(1896 – 1996) Part of a husband and wife (Gracie Allen, 1902–64) vaudeville team, originating in the 1920s, who made a successful transition to radio and then 1950s sitcom (CBS, 1950–8).

Allen’s effervescent naivete created wonderful language games as well as continual confusion; Burns, as a cigar-smoking straight man, constantly violated the fourth wall to address the audience (or watch sitcom events on television). After Allen’s death, Burns tried other less successful series before returning to Hollywood, where he won an Oscar for The Sunshine Boys (1975). He played God in another series of the 1970s and 1980s.

Indeed, he announced that he would play Las Vegas at 100; he did not quite keep that date.