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IMDbPro

Gertrude Berg(1898-1966)

  • Actress
  • Writer
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Gertrude Berg and Robert H. Harris in The Goldbergs (1949)
A documentary on television pioneer Gertrude Berg. She was the creator, principal writer, and star of "The Goldbergs," a popular radio show for 17 years, which became television's very first character-driven domestic sitcom in 1949. Berg received the first Best Actress Emmy in history, and paved the way for women in the entertainment industry.
Play trailer2:08
Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg (2009)
1 Video
23 Photos
Gertrude was born in New York City and her father owned a summer resort hotel. In her teens she wrote dialogues about her father and grandfather and recited them to guests at the hotel. This was the beginning of her writing which eventually led her to write "The Goldbergs." She married British-born chemical engineer Lewis Berg and they moved to Louisiana, where they lived on a sugar plantation for many years. Eventually they moved back to New York and to the same neighborhood where Gertrude had grown up. In her late 20s she returned to college; during this time a friend took her to a radio network executive, to whom she read one of her scripts. He liked it so much that he said he would put the show on the radio as a series if she would play the leading role. It premiered in 1929 and lasted until 1946 with over 5000 scripts. In 1949, "The Goldbergs" debuted on television and had a five-year run. According to Gertrude, she turned out over 15 million words and 10,000 performances during this run. Gertrude was a lady of great modesty who was universally loved and respected. But she did keep track of career with scrapbooks that reached over 100. She was regarded as homey as apple pie. Milton Berle called her "Goodness personified." Actress Faye Emerson said she had "the face of mother." Gertrude's career included stage, screen, record albums, books, and live television.
BornOctober 3, 1898
DiedSeptember 14, 1966(67)
BornOctober 3, 1898
DiedSeptember 14, 1966(67)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Won 1 Primetime Emmy
    • 2 wins & 1 nomination total

Photos23

Gertrude Berg in The Goldbergs (1949)
Gertrude Berg, Robert H. Harris, and Eli Mintz in The Goldbergs (1949)
Gertrude Berg in The Goldbergs (1949)
Gertrude Berg in The Goldbergs (1949)
Gertrude Berg in The Goldbergs (1949)
Gertrude Berg in The Goldbergs (1949)
Gertrude Berg and Robert H. Harris in The Goldbergs (1949)
Gertrude Berg in The Goldbergs (1949)
Gertrude Berg and Arlene McQuade in The Goldbergs (1949)
Gertrude Berg and Arlene McQuade in The Goldbergs (1949)
Gertrude Berg and Robert H. Harris in The Goldbergs (1949)
Gertrude Berg, Robert H. Harris, and Arlene McQuade in The Goldbergs (1949)

Known for:

Gertrude Berg in The Goldbergs (1949)
The Goldbergs
7.6
TV Series
  • Molly Goldberg
Gertrude Berg and Cedric Hardwicke in The Gertrude Berg Show (1961)
The Gertrude Berg Show
7.6
TV Series
  • Sarah Green
The Goldbergs (1950)
The Goldbergs
7.3
  • Molly Goldberg
  • 1950
Hennesey (1959)
Hennesey
8.0
TV Series
  • Sarah Green

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actress

  • Gertrude Berg and Cedric Hardwicke in The Gertrude Berg Show (1961)
    The Gertrude Berg Show
    • Sarah Green
    • TV Series
    • 1961–1962
  • Hennesey (1959)
    Hennesey
    • Sarah Green
    • TV Series
    • 1961
  • Walter Matthau in Play of the Week (1959)
    Play of the Week
    • Hannah
    • TV Series
    • 1959
  • Sam Levene, Zero Mostel, and Nancy Walker in The World of Sholom Aleichem (1959)
    The World of Sholom Aleichem
    • Hannele ('The High School')
    • TV Movie
    • 1959
  • Ed Sullivan in The Ed Sullivan Show (1948)
    The Ed Sullivan Show
    • Mrs. Jacoby - Scene from 'A Majority of One'
    • TV Series
    • 1959
  • Kraft Theatre (1947)
    The United States Steel Hour
    • May Golden
    • Rose Snider
    • TV Series
    • 1954–1959
  • "Steve Allen Show, The" Fred Astaire & Steve Allen c. 1960/NBC
    The Steve Allen Plymouth Show
    • Comedian-Excited Fan
    • TV Series
    • 1957
  • Gertrude Berg in The Goldbergs (1949)
    The Goldbergs
    • Molly Goldberg
    • TV Series
    • 1949–1957
  • The Alcoa Hour (1955)
    The Alcoa Hour
    • Sophie Perlman
    • TV Series
    • 1956
  • The Elgin Hour (1954)
    The Elgin Hour
    • Hannah Hirsch
    • Bessie
    • TV Series
    • 1954–1955
  • Tallulah Bankhead, Ethel Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Shirley Booth, Mary Martin, Tommy Morton, and Mary Murphy in Main Street to Broadway (1953)
    Main Street to Broadway
    • Tony's Neighbor at the NY Apartment House
    • 1953
  • The Milton Berle Show (1948)
    The Milton Berle Show
    • Molly Goldberg
    • TV Series
    • 1952–1953
  • The Goldbergs (1950)
    The Goldbergs
    • Molly Goldberg
    • 1950
  • The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre (1948)
    The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre
    • Mrs. Marks
    • TV Series
    • 1948

Writer

  • Gertrude Berg and Cedric Hardwicke in The Gertrude Berg Show (1961)
    The Gertrude Berg Show
    • story
    • teleplay
    • TV Series
    • 1961
  • The Kate Smith Hour
    • Writer
    • TV Special
    • 1957
  • Gertrude Berg in The Goldbergs (1949)
    The Goldbergs
    • teleplay
    • written by
    • writer
    • TV Series
    • 1949–1957
  • The Elgin Hour (1954)
    The Elgin Hour
    • writer
    • TV Series
    • 1955
  • The Goldbergs (1950)
    The Goldbergs
    • Writer
    • 1950
  • Basil Rathbone, Bobby Breen, and Marion Claire in Make a Wish (1937)
    Make a Wish
    • story and screenplay
    • 1937

Producer

  • Gertrude Berg in The Goldbergs (1949)
    The Goldbergs
    • executive producer
    • TV Series
    • 1949

Videos1

Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg
Trailer 2:08
Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg

Personal details

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  • Born
    • October 3, 1898
    • New York City, New York, USA
  • Died
    • September 14, 1966
    • New York City, New York, USA(heart failure)
  • Spouse
    • Lewis Berg1918 - September 14, 1966 (her death, 3 children)
  • Other works
    Stage, television, and radio actress.
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Biographical Movie
    • 2 Articles

Did you know

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  • Trivia
    In 1952, Gertrude and hes husband adopted two war orphans who resided in Europe with foster families. They were a 10 year old Italian boy and a 12 year old French girl.
  • Trademark
      Gertrude Berg is of German ancestry.

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