Bergen was born in Chicago, one of five children and the younger of two sons of Swedish immigrants Nilla Svensdotter (née Osberg) and Johan Henriksson Berggren. He lived … See more

In October 1949, Bergen went to CBS, with a new weekly program, The Charlie McCarthy Show, sponsored by Coca-Cola. After their sponsorship ended in June 1952, See more

In addition to his work as a ventriloquist, Bergen was also an actor and comic strip creator. He established the syndicated comic strip Mortimer and Charlie, which ran in newspapers from July 10, 1939, to May 1940, illustrated first by Ben Batsford and then by Carl … See more

Although his regular series never made the transition to television, Bergen made numerous appearances on the medium during his career. His first appearance was with Charlie … See more

In 1941, Bergen met 18-year-old Frances Westerman, a young fashion model who had graduated from Los Angeles High School the prior year. … See more

His first performances were in vaudeville, at which point he legally changed his last name to the easier-to-pronounce "Bergen". He worked in one-reel movie shorts, but his real success was on the radio. He and Charlie were seen at a New York party by See more

Bergen and his alter ego Charlie McCarthy were given top billing in several films, including the Technicolor extravaganza The Goldwyn Follies (1938), opposite the Ritz Brothers. That year they also appeared in You Can't Cheat an Honest Man See more