By The TimesLedger
Astoria native Eddie Bracken, the legendary actor/comedian best known for his starring roles in Preston Sturges’ “The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek” and “Hail the Conquering Hero,” will appear in person Thursday at 8 p.m. at Film Forum in SoHo.
Bracken will discuss his seven-decade career in movies, theatre, vaudeville, radio, and television—a virtual history of American show business. The evening also features clips from some of his movie appearances and other surprises.
Bracken has been in show business for more than 70 years. He made his first movie appearances at age 9 in a series of “Our Gang”-type shorts and made his Broadway debut at the age of 15, rising to fame in such plays as “What a Life!” (in which he introduced the character of Henry Aldrich), “Brother Rat” and “Too Many Girls” before being signed by Paramount Pictures, where he became one of their biggest stars.
He was also the star of his own popular radio program, The Eddie Bracken Show. His other films include everything from “Summer Stock,” with Judy Garland, to “National Lampoon's Vacation,” with Chevy Chase.
Bracken returned to Broadway in the 1950s, starring in hits like “The Seven-Year Itch,” “Sugar Babies,” “Showboat,” “The Odd Couple” and “Hello Dolly!” He holds the record for most stage performances ever—more than15,000—and has also appeared in countless television shows, including “Golden Girls,” “Wiseguy” and “Murder, She Wrote.”
This tribute is the centerpiece of Film Forum’s current 10-week, 100-film festival, “The Great American Comedy.”
The Film Forum is located at 209 W. Houston Street in Manhattan. For more information, links and showtimes, go to www.filmforum.com or call 212-727-8110.
