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Milton Berle with Bob Hope, George Burns, and Ed Wynn C. 1965.
Image Credit: Gerald Smith -- Image courtesy MPTV.net.

In a second blow to the entertainment world, CNN reports that legendary funnyman Milton Berle passed away today at age 93 after a long battle with colon cancer. A sharp-tongued New York native whose pioneering work on the small screen earned him the nickname "Mr. Television," Berle grew up on the stages of vaudeville and honed his comedic persona on variety shows like "Texaco Star Theater" (a.k.a. "The Milton Berle Show"). His film career spanned several generations--highlights include a role in Stanley Kramer's It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, the part of Mad Man Mooney in 1979's The Muppet Movie, and a turn as himself in Woody Allen's Broadway Danny Rose--but Berle's most significant contribution was in the world of television, where he helped the new medium find its audience. A consummate trickster both on and off camera, "Uncle Miltie" will always be remembered for his fierce talent and fearless grin.
(Source: the Internet Movie Database)

Actor Milton Berle is shown in 1938 at an unknown location.
Image Credit: The Associated Press.

Berle, the acerbic, cigar-smoking vaudevillian who eagerly embraced a new medium and became ``Mr. Television'' in the dawn of the video age, died Wednesday, March 27, 2002, a spokesman said. He was 93. Berle died at 2:45 p.m. at his home after a lengthy illness, publicist Warren Cowan said. Berle's wife, Lorna, and several family members were at his side.
(Source:Top Stories Photos -- AP)