Burl Ives (Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives) is an American theater, film, television and radio actor. Singer and musician. In 1959 he won Oscar and Golden Globe awards for Best Supporting Actor in Big Country.
The creative biography of the performer began in the 1930s, when he went to travel around the country. Then he made his living performing songs to the accompaniment of guitar and banjo.
In 1976, the actor won the Lincoln Academy Art Prize. He is the recipient of the Order of Lincoln, Illinois' most honorary award, which he received personally from the Governor.
Biography facts
Berle was born in the summer of 1909 in a large family of farmers who moved to America from Scotland and Ireland. My father was constantly busy with work, and my mother kept the household and was engaged in raising six children.
Once, when the boy was 4 years old, his uncle heard him sing with his mother, and invited the baby to speak at a meeting of the former military in the city of Hunt City. The child agreed and sang an old folk ballad at the concert, which made everyone present very happy, highly appreciating Ives' talent and wonderful voice.
The boy began to be seriously interested in creativity while studying at school. He mastered the banjo and guitar, but had no plans to become a professional musician. He liked to play football more. He was going to devote his future life to sports and become a coach.
After receiving his primary education, the young man entered the Eastern Illinois State Teacher's College in 1927 and continued to engage in creativity.
In the summer of 1929, the young man recorded his first musical composition for the Starr Piano Company's Gennett label. The execution did not arouse interest among the representatives of the company and further cooperation with Berl was refused.
After devoting 2 years to his studies, Berl realized that he was not interested in listening to lectures, and studying only makes him bored. In one of the lessons, he decided to leave college and during the lecture he got up and went to the exit. The professor made a remark to him and noticed that if he left the class now, he would no longer return to the educational institution. To which the young man just turned around and forcefully slammed the door behind him. Interestingly, after 60 years, the college was named after the artist.
After dropping out of school, Berle hitchhiked around the country, making a living mostly singing and playing guitar and banjo. On one occasion, he was even arrested and briefly imprisoned in the Utah State Prison for vagrancy and allegedly obscene songs.
Creative way
In 1931, Berle began performing on WBOW radio in Indiana, where he decided to continue his studies at college. After 2 years, he went to New York to study acting at the Juilliard School.
Ives made his Broadway debut in 1938 in The Boys from Syracuse. A year later, together with his friend, actor E. Albert, he went to Los Angeles to pursue a creative career.
In 1940, the performer launched his own music radio show called "The Wayfaring Stranger".
In 1942, Berl was drafted into military service, where in a year he was able to rise to the rank of corporal. In the fall of the following year, he was demobilized due to health problems. The young man returned to New York and took a job on CBS radio.
The actor made his film debut in 1946 in the film "Haze". He played a small part as a singing cowboy.
In the following years he played in several films: "The Green Grass of Wyoming", "West Station", "So Dearest to My Heart", "Sierra". In the early 1950s, the actor, like many other representatives of the art of those years, was blacklisted. He was suspected of being associated with the Communist Party. Because of this, his career was practically interrupted for several years.
Ives still managed to convince the members of the commission of inquiry that he was not involved in the activities of the communists. As a result, he was excluded from the "black list" and allowed to continue working. But this decision affected his relationships with many colleagues and friends, who called him a traitor.
In 1958, Berle starred in the film "Big Country", which brought him two prestigious awards at once: "Oscar" and "Golden Globe". In the same year he appeared on the screen in the films: "Love under the Elms", "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", "Wind over the Plains".
Since 1963, the artist has devoted a lot of time to voice acting for animated characters. His voice sounded in the projects: "The Adventures of Rudolph the Deer", "I know an old woman who swallowed a fly", "Daydreamer", "Hugo the Behemoth", "Ewoks Adventures".
The last time Ives appeared on the screen was in the erotic drama "Two Moons Confluence", released in 1988. A year later, he officially announced his retirement from show business.
Personal life
Berle got married for the first time in December 1945. His chosen one was the young screenwriter Helen Peck Ehrlich. After 4 years, the couple adopted a boy named Alexander. After the divorce in 1960, Helen received full custody of her son.
Ives' second wife was interior designer Dorothy Koster. The wedding took place in April 1971. The couple lived together until Berl's death. The couple did not have their own children, but they adopted three children: Kevin, Rob and Barbara.
In 1994, Ives was diagnosed with carcinoma (cancer of the oral cavity). Doctors claimed that he earned the disease due to years of addiction to pipe and cigar smoking.
Over the course of several months, he went through a series of unsuccessful operations and ultimately decided to refuse further treatment. In the spring of 1995, the actor's condition deteriorated sharply, and a few days later, without regaining consciousness, he died in his own house, surrounded by his wife and children. This tragic event happened a few months before his birthday. The actor was supposed to be 86 years old.
Burle was buried in Illinois at the Mound Cemetery.
