracie Allen, his wife, to 1958; after her death, he in dramatic roles won an Academy Award for
The Sunshine Boys
(1975).
Career of this writer spanned vaudeville, film, radio, and television. His familiar arched eyebrow and cigar smoke punctuation lasted for more than three quarters of a century. He enjoyed a career resurrection that began in the 1975 and continued through his death.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_...
Career of this writer spanned vaudeville, film, radio, and television. His familiar arched eyebrow and cigar smoke punctuation lasted for more than three quarters of a century. He enjoyed a career resurrection that began in the 1975 and continued through his death.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
May 7, 2019
I really loved this book. It was written more than 20 years before I was born and I never would've have heard of it had I not discovered reruns of "Burns and Allen" on TV a few years ago (Burns plugs his book several times on the show). I love the show and especially Gracie--she was so funny! I already had a warm spot in my heart for George Burns having grown up watching him in the Oh God! films.
It's a fun look into Burns life, a glimpse of his childhood, and many stories of how he got into show business. But it's really a love story about Gracie, the center of his world. It's funny and sweet, touching and fun.
Anyone who is a fan of George Burns or Gracie Allen should definitely read this book. I think it would also very much appeal to anyone interested in old Hollywood of the 1930s-55, or the vaudeville/show biz performer experience in New York area 1907-1930 or so. There is also a lot of name dropping. Many of them I knew but many more were lost to me due to my age, as were many of the historic locations George Burns and Gracie Allen played. But still, I really loved this book.
It's a fun look into Burns life, a glimpse of his childhood, and many stories of how he got into show business. But it's really a love story about Gracie, the center of his world. It's funny and sweet, touching and fun.
Anyone who is a fan of George Burns or Gracie Allen should definitely read this book. I think it would also very much appeal to anyone interested in old Hollywood of the 1930s-55, or the vaudeville/show biz performer experience in New York area 1907-1930 or so. There is also a lot of name dropping. Many of them I knew but many more were lost to me due to my age, as were many of the historic locations George Burns and Gracie Allen played. But still, I really loved this book.
August 30, 2011
George Burns wrote what amounts to be a love letter to Gracie Allen with this book. I personally enjoyed this book and have always been a big fan of The Burns and Allen Show. If you enjoyed their banter, I would think you would find this book enjoyable...if you can find it. I found my copy at a roadside flea market in NC. My copy is inscribed "gift to Mary Parker from Mom Chrstmas 1955" which makes my copy seem very special.
April 15, 2016
IFun Read
This was just a quick look to find a book to fill time with
but it turned into one I really enjoyed. The back story of George Burns life was interesting,
and one I had never heard. It was nice to know that their love was real. Good book. I really enjoyed it.
This was just a quick look to find a book to fill time with
but it turned into one I really enjoyed. The back story of George Burns life was interesting,
and one I had never heard. It was nice to know that their love was real. Good book. I really enjoyed it.
April 15, 2018
I enjoyed Georges life story and his memories of everything - including Gracie Allen. The vaudeville stuff is always interesting, no matter who is writing about it Cary Grant, Jack Benny, Phil Harris. I listen to their radio show in XM radio, life is certainty a different time now...
June 13, 2022
I'm a fan of reprinted hero pulps (Doc Savage and The Shadow) I got into Old Time Radio shows (OTR) because I had heard the episodes of the latter being played on local radio late at night. With the advent of the Internet, collecting digital copies of OTR shows became quite easy and I branched out in my sampling of what was out there. (I'm a big fan of the Phillip Marlowe show.) OTR fans were big on Jack Benny and I eventually became a big fan too. To the point that I hunted down the few movies that Benny did that are still readily available. After that I began reading the bios written about him (the people he worked with loved him too).
Through the Benny bios I ended up reading Mel Blanc's autobiography and then Burns' All My Best Friends. Having found Burns' writing fun and his history fascinating, I was willing to dive into his life again when this title came across my radar.
Knowing that George spent most of his life talking about Gracie after she died, I was expecting this to be more of a profile of her, than a biography of him (I should have read the cover more closely). I learned only when I was almost finished the book that it was written while Gracie was still alive. The story bounces around quite a bit, as one would expect when someone is telling anecdotes about their life. I would expect the only way to get a solid chronological biography of George Burns would be to cut and paste all his books together into a massive Frankenstein of a book. You still wouldn't know which parts are truth, lies, or embellishments.
As always, there's a lot of interesting history (the Peabody dance step) and enough personal detail that I didn't feel cheated like you sometimes do with autobiographies. Anyone that has read some of Burns' other writing might feel that he rehashes some things that he covered before, but that's the problem with a life story, there are some chapters that can't be left out. I personally didn't mind and enjoyed this quite a bit.
This book reads a lot like the last one that I read, so I assume he used the same ghost writer who went uncredited for the later books.
Through the Benny bios I ended up reading Mel Blanc's autobiography and then Burns' All My Best Friends. Having found Burns' writing fun and his history fascinating, I was willing to dive into his life again when this title came across my radar.
Knowing that George spent most of his life talking about Gracie after she died, I was expecting this to be more of a profile of her, than a biography of him (I should have read the cover more closely). I learned only when I was almost finished the book that it was written while Gracie was still alive. The story bounces around quite a bit, as one would expect when someone is telling anecdotes about their life. I would expect the only way to get a solid chronological biography of George Burns would be to cut and paste all his books together into a massive Frankenstein of a book. You still wouldn't know which parts are truth, lies, or embellishments.
As always, there's a lot of interesting history (the Peabody dance step) and enough personal detail that I didn't feel cheated like you sometimes do with autobiographies. Anyone that has read some of Burns' other writing might feel that he rehashes some things that he covered before, but that's the problem with a life story, there are some chapters that can't be left out. I personally didn't mind and enjoyed this quite a bit.
This book reads a lot like the last one that I read, so I assume he used the same ghost writer who went uncredited for the later books.
December 10, 2018
The book starts with him (George Burns) talking about his early childhood, and the struggles he had to encounter. He "joined" show business around the age of four when he started a quartet in his neighborhood; they didn't really know how to sing but they still did. Through his ups and down in show business he talks about different girls he dated, until he met Gracie Allen. In the rest of the book he talks about how he "won" Gracies affection for him. It also talks a lot about how he had went in to show business with her to create the name he now has. Another part of the book is him talking and relating his experiences as a father to children and a husband as well.
An important phrase that is used in the book happens to be the title. Gracie Allen wouldn't be considered the brightest person, put a funny person at that. In the preface to the book Burns talks about a common question he received a lot of the time, which was somewhat along the lines of, "how do you manage to live with her so long, and go into show business with her?" To which he replies, "I love her, that's why!" I think this is a key phrase and a lot can be learned from it, just because of a couple mistakes or small things, it doesn't mean that you don't want to be with that person any longer or give up on them. You could relate this to your family or spouse or whoever you care deeply for. We all have trials but we need support through them as well.
I really liked this book, even though I wouldn't usually read something like this, it was really interesting. My favorite part of the story was his struggle to have his name in bright lights. It's really down to earth and it reminds me that hard work does pay off. He lived in New york at the time, and I like the whole 30's 40's vibe. There was gangsters and thieves and suits and all that kind of stuff. I really liked it though because, he came from almost nothing, but he worked hard enough to achieve what he wanted. Not all celebrities come from riches.
An important phrase that is used in the book happens to be the title. Gracie Allen wouldn't be considered the brightest person, put a funny person at that. In the preface to the book Burns talks about a common question he received a lot of the time, which was somewhat along the lines of, "how do you manage to live with her so long, and go into show business with her?" To which he replies, "I love her, that's why!" I think this is a key phrase and a lot can be learned from it, just because of a couple mistakes or small things, it doesn't mean that you don't want to be with that person any longer or give up on them. You could relate this to your family or spouse or whoever you care deeply for. We all have trials but we need support through them as well.
I really liked this book, even though I wouldn't usually read something like this, it was really interesting. My favorite part of the story was his struggle to have his name in bright lights. It's really down to earth and it reminds me that hard work does pay off. He lived in New york at the time, and I like the whole 30's 40's vibe. There was gangsters and thieves and suits and all that kind of stuff. I really liked it though because, he came from almost nothing, but he worked hard enough to achieve what he wanted. Not all celebrities come from riches.
January 27, 2022
I’ve recently been watching reruns of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show and saw an episode where he was talking about this book. I knew I had to read it to get the inside scoop on these two outstanding comedians.
This book was like a long monologue by George Burns. He told story after story of his early years growing up, his family, all the zany things he was involved in. I’m not sure everything is true (Jack Benny’s Introduction said that some of it is true and some of are lies…but what’s what?) but the reading of it was fun.
I was more interested in his life with Gracie Allen and was a bit disappointed that I was halfway through before we got to her. But it is an autobiography about George Burns and it was interesting to read about his childhood. Much of what you read in this book is mentioned in his TV show. According to Jack Benny the stories change from time to time.
I read this updated version of the book and I will admit that the print was a bit hard to read for me. And I wonder if the photographs were better quality in the original book. But overall, I enjoyed reading this book.
This book was like a long monologue by George Burns. He told story after story of his early years growing up, his family, all the zany things he was involved in. I’m not sure everything is true (Jack Benny’s Introduction said that some of it is true and some of are lies…but what’s what?) but the reading of it was fun.
I was more interested in his life with Gracie Allen and was a bit disappointed that I was halfway through before we got to her. But it is an autobiography about George Burns and it was interesting to read about his childhood. Much of what you read in this book is mentioned in his TV show. According to Jack Benny the stories change from time to time.
I read this updated version of the book and I will admit that the print was a bit hard to read for me. And I wonder if the photographs were better quality in the original book. But overall, I enjoyed reading this book.
May 3, 2022
I enjoyed most of this book, and could hear Burns' voice narrating it. I was surprised to learn he had 11 siblings, and that both of his children were adopted.
This book proved again what I've always known: comics that started in vaudeville like Burns and Red Skelton seldom varied their acts. In the theatre days, people looked forward to the same old jokes, and if they weren't forthcoming the audience was less than pleased. However, the script included at the end of the book shows how comedy has changed. Burns would be horrified by the profanity-laden sarcasm that so often passes for comedy today, but at least we are past the "dizzy housewife" sitcoms so popular in the 1950s.
Burns constantly claims that Gracie was the funny one, he just played straight man and let her get on with it. Perhaps that was true; the written version of his humour falls rather flat. I would have appreciated a little more information on the times they worked with Benny and co, but at least his deep love for his wife comes shining through every page.
This book proved again what I've always known: comics that started in vaudeville like Burns and Red Skelton seldom varied their acts. In the theatre days, people looked forward to the same old jokes, and if they weren't forthcoming the audience was less than pleased. However, the script included at the end of the book shows how comedy has changed. Burns would be horrified by the profanity-laden sarcasm that so often passes for comedy today, but at least we are past the "dizzy housewife" sitcoms so popular in the 1950s.
Burns constantly claims that Gracie was the funny one, he just played straight man and let her get on with it. Perhaps that was true; the written version of his humour falls rather flat. I would have appreciated a little more information on the times they worked with Benny and co, but at least his deep love for his wife comes shining through every page.
September 5, 2018
I grew up with George Burns being this incredibly old man with a cigar talking to the camera or playing God in movies played on television during Saturday afternoons. I had no idea about Gracie Allen, his wife, and their show that my parents and their parents generation would have remembered. This book was really sweet and hoaky. You could hear his voice in every line. And it was cool to learn about how hard they had to work as Vaudevillens to make it big. I think also title of the book says it all, he wanted the world to know Gracie wasn't the ditz she played in their show but an extremely talented actress and comedian.
March 9, 2021
This is an early autobiography from George Burns. I read his later one, written after Gracie's death, where he is a little more forthcoming about his life. This one is much lighter and focused more on their career, which is what his fans wanted at the time. It saddens me to think of current generations, who have no idea who Burns and Allen were, because they were one of the all-time great comedy duos, thanks in large part to George Burns letting Gracie shine. What a lovely, little book about a lovely, little couple.
May 24, 2022
Say hello, Gracie
More a recounting of the comedy duo Burns and Allen than a true autobiography, the early days of growing up in New York and breaking into vaudeville as it germinated is worth the price of admission. The biggest event in George's life - Gracie's death - leaves one to conclude it's less an autobiography than a happy face biopic. Still, the parts of his life he chose to tell make for a delightful read.
More a recounting of the comedy duo Burns and Allen than a true autobiography, the early days of growing up in New York and breaking into vaudeville as it germinated is worth the price of admission. The biggest event in George's life - Gracie's death - leaves one to conclude it's less an autobiography than a happy face biopic. Still, the parts of his life he chose to tell make for a delightful read.
January 30, 2025
meh. It was more about his early life than his life with Gracie. ( To be honest, I had read another of his books, "Gracie: A Love Story," years ago, which, as I remember, told more about his life with Gracie Allen.) It's written just like he would talk, which means I would have rather heard him on stage saying all this rather than writing it. It includes the complete script from one of their TV shows. Maybe that would interest you, but it comes across kind of flat, as most scripts do in print.
July 19, 2018
I hated every minute I had to spend away from this book. An honest, witty, appreciative look at a life well spent. It's almost hard to believe this was written midway through his life. So delighted by it I bought a copy for my mom, who introduced me to the genius of Burns and Allen.
April 24, 2019
George and Gracie a lovely story
Have wanted to read this book for years , a classmate gave
A book report on it and being a fan I made a mental note to do so it took me fifty years before I found it but at last I have and I enjoyed it
Have wanted to read this book for years , a classmate gave
A book report on it and being a fan I made a mental note to do so it took me fifty years before I found it but at last I have and I enjoyed it
March 21, 2021
I could here the real George Burns in every page
I enjoy watching the Burns and Allen show and this book gives me greater appreciation for the work it took to make such a great show. I am also amazed at how success and love are not planned but happen in the most interesting ways.
I enjoy watching the Burns and Allen show and this book gives me greater appreciation for the work it took to make such a great show. I am also amazed at how success and love are not planned but happen in the most interesting ways.
September 1, 2023
2.5 rounded up. The writing was poor, but often, really funny! I am a Gracie and Allen fan, so I enjoyed the stories and history. George clearly adored Gracie and every sentence points to that. A man who knew the value of a woman and wasn’t ashamed to say it! Unusual for his generation…
October 7, 2023
I loved it!
I would recommend this book to everyone. It was sweet, funny and written with lots of love. I have begun watching their show now. it's on cable every night at 5 a.m. and I stay awake just to see it! Wherever you are, George and Gracie, I love you!
I would recommend this book to everyone. It was sweet, funny and written with lots of love. I have begun watching their show now. it's on cable every night at 5 a.m. and I stay awake just to see it! Wherever you are, George and Gracie, I love you!
May 14, 2017
I think this is the 3rd Burns autobiography I have read. I like the older celebrity biographies that were written before everything was laid bare to G-d and everybody.
November 28, 2017
Nice read
I always liked his comedy and will still watch his show. The humor stands up through time. I enjoyed this book.
I always liked his comedy and will still watch his show. The humor stands up through time. I enjoyed this book.
May 11, 2019
Poignant and funny
I loved George Burns and Gracie Allen. I saw them on tv occasionally as a child and I loved their humor. Great book.
I loved George Burns and Gracie Allen. I saw them on tv occasionally as a child and I loved their humor. Great book.
January 26, 2022
What a lovely book.
I enjoyed reading their story, and, of course, their show is great.
I enjoyed reading their story, and, of course, their show is great.
October 16, 2023
The best part was the introduction…I thought it would be full of things they said and did on the shows but it was actually the story of how they met and started and ended their careers.
July 31, 2024
George writes a great book; informative & funny, too. Loved hearing about his childhood & early career.
September 10, 2020
Fun read
When I saw George Burns talk about his book on reruns of his 1950s TV show, I was pleased and surprised to find it was still available. It was a fun lighthearted read about his experiences going up in New York through his time on TV during its early days.
When I saw George Burns talk about his book on reruns of his 1950s TV show, I was pleased and surprised to find it was still available. It was a fun lighthearted read about his experiences going up in New York through his time on TV during its early days.
November 12, 2024
What can I say? With his amusing warmhearted wit and stellar storytelling skills, George takes on writing a book. He adds references to puffing on his cigar to help readers understand his style of humor and know when he's told a joke in the text. Jack Benny wrote a cute preface, and a note from Gracie is a darling postscript. A handful of photos from different stages of his life, including Gracie, Jack, other celebrities, and the Burns children are included partway through the book. Most chapters end with how many years elapsed before he met Gracie, until they started working together. Even though I've read it at least once after college, I laughed multiple times while reading it this time, and it makes me want to dig out my copy of Gracie: a Love Story to read again later this year perhaps.
July 24, 2016
Originally written in 1954, it is a quaint and enjoyable book. Yes, George Burns loved his wife, and she loved him. The early years of vaudeville were so interesting. I have always loved old-time radio personalities and this book definitely gave me a close look at their history before THE BURNS AND ALLEN SHOW. She was such a delight.
September 10, 2017
Great book, I have some of the TV shows and movies.
That makes me hear George and Gracie in their improv comedy Gracie is so hilarious and George is a perfect straight man and talking about George's life growing up was pretty funny, too. Gracie died too soon and will be missed.
That makes me hear George and Gracie in their improv comedy Gracie is so hilarious and George is a perfect straight man and talking about George's life growing up was pretty funny, too. Gracie died too soon and will be missed.
February 20, 2018
I liked this book and particularly enjoyed reading about his early days on the stage.
June 10, 2014
Definitely an interesting read and lots of humor.
July 4, 2015
Absolutely fantastic, it's like having George Burns doing a monologue in your head.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews