Gracie : a love story /
by George Burns.
- New York : G. P. Putnam's Sons c1988.
- 319 p. : [48] p. of plates : illus. ; 24 cm.
Burns opens this book with "for forty years my act consisted of one joke. And then she died." This is a tribute to Gracie Allen, Burns's wife and partner, and the story of their life together, from vaudeville through early radio and television. Reading this entertaining account is just like listening to Burns talk. In Fact, he signals jokes by telling the reader, "Now I'm puffing on my cigar." Burns gives a good behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood and their famous friends, such as Jack Benny and Ronald Reagan. But what primarily emerges is a sensitive profile of Allen, who was a tough, clever, workhorse of a comedian, despite her "Dumb Dora" role, and a generous spirit. Recommended for public libraries.