Art Carney

He married Jean Myers in 1940 and the couple had three children; Eileen (born in 1942), Brian (born in 1946) and Paul (born in 1952). The couple separated in 1965, however, reconciled and married once again in 1980.

He married Barbara Isaac in 1966 and the marriage lasted until 1977.

Art Carney died on 9 November 2003, at his home in Westbrook, Connecticut. He was 85 years old at the time of his death.

Arthur William Matthew Carney was born on 4 November 1918, at Mount Vernon, in New York, USA. He was the youngest of the six sons of publicist Edward Michael Carney and his wife Helen Farrell Carney. His elder brothers were named Jack, Ned, Robert, Fred and Phil.

During his childhood, he was fond of impersonations and won several school talent contests. He graduated from A. B. Davis High School in Mount Vernon in 1936. He discontinued his education after high school and did not seek further formal education.

Soon after he completed his school education, he took up a job with the Horace Heidt orchestra and spent three years working with them doing songs and impersonations.

He was also involved in announcing the Heidt's ‘Pot O' Gold’ radio show. He was later given a minor role in the movie ‘Pot O' Gold’ made by the orchestra in 1941. In the same year he was part of the big band remote team, as a comic for their series ‘Matinee at Meadowbrook’.

Later, after unsuccessful attempts at vaudeville and nightclubs, he began working on the radio in shows like ‘Man behind the Gun’. He was capable of essaying roles that required dialects. This ability of his earned him a role of impersonating the voice of Franklin D. Roosevelt for television network channel CBS. Other radio projects that he worked in during the early 1940s include ‘Land of the Lost’ and ‘Joe and Ethel Turp’ (1943).

His career was interrupted by World War II, as he enrolled in the United States Army as an infantryman and machine gun crewman. While serving the 28th Infantry Division during the Battle of Normandy he was wounded by shrapnel that left him with a lifelong limp.

During 1946 - 1947 he made an appearance on ‘The Henry Morgan Show’. Other radio impersonations included the imitation of Franklin D. Roosevelt on ‘The March of Time’ and ‘Dwight D. Eisenhower’ in ‘Living 1948’.

Art Carney was an actor who showcased his talent in theatre, radio and feature films. His most acclaimed works include the portrayal of Ed Norton, on the pioneering television sitcom ‘The Honeymooners’ and an elderly widower in ‘Harry and Toronto’.