Eddie Albert: Movies, Awards & Box Office

Eddie Albert, born Edward Albert Heimberger on April 22, 1906 in Rock Island, Illinois, was the eldest of five children of Frank Daniel Heimberger, a real‑estate agent, and Julia Jones. His parents were not married at the time of his birth, prompting his mother to alter his birth certificate after she later wed, which explains occasional discrepancies in his reported birth year. When he was one, the family moved to Minneapolis, where young Edward took his first job as a newspaper boy at six and endured wartime taunts because of his German surname. He graduated from Central High School, entered the University of Minnesota to study business, and after the 1929 crash drifted through odd jobs—including trapeze work, insurance sales, and nightclub singing—before abandoning the “Heimberger” name for the more stage‑friendly “Albert.”

Albert’s career launched in New York City in 1933 with a radio program and early Broadway appearances such as Brother Rat and The Boys from Syracuse. He made his film debut in the 1938 movie version of Brother Rat alongside Ronald Reagan, and by the early 1940s had become a prolific stage and screen actor. His service as a lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Reserve during World War II earned him a Bronze Star for heroism at the Battle of Tarawa, a distinction that later helped revive his Hollywood prospects after the 1950 blacklist ordeal that targeted his wife, Mexican actress Margo. Over the next five decades Albert delivered memorable performances in classics like Roman Holiday, The Teahouse of the August Moon, and the television sitcom Green Acres, where his portrayal of Oliver Wendell Douglas cemented his status as an American icon. In later years he championed environmental causes, founded the Eddie Albert World Trees Foundation, and served on numerous civic boards, while continuing to act until a 1995 Alzheimer's diagnosis forced his retirement. He died of pneumonia on May 26, 2005 in Pacific Palisades, California, leaving behind a legacy of versatility, patriotism, and humanitarian activism.