Burgess Meredith

Oliver Burgess Meredith (November 16, 1907 – September 9, 1997) was an American actor and filmmaker whose career encompassed radio, theater, film, and television.

Active for more than six decades, Meredith has been called "a virtuosic actor" and "one of the most accomplished actors of the [20th] century". he won a Primetime Emmy Award, was the first male actor to win the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor twice, and was nominated for two Academy Awards.

"Although those performances renewed his popularity," observed Mel Gussow in The New York Times (referring to the Penguin and Mickey Goldmill roles), "they represented only a small part of a richly varied career in which he played many of the more demanding roles in classical and contemporary theater—in plays by Shakespeare, O'Neill, Beckett and others." His mother came from a long line of Methodist revivalists,

Career Theater

In 1929, he became a member of Eva Le Gallienne's Civic Repertory Theatre company in New York City. Although best known to the larger world audience for his film and television work, Meredith was an influential actor and director for the stage. He made his Broadway debut as Peter in Le Gallienne's production of Romeo and Juliet (1930) and became a star in Maxwell Anderson's Winterset (1935), which became his film debut the following year. His early life and theater work were the subject of a New Yorker profile. In 1935, he starred along with Hugh Williams at the Martin Beck Theatre in John Van Druten's Flowers of the Forest.

Meredith's performance in the 1935 Broadway revival of The Barretts of Wimpole Street starring Katharine Cornell generated enthusiastic positive reviews from a number of critics. Cornell subsequently cast him in several of her later productions. Some of Meredith's other Broadway roles included Van van Dorn in High Tor (1937), Liliom in Liliom (1940), Christy Mahon in The Playboy of the Western World (1946), and Adolphus Cusins in Major Barbara (1956). He created the role of Erie Smith in the English-language premiere of Eugene O'Neill's Hughie at the Theatre Royal in Bath, England in 1963. He played Hamlet in avant garde theatrical and radio productions of the play.

A distinguished theater director, Meredith earned a Tony Award nomination for his 1974 Broadway staging of Ulysses in Nighttown, a theatrical adaptation of the "Nighttown" section of James Joyce's Ulysses. Meredith also shared a Special Tony Award with James Thurber for their collaboration on A Thurber Carnival (1960). In the late 1970s, he directed Fionnula Flanagan's one-woman multi-role play James Joyce's Women, which toured for several years.

Film

Burgess Meredith's stage performances attracted the attention of several Hollywood film producers. Unlike most other movie actors, Meredith never signed a long-term contract with a single studio, preferring to work on individual film projects. Also, unlike some other former stage actors, Meredith successfully adjusted his performances to the film medium. Instead of playing to the audience in the balcony, Meredith now played to the camera, with his performances more controlled and intimate. This gave his screen characters great sensitivity, as he demonstrated in three bravura performances: as Mio Romagna in Winterset (1936), as George Milton in Of Mice and Men (1939), and as Ernie Pyle in The Story of G.I. Joe (1945). He starred only occasionally in pictures, as in San Francisco Docks (1940, as a longshoreman accused of murder) and Street of Chance (1942, as an amnesiac who may have been a killer). Meredith was featured in many 1940s films, including three co-starring his then-wife Paulette Goddard: Second Chorus (1940), Diary of a Chambermaid (1946), and On Our Merry Way (1948).

In 1950, Meredith was among the 151 entertainment professionals and journalists accused of communist sympathies in Red Channels. As evidence, the anti-communist pamphlet cited Meredith's support for Spanish pro-democracy groups and a humanitarian relief effort in Yugoslavia, as well as his participation in anti-censorship protests against the House Committee on Un-American Activities . Meredith was subsequently placed on the Hollywood blacklist and was largely absent from film for the next decade, though he remained involved in stage plays and radio during this time.

Meredith was a favorite of director Otto Preminger, who cast him in Advise and Consent (1962), The Cardinal (1963), In Harm's Way (1965), Hurry Sundown (1967), Skidoo (1968), and Such Good Friends (1971). He was acclaimed by critics for his performance as Harry Greener in The Day of the Locust (1975) and received nominations for the BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Academy Award for best supporting actor. Meredith then played Rocky Balboa's trainer Mickey Goldmill in the first three Rocky films (1976, 1979, and 1982). Though his character died in the third Rocky film, Meredith returned briefly in a flashback in the fifth film, Rocky V (1990). His portrayal in the first film earned him his second consecutive nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Meredith had a role in Foul Play (1978) with Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn. He played an old Korean War veteran Captain J. G. Williams in The Last Chase (1981) with Lee Majors. He appeared in Ray Harryhausen's last stop-motion feature Clash of the Titans (also 1981) in a supporting role. Meredith appeared in Santa Claus: The Movie (1985) and was the voice of Golobulus in G.I. Joe: The Movie (1987). In his last years, he played Jack Lemmon's character's sex-crazed 95-year-old father in Grumpy Old Men (1993) and its sequel, Grumpier Old Men (1995). In 1970, he directed, co-wrote, and played a supporting role in) The Yin and the Yang of Mr. Go, an espionage caper starring James Mason and Jeff Bridges.

Television Meredith as Henry Bemis in The Twilight Zone episode "Time Enough at Last"

Meredith appeared in four episodes of the anthology TV series The Twilight Zone, tying him with Jack Klugman for the most appearances on the show in a starring role.

In his first appearance in 1959 in "Time Enough at Last", Meredith portrayed a henpecked bookworm who finds himself the sole survivor of an unspecified apocalypse that leads him to contemplate suicide until he discovers the ruins of the library. In 1961's "Mr. Dingle, the Strong", Meredith played the title character, a timid weakling who receives superhuman strength from an extraterrestrial experiment in human nature. Also that year in "The Obsolete Man", Meredith portrayed a librarian sentenced to death in a dystopic totalitarian society. Lastly, in 1963's "Printer's Devil", Meredith portrayed the Devil himself. Meredith later played two additional roles in Rod Serling's other anthology series, Night Gallery. Meredith was the narrator for Twilight Zone: The Movie in 1983.

Meredith also appeared in various western series, such as Rawhide (four times), The Virginian (twice), Wagon Train, Branded, The Wild Wild West, The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, Laredo, Bonanza, and Daniel Boone. In 1963, he appeared as Vincent Marion in a five-part episode of the last season of the Warner Bros. ABC detective series 77 Sunset Strip.

In 1992, Meredith narrated The Chaplin Puzzle, a television documentary that provides a rare insight into Charles Chaplin's work circa 1914 at Keystone Studios and Essanay, where Chaplin developed his Tramp character. Coincidentally, Meredith married actress Paulette Goddard in 1944 following her divorce from Chaplin. After transferring to the Office of War Information, he made training and education films for the U.S. armed forces. In 1943 he performed in the USAAF's recruiting short The Rear Gunner and the U.S. Army training film A Welcome to Britain for troops heading to the UK in preparation for the liberation of Europe. He was released from duty in 1944 to work on the movie The Story of G.I. Joe, in which he played the war correspondent Ernie Pyle. He was discharged from the USAAF in 1945. As a nod to his longtime association with the original Twilight Zone series, he served as narrator for the 1983 film based on the series.

He supplied the narration for the 1974–75 ABC Saturday morning series Korg: 70,000 B.C. and was the voice of Puff in the series of animated adaptations of the Peter, Paul, and Mary song Puff, the Magic Dragon. In the mid-1950s, he was one of four narrators of the NBC and syndicated public affairs program, The Big Story (1949–58), which focused on courageous journalists. In 1991, he narrated a track on The Chieftains' album of traditional Christmas music and carols, The Bells of Dublin.

Meredith supplied vocals and a poem to Jeff Bridges' album Slow Magic: 1977-1978 released posthumously in April 2025.

He acted in the Kenny G music video of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", which was released in 1994. He played the main character, a projectionist at a movie theater. In 1994, he published his autobiography, So Far, So Good.

His last role before his death was the portrayal of both the Hamilton Wofford and Covington Wofford characters in the 1996 video game Ripper by Take-Two Interactive. Meredith was considered to play the Penguin's father in the 1992 Tim Burton film Batman Returns, but illness prevented him from appearing

Personal life and death Meredith was married four times. His first wife, Helen Derby Berrien Meredith—the daughter of American Cyanamid president Harry L. Derby—died by suicide in 1940, nearly five years after their divorce. His next two wives, Margaret Perry and Paulette Goddard, were actresses; Goddard suffered a miscarriage in 1944. Meredith's last marriage, to Kaja Sundsten, lasted 46 years and produced two children, Jonathan (a musician) and Tala (a painter). He wrote in his 1994 autobiography So Far, So Good that he had violent mood swings caused by cyclothymia, a form of bipolar disorder. He sponsored popular horse shows, the funds from the first of which were used as seed money to pay for legal fees to incorporate the area into the village of Pomona. His shows were popular, and he would entertain guests dressed in his Penguin costume and invite fellow actors and celebrities to join him.

On September 9, 1997, Meredith died at age 89 from complications of Alzheimer's disease and melanoma in his home in Malibu, California, and his remains were cremated. 1976 Rocky

1975 British Academy Film Awards Best Actor in a Supporting Role The Day of the Locust

1985 CableACE Awards Best Actor in a Theatrical or Dramatic Special Answers

1962 National Board of Review Awards Best Supporting Actor Advise & Consent

1977

Tail Gunner Joe

1978 The Last Hurrah 1977

The Sentinel

1978 Magic 1981 Clash of the Titans 1977 Sitges Film Festival Best Actor Burnt Offerings

1960

Special Tony Award A Thurber Carnival

1974 Best Direction of a Play Ulysses in Nighttown

Honors For his contributions to the motion picture industry, Meredith has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. For his onstage contributions, he was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame. A park was named after him in Pomona, New York, and he provided the funding to incorporate the village. In 1977, he received an honorary doctorate degree from Upper Iowa University in Fayette, Iowa.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1935 The Scoundrel Flop House Bum Uncredited 1936 Winterset Mio Romagna 1937 There Goes the Groom Dick Matthews 1938 Spring Madness The Lippencott 1939 Idiot's Delight Quillery Of Mice and Men George Milton 1940 Castle on the Hudson Steven Rockford Second Chorus Hank Taylor The San Francisco Docks Johnny Barnes 1941 That Uncertain Feeling Alexander Sebastian Tom, Dick and Harry Harry The Forgotten Village Narrator Voice 1942 Street of Chance Frank Thompson / Danny Nearing 1943 A Welcome to Britain Himself Army Service Forces training film, 1943; uncredited The Rear Gunner Pvt. L.A. Pee Wee Williams 1944 Our Country Himself Hymn of the Nations Narrator Voice, uncredited Salute to France the American soldier Tunisian Victory American soldier Voice Attack! Battle of New Britain Narrator Voice 1945 The Story of G.I. Joe Ernie Pyle A Walk in the Sun Narrator Voice, uncredited 1946 The Diary of a Chambermaid Captain Mauger Magnificent Doll James Madison 1947 Mine Own Executioner Felix Milne 1948 On Our Merry Way Oliver M Pease 1949 Jigsaw Jack / Bartender Uncredited A Yank Comes Back Unknown role Also writer Golden Arrow Dick The Man on the Eiffel Tower Joseph HeurtinAlso director 1950 Works of Calder Narrator Voice 1954 Screen Snapshots: Hollywood's Invisible Man Himself 1957 Joe Butterfly Joe Butterfly Albert Schweitzer Narrator Voice 1958 The Kidnappers Louis Halliburton Sorcerer's Village Narrator Voice 1959 America Pauses for Springtime Himself America Pauses for the Merry Month of May Himself 1962 Advise and Consent Herbert Gelman 1963 The Cardinal Father Ned Halley 1965 In Harm's Way Commander Egan Powell 1966 Madame X Dan Sullivan Batman Oswald Cobblepot / The Penguin The Crazy Quilt Narrator Voice A Big Hand for the Little Lady Doc Scully As Burgess Meridith 1967 Torture Garden Dr. Diablo Hurry Sundown Judge Purcell Framework Story 1968 Stay Away, Joe Charlie Lightcloud Skidoo The Warden Dear Mr. Gable Narrator Voice Debrief: Apollo 8 Narrator Voice 1969 The Father Captain Ned Mackenna's Gold The Store Keeper Hard Contract Ramsey Williams The Reivers Lucius / Narrator Voice 1970 There Was a Crooked Man... The Missouri Kid The Yin and the Yang of Mr. Go The Dolphin Also director 1971 Clay Pigeon Freedom Lovelace Such Good Friends Kalman 1972 A Fan's Notes Mr. Blue Beware! The Blob Old Hobo Uncredited Mineral King Narrator Voice The Man Senator Watson 1974 Hay que matar a B. Hector Golden Needles Winters 1975 The Day of the Locust Harry Greener 92 in the Shade Goldsboro The Master Gunfighter Narrator Voice The Hindenburg Emilio Pajetta 1976 Circasia Clown Burnt Offerings Arnold Allardyce Rocky Mickey Goldmill 1977 The Sentinel Charles Chazen Golden Rendezvous Van Heurden 1978 The Manitou Dr. Snow 1978 Foul Play Mr. Hennessey The Great Bank Hoax Jack Stutz Magic Ben Greene 1979 Rocky II Mickey Goldmill 1980 When Time Ran Out Rene Valdez Final Assignment Zak 1981 The Last Chase Captain J.G. Williams Clash of the Titans Ammon True Confessions Msgr. Seamus Fargo 1982 Rocky III Mickey Goldmill 1983 Twilight Zone: The Movie Narrator Voice, uncredited 1984 Wet Gold Sampson Made for TV 1985 Santa Claus: The Movie Ancient Elf Rocky IV Mickey Goldmill Archival footage, uncredited 1987 G.I. Joe: The Movie Golobulus Voice King Lear Don Learo Uncredited 1988 Hot to Trot Don's Dad Voice, uncredited Full Moon in Blue Water The General 1990 Oddball Hall Ingersol State of Grace Finn Rocky V Mickey Goldmill Flashback (new footage) 1993 Grumpy Old Men Grandpa Gustafson 1994 Camp Nowhere Fein 1995 Tall Tale Old Man Uncredited Across the Moon Barney Grumpier Old Men Grandpa Gustafson Last role 2006 Rocky Balboa Mickey Goldmill Archival footage, uncredited 2020 40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic Mickey Goldmill Archival footage

Television Year Title Role Notes 1950 Texaco Star Theatre Himself 1 episode 1950 Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall Himself 1 episode 1950 Your Show of Shows Himself 2 episodes 1950 Robert Montgomery Presents Himself/Frank Hugo Episode: "Ride the Pink Horse" 1950-1951 Lights Out Various Roles 3 episodes 1952 The Name's the Same Himself 1 episode 1952 Tales of Tomorrow Paul Episode: "The Great Silence" 1953–1954 Excursion Himself 3 episodes 1956 What's My Line Himself 1 episode 1955–1958 The Big Story Narrator (voice) 38 episodes 1958 The Ben Hecht Show Himself 1 episode 1959 The Jack Paar Tonight Show Himself 1 episode 1959 The Arthur Murray Party Himself 2 episodes 1959–1963 The Twilight Zone Henry Bemis, Luther Dingle, Romney Wordsworth, Mr. Smith 4 episodes 1961 The Play of the Week Vladimir Episode: "Waiting for Godot" 1961–1964 Rawhide Tom Gwynn, Matthew Higgens, Hannibal H. Plew 4 Episodes 1962 Naked City Duncan Kleist Episode: "Hold for Gloria Christmas" 1964 Wagon Train Grover Allen Episode: "The Grover Allen Story" 1965 Mr. Novak Principal Martin Woodridge 15 episodes 1965 Laredo Grubby Sully Episode: "Lazyfoot, Where Are You?" 1965 The Loner Siedry Episode: "Hunt the Man Down" 1965 The Wild Wild West Orkney Cadwallader Episode: "The Night of the Human Trigger" 1965 The Trials of O'Brien Judge Benjamin Vincent Episode: "No Justice for the Judge" 1966–1968 Batman The Penguin 21 episodes 1966 Twelve O'Clock High Radar Expert Episode: "Back to the Drawing Board" 1967 The Invaders Theodore Booth Episode: "Wall of Crystal" 1968–1971 Ironside Harry Grenadine, Alfred Carney 2 episodes 1967 Bonanza Owney Duggan Episode: "Six Black Horses" 1968 The Monkees The Penguin UncreditedEpisode: "Monkees Blow Their Minds" 1968 The Virginian Tim Bradbury 2 episodes 1969 Daniel Boone Alex Hemming Episode: "Three Score and Ten" 1970–1972 Night Gallery Charlie Finnegan, Dr. William Fall 2 episodes 1971 The Virginian Muley Episode: "Flight From Memory" 1971 The Bill Cosby Special Himself Television special 1971 The Bold Ones: The Senator George P. Mallon Episode: "Power Play" 1971 Room 222 Morris Henry Episode: "KWWH" 1971 Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color Henry Meade 2 episodes 1972 Mannix Noah Otway Episode: "The Crimson Halo" 1972 McCloud Marvin Sloan Episode: "A Little Plot at Tranquil Valley" 1972–1973 Search V. C. R. Cameron 23 episodes 1974–1975 Korg: 70,000 B.C. Narrator (voice) 19 episodes 1975 The Time Of Apollo Narrator (voice) Documentary by NASA 1976 Dinah! Himself 1 episode 1976 The 48th Annual Academy Awards Himself 1977 SST: Death Flight Willy Basset Television film 1977 Tail Gunner Joe Joseph N. Welch Television film 1977 The 49th Annual Academy Awards Himself 1978 The Return of Captain Nemo Prof. Waldo Cunningham Television film 1978 The Living Sands of Namib Narrator (voice) National Geographic Special 1978–1979, 1982 Puff the Magic Dragon Puff (voice) Television special 1980–1981 Those Amazing Animals Himself/co-host 2 episodes 1982–1983 Gloria Dr. Adams, Gloria Bunker Stivic's boss 22 episodes 1984 Faerie Tale Theatre Mr. Mortimer Mole (voice) Episode: "Thumbelina" 1987 Mister Corbett's Ghost Mad Tom Television film 1991 Night of the Hunter Birdy Television film 1992 Lincoln Winfield Scott (voice) Television film 1993 In the Heat of the Night Judge Cully 3 episodes 1994 The Great Battles of the Civil War Gettysburg Star, Banner Columnist (voice) Television series documentary

Video games Year Title Role Notes 1996 Ripper Hamilton Wofford, Covington Wofford

Theatre Year Film Role Notes 1930 Romeo and Juliet Peter 1930 The Green Cockatoo Grain Philip Morris Playhouse My Favorite Wife October 31, 1941 Madeleine Carroll co-starred Philip Morris Playhouse You Only Live Once November 28, 1941 Cavalcade of America Rain Fakers December 30, 1946 Theatre Guild on the Air The Sea WolfApril 27, 1952 Theatre Guild on the Air Black Chiffon May 10, 1953

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