- Born
- Died
- Birth nameEdward Albert Heimberger
- Height5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
- A graduate of the University of Minnesota, Eddie Albert was a circus trapeze flier before becoming a stage and radio actor. He made his film debut in 1938 and has worked steadily since, often cast as the friendly, good-natured buddy of the hero but occasionally being cast as a villain; one of his most memorable roles was as the cowardly, glory-seeking army officer in Robert Aldrich's World War 2 film, Attack (1956).- IMDb Mini Biography By: frankfob2@yahoo.com
- Eddie Albert's television career is the earliest of any other American performer. It began years before electronic television was introduced to the public. In June of 1936 Eddie appeared in RCA/NBC's first private live performance for their radio licensees in New York City. This was very early experimental all electronic television system. Due to the primitive nature of these early cameras it was necessary for him to apply heavy make-up and endure tremendous heat from studio lighting. The basic makeup was green toned with purple lipstick for optimal image transmission by RCA's iconoscope pick up cameras. Since television was experimental Eddie Albert applied his own make-up and even wrote the script for this performance. His co-star was Grace Bradt.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Steve Restelli
- SpouseMargo(December 5, 1945 - July 17, 1985) (her death, 2 children)
- ChildrenMaria Albert
- ParentsFranklin Daniel Heimberger Sr.Julia Mary Jones
- His gruff, yet gentle voice
- The role of Oliver Wendell Douglas on Green Acres (1965).
- Always spoke about environmental causes.
- His son, Edward Albert, was his primary caregiver during his last years battling Alzheimer's Disease. Eddie was physically healthy and physically active up to just one month before his death at age 99.
- His son, Edward Albert, died just over a year after his father, from lung cancer.
- He was an active participant in the battle of Tarawa (Nov. 1943). Tarawa was one of the many bloody island battles of World War II and in the history of the U.S. Marine Corp. Albert was credited with rescuing up to 70 wounded Marines while under enemy fire. He accomplished this while he was skippering a relatively large landing craft. He was part of the first wave of attack. And made several trips to and from the landing zone. He was awarded the Bronze Star with a combat "V" for his bravery on that day. He did not speak about this publicly until it was mentioned several times in the 1990's in television documentaries about the battle. At the start of the war he enlisted in the Coast Guard. But later resigned his Coast Guard commission to accept a commission in the U.S. Naval Reserve. And that's what led to him being a part of Battle of Tarawa.
- His real name was Eddie Albert Heimberger. He changed his name early on while he was singing on radio with a trio. It seems the announcer kept introducing him as "Eddie Hamburger" so he dropped his last name and adopted his middle name as his last.
- Hired by the United States government, he went on what appeared to be pleasure sailing expeditions in Mexican waters. What he was actually doing was gathering reportable information on Nazi and Japanese activities in and around the two Mexican territories on the Baja California peninsula of Mexico (since 1953, the Mexican states of Baja California and Baja California Sur). As part of the same effort, he also joined a Mexican circus act, owned by the Escalante Brothers, as a clown and "flyer" in a trapeze act, and while touring with the circus, gathered intelligence for the U.S. government.
- I don't really care how I am remembered as long as I bring happiness and joy to people.
- What's the most important thing in the world? It's love, and I look at that as an energy, not a sentiment.
- [on why he accepted the role on Green Acres (1965)]: Everyone gets tired of the rat race. Everyone would like to chuck it all and grow some carrots. It's basic. Sign me. I knew it would be successful. Had to be. It's about the atavistic urge, and people have been getting a charge out of that ever since Aristophanes wrote about the plebes and the city folk.
- [on his post-war career]: I took everything they could throw at me, pictures like The Dude Goes West (1948) and The Fuller Brush Girl (1950). I worked myself back up, but I never wanted to be a star. I was aiming to play the star's best friend.
- [When asked about doing newspapers at an early age, and missed some of the people he kept in contact]: You throw a paper on the porch, but you don't sit down and have a talk...and that's where the real education comes from. And so I missed those best years and I find it difficult for me, in groups, to be comfortable. It's a little late to find that out.
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