The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, was an American situation comedy television series that ran for 291 episodes over eight seasons (1950–58) on CBS. The show did not become weekly until the third season. The first two seasons of the show were biweekly broadcasts, with the last episode of Season Two being broadcast three weeks after the one that preceded it. The show was based on the Burns and Allen radio show (1929–50), which first ran for three years on the BBC radio network, before airing in the United States on CBS and NBC. The radio show itself was based on the characters George Burns and Gracie Allen had developed in vaudeville. Many of the early television episodes were a re-working of the same episodes that had aired on radio.

Hundreds of actors appeared on the television version, as leads and second leads, recurring roles, and celebrity cameos. While a handful of actors played the same role with each performance, most of the recurring actors played different roles with each appearance. The majority of the cast over the show's eight years were bit-part roles, either one-time, or carried over into other episodes. After Gracie decided to retire, George went solo for one year with The George Burns Show. Some of the original cast members and guest stars carried over to that show. The Burns family, main cast members, and supporting actors who made substantive contributions during the show's run, are listed below. Those who also appeared on George's solo show are so noted.

Main cast members

Burns and Allen family Gracie Allen 292 episodes (1950–58)

George Burns 292 episodes (1950–58) 25 episodes (1958–59) The George Burns Show as himself 34 episodes (1964–65) Wendy and Me, George as landlord to tenant Wendy Conway (Connie Stevens) 13 episodes (1985) George Burns Comedy Week anthology series, as host

Ronnie Burns (son) 24 episodes (1951–58) as himself, as well as other characters during the run of the show 23 episodes (1958–59) of The George Burns Show as himself

Sandra Burns (daughter) 13 episodes (1951–57), rarely on camera, usually just as a voice on the telephone

The Mortons

Bea Benaderet – Blanche Morton 292 episodes (1950–58). Benaderet had also played Blanche on the radio version of the show. She was the only actor besides George and Gracie who appeared in all episodes. 25 episodes (1958–59) of The George Burns Show, also as Blanche Morton

Benaderet's career began in San Francisco theatre and expanded to San Francisco radio, where she wrote, produced, sang and acted. She soon became the semi-regular character of wise-cracking telephone operator Gertrude Gearshift on the radio version of The Jack Benny Program. Following her successful decade working with Burns and Allen on radio, she continued with her career in the media of television. On I Love Lucy in the 1952 episode "Lucy Plays Cupid", Benederet played the Ricardo's neighbor Miss Lewis, who asks Lucy's help in getting her a date with local grocer Mr. Ritter (Edward Everett Horton). Benaderet had a recurring co-starring role as Cousin Pearl Bodine, mother of Max Baer Jr.'s character Jethro Bodine on The Beverly Hillbillies (1962–67). Benederet was the voice of Betty Rubble in 112 episodes of The Flintstones (1960–64). She starred in her own sitcom Petticoat Junction (1963–70).

Four different actors played Blanche Morton's husband Harry during the run of the show:

Hal March – Harry Morton #1 11 episodes (1950–51). March had played Harry Morton on radio in 1940, and continued in that role during the first episodes of the television show. He also appeared in two episodes as fictional producer Dick Fisher, "The Musical Scam" and "George Sneezing; Gracie Thinks He's Insane" (1952), two episodes as Harry Morton's business partner Casey, "Von Zell's Girlfriend Between Trains" and "Gracie Buying a Ranch for George" (1953), and in the episode "Wardrobe Woman Wins Free Trip to Hawaii" (1952) as Michael Rockford of the Matrimonial Bureau. March was a radio, television and film actor, mostly of the comedic genre. Other radio shows he appeared on included The Alan Young Show (1940), the radio version of December Bride (1952–53), as a vocalist on the Hoagy Carmichael Show (1944–45), as co-host with Bob Sweeney of the Sweeny and March show (1946–48), That's Rich radio sitcom (1954), and Young Love radio sitcom (1949–50). He became one of television's pioneer game show hosts when he took over The $64,000 Question (1955– 58).

John Brown – Harry Morton #2 Seven episodes (January – June, 1951) His professional credentials included radio appearances such as the Damon Runyon Theater, and Fred Allen's radio show. Brown's career fell to the Hollywood blacklist scare. Afraid of being targeted as Communist sympathizers, studios and producers distanced themselves from anyone on the list. During his brief role as Harry Morton, Brown's name appeared in Red Channels, a US Government publication that listed alleged Communists in the entertainment industry. George Burns, who produced the show under the umbrella McCadden Productions, removed Brown from the show in 1951. Brown's career continued as an unaccredited background voice on radio and in films. He died in 1957.

Fred Clark – Harry Morton #3 75 episodes (1951–53) Clark was primarily a film and television actor, who appeared in 58 feature-length films, and numerous television shows. Clark was also a stage actor, who was cast in mostly comedy roles.

Larry Keating – Harry Morton #4 199 episodes (1953–58) 24 episodes of The George Burns Show (1958–59) as Harry Morton As with others of the cast, Keating had a background in radio. He was a host assistant on the Blue Network game show County Fair (1945–50), and was a cast member of Bob Hope's The Pepsodent Show, as well as numerous other radio shows.

Announcers (also appeared onscreen as themselves)

Bill Goodwin 25 episodes (1950–51), as an announcer, and as a comedic version of himself. Goodwin had appeared on the Burns and Allen radio show in multiple character roles, in addition to announcing the actors, for most of the radio show's entire run until it ended in 1950. With the advent of the television show, he continued as both an announcer and as an actor for the first 23 episodes of the television show. Before television, Goodwin had been a radio announcer on the Al Pearce Show (1935–36), and was the star of his own comedy Bill Goodwin Show (1947) on CBS. During the same era, he was the announcer for the Blondie (1939) radio show, Bob Hope's The Pepsodent Show (1938–48) on radio, and numerous other shows of the era. His final episode as the Burns and Allen TV announcer was ""Gracie's Vegetarian Plot"" on August 2, 1951, after which Harry von Zell assumed the role of announcer. Goodwin continued as a television actor until his 1958 death.

Harry von Zell 268 episodes (1951–58), He was both the show's announcer, and a comedic caricature of himself that he had also portrayed on the radio show. The only actor besides George, Gracie and Benaderet who exceeded 200 episodes. von Zell took over as the show's announcer from Bill Goodwin on August 16, 1951 with the episode ""Space Patrol Kids Visit"" 25 episodes (1958–59) of The George Burns Show, as Mr. Knox

Supporting cast

Elvia Allman Seven episodes (1952–54) as Gracie's dressmaker friend Jane.

Allman was also the voice of many cartoon characters. She appeared as Cora Dithers, wife of Dagwood Bumstead's boss, in the Blondie radio series (1939–50) on CBS Radio and the Blue network. Allman was a regular as the man-chasing character Cobina on The Pepsodent Show with Bob Hope. She joined the Burns and Allen radio show cast in 1942, as Gracie's friend Tootsie Sagwell. Allman was cast in numerous radio and television parts, including her I Love Lucy role (1952) in the "Job Switching" episode as the conveyor belt foreman when Lucy and Ethel get a job in a chocolate factory. She also had a recurring role in Petticoat Junction as Selma Plout (1963–1974). Allman was Granny Clampett's gossip rival Elverna Bradshaw in 13 episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies (1963–1970).

Madge Blake One episode (1955) as Mrs. Rudy in "Vanderlip Leaves His Parakeet with George"

Blake ultimately became famous as Bruce Wayne's Aunt Harriet in the Batman (TV series) (1966–67). She began her acting career in midlife, determined to be successful after a director criticized everything about her and told her to go home. Along the way, she was Larry Mondello's mother, Margaret Mondello (1958–60) on the CBS/ABC sitcom Leave It to Beaver. Blake appeared in numerous films and on television shows, including several television episodes (1955–64) as the president of Jack Benny's fan club. She also appeared in 26 episodes of The Real McCoys (1957–63) as Flora MacMichael.

Peter Brocco Eight episodes (1955–56) Peter the giggling hotel waiter in the New York episodes. He giggles and documents every crazy thing he hears Gracie say. "Ronnie Arrives", "Ronnie Meets Sabrina", "George Becomes a Dictator", "Ronnie's Elopement", "Company for Christmas", "Gracie Pawns Her Ring", "The Musical Version" (1955) "George Needs Glasses" (1956) Brocco was a stage, screen and television character actor who appeared in over 300 feature-length films and television episodes (1932–1991).

King Donovan Eight episodes (1954–56) Bookstore clerk, ""George Invites Critics to Watch First Show of Season" (1954) Seven episodes as Roger Baker, Blanche Morton's deadbeat brother.(1955–56) Donovan was a comedic actor who appeared in 57 feature-length films (1948–1984), and had a background in Broadway theatre. He was primarily known for his television roles, both as an actor and as a director.(1952–1982) Donovan often collaborated with his wife, comedic television actress Imogene Coca.

Douglass Dumbrille Seven episodes (1954–58) Two episodes (1954) Mr. Peters, "George Teaches Gracie Not to Start Rumors" and Mr. Dykes, "Gracie Buys Old Movies to Sell to Television" Two episodes (1955) Arthur J. Cahill, "Company for Christmas" and Judge Russell, "Gracie Gets a Ticket 'Fixed' by the Judge" Brig. Gen. Masterson, "The General" (1957) Two episodes (1958) as Judge Strickland, "Gracie and the Jury" and "Blanche Gets a Jury Notice" Two episodes (1958–59) of The George Burns Show, as Mr. Knox His first acting role was on Broadway, in the 1924 stage production of Macbeth. Dumbrille appeared in hundreds of television and film roles, dating back to the silent film era.

Robert Ellis 15 episodes (1956–58) as Ronnie's college friend Ralph Grainger. Frank Foster, one episode (1956) Charlie, one episode (1956)

As a child actor under the name "Bobby Ellis", he had played Henry Aldrich on both radio and television.

James Flavin Nine episodes (1951–55) Six episodes as Detective Sawyer (1951–53), the confused and frustrated police detective whom Gracie (or George) called whenever they wanted to report a crime. Frank "Wardrobe Woman Wins Free Trip to Hawaii" (1952) Montague the Private Eye "Dual Meanings" (1955) Mr. Rigney "Ronnie's Elopement" (1955) Flavin was a character actor whose career lasted for nearly half a century. In addition to his television roles, he appeared in 371 feature-length films.; ;

Irene Hervey Five episodes (1955, 1958) Four (1955) episodes as Clara Bagley, "Gracie Plays Talent Scout for Imitator", "Gracie Adopts Great Dane Dog", "Blanche and Clara Bagley Leave Their Husbands", "No Seats for Friar's Club Dinner" One episode (1958) as Florence Henderson, "Softening the Professor" A native of Los Angeles, her early experience was on the stage at Venice High School, prior to being signed as an MGM contract player. She appeared in 51 feature-length films. Making the transition to television in 1952, she continued acting for the next three decades.; ;

John Hoyt Five episodes (1954–56) Mr. Otis "George Gets Black Eye from Open Door" (1954) Mr. Perry in "George and the 14-Karat Gold Trombone" (1955)