M4001

Love

George Burns and Gracie Allen

Collins Cover Announcement 

Romantic Couples Series 

George Burns and Gracie Allen

 39c Non-denominated Blue Lovebirds

In the early Golden Age of Television, the Bums and Allen Show was one of the most popular comedy series. The theme 'song was The Love Nest" so, since theirs was a true life, long-term marriage of mutual love and affection, I thought they would be the perfect pair for my Lovebirds stamp romantic couple.

George kept trying to break into show business as a young man but just couldn't seem to develop a successful act. Then he met the beautiful Gracie who could get laughs galore because of her distinctive delivery and ability to react to a straight line with a comedic response. In their act, she portrayed a wife who was a bit ditzy, but in real life she was quite intelligent. Their career took off like a rocket as they went to the top of the vaudeville circuit, then starred in their own radio show, went on to busy movie careers, and finally developed their extremely popular television show.

When Gracie eventually died, George was devastated but went on to an additional career as an Academy Award winning movie star ("Oh, God"), a sought-after guest for premier television and nightclub shows, and a best-selling author. The whole country seemed to be following this 20th Century giant of entertainment in 1996 as he approached his 100th Birthday.

My hand painted cachet shows George and Gracie in one of their famous dialogues at the end of their television show. She would be spouting in an almost nonsensical manner, and he would be holding his cigar and listening in an attempt to figure out what she was really saying. Finally, he would exclaim,

"Say Good-Night, Gracie. " And she would. The love nest at the lower left of the cachet symbolizes the life of one of the most truly romantic couples both on stage and off in American show business history. George Bums and Gracie Allen — 

Collins #M4001 —$13.25.