Eddie Albert

Father of actor Edward Albert and Maria Albert Zucht. Two granddaughters.

Served in the United States Navy during WWII

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 1990s 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 thats what led to him being a part of Battle of Tarawa.

Father-in-law of actress Katherine Woodville.

He and his wife Margo , a Mexican actress/singer, whom he married after the war, had a nightclub act.

An avid environmentalist, he shared his concerns on TV on the "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" and "Today" (1952) shows and lectured everywhere from high schools and industrial conventions. He produced films to aid in campaigns against pollution. He also helped to launch the very first "Earth Day" on April 22, 1970, his birthday.

His son, Edward Albert , was his primary caregiver during his last years battling Alzheimers Disease. Eddie was physically healthy and physically active up to just one month before his death at age 99.

His father was a Minnesota real estate agent.

Attended the University of Minnesota where he studied drama and helped pay tuition by managing film theaters and emceeing weekly stage shows. At Minneota he joined a song, dance, and patter group with Herb Nelson and Grace Bradt.

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.

Also presided over a game show and two variety shows in the early 1950s.

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.

Turned down the lead series roles in "My Three Sons" and "Mister Ed" in order to actively pursue his movie career.

Buried not too far from his "Green Acres" co-star Eva Gabor at Westwood Memorial in Los Angeles, California.

Grandfather of Thais Albert.

He wrote the first original drama for television in 1936 as well as writing dozens of small scripts for RCA.

Classmate (Minneapolis Central High School, 1926) of actress Ann Sothern , then known as Harriette Lake.

Was very good friends with: Shirley Jones , Marsha Hunt , Ernest Borgnine , Vincent Price , Eve Arden , Jane Wyman , Lorenzo Lamas , Loretta Young , Buddy Ebsen , Irene Ryan , Eva Gabor , Frank Cady , Charlie Callas , Bernie Kopell , John Qualen , Errol Flynn , John McIntire , Robert Fuller , Angie Dickinson , Bob Hope , Frank Sinatra , Sammy Davis Jr. , Dean Martin , Aaron Spelling , Paul Henning , Leif Erickson , Burt Reynolds , Nanette Fabray , Gordon Jump , Audrey Hepburn , Mary Grace Canfield , Edgar Buchanan , Lucille Ball , Bea Benaderet , Denver Pyle , John Wayne , Norman Lloyd , Jane Greer , June Lockhart , Robert Hutton , Ann Sothern , Ronald Reagan , William Bryant , Mickey Rooney , Beverly Garland and Gregory Peck.

His son, Edward Albert , died just over a year after his father, from lung cancer.

His future "Switch" co-star, Robert Wagner , had seen him in the movie Brother Rat at the time of its release. He said that even though he was only eight years old, he was impressed by Alberts talent.

Three of the surviving cast members of "Green Acres" attended his funeral, on 26 May 2005, co-star, Tom Lester was not present. Albert once stated Lester was his closest and best friend.

He had 12 hobbies: jogging, swimming, golfing, world travel, organic gardening, sculpting, beekeeping, wine making, sailing, boating, reading and playing guitar.

Began his career as a contract player for Warner Bros. in 1936.

Before he was a successful actor, he almost did everything at an early age, from working as a newspaper boy to that of an insurance salesman.

Best remembered by the public for his starring role as the big-city lawyer turned farmer Oliver Wendell Douglas in "Green Acres" .

Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume 7, 2003-2005, pages 5-7. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2007.

When his son Edward Albert was 18, he and his father sailed to Anacapa Island, part of Channel Islands National Park, located about 11 miles off the coast of Ventura County, California, to examine the effects of DDT on the pelican population.

While in elementary school, during World War I, he was taunted as "the enemy" by his classmates, due to his Germanic surname of Heimberger (later dropped, for professional reasons, in favor of his given middle name, Albert).

To hide the fact that he was born out of wedlock, his mother altered his birth certificate to read 1908. However, his son, Edward Albert , confirmed Eddie Sr. was actually born in 1906.

Graduated from Central High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1924.

Born at 11:30 am, central time zone.

In high school, he joined the Drama Department.

Founder of City Childrens Farms, a program for involving inner-city children in farming, and the Eddie Albert Trees Foundation.

Was a spokesperson for the National Arbor Day Foundation from 1985 to 1993.

Was a huge fan of "Falcon Crest" that starred his old friend Jane Wyman , and had a recurring role in 1987.

His wife, Margo , died in 1985, just five months before the couples 40th wedding anniversary.

Met his future wife, Margo , while on leave of duty. They were married in December 1945, after Eddies discharge from the U.S. Navy.

Before he was a successful actor, he was also a soda jerk and a singer in a pop band.

Remained good friends with Tom Lester during and after "Green Acres" .

Remained good friends with Robert Wagner during and after "Switch" .

He was very disappointed when Green Acres was canceled at the end of the sixth season, due to the infamous "rural purge" of American television network programming (particularly on CBS). The "rural purge" was widespread series cancellations, beginning in 1969 and lasting until 1972, and due to the inclusion of new statistical demographics from television ratings agency Neilsen, and sponsors alarmed by the older, "more countrified" audiences for the shows canceled. Of the cancellations, almost all were still popular rural-themed shows with similarly skewed rural audiences, and took place at the end of the 1970-1971 television season. Included in the purge were all three of Paul Henning produced country comedies, "The Beverly Hillbillies" , "Petticoat Junction" , and "Green Acres" .

Was an active Democrat.

Taught his "Green Acres" co-star, Tom Lester , to eat healthily, just like Albert himself did.

Was raised in the same city as Ann Sothern.

Won the role of Oliver Wendell Douglas on "Green Acres" , because he knew and was hired by producer/creator Paul Henning.

Was also good friends with Morgan Fairchild and Gregory Peck.

Played Oliver Wendell Douglas, along with Eva Gabor as Lisa Douglas, on three shows: "The Beverly Hillbillies" , "Petticoat Junction" and "Green Acres" .

In 1946, he served as Executive Producer of Eddie Albert Productions.

After his guest-starring role on "Extreme Ghostbusters" , he retired from acting at age 91.

Met Jane Wyman on the set of Brother Rat , where the two began a lifelong friendship, from 1938, until Alberts own death in 2005. He would also have a recurring role opposite her on "Falcon Crest" .

In 1933, he traveled to New York City, where he co-hosted on the popular radio show, The Honeymooners - Grace and Eddie Show, which ran for three years.

His paternal grandfather, Jacob Henry Heimberger, was of German descent, and his paternal grandmother, Mary L. Frillman, was a German immigrant, from Lbeck.

Mother was a housewife.

Eddie Albert passed away on May 26, 2005. Just 1 day after his death, the remake of his 1974 movie The Longest Yard was released, which Burt Reynolds also appeared in this movie.

Guest starred on the first episode of "The Fall Guy" .

Served as director of the U.S. Council on Refugees.

Acting mentors and friends of Tom Lester , Robert Wagner and Sharon Gless.

Appeared on the front cover of TV Guide five times.

Buried alongside his wife Margo at Westwood Memorial in Los Angeles, California. His "Green Acres" co-star, Eva Gabor , is buried nearby.

Met Buddy Ebsen on the set of Attack , where the two began a lifelong friendship, from 1956, until Ebsens own death in 2003.

Began acting at a very early age.

Sang in the church choir.

His ex- "Switch" co-star, Sharon Gless , co-starred with Albert, in Crash .

While filming John Huston s The Roots of Heaven in Africa, Albert met legendary actor, humanitarian and philosopher Dr. Albert Schweitzer.

Met a young, unfamiliar actress Shirley Jones on the set of Oklahoma! , where the two began a lifelong friendship, from 1955 until Alberts own death in 2005.

Prior to becoming a successful actor, he was a successful singer.

Was a spokesperson for Beltone Products in the 1980s.

The films he didnt like were: Roman Holiday and The Heartbreak Kid , despite earning two Oscar Nominations for his performances.

Was also a popular conference speaker about birds.

His "Green Acres" co-star, Eva Gabor , who played his wife in the series, was thirteen years younger than Albert.

Served as National Chairman for the Boy Scouts of Americas Conservation Program.

Met Oscar Hammerstein in 1939, starring in the Broadway smash, On Your Toes, adapted for the screen, and later starred in Oklahoma! .

Albert narrated and starred in a 1970 film promoting the views of Weyerhaeuser, a major international forestry products concern.

His father, Frank Daniel Heimberger, died in 1970. His father lived to be 96.

Resided in Pacific Palisades, California. His house was a Spanish-style house on an acre of land with a cornfield in the front yard.

Moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his family, when Eddie was age 1.

Just 8 days after his 90th birthday, he, alongside Steve Allen , Sid Caesar , Kent McCord , Barbara Eden and Dick Van Dyke , attended the MTVs Launch Party for TV Land. [30 April 1996].

Attended the funeral of his former "Green Acres" co-star, Eva Gabor , when the actress passed away on July 4, 1995.

Worked with Shirley Jones in 1 movie and on episodes of both shows: Oklahoma! , a 2 part episode of "The Love Boat" and "Murder, She Wrote" .

Was an enthusiastic agronomist and turned his front yard into a cornfield and his backyard into a vegetable garden.

Albert had a successful night club act in the mid-50s, playing Vegas, Miami, and New Yorks Waldorf-Astoria.

From 1945 through 1952 he produced a series of fourteen educational two-reelers in 16mm. Two sex-education films directed to pre-teens, "Human Beginnings" and "Human Growth," were still in use almost forty years later. Albert also produced industrial documentaries.

His home was previously owned by silent star Billie Dove.

He served in the Naval Reserve during World War II and fought in the Battle of Tarawa. He was awarded the Bronze Star with a Combat "V" for valor after rescuing 47 stranded Marines while skippering a landing craft as an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve. He also supervised in the rescue of another 30 Marines later as part of one of the many trips he back to and from the landing zone.

On "Green Acres" , his character owned a farm, in real-life, he embarked on a non-profit organization for inner-city children from all over the country, to give them a unique opportunity to live and work together for a week at a time on a real farm in the heart of the countryside.

Was left-handed.

[About "Green Acres" (1965) ]: The show is a comment on how insane,our society is. The writing was very light and very weird, but it had a,profound base under it that none of us knew. Come to think of it,neither did we.

Our priority today, as I see it, is not just conservation, but survival.

[In 1976]: You have to recognize that some of these shows are mainly for,diversion and laughs, and not wear out your welcome or take advantage,of their courtesy. But I get a couple of points in there. If I talk for,five minutes about gardens for children, I can make it entertaining and,at the same time, hopefully do some good. And this has become my bag.

My real concentration is the development of bluegreen algae. It is an,organic substance which he says will act as a fertilizer and allow,farming with only a small amount of water.

[on reviving "Room Service" with son Edward] Comedy is the most,difficult thing to play, and I wanted to give Edward a lesson in doing,farce.