George Burns' 90th Birthday Party: A Very Special Special (1986)
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
John Forsythe hosts this birthday party for George Burns who of course would end up living another ten years and have another celebrity filled birthday party when he turned ninety-five.
This special works as not only a great tribute but also a brief history of Burns career. We get clips from his early short films with Gracie, his television show, his various film clips as well as his big comeback in the 1970's with films like THE SUNSHINE BOYS and OH GOD.
Walter Matthau, John Denver, Ann Margret, Diahann Carroll and Billy Crystal are among the people who show up at the ceremony but we also get recorded clips from some of the biggest names in Hollywood including Cary Grant, James Stewart, Ronald Reagan, Steve Allen, Milton Berle, Red Buttons, Johnny Carson, Chevy Chase, Bob Hope, Jack Lemmon, Rich Little, Don Rickles, Brooke Shields and Frank Sinatra among many others.
Obviously, watching this today is a real thrill since there are so many legends and of course many of them are no longer with us. I thought the special did a good job at showing off Burns and what made him last as long as he did. The real entertainment comes from the various legends who show up and pay tribute to him. It's also a lot of fun seeing Burns up on the stage and doing his routine. Fans of his will certainly want to check this out.
