Milton Berle

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Lore & Background

Milton Berle was born into a Jewish family in a five-story walkup in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan. His given name was Mendel Berlinger, but he chose Milton Berle as his professional name when he was 16. His father, Moses Berlinger (1872–1938), was of German-Jewish descent and worked as a paint and varnish salesman. His mother, Sarah (Sadie) Glantz Berlinger (1877–1954), who was of Polish-Jewish ancestry, changed her name to Sandra Berle when Milton became famous. He had three older brothers; for many years, two worked on Berle's TV production staff while Phil was a programming executive at NBC. Berle entered show business in 1913 at the age of five when he won a children's Charlie Chaplin contest. He also worked as a child model and was "Buster Brown" for Buster Brown shoes. He appeared as a child actor in silent films, claiming The Perils of Pauline as his first film appearance, though this has never been independently verified. By age 12, he made his stage debut in a revival of the musical comedy Florodora in Atlantic City, which later moved to Broadway. By the time he was 16, he was working as a master of ceremonies in vaudeville. In 1932, he starred in Earl Carrol's Vanities, a Broadway musical. By the early 1930s, he was a successful stand-up comedian, patterning himself after Ted Healy. Berle first appeared on television in 1929 in an experimental broadcast in Chicago which he hosted in front of 129 people. He returned to television 20 years later, hosting The Texaco Star Theatre on June 8, 1948, over the NBC Television Network. Berle's highly visual style, characterized by vaudeville slapstick and outlandish costumes, proved ideal for the new medium. He dominated Tuesday night television, reaching the number one slot in the Nielsen ratings with as much as a 97% share of the viewing audience. Berle and the show each won Emmy Awards after the first season. Television sales more than doubled after Texaco Star Theatre's debut, reaching two million in 1949. Berle's stature as the medium's first superstar earned him the sobriquet "Mr. Television." He also earned the nickname "Uncle Miltie" after ending a 1949 broadcast with a brief ad-libbed remark to children: "Listen to your Uncle Miltie and go to bed."

Reader's Guide

Milton Berle's significance lies in his role as the first major star of American television, a position he achieved through his pioneering work on Texaco Star Theatre. His vaudeville-influenced style—featuring slapstick, costumes, and audience interaction—defined early television comedy and helped drive television sales, which more than doubled after his show's debut, reaching two million sets in 1949. Berle's dominance was such that some theaters, restaurants, and other businesses shut down for the hour or closed for the evening so their customers would not miss his antics. He risked his newfound TV stardom at its zenith to challenge Texaco when the sponsor tried to prevent black performers from appearing on his show. Berle recalled clashing with the advertising agency and the sponsor over signing the Four Step Brothers, and he sent out the word: "If they don't go on, I don't go on." At ten minutes of eight—minutes before showtime—he got permission for the Step Brothers to appear. Later, he had no trouble booking Bill Robinson or Lena Horne. Berle's legacy includes two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in both radio and TV, and his career, which spanned silent films, vaudeville, radio, and television, exemplifies the transition of American entertainment into the television age.

Did You Know?

• Berle entered show business at age five by winning a children's Charlie Chaplin contest in 1913.
• He first appeared on television in an experimental 1929 broadcast in Chicago, hosting in front of 129 people.
• At the height of his popularity, some theaters and restaurants closed on Tuesday nights so customers could watch Texaco Star Theatre.
• Berle risked his stardom by threatening not to go on unless the Four Step Brothers, a black dance group, were allowed to perform on his show.
• His mother Sadie often sat in the audience as a 'plant' to encourage laughter, known for her 'piercing, roof-shaking laugh.'