Gertrude Berg

Gertrude Berg (born October 3, 1899; died September 14, 1966) was a star of old-time radio and television.

Related Topics:
October 3 - 1899 - September 14 - 1966 - Old-time radio - Television

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Born Gertrude Edelstein in New York City, she married Lewis Berg in 1918. As an actress, she is most famous for starring as the Jewish housewife "Molly Goldberg" in The Rise of the Goldbergs, better known simply as The Goldbergs, on radio (1929-1934; 1938-1945), Broadway (Me and Molly, 1948) and television (1949-1951; 1952-54). She wrote the television show and co-wrote the screenplay for the movie.

Related Topics:
New York City - 1918 - Jewish - The Goldbergs - Radio - Broadway - Television

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When the show first moved to TV, Berg's co-star, Philip Loeb, was blacklisted as an alleged Communist. She stood by him at first, refusing to fire him from the program, until it became impossible to avoid. Loeb received as generous a severance package as possible under the circumstances, but, tragically, Loeb ended up committing suicide. "The Goldbergs" went off the air anyway, but returned the next year.

Related Topics:
Philip Loeb - Blacklisted - Communist - Suicide

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In 1959, Berg won a Tony Award as "Best Actress in a Play" for her performance in "A Majority of One."

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Gertrude Berg died of heart failure in a hospital where she had been undergoing routine tests in New York City in 1966 at the age of 66.

Related Topics:
Heart failure - New York City - 1966

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