Bob Burns (comedian)

infobox actor
name=Bob Burns
birthname=Robin Burn


birthdate=birth date|1890|8|2
birthplace=city-state|Greenwood|Arkansas
deathdate=death date and age|1956|2|2|1890|8|2
deathplace=city-state|Encino|California
occupation=Film, radio actor, comedian

Bob Burns (August 2, 1890 – February 2, 1956) was an American radio and film comedian during the 1930s and 1940s. Early in his career he was billed as Robert Burns.

Born Robin Burn in Greenwood, Arkansas, he was three years old when the Burn family moved to Van Buren, Arkansas. Before the age of 12, he was playing trombone and cornet in Van Buren's Queen City Silver Cornet Band. At 13, he formed his own string band. Practicing in the back of Hayman's Plumbing Shop one night, he picked up a length of gas pipe and blew into it, creating an unusual sound. With modifications, this became a musical instrument he named a bazooka (after "bazoo," meaning a windy fellow, from the Dutch "bazuin" for "trumpet"). [ [http://livedesignonline.com/mag/lighting_word_play/ Weiner, Richard. "Word Play", Live Design, January 1, 1999.] ] A photograph shows him playing his invention in the Silver Cornet Band. [ [http://www.vanburen.org/bob_burns.php "Bob Burns, the Arkansas Traveler"] ]

World War I

During World War I Burns enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. As a sergeant, he traveled overseas with the 11th Regiment, U.S. Marines, AEF, and became the leader of the Marine Corps jazz band in Europe. [ [http://www.jstor.org/pss/455526 "American Speech", vol. 69, no. 3, Autumn, 1994.] ]

Word spread about his rustic homemade instrument fashioned from stove pipes and a whiskey funnel. [ [http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0703D&L=ADS-L&P=R3610&I=-3 "Waukeesha Freeman", January 17, 1918] ] Burns found fame with his novelty instrument on radio programs of the 1930s and 1940s, and World War II GIs nicknamed their handheld anti-tank rocket launchers after the physical similarity to Burns's instrument. Functioning like a crude trombone, the musical bazooka had a narrow range and less-than-dulcet tone, but this was intentional, since Burns used the instrument as a prop while telling his comic hillbilly stories and jokes.

Radio

On radio Burns became known by nicknames "The Arkansas Traveler" and "The Arkansas Philosopher." His radio personality was that of a low-key, self-effacing, rustic bumpkin with a grabbag of amusing stories about "the kinfolks" back home in Van Buren. His character was patterned after Sanford Faulkner (1806-74), composer of the popular fiddle tune, "The Arkansas Traveler."

After a period on Los Angeles local radio, he reached a national audience in 1935 on the Paul Whiteman and Rudy Vallee radio programs and then became a regular on Bing Crosby's "Kraft Music Hall", hosting the show when Crosby was on vacation and telling tall tales about his fictional hillbilly relatives, Uncle Fud and Aunt Doody. He remained with the "Kraft Music Hall" until 1941 when his popularity with the heartland radio audience led to his own radio series, "The Arkansas Traveler" (1941-43) and "The Bob Burns Show" (1943-49).

Films

He made his film debut in "Up the River" (1930) and followed with "Three Rogues" (1930), "Quick Millions" (1931), "Young as You Feel" (1931), "Lazy River" (1934) and 19 more movies throughout the 1930s. In 1940 he was seen in "Alias the Deacon" and "Comin' Round the Mountain". His last film was the Technicolor musical Western "Belle of the Yukon" (1944), set in the days of the Canadian Gold Rush. As Sam Slade, Burns was top-billed with Randolph Scott, Gypsy Rose Lee and Dinah Shore.

From 1936 to 1940 he wrote a newspaper column, "Well, I'll Tell You," essentially a column filler with brief homespun anecdotes. The daily feature was syndicated to 240 U.S. newspapers.

His television appearances during the 1950s included Ed Sullivan's "Toast of the Town" (January 30, 1955). A wealthy man due to land investments, Burns' final years were spent on his 200-acre model farm in Canoga Park, California. He died from kidney cancer in Encino, California at the age of 65.

elected filmography

* "Quick Millions" (as Robert Burns) (1931)
* "Young as You Feel" (1931)
* "Lazy River" (1934)
* "Rhythm on The Range" (1936)
* "The Big Broadcast of 1937" (1936)
* "Waikiki Wedding" (1937)
* "Mountain Music" (1937)
* "The Arkansas Traveler" (1938)
* "I'm from Missouri" (1939)

Listen to

* [http://archive-b02.libsyn.com/podcasts/3398b426abacd41f81c79d86f5188b40/45924e4c/otrshow/oldtimeradioshow.mp3 OTR with Bobb Lynes: "The Bob Burns Show" (audition show of November 23, 1947)]

References

External links

*imdb|0122589|Bob Burns
*amg name|2:187207|Bob Burns
*findagrave|11546|Bob Burns
* [http://www.vanburen.org/bob_burns.php Bob Burns hometown tribute]
* [http://www.angelfire.com/de/classicalstories/ Bob Burns tribute page]

Persondata
NAME=Burns, Robin
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Bob
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Comedian
DATE OF BIRTH=August 2, 1890
PLACE OF BIRTH=Greenwood, Arkansas
DATE OF DEATH=February 2, 1956
PLACE OF DEATH=Encino, California