Введение
Американская актриса, сценарист и продюсер
Gertrude Berg (born Tillie Edelstein;
Tillie, who lived with her family on Lexington Avenue,
After the sugar factory where her husband worked burned down, she developed a semi autobiographical skit, portraying a Jewish family in a Bronx tenement, into a radio show. Though the household had a typewriter, Berg wrote her script by hand, taking the pages this way to a long awaited appointment at NBC. When the executive she was meeting with protested that he could not read what Berg had written, she read the script aloud to him. Her performance not only sold the idea for the radio program but also got Berg the job as the lead actress on the program she had written. Berg continued to write the show's scripts by hand in pencil for as long as the program was on the air. On November 20, 1929, a 15 minute episode of The Rise of the Goldbergs was first broadcast on the NBC radio network. She started at US$75 a week. Less than two years later, in the heart of the Great Depression, she let the sponsor propose a salary and was told, "Mrs. Berg, we can't pay a cent over $2,000 a week." Berg's husband, Lewis—who became a successful consulting engineer, though his job loss prompted her to write the initial radio script—refused to be photographed with his wife for publicity purposes, as he felt this was infringing on her success. Immigrant life and the Goldberg family struggle were familiar and relatable to many families during this point in American history. Radio seemed to produce a common place to tie patriotism and families together. The program's success was largely because of the familiar feelings of the American people portrayed in the program's scripts. The first season script was later published in book form. The Goldbergs returned a year after Loeb departed the show and continued until 1954, after which Berg also wrote and produced a syndicated film version. The show remained in syndicated reruns for another few years, after one year of production and 39 episodes (it aired on some stations as Molly). The series is currently seen on the Jewish Life Television (JLTV) cable network. Berg continued to make guest appearances on television in the 1950s and early 1960s. She appeared on The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom, a February 1958 episode of The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford, and was the "mystery guest'" on the series What's My Line? in 1954, 1960, and 1961. In 1961, Berg made a last stab at television success in the Four Star Television situation comedy, Mrs. G. Goes to College (retitled The Gertrude Berg Show at midseason), playing a 62 year old widow who enrolls in college. The series was cancelled after one season. Berg continued working in theatre through these years. In 1959, she won the Tony Award for Best Actress for her performance in A Majority of One. In 1961, Berg won the Sarah Siddons Award for her work in Chicago theater. Berg also published a best selling memoir, Molly and Me, in 1961.
Гертруда Берг (родилась Тилли Эдельштейн; Тилли, которая жила со своей семьей на Лексингтон-авеню, после того как сахарная фабрика, где работал её муж, сгорела, разработала полуавтобиографический скетч, изображающий еврейскую семью в трущобах Бронкса, и превратила его в радиошоу. Несмотря на наличие пишущей машинки в доме, Берг писала сценарии от руки, принеся страницы именно таким образом на долгожданную встречу в NBC. Когда руководитель, с которым она встречалась, возразил, что не может разобрать её почерк, она прочитала сценарий ему вслух. Её исполнение не только убедило в необходимости радиопрограммы, но и принесло Берг роль ведущей актрисы в шоу, которое она написала. Берг продолжала писать сценарии шоу от руки карандашом на протяжении всего времени его выхода в эфир. 15-минутный эпизод «Восхождение Голдбергов» впервые был транслирован по радио NBC 20 ноября 1929 года. Она начинала с 75 долларов в неделю. Менее чем через два года, в разгар Великой депрессии, она позволила спонсору предложить ей зарплату, и ей ответили: «Миссис Берг, мы не можем заплатить ни цента больше 2000 долларов в неделю». Муж Берг, Льюис, который стал успешным инженером-консультантом, хотя именно потеря им работы побудила её написать первоначальный радиосценарий, отказывался фотографироваться со своей женой для рекламы, считая, что это умаляет её успех. Жизнь иммигрантов и борьба семьи Голдбергов были понятны и близки многим семьям в тот период американской истории. Радио, казалось, стало общим местом для объединения патриотизма и семейных ценностей. Успех программы во многом объяснялся знакомыми чувствами американцев, отраженными в её сценариях. Сценарий первого сезона позже был опубликован в виде книги. «Голдберги» вернулись на экраны через год после ухода Лоэба из шоу и продолжали выходить до 1954 года, после чего Берг также написала и спродюсировала синдицированную киноверсию. Шоу оставалось в синдицированном прокате ещё несколько лет после одного года производства и 39 эпизодов (на некоторых станциях оно шло под названием «Молли»). В настоящее время сериал можно увидеть на кабельной сети Jewish Life Television (JLTV). Берг продолжала появляться в качестве гостя на телевидении в 1950-х и начале 1960-х годов. Она участвовала в шоу «The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom», в февральском эпизоде «The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford» 1958 года и была «тайным гостем» в сериале «What's My Line?» в 1954, 1960 и 1961 годах. В 1961 году Берг предприняла последнюю попытку добиться успеха на телевидении в ситкоме «Four Star Television» «Миссис Г. поступает в колледж» (в середине сезона переименованном в «The Gertrude Berg Show»), где она сыграла 62-летнюю вдову, поступающую в колледж. Сериал был закрыт после одного сезона. Берг продолжала работать в театре в эти годы. В 1959 году она получила премию «Тони» за лучшую женскую роль за свою игру в спектакле «A Majority of One». В 1961 году Берг получила премию Сары Сидонс за свою работу в чикагском театре. Берг также опубликовала бестселлер-мемуары «Молли и я» в 1961 году.
Gertrude Berg (born Tillie Edelstein;
Tillie, who lived with her family on Lexington Avenue,
After the sugar factory where her husband worked burned down, she developed a semi autobiographical skit, portraying a Jewish family in a Bronx tenement, into a radio show. Though the household had a typewriter, Berg wrote her script by hand, taking the pages this way to a long awaited appointment at NBC. When the executive she was meeting with protested that he could not read what Berg had written, she read the script aloud to him. Her performance not only sold the idea for the radio program but also got Berg the job as the lead actress on the program she had written. Berg continued to write the show's scripts by hand in pencil for as long as the program was on the air. On November 20, 1929, a 15 minute episode of The Rise of the Goldbergs was first broadcast on the NBC radio network. She started at US$75 a week. Less than two years later, in the heart of the Great Depression, she let the sponsor propose a salary and was told, "Mrs. Berg, we can't pay a cent over $2,000 a week." Berg's husband, Lewis—who became a successful consulting engineer, though his job loss prompted her to write the initial radio script—refused to be photographed with his wife for publicity purposes, as he felt this was infringing on her success. Immigrant life and the Goldberg family struggle were familiar and relatable to many families during this point in American history. Radio seemed to produce a common place to tie patriotism and families together. The program's success was largely because of the familiar feelings of the American people portrayed in the program's scripts. The first season script was later published in book form. The Goldbergs returned a year after Loeb departed the show and continued until 1954, after which Berg also wrote and produced a syndicated film version. The show remained in syndicated reruns for another few years, after one year of production and 39 episodes (it aired on some stations as Molly). The series is currently seen on the Jewish Life Television (JLTV) cable network. Berg continued to make guest appearances on television in the 1950s and early 1960s. She appeared on The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom, a February 1958 episode of The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford, and was the "mystery guest'" on the series What's My Line? in 1954, 1960, and 1961. In 1961, Berg made a last stab at television success in the Four Star Television situation comedy, Mrs. G. Goes to College (retitled The Gertrude Berg Show at midseason), playing a 62 year old widow who enrolls in college. The series was cancelled after one season. Berg continued working in theatre through these years. In 1959, she won the Tony Award for Best Actress for her performance in A Majority of One. In 1961, Berg won the Sarah Siddons Award for her work in Chicago theater. Berg also published a best selling memoir, Molly and Me, in 1961.
Смерть и наследие
Берг умерла от сердечной недостаточности 14 сентября 1966 года в возрасте 66 лет в больнице Докторов в Манхэттене. Она похоронена на кладбище Клоусвилл в Флейшманнсе, штат Нью-Йорк. Биография Гертруды Берг, написанная Гленном Д. Смитом-младшим и озаглавленная «Что-то своё: Гертруда Берг и американское радиовещание, 1929–1956» (Syracuse University Press), вышла в 2007 году. Документальный фильм Авивы Кемпнер 2009 года «Ю-ху, миссис Голдберг» рассказывает о карьере Берг и, в определенной степени, о её личной жизни.