David Burns (actor)


David Burns was an American Broadway theatre and motion picture actor and singer. He appeared in many comedies and musicals over a career of almost 50 years.

Life and career

Burns was born in Manhattan. He made his Broadway debut in 1923 in Polly Preferred and went to London with the show in 1924. His first Broadway musical was Face the Music, followed by Cole Porter's Nymph Errant, staged in London.
David Burns remained in London and was featured in many motion pictures there. His New York speech pattern was distinctive and exotic to British audiences, and he lent American color to a string of comedies, musicals, and mysteries. He came back to America in 1935 for two William Powell features at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, but returned to England where there was far less competition for "New York" character roles. His most famous British screen credit is probably The Saint in London, released as part of RKO's American Saint series of mysteries, with George Sanders as adventurer Simon Templar and David Burns as his New York sidekick. As World War II approached, making working conditions in England uncertain, Burns returned to New York in 1940. He made no further films until 1951, when he was hired for Fourteen Hours, produced on location in New York.

Stage honors

Burns won two Tony Awards for Best Supporting or Featured Actor in a Musical, for his performances as "Mayor Shinn" in The Music Man and as "Senex" in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
Burns introduced the hit song "It Takes a Woman" from Hello, Dolly as the original "Horace Vandergelder".
Burns won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama for his role of Mr. Solomon in the 1971 TV special of The Price by Arthur Miller.

Death

Burns died on stage on March 12, 1971, of a heart attack in Philadelphia during the out-of-town tryout of Kander and Ebb's musical 70, Girls, 70. He had just finished what the Philadelphia Inquirer described as a "rather strenuous dance step" during the musical number "Go Visit Your Grandmother," at the end of Act Two, when he collapsed during the audience applause. He was carried offstage. His lines were read by actress Lillian Roth for the remainder of the performance.
He was survived by his widow, Mildred.