George Leslie Goebel, also known as George Gobel, was born on May 20, 1919, in Chicago, Illinois. His father, Hermann Goebel, was a butcher and grocer of Austrian and Scottish descent. After graduating from Theodore Roosevelt High School in 1937, George began his career in the entertainment industry, singing on the radio as "Little Georgie Gobel" and touring with country music bands as "The Littlest Cowboy".
George's career was interrupted by World War II, during which he served as a pilot instructor in the Army Air Force. While serving, he began performing stand-up comedy for his fellow servicemen, and later transitioned to the nightclub, hotel, and county fair circuit. His mild-mannered comic delivery and warm, cracker-barrel style eventually caught on when he began appearing on television in 1952.
George made his television debut on "The Bill Slater Show" in 1950 and went on to appear on various talk and musical variety shows, including those hosted by Garry Moore, Spike Jones, and Dinah Shore. His popularity increased, and he was given his own show, "The George Gobel Show", in 1954, which earned him an Emmy award.
George's alter ego was a hapless, unassuming, and hen-pecked husband who tried to navigate life as best he could. His folksy, non-threatening "little man" appeal worked well on television, but did not translate as well to the big screen. He appeared in two lightweight comedy films, "The Birds and the Bees" (1956) and "I Married a Woman" (1958),which received lukewarm receptions.
After the cancellation of his television series, George's momentum slowed, and he returned to the clubs, headlining in Las Vegas and Reno. He also appeared on various television shows, including "Wagon Train", "Death Valley Days", "Daniel Boone", "F Troop", "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In", "The Red Skelton Show", "Love, American Style", "Chico and the Man", and "The Love Boat".
George made a resurgence on the late 1960s talk show circuit, trading off with Johnny Carson on his popular nighttime show. In 1974, he replaced Cliff Arquette as a regular on the game show "The Hollywood Squares", becoming a household name once again. He also appeared in several television movies, including "Benny and Barney: Las Vegas Undercover" (1977),"A Guide for the Married Woman" (1978),"Better Late Than Never" (1979),"The Invisible Woman" (1983),and "Alice in Wonderland" (1985).
George returned to film only twice, appearing in the comedy satire "Rabbit Test" (1978) as the President and the backwoods comedy "Ellie" (1984) as a preacher. He died on February 24, 1991, at the age of 71, following bypass surgery, and was survived by his wife, Alice, and their three children.
