The wedding of legendary entertainers George Burns and Gracie Allen will celebrate its centenary on January 7, 2026, a significant date in Cleveland’s history. While the event has taken on mythical proportions, the actual circumstances of their marriage are often misrepresented. Contrary to popular belief, the ceremony did not occur at the Palace Theatre or the State Theatre, but instead at a lesser-known location.
To uncover the truth, one must refer to marriage license application No. 208442, issued on January 7, 1926, which is preserved in the Cuyahoga County Archives. The license was granted to Nathan Birnbaum, known as George Burns, and Grace C. Allen. According to H. W. Beckman, a deputy clerk who recorded the license, the marriage was intended to be solemnized by M. J. Penty, a justice of the peace in Warrensville Township. However, the official record shows that it was actually J. E. Chizek who officiated the ceremony.
Burns himself recounted the details of their wedding in a 1980 interview. The couple had met in 1923 and quickly became a popular comedy act on the vaudeville circuit. By 1926, while fine-tuning their routine named “Lamb Chops” and traveling through Ohio, they decided to marry during a brief stop in Cleveland.
Arriving at the Statler Hotel on Euclid Avenue at 05:00, they spent two hours waiting in the lobby, eager to avoid an extra day’s charge. Their next destination was the Cuyahoga County Courthouse on Lakeside Avenue, where they obtained their marriage license.
The next steps were somewhat unclear even to Burns. Both Penty and Chizek had offices near the courthouse on Ontario Avenue but were unavailable that day. Burns recalled taking an 85-cent cab ride to Chizek’s residence in Newburgh Heights. Upon arrival, they found Chizek and a friend preparing to go fishing.
When Burns expressed their urgency to marry, Chizek initially suggested they return the following day. However, Burns insisted, saying, “The fish can wait, but we can’t.” Chizek relented, inviting them inside and enlisting his wife as a witness. The ceremony took place with Chizek “with a book in one hand and a fishing pole in the other,” officially uniting George and Gracie as husband and wife.
Afterward, Burns gave Chizek $10 for his services, and Gracie received a $20 wedding ring, which she wore until her death. Reflecting on the occasion, Gracie joked, “For a moment, I thought we were getting a fishing license.”
The couple celebrated their marriage with dinner at the Statler, joined by Burns’ brother and family who had traveled from Akron. Interestingly, Burns and Allen were not even performing at the Palace Theatre that weekend, dispelling the myth that they wed at that iconic venue.
Ten weeks later, after their act gained popularity, they did perform at the Cleveland Palace, which may have contributed to the enduring legend of their wedding location. Ultimately, George and Gracie became a beloved duo, their legacy lasting long after their time.
As Cleveland prepares to commemorate this significant milestone, the true story of their wedding reminds us of the real moments behind the legends.
