Burgess Meredith was an American actor and filmmaker (1907-1997). During his service in the Army Air Corps from 1942 to 1945, Meredith wrote, produced, and acted in a pair of training films. He also appeared in the feature film The Story of G.I. Joe. Meredith is known for his roles in the Rocky franchise, the film Grumpy Old Men, and the series Batman. Meredith received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for his performance in Tail Gunner Joe. He also directed the film The Man on the Eiffel Tower and produced the film On Our Merry Way.