EDDIE BRACKEN BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Eddie Bracken was born on February 7th, 1915 in Astoria, New York with the birth name Edward Vincent Bracken, born to Catherine and Joseph L. Bracken.  From the age of nine he was already performing in vaudeville, performing in night clubs and soon began working as a stage actor.

Prior to working as a Broadway actor, he appeared in a number of "Our Gang" comedy shorts.

When he appeared in a production of, "Too Many Girls" on Broadway he began to catch the attention of the Hollywood industry.  His big break came when he was cast in the film version of, "Too Many Girls" (1940) which followed with other more prominent films such as, "The Miracle of Morgan's Creek" starring Betty Hutton, Diana Lynn, William Demarest, Porter Hall, Brian Donlevy and Akim Tamiroff and "Hail the Conquering Hero" starring Ella Raines, William Demarest, Raymond Walburn, Franklin Pangborn, Elizabeth Patterson and Bill Edwards (both 1944).

During World War II, Bracken also worked as a radio actor and even had his own show, "The Eddie Bracken Show".  As his career progressed he began to briefly focus back on working as a stage actor adding more Broadway credits to his resume such as, "Shinbone Alley", "Hello Dolly", "The Odd Couple" and "Sugar Babies".

In addition to his stage and film work he appeared on a number of television series over the course of his career such as, "The Golden Girls", "Tales from the Darkside", "Schlitz Playhouse", "Climax!", "Burke's Law", "Rawhide", "Front Row Center", "Star Stage", "Ed" and "Empty Nest".

Other well known film roles included, "Summer Stock" (1950) also starring Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Gloria DeHaven, Marjorie Main and Phil Silvers, "About Face" (1952) starring Gordon MacRae, Phyllis Kirk, Dick Wesson and Virginia Gibson, "National Lampoon's Vacation" (1983) starring with Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid, Dana Barron, Anthony Michael Hall, John Candy, Imogene Coca, Christie Brinkley, James Keach, Eugene Levy and Jane Krakowski, "Rookie of the Year" (1993) starring Thomas Ian Nicholas, Gary Busey, Albert Hall, Dan Hedaya, Amy Morton, Bruce Altman, John Gegenhuber, Neil Flynn, Daniel Stern (who also directed) and John Candy and "Baby's Day Out" (1994) Joe Mantegna, Joe Pantoliano, Lara Flynn Boyle and Brian Haley. 

He passed away on November 14th, 2002 in Montclair, New Jersey after suffering from complications from surgery at the age of eighty seven.  He married only once to Connie Nickerson in 1939 and together the couple had five children.  She passed away just three months before his passing.

Eddie Bracken was honored with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to Radio and Television.   

Filmography

2000         Ed 
2000         The Ryan Interview 
1997         Remember WENN
1997         The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue 
1994         The Cosby Mysteries
1994         Baby's Day Out
1994         Winnetka Road
1994         Assault at West Point: The Court-Martial of Johnson Whittaker 
1993         Missing Persons 
1993         The American Clock 
1993         Rookie of the Year
1992         Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
1991         Oscar
1991         Monsters
1990         Empty Nest
1990         Wiseguy
1990         The Golden Girls 
1989         Great Performances
1987         The Wind in the Willows
1986         Amazing Stories 
1985         Murder, She Wrote 
1984         Tales from the Darkside 
1983         Vacation
1977         Busting Loose
1977         ABC Weekend Specials
1976         Ellery Queen
1973         The New Dick Van Dyke Show 
1971         Shinbone Alle
1966         Always on Sunday
1964-1965     Burke's Law 
1963-1964     Rawhide
1962         Going My Way 
1961         The Roaring Twenties
1960         Play of the Week
1959         The Strawberry Blonde 
1959         The David Niven Show
1955-1958     Studio One in Hollywood 
1957         Kraft Theatre 
1957         Climax! 
1957         The Alcoa Hour 
1957         Playhouse 90 
1953-1956     The Ford Television Theatre 
1956         Ethel Barrymore Theater
1953-1956     Schlitz Playhouse
1956         The 20th Century-Fox Hour 
1956         Front Row Center 
1955         Star Stage 
1955         Goodyear Playhouse
1953         Lux Video Theatre 
1953         A Slight Case of Larceny
1952         The Gulf Playhouse
1952         We're Not Married!
1952         About Face
1951         Two Tickets to Broadway
1950         Summer Stock
1949         The Girl from Jones Beach
1947         'Fun on a Week-End'
1947         Ladies' Man
1945         Hold That Blonde
1945         Out of This World
1945         Bring on the Girl
1944         Rainbow Island
1944         Hail the Conquering Hero
1944         The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
1943         Young and Willing
1943         Happy Go Lucky
1942         Star Spangled Rhythm
1942         Sweater Girl
1942         The Fleet's In
1941         Caught in the Draft
1941         Reaching for the Sun
1941         Life with Henry
1940         Too Many Girls
1939         Pacific Liner