I Love Her, That's Why!

the long version

Comedian George Burns' first autobiography (as told to and penned by Cynthia Hobart Lindsay) chronicles his penniless childhood, his rise through vaudeville and - most importantly - his love affair with Gracie Allen. The public perception was that Allen was a living cartoon character thanks to her famous stage/radio/screen persona, and this marked the first time when Burns tried to show the real woman behind the wacky antics. Released during the run of TV's "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show," in which they portrayed fictionalized versions of themselves, the book was worked into the running plot of the show from inception through release, with Gracie and her friend Blanche ultimately trying to hawk copies at a bookstore. In the 1955 episode "The Musical Version," the duo performed a song entitled "I Love Her, That's Why!," which Simon & Schuster released as a promotional 45 single (#S&S DJ1).