Hollywood Memorial

A ventriloquist and one of the last great Vaudeville-style actors, he is best remembered for his creation of the puppet characters ‘Charlie McCarthy’ and ‘Mortimer Snerd.’ Born in Chicago, Illinois, he attended Northwestern University, where he developed his acting ability and practiced ventriloquism. His early movie roles were so popular that in 1937 he starred in his own radio show, ‘The Edgar Bergen / Charlie McCarthy Show’ which ran until 1956, when the growing popularity of television took away his radio audience. From 1937 until 1959, and again in the early 1980s, he played in many films, including such hits as ‘Hollywood Handicap,’ ‘The Goldwyn Follies,’ ‘Stage Door Canteen,’ ‘Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd in Sweden,’ and ‘The Muppet Movie’ (which came out after his death, and is dedicated to him). In most films, he plays himself. After 1956, he made guest appearances on such television shows as the ‘Jack Benny Show,’ (Johnny Carson’s) ‘The Tonight Show,’ ‘The Ed Sullivan Show,’ and numerous cameo roles (usually without Charlie McCarthy). His epitaph reads ‘WE Miss You Dad’ and of course his daughter is well-regarded actress of the small and big screen, Candice Bergen, best known as ‘X Murphy’. He is buried in the family plot at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.