Editing Eddie Bracken (section)

==Life and career==
[[File:Howard Freeman and Eddie Bracken 1954.JPG|thumb|[[Howard Freeman]] and Eddie Bracken 1954]]
Edward Vincent Bracken was born in [[Astoria, Queens]], [[New York (state)|New York]] on February 7, 1915, the son of Joseph L.  and Catherine Bracken.<ref name=NYTimesObit>{{cite news| last1=Severo| first1=Richard| title=Eddie Bracken Dies at 87; Acted in Sturges Comedies| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/16/arts/eddie-bracken-dies-at-87-acted-in-sturges-comedies.html| access-date=16 November 2015| work=[[The New York Times]]| date=November 16, 2002}}</ref> Bracken performed in vaudeville at the age of nine and gained fame with the [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] musical ''[[Too Many Girls (musical)|Too Many Girls]]'' in a role he reprised for the 1940 film adaptation. He had performed in a short film series called ''The Kiddie Troupers'' (one of many ''[[Our Gang]]''-like series) prior to that, but that film was his big break. In 1936, Bracken enjoyed success on Broadway with his starring run in the Joseph Viertel play ''So Proudly We Hail''. The military drama, co-starring [[Richard Cromwell (actor)|Richard Cromwell]], opened to much fanfare but closed after 14 performances at the 46th Street Theatre.{{Citation needed |date=August 2023}} 

In the 1940s, director [[Preston Sturges]] cast Bracken in two of his films, ''[[The Miracle of Morgan's Creek]]'', opposite [[Betty Hutton]], and ''[[Hail the Conquering Hero]]''. Due to the popularity of these films, Eddie Bracken was a household name during [[World War II]].{{Citation needed |date=August 2023}} He made numerous [[radio]] broadcasts and had his own program, ''[[The Eddie Bracken Show]]''.

In 1953, Bracken left [[Hollywood (film industry)|Hollywood]]. He appeared on Broadway in ''[[Shinbone Alley]]''; ''[[Hello, Dolly! (musical)|Hello, Dolly!]]''; ''[[The Odd Couple (play)|The Odd Couple]]''; and ''[[Sugar Babies (musical)|Sugar Babies]]''. His last appearance on Broadway was in the musical ''[[Dreamtime (musical)|Dreamtime]]'', directed by David Niles at the [[Ed Sullivan Theater]], at the age of 77.

Bracken's television roles between 1952 and 2000 include an episode of ''[[The Golden Girls]]'' as Rose Nylund's ex-childhood boyfriend from St. Olaf, as well as an episode of ''[[Tales from the Darkside]]'' playing a stubborn old man who refuses to believe that he has died. After nearly 30 years out of feature films, he returned to perform character roles, including the sympathetic ''Walley World'' theme park founder Mr. Roy Walley in ''[[National Lampoon's Vacation]]'' (1983) and Duncan's Toy Chest toy store owner Mr. Duncan in ''[[Home Alone 2: Lost in New York]]'' (1992). Bracken also had a long career with [[Paper Mill Playhouse]] in [[New Jersey]], starring in dozens of productions in the 1980s–early 2000s. One high point was their production of ''[[Show Boat]]'' in which he played Captain Andy Hawkes. This production was broadcast on PBS in 1990. He also played a cameo in [[Patrick Read Johnson]]'s 1994 film, ''[[Baby's Day Out]]'', as one of the veterans in the old soldier's home.

Bracken acted in films with two actors who later became [[President of the United States|U.S. Presidents]]: [[Ronald Reagan]] and [[Donald Trump]]. He co-starred in ''[[The Girl from Jones Beach]]'' with Reagan in 1949, and Trump played a minor part in ''[[Home Alone 2: Lost in New York]]'' in 1992.<ref name="SunTimesObit">{{cite web |date=November 17, 2002 |title=Eddie Bracken, 87, actor, comedian |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1466084.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105063008/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1466084.html |archive-date=November 5, 2012 |access-date=May 24, 2010 |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]}}</ref>

Bracken campaigned for Republican [[Thomas E. Dewey]] during the [[1944 United States presidential election|1944 U.S. presidential election]] campaign.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Palmer |first=Kyle |date=1944-09-23 |title=Dewey Coliseum Address Cheered |pages=1–2 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>

===Death===
On November 14, 2002, Bracken died in [[Glen Ridge, New Jersey]], of complications from surgery for a crushed disk in his neck<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bernstein |first=Adam |date=2002-11-19 |title=Eddie Bracken |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2002/11/19/eddie-bracken/fef16049-79d3-4153-8ae8-845d9824ce13/ |access-date=2022-12-11 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> at the age of 87. His wife of 63 years, Connie Nickerson, a former actress, died in August 2002, just three months before his death.<ref name=NYTimesObit/> He met Connie when they performed together in a road company of the Broadway play ''[[What a Life (play)|What a Life]]'' in 1938. Together Eddie and Connie had five children: two sons (Michael and David) and three daughters (Judy, Carolyn and Susan).{{Citation needed |date=August 2023}}

===Hollywood Walk of Fame===
For his contributions to radio and television, Bracken has two stars on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]], at 1651 Vine Street and 6751 Hollywood Boulevard respectively.