# David Burns (actor)

David Burns (June 22, 1902 – March 12, 1971) was an American Broadway theatre and motion picture actor and singer.

## Life and career

Burns was born on Mott Street in Chinatown, Manhattan. He made his Broadway debut in 1923 in Polly Preferred and went to London with the show in 1924. His first musical was Face the Music in 1932, and Cole Porter's Nymph Errant (1933) was his London debut. He appeared in many comedies and musicals over an almost 50-year career.
He won two Tony Awards for Best Supporting or Featured Actor in a Musical, for his performances as "Mayor Shinn" in The Music Man (1958) and as "Senex" in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1963).
Burns introduced the hit song "It Takes a Woman" from Hello, Dolly (1964) as the original "Horace Vandergelder".
Burns won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama for his role of Mr. Solomon in the 1971 TV special (Hallmark Hall of Fame) of The Price by Arthur Miller.

## Death

Burns died on stage on March 12, 1971, of a heart attack in Philadelphia during the out-of-town tryout of Kander and Ebb's musical 70, Girls, 70.

## Selected credits
### Stage

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1923 | Polly Preferred | Mr. B | |
| 1931 | Wonder Boy | Harry Rich | |
| 1932 | Face the Music | Louis | Credited as "Dave Burns" |
| 1935 | Them's the Reporters | Cassady | Credited as "Dave Burns" |
| 1939–1941 | The Man Who Came to Dinner | Banjo | |
| 1940–1941 | Pal Joey | Ludlow Lowell | |
| 1943 | Oklahoma! | Ali Hakim | |
| 1943 | My Dear Public | Walters | |
| 1945-1946 | Billion Dollar Baby | Dapper Welch | |
| 1947 | I Gotta Get Out | Bernie | |
| 1948-1949 | Make Mine Manhattan | Nick/"The Good Old Days" Performer/Taxi Driver/ Mr. Rappaport/Customer | |
| 1948 | Heaven On Earth | H.H. Hutton | |
| 1950 | Alive and Kicking | Dr. Frisbee/Dr. Allen Drawbridge/Army | |
| 1950-1951 | Cole Porter's Out of This World | Niki Skolianos | |
| 1952-1953 | Two's Company | Stanley/Strombolini/Melvin/Dudley Dawson | |
| 1953 | Men of Distinction | Daniel Gaffney | |
| 1955 | Catch a Star! | Max Dillingbert | |
| 1957 | A Hole in the Head | Max | |
| 1957-1961 | The Music Man | Mayor George Shinn | |
| 1960–1962 | Do Re Mi | Brains Berman | |
| 1962-1964 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum | Senex | |
| 1964 | Hello, Dolly! | Horace Vandergelder | |
| 1968–1969 | The Price | Gregory Solomon | |
| 1970 | Art Buchwald's Sheep on the Runway | Ambassador Raymond Wilkins | |
| 1970–1971 | Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen | Colonel Wainwright Purdy III | |

### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1918 | De Luxe Annie | Joe/Grocery Clerk | |
| 1934 | The Queen's Affair | Manager | |
| 1934 | The Path of Glory | Ginsberg | |
| 1934 | Romance in Rhythm | Mollari | |
| 1935 | Rendezvous | German-Speaking Bellhop | uncredited |
| 1936 | The Great Ziegfeld | Clarence | uncredited |
| 1936 | Crime Over London | Sniffy | |
| 1936 | Strangers on Honeymoon | Lennie | |
| 1937 | Spring Handicap | Amos | |
| 1937 | Smash and Grab | Bellini | |
| 1937 | The Live Wire | Snakey | |
| 1938 | Just like a Woman | Pedro | |
| 1938 | The Return of Carol Deane | Nick Wellington | |
| 1938 | Sidewalks of London | Hackett | |
| 1938 | Hey! Hey! USA | Tony Ricardo | |
| 1938 | The Sky's the Limit | 'Ballyhoo' Bangs | |
| 1939 | The Gang's All Here | Beretti | |
| 1939 | So This Is London | Drunk | uncredited |
| 1939 | A Girl Must Live | Joe Gold | |
| 1939 | I Killed the Count | Diamond | |
| 1939 | A Gentleman's Gentleman | Alfred | |
| 1939 | The Saint in London | Dugan | |
| 1939 | She Couldn't Say No | Chester | |
| 1951 | Fourteen Hours | Cab Driver | uncredited |
| 1954 | Deep in My Heart | Lazar Berrison, Sr. | |
| 1955 | It's Always Fair Weather | Tim | |
| 1957 | Four Boys and a Gun | Television man | |
| 1958 | Once Upon a Horse... | Bruno de Gruen | |
| 1960 | Let's Make Love | Oliver Burton | |
| 1967 | The Tiger Makes Out | Mr. Ratner | |
| 1969 | How to Commit Marriage | | |
| 1970 | Move | Doorman | |
| 1971 | Who Is Harry Kellerman | Leon Soloway | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1955 | The Imogene Coca Show | | Regular |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 1966 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama | The Trials of O'Brien | Nominated |
| 1971 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama | Hallmark Hall of Fame (Episode: "The Price") | Won |
| 1958 | Tony Awards | Best Supporting or Featured Actor in a Musical | The Music Man | Won |
| 1963 | Tony Awards | Best Supporting or Featured Actor in a Musical | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum | Won |
| 1971 | Tony Awards | Best Leading Actor in a Musical | Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen | Nominated |