BURGESS MEREDITH BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Burgess Meredith was born on November 16th, 1907 in Cleveland, Ohio with the birth name Oliver Burgess Meredith to parents Ida Beth and William George Meredith.  After graduating in 1926 from Hoosac High School he enrolled at Amherst College in Massachusetts and then decided to leave to pursue an acting career.
 
He began by joining Eve Le Gallienne's stage company in 1933 and relocated to New York City.  Along with working as a stage actor he also supported himself working in retail as well as working as a journalist.  He began appearing in such productions as, "Romeo and Juliet", "Winterset", "Of Mice and Men", "High Tor" and "Liliom".  He was also seen on the big screen in such films as, "Idiot's Delight" (1939), "Castle on the Hudson" (1940), "San Francisco Docks" (1940) and "Tom, Dick and Harry" (1941).
 
He then took a brief break from pursuing his acting career to serve during World War II with the United States Army Air Force where he reached the rank of Captain.  In 1944 he left the military and returned back to pursuing his career.
 
Along with roles in such theatrical productions as, "The Playboy of the Western World" (1946), he also began appearing in more films such as, "Second Chorus" (1940), "The Diary of a Chambermaid" (1946), "Magnificent Doll" (1946) and "On Our Merry Way" (1948).
 
In addition to live theater and film roles he also made quite a name for himself on television appearing in such series as, "The Billy Rose Show", "Lights Out", "Suspicion", "Naked City", "Eleventh Hour", "Ben Casey", "Twilight Zone", "77 Sunset Strip", "Wagon Train", "Mr. Novak", "12 O'Clock High" and a number of episodes on the, "Batman" series playing the highly popular character, The Penguin. 
 
Later in his career there was a point he was actually blacklisted from Hollywood due to his political views as a result of the House Committee on Un-American Activities and for seven years he was unable to get work.  He credits Otto Preminger for helping his career get back on track.
 
When he returned back to working in Hollywood he continued to have a successful career since director, Otto Preminger really liked his work and cast him in such films as, "Advise and Consent" (1962), "In Harm's Way" (1965) starring John Wayne, "Skidoo" (1968) and "Such Good Friends" (1971) among many others.
 
Many also remember him for his role in the film, "Rocky" (1976) and later from, "Grumpy Old Men" (1993).  Even though his character was killed off in the first "Rocky" film he still was seen in all the "Rocky" films. 
 
During his career he won a number of Emmy's and was nominated for several Academy Awards.  He was also honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to the Motion Picture Industry.
 
In addition to all the theater, television and film he also made quite a bit of money appearing in a variety of commercials for Skippy Peanut Butter and United Airlines.  He was also given the chance to share his directing skills in the film, "The Man on the Eiffel Tower" (1949) and in 1970 he directed, "The Yin and the Yang of Mr. Go".  Meredith also did voice over work for such projects as, "A Walk in the Sun" and for commercials for such products as, Honda, Bulova Watches and Stokley-Van Camp. 
 
Throughout his lifetime he married a total of four times first to Helen Derby Berrien in 1932 and this marriage came to an end in 1935.  He then married Margaret Perry in 1936 but again just two years later this marriage also ended.  His third time to marry was to Paulette Goddard in 1944 and again a very short lasting marriage came to an end in 1949.  His fourth and final time to wed was in 1951 to Kaja Sundsten and they had two children together and remained married until he passed away on September 9th, 1997 in Malibu, California after suffering from melanoma as well as Alzheimer's disease.  His remains were cremated.

 
Filmography

2011 Biography
1996 Ripper 
1995 Grumpier Old Men
1995 Across the Moon 
1995 Tall Tale
1994 The Great Battles of the Civil War 
1994 Camp Nowhere
1993 Grumpy Old Men
1993 In the Heat of the Night 
1992 Mastergate 
1991 Night of the Hunter 
1990 Rocky V 
1990 State of Grace 
1990 Oddball Hall
1989 The Wickedest Witch
1988 Full Moon in Blue Water 
1988 Hot to Trot 
1987 Mister Corbett's Ghost 
1987 King Lear 
1987 G.I. Joe: The Movie 
1986 Outrage! 
1986 The Blinkins 
1985 Santa Claus
1984 Wet Gold
1984 Faerie Tale Theatre 
1983 Twilight Zone: The Movie 
1982-1983 Gloria
1983 Chasing the Limits
1982 Rocky III 
1982 Puff and the Incredible Mr. Nobody 
1982 Archie Bunker's Place
1981 True Confessions
1981 Clash of the Titans
1981 The Last Chase
1981 Mr. Griffin and Me 
1980 Final Assignment 
1980 When Time Ran Out...
1979 Puff the Magic Dragon in the Land of the Living Lies 
1979 Rocky II
1978 The Great Bank Hoax 
1978 Magic 
1978 Puff the Magic Dragon 
1978 Foul Play 
1978 Kate Bliss and the Ticker Tape Kid 
1978 The Manitou 
1978 The Return of Captain Nemo 
1977 Golden Rendezvous 
1959-1977 Hallmark Hall of Fame
1977 SST: Death Flight
1977 Tail Gunner Joe 
1977 Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye
1977 The Sentinel
1976 Rocky 
1976 Burnt Offerings
1975 The Hindenburg
1975 The Master Gunfighter
1975 92 in the Shade 
1975 The Day of the Locust
1975 Hay que matar a B. 
1974 Korg: 70,000 B.C.
1974 Golden Needles
1972-1973 Search 
1973 Old Faithful 
1970-1972 Rod Serling's Night Gallery
1972 Mann
1972 The Man 
1972 Beware! The Blob 
1972 A Fan's Notes 
1972 The New Healers 
1972 Probe 
1972 Getting Away from It All 
1972 McCloud
1968-1972 Ironside
1971 Such Good Friends
1971 The Man and the City
1971 Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color 
1971 The Strange Monster of Strawberry Cove 
1970-1971 Love, American Style
1971 Lock, Stock and Barrel 
1971 Room 222
1971 Clay Pigeon 
1968-1971 The Virginian
1971 The Father 
1970 The Name of the Game 
1970 The Bold Ones: The Senator
1970 There Was a Crooked Man...
1970 The Yin and the Yang of Mr. Go
1969 The Reivers
1969 Hard Contract
1969 Mackenna's Gold 
1969 Daniel Boone 
1969 Winter of the Witch
1968 Skidoo 
1968 Stay Away, Joe 
1966-1968 Batman 
1967 Torture Garden 
1967 Bonanza 
1967 The Invaders 
1967 Hurry Sundown
1966 The Crazy-Quilt
1966 Batman
1966 A Big Hand for the Little Lady
1966 Branded 
1966 Please Don't Eat the Daisies 
1966 Madame X
1966 12 O'Clock High
1965 The Loner 
1965 The Trials of O'Brien
1965 The Wild Wild West
1965 Laredo
1965 Mr. Novak
1965 In Harm's Way 
1965 Profiles in Courage 
1963-1964 Burke's Law
1961-1964 Rawhide
1964 Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre 
1964 Wagon Train 
1964 The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters
1964 Fanfare for a Death Scene 
1963 Breaking Point 
1963 The Cardinal 
1963 77 Sunset Strip 
1959-1963 Twilight Zone 
1962 Ben Casey
1962 Sam Benedict 
1962 The Eleventh Hour
1962 Naked City 
1962 Advise & Consent 
1961 Play of the Week 
1959 Sunday Showcase 
1959 The DuPont Show of the Month
1954-1958 G.E. True Theater 
1958 The Kidnappers
1957 Suspicion
1957 The United States Steel Hour
1957 Joe Butterfly 
1957-1958 The Big Story 
1953-1956 Omnibus 
1953 Tales of Tomorrow 
1952 Lux Video Theatre 
1952 Celanese Theatre
1950-1951 Lights Out 
1950 The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
1950 The Billy Rose Show
1950 Studio One in Hollywood 
1950 Robert Montgomery Presents
1950 Works of Calder
1949 The Gay Adventure 
1949 The Man on the Eiffel Tower
1949 The Silver Theatre
1949 The Ford Theatre Hour
1949 Jigsaw
1948 On Our Merry Way 
1947 Mine Own Executioner
1946 Magnificent Doll 
1946 The Diary of a Chambermaid 
1945 A Walk in the Sun
1945 Story of G.I. Joe 
1944 Salute to France 
1943 The Rear Gunner
1942 Street of Chance 
1941 Tom Dick and Harry 
1941 That Uncertain Feeling
1940 San Francisco Docks 
1940 Second Chorus 
1940 Castle on the Hudson 
1939 Of Mice and Men 
1939 Idiot's Delight
1938 Spring Madness
1937 There Goes the Groom
1936 Winterset
1935 The Scoundrel
1932 Freaks