George Burns: The Hundred Year Dash (2)

George Burns: The Hundred Year Dash
By Martin Gottfried

A biography of George Burns from the time he was born, 1 of 12 children living in NYC lower east side, until just before his death.
I covers George's early entry into show business (he left school in 4th grade) through Vaudeville and his struggles to find success. Then one day he finds a woman who would change his life. Gracie Allen made George Burns the man he became. When she died he was devastated.. but more than anything else he wanted to keep working.. because for him it was about the work.. not the money. He wanted the work and the recognition.

I have read several of George Burns own books, and this book fills in some of the blanks in his life. I always knew George Burns on his own.. and had heard of Gracie, but never fully understood the team. What comes out of this book is that George's personal life and life on stage were one. It was hard to tell the difference between them... and that all George wanted to do was to perform in front of a crowd.. and fortunately for him and us he was able to do that for many, many years!