Burl Ives

Burl Ives (born Burle Icle Ivanhoe Ives) was born on June 14, 1909 in Hunt, Illinois, US.  He was one of seven children born to the Hunt, Illinois farm family.  He learned about music from his pipe-smoking grandmother and by the age of four was performing in his grandfather's church.  Music became an integral part of Ives' child and teen years so much so that he continued his musical and general studies at Eastern Illinois State Teachers College (1927 - 1929).  He dropped out of college and traveled around the US in 1930 and 1931, with only 15¢ in his pockets.  He ended up in New York City, NY where he worked as a busboy and entertainer at International House (1933) and studied at New York University and The Juilliard School.

Shortly thereafter Ives was continuing to sing and perform professionally and for several years he took minor roles on stage which captured the attention of Rodgers and Hart (very famous song writers).  Rodgers and Hart liked Ives so much they wrote a stage role just for him in The Boys from Syracuse (1938-9).  With this role and others plus work on CBS Radio in and around 1940, Ives was starting to really make a name for himself in folk music and stage.  By 1946 he had landed his first film role in Smoky and was married to Helen Peck Ehrich.

Ives was wildly popular from the 1940's until the 1960's, he made albums, starred in Radio shows, TV shows, film, toured Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the US and Canada, he wrote books (including children and song books), and championed causes (Native Americans and Child Abuse).

Ives was married twice: Helen Peck Ehrich (1945- ? div) with one adopted son, and to casting director Dorothy Koster Paul (19??-1996 Ives death), three step children from her previous marriage.

Ives died of cancer on April 14, 1995 in Anacortes, Washington, US

 

 

Film 

Two Moon Junction~1988 - Sheriff Earl Hawkins

Uphill All the Way~1986 - Sheriff John Catledge

White Dog~1982 -  Carruthers

Earthbound~1981 - Ned Anderson

Just You and Me, Kid~1979 - Max

Baker's Hawk~1976 -  Mr. McGraw

Hugó a víziló~1976 (voice)

McMasters, The~1970 - McMasters

Other Side of Bonnie and Clyde, The~1968 (voice Narrator)

West to the Mountains~1967 - Balladeer

Rocket to the Moon~1967  - Phineas T. Barnum

Daydreamer, The~1966) (voice Father Neptune

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly~1964) (voice Singer

Ensign Pulver~1964 Capt. Morton

Brass Bottle, The~1964 Fakrash

Summer Magic~1963 Osh Popham

Spiral Road, The~1962 Dr. Brits Jansen

Let No Man Write My Epitaph~1960 Judge Bruce M. Sullivan

Our Man in Havana~1959 Dr. Hasselbacher

Day of the Outlaw~1959 Jack Bruhn

Big Country, The~1958 Rufus Hannassey

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof~1958  - Harvey 'Big Daddy' Pollitt

Wind Across the Everglades~1958 Cottonmouth

Desire Under the Elms~1958 Ephriam Cabot

Gun Glory~1957 Vocalist behind opening credits

Power and the Prize, The~1956 George Salt

East of Eden~1955 Sam the Sheriff

Sierra~1950 Lonesome

So Dear to My Heart~1949 Uncle Hiram

Station West~1948) (uncredited Hotel Clerk/Balladeer

Green Grass of Wyoming~1948 Gus

Smoky~1946 Bill

 

TV

68th Annual Academy Awards, The~1996-  Himself (Memorial Tribute - probably filmed in 1995)

Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story~1987 -  Woolworth

Wogan~1982 Himself 3/9/87

Dolly~1987 - Himself in  Episode 10 (# 1.10) 1987

Ewok Adventure, The~1984  (voice) -  Narrator

New Adventures of Heidi, The~1978 -  Grandfather

Bermuda Depths, The~1978 -  Dr. Paulis

Roots~1977 (mini)  - Senator Arthur Johnson

First Easter Rabbit, The~1976  (voice) - Narrator/Older Stuffy

Captains and the Kings~1976 (mini) -  Old Syrup

Little House on the Prairie~1974 - Sam Shelby in  The Hunters (# 3.10) 12/20/76

17th Annual Grammy Awards, The~1975 -  Himself

John Wayne and Glen Campbell & the Musical West~1974 -  Himself

Herbie Day at Disneyland~1974 -  Himself

Night Gallery~1970 - Old Man Doubleday in  The Other Way Out (# 3.8) 11/19/72

Alias Smith and Jones~1971 - Big Mac McCreedy in  The McCreedy Feud (# 3.3) 9/30/72

Alias Smith and Jones~1971 - Big Mac McCreedy in  Which Way to the O.K. Corral? (# 2.20) 2/10/72

Alias Smith and Jones~1971 - Big Mac McCreedy in  The McCreedy Bust-Going, Going, Gone (# 2.16) 1/31/72

Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The~1962 - Himself 2/19/71

Alias Smith and Jones~1971 - Big Mac McCreedy in  The McCreedy Bust (# 1.2) 1/21/71

Man Who Wanted to Live Forever, The~1970 -  T.M. Trask

Flip Wilson Show, The~1970 - Himself 12/24/70

Daniel Boone~1964 - Prater Beasley in  Love and Equity (# 5.21) 3/13/69

Daniel Boone~1964 - Prater Beasley in  A Tall Tale of Prater Beasley (# 5.14) 1/16/69

Bold Ones: The Lawyers, The~1969 -  Walter Nichols

Whole World Is Watching, The~1969 -  Walter Nichols

Pinocchio~1968 -  Gepetto

Sound of Anger, The~1968 -  Walter Nichols

Name of the Game, The~1968 - Arthur Jellicoe in  The Taker (# 1.3) 10/4/68

Andy Williams Show, The~1962 - 2/19/67

Bell Telephone Hour, The~1959 - Host in  Music that Mirrors the Times 4/24/66

Bell Telephone Hour, The~1959 - Host in  Wayfarer on the Mississippi 3/16/65

Bell Telephone Hour, The~1959 - Host 10/6/64

O.K. Crackerby!~1965 -  O.K. Crackerby

Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer~1964  (voice) - Narrator: Sam the Snowman

Flying Clipper - Traumreise unter weissen Segeln~1962 - Narrator

Bell Telephone Hour, The~1959 - Host 3/3/61

Zane Grey Theater~1956 - Ox in The Ox (# 5.4) 11/3/60

31st Annual Academy Awards, The~1959 -  Himself - Best Supporting Actor Winner

General Electric Theater~1953 King David in  Absalom, My Son (# 8.12) 12/6/59

Red Skelton Chevrolet Special~1959 - himself 10/9/59

Bell Telephone Hour, The~1959 - Host 10/23/59

Texaco special - Holiday~1959 - 6/3/59

Dinah Shore Chevy Show, The~1956 - Himself 12/21/58

Dinah Shore Chevy Show, The~1956 - Himself 10/5/58

Face in the Crowd, A~1957 (uncredited) -  Himself

High Low Quiz~1957 -  Himself/panelist

Playhouse 90~1956 -  Captain Keller in  The Miracle Worker (# 1.19) 2/7/57

United States Steel Hour, The~1953 -  Matthew Randolph in  To Die Alone (# 4.10) 1/16/57

General Electric Theater~1953 -  in  The Second Stranger (# 5.6) 10/28/56

Longines Whittnauer Thanksgiving Festival~1955 - Himself 11/24/55

Music '55~1955 - Himself 8/23/55

What's My Line~1951 Mystery Guest 8/7/55

What's My Line?~1950 Mystery Guest 8/7/55

Jack Par Show~1955 - Himself

Jack Parr Afternoon Show~1955 - Himself 7/8/55

Toast of the Town~1955 - Himself on Anniversary Surprise

Toast of the Town~1955 - Himself

CBS Morning Show~1955 - Himself

Stork Club~1955 - Himself

Frontiers of Faith~1954 - Himself

CBS Morning Show~1954 - Himself

TV Ding Dong School~1954 - Himself

Frontiers of Faith~1953 - Himself 12/20/53

Toast of the Town~1953 - Himself 3/22/53

Mohawk Showroom~1950 - Himself on A Family Christmas 5/1950

 

Film Singer/Lyricist

True Romance~1993 (singer: A Little Bitty Tear)

Sierra~1950 (lyricist)

 

Film Archives

Rock Hudson's Home Movies~1992

 

Theatre

Dr. Cook's Garden~1967 - Leonard Cook (Belasco Theatre, New York, NY)

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof~1955-56 - Big Daddy (Morosco Theatre, New York, NY)

Paint Your Wagon~1951-52 - Ben Rumsen (replacement) (Shubert Theatre, New York, NY)

Sing Out, Sweet Land~1944-45 - Fiddler/Bonaforte/1st Soldier/Jolly Tramp/Petty Officer (International Theatre, New York, NY)

This is the Army~1942 - performer (Broadway Theatre, New York, NY)

Heavenly Express~1940 - Pat Borlie (National Theater, New York, NY)

Boys From Syracuse~1938-39 - Tailor's apprentice (Alvin Theatre, New York, NY)

 

Radio

Philco Radio Show~1946-1947 - Singing 11/20/46 ; 4/23/47

Wayfaring Stranger~1940

Burl Ives Sings Radio Show

    Guest appearances:

Music Through the Night radio spots

America For Sale

Back Where I Caom From~1940

Jack Smith Show~1948 

Bing Crosby Show~1948

Tex & Jinx Show~1950

Bing Crosby Show~1951

Woolworth Hour~1955-57

Radio Show for Social Security "World of Folk Music"

 

Books

Wayfaring Stranger (American Autobiography)~1948

Wayfaring Strangers Notebook

Burl Ives Guitar for Beginners

Burl Ives' Tales of America

 

Albums

Songs I Sang in Sunday School~1963

How Great Thou Art~1981

Best of Burl Ives: Millennium Collection

Philco's Friendly Troubadour

Burl Ives Live at Chautaqua

size="2"Burl Ives Live at Brodniak

Burl Ives At His Best

Burl Ives Sings

Burl Ives

Burl Ives Compilation

Burl Ives Sings for Fun

Burl Ives Sings His Favorites

Burl Ives Sings the Great Country Hits

Burl Ives Presents America's Musical Heritage

Old Time Varieties

Softly and Tenderly

Some of the Best

Times They Are a Changin'

20 Gospel Favorites

All My Best

American Hymns

America's Folk Singer

America's Favorite Balladeer - 30 songs

Another Day, Another Year

On Top of Old Smoky

Chim, Chim, Cheree & Other Children's Choices

Scouting Along with Burl Ives

Ballads with Guitar

Ballads Folk and Country Songs

Ballads and Folk Songs Vol. 2

Ballads and Folk Songs Vol. 3

Mother Goose Songs

Cheers

Best of Burl's for Boys and Girls

Songs of Ireland

Captain Burl Ives' Ark

Australia Folk Songs

Women

Men

Wild Side of Life

More Folk Songs

The Animal Fair

In the Quiet of the Night

Down to the Sea in Ships

A Little Bitty Tear

Greatest Hits

The Magic Balladeer

A Twinkle In Your Eye

I'm Goin' Away

Coronation Concert

Women: Folk Songs About the Fair

Pearly Shells

Folk Songs: Dramatic and Dangerous

Lavender Blue

Little White Duck

Return of the Wayfaring Stranger

Wayfaring Stranger

Poor Wayfaring Stranger

The Versatile Burl Ives

SRP Burl Ives Christmas Album

SRB Holly Jolly Christmas

SRP Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Santa Claus in Coming to Town

Christmas Day in the Morning

Christmas at the Whitehouse

 

Awards, Honors and Nominations

Academy Awards

Rec'd 1959 Best Actor in a Supporting Role for The Big Country

Golden Boot Awards

Rec'd 1986 

Golden Globe Awards

Rec'd 1959 Best Supporting Actor for The Big Country

Grammy Awards

Rec'd 1962 Best Coutnry and Western Recording

Rec'd 1963 Best Country and Western Recording (Decca) for Funny Way of Laughin'

 

Miscellany

Was the voice of Sam the Eagle at Disneyland's "America Sings" (1974-1988) at Tomorrowland (directly across from Star Tours)

 

A very loyal Freemason.

Personal Note:  In the early 70's, when I was a young girl, I had the fortunate opportunity of meeting Mr. Ives on several occasions (when he lived in Santa Barbara, CA) in what seemed like an unlikely spot. He and his wife Dorothy, their little white poodle and their bright red, '69-'70-ish, Cadillac convertible (with white leather interior) would venture down to The Home Improvement Center (like a really tiny Home Depot) in Santa Barbara, CA.  My parents frequented the place about as much as Mr. and Mrs. Ives did.  His Mason lodge (Magnolia  - now Magnolia-La Cumbre) was only blocks away from my home).   I found him to be quite pleasant and very much larger than life.

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