Gracie Allen was born 108 years ago today, on July 26, 1895.

Most of us know George Burns' name much better than his wife's, but that's mostly just because he lived a lot longer. In fact, she was really the funny one. Burns always insisted that SHE was the one who made them famous, and he was mostly along for the ride. Partly this statement could be seen as the loving devotion of a husband.

Looking at old Burns and Allen shows, though, there's some substantial element of truth in his praise. Gracie had a very sharp mind to be able to play so silly. Her crazy riffs had their own sublime logic that no one else could duplicate.