| Ronnie Burns | |
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with actress Jacqueline Baer from the Burns and Allen television show, 1956. |
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| Born | Ronald Jon Burns July 9, 1935 Evanston, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | November 14, 2007 (aged 72) Pacific Palisades, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1955–1961 |
| Spouse | Janice Powell (1977-2007) (his death) 3 children Peggy Lyon Burns (?-?) (divorced) 3 children |
Ronald Jon "Ronnie" Burns (July 9, 1935 – November 14, 2007) worked briefly as a television actor, but is primarily remembered as the adopted son of comedians George Burns and Gracie Allen.
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Burns was born in Evanston, Illinois, and was adopted at the age of three months. According to George Burns, Ronnie had been the most sickly baby up for adoption from the agency, and Gracie chose him because she particularly felt he needed their help.[1] Ronnie's older sister, Sandra Jean, had been adopted shortly before. At seventeen, Ronnie joined the cast of his parents' The Burns & Allen Show which ran from 1950-1958. Later he appeared on The George Burns Show, which did not feature Gracie Allen, who had retired. This show failed despite the presence of George, Ronnie and Sandra Burns as well as Bea Benaderet and Harry von Zell, who had appeared on The Burns & Allen Show.
Burns starred in the 1960-1961 NBC comedy series Happy in which he and Yvonne Lime played Chris and Sally Day, the parents of a talking baby called "Happy". Burns played the manager of the Palm Desert Hotel in Palm Springs, California. Lloyd Corrigan, Doris Packer, and Burt Metcalfe had supporting roles in the series.
Burns' most memorable appearance was uncredited, as "Wallace" on the Young at Heart episode of The Honeymooners, which featured Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason) trying to roller skate, with disastrous results. His career did not go much further. His sister, Sandra Burns, now Mrs. Sandra Luckman, made only bit appearances on her parents' shows, and soon retired from showbiz permanently to marry and raise a family.
Burns died of cancer at the age of seventy-two at his Pacific Palisades home. In addition to his sister, he was survived by his wife, Janice, three sons, and six grandchildren.