George Burns — original name Nathan Birnbaum – was born in in 1896 in New York, and died aged 100 in Beverly Hills, California. He was a comedian, an award-winning actor, and a best-selling writer.
As he got older much of his humor was age-related, which is reflected in these quotes.
His career career successfully spanned vaudeville, film, radio, and television. His arched eyebrows, dead-pan delivery, and cigar smoking punctuation became familiar trademarks for over 75 years.
When most people are way past retirement age, George Burns was still working. Notably, at the age of 79, he took on the role of Al Lewis in the movie adaption of Neil Simon’s stage play “The Sunshine Boys,” playing opposite Walter Mathau.
For this he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and was the oldest person ever to have received an Oscar at that time.
He continued to work until shortly before his death in 1996.
But George Burns’ humor lives on and is exemplified in these quotes:
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I look to the future because that’s where I’m going to spend the rest of my life.
- When I was a boy the Dead Sea was only sick.
- Retirement at sixty-five is ridiculous. When I was sixty-five I still had pimples.
- If you ask what is the single most important key to longevity, I would have to say it is avoiding worry, stress and tension. And if you didn’t ask me, I’d still have to say it.
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Sex at age 90 is like trying to shoot pool with a rope.
- If you live to be one hundred, you’ve got it made. Very few people die past that age.
- You can’t help getting older, but you don’t have to get old.
- First you forget names, then you forget faces. Next you forget to pull your zipper up and finally, you forget to pull it down.
- Everything that goes up must come down. But there comes a time when not everything that’s down can come up.
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I can remember when the air was clean and sex was dirty.
- I’m very pleased to be here. Let’s face it, at my age I’m very pleased to be anywhere.
- I would go out with women my age, but there are no women my age.
- I smoke ten to fifteen cigars a day. At my age I have to hold on to something.
- I can’t afford to die; I’d lose too much money.
- How can I die? I’m booked.
Of course, George Burns DID die – eventually – but at least he left us his quotes.
Do you share his views about age? How do you feel about living to be 100?
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