If you’ve spent any time digging into the golden age of Hollywood or the raunchy history of the Friars Club, you’ve likely stumbled upon a specific, recurring piece of locker-room lore. It isn't about his TV ratings or his legendary joke-stealing. It’s about his anatomy.
Specifically: did Milton Berle have a big dick?
Basically, the answer is yes. In fact, "yes" might be an understatement. According to decades of anecdotes from costars, writers, and Berle himself, the man was legendary for more than just being "Mr. Television." He was widely considered the most well-endowed man in show business. This isn't just internet gossip; it's a piece of pop culture history that has been confirmed by some of the biggest names in the industry.
The Origins of the "Anaconda" Rumor
The stories didn't just start in the 1950s. They followed Berle everywhere—from vaudeville stages to the set of Saturday Night Live. The legend grew because Berle wasn't exactly shy about it. He knew the rumors, and honestly, he seemed to delight in them.
One of the most famous stories involves a supposed "contest" at a steam bath. As the tale goes, a man challenged Berle to a comparison, betting he could beat the comedian’s size. A bystander, often identified as fellow comic Jackie Gleason, supposedly yelled out: "Go ahead, Milton, just take out enough to win!"
Berle later included this story in his own autobiography. While some biographers wonder if Berle’s penchant for exaggeration applied to his personal life as much as his jokes, the sheer volume of corroborating witnesses suggests there was plenty of truth behind the brag.
Eye-Witness Accounts from Hollywood Royalty
You can’t talk about this without mentioning the people who actually saw it.
The SNL Incident
In the oral history Live From New York, writer Alan Zweibel recounts a bizarre encounter with Berle when the comedian hosted Saturday Night Live in 1979. Zweibel had written jokes about Berle’s reputation for years. When they met, Berle reportedly asked Zweibel if he had ever actually seen it. Before the writer could even process the question, Berle supposedly parted his bathrobe and "laid it on the table."
Zweibel’s description? He compared it to an "anaconda" and a "pepperoni." He was, understandably, speechless.
The Marilyn Monroe Quote
Even the world's most famous sex symbol had something to say. In Truman Capote’s short story A Beautiful Child, he quotes Marilyn Monroe as saying, "Christ! Everybody says Milton Berle has the biggest schlong in Hollywood." Monroe reportedly had a brief fling with Berle early in her career, and according to multiple sources, she confirmed the rumors were absolutely accurate.
The Urinal Commentary
Phil Silvers, the star of The Phil Silvers Show, once famously stood next to Berle at a urinal. After a quick glance, Silvers reportedly quipped, "You’d better feed that thing, or it’s liable to turn on you!" ## Why This Legend Still Matters Today
It sounds like a bunch of juvenile locker-room talk, right? But for Berle, his "endowment" was part of his alpha-male persona. He was a man who dominated every room he entered. He stole jokes, he demanded the spotlight, and he used his physical reputation as a sort of ultimate trump card.
In the 1980s and 90s, Howard Stern became obsessed with the topic. Every time Berle appeared on his show, Stern would grill him about the size of his "tool." Berle would play coy, sometimes getting annoyed, but never truly denying it. At age 88, he told an interviewer that he had "had a little success with it, even recently." He even joked that when he got an erection, he’d "black out" from the blood loss.
Funny. Kinda gross. Very Milton Berle.
The Eulogy Jokes
The legend followed him to the grave—literally. At his memorial service at the New York Friars Club, Freddie Roman announced that his "penis will be buried on May 1st and May 2nd," implying it was too big for one day. Arnold Schwarzenegger even joked in a 2023 podcast that during the eulogy, he mentioned how hard it was to close the casket lid because of Berle's "legendary" status.
Separating Fact from Vaudeville Fiction
Is it possible it was all an act? A long-running bit?
Probably not. While Berle was known for "borrowing" material, this was one thing no one else was claiming. The consistency of the descriptions—from the "anaconda" comparison to the specific "just enough to win" anecdote—suggests a reality that was genuinely out of the ordinary.
In an era where celebrities are hyper-managed by PR teams, there is something refreshingly (or perhaps terrifyingly) honest about Berle’s refusal to hide his "gift." He was a man of excess. He smoked giant cigars, he told thousands of jokes, and he carried around a reputation that would make a modern porn star blush.
How to View Berle's Legacy Now
Looking back, the "Milton Berle size" obsession is a window into a different time in show business. It was a world of private clubs, high-stakes gambling, and crude humor that often blurred the lines between professional and personal.
If you want to understand the man, you have to understand the myth.
- Check out his autobiography: It’s a wild read, even if you take the sexual exploits with a grain of salt.
- Watch his early TV work: You’ll see the manic energy that made him "Mr. Television."
- Listen to his Howard Stern interviews: These are the moments where the "legend" meets the modern era.
Ultimately, Milton Berle was a giant of comedy. And according to everyone who ever shared a dressing room with him, he was a giant in other ways, too.
To dive deeper into the wild history of old Hollywood, you might want to look into the "Friars Club Roasts," where Berle and his contemporaries truly let loose without the filters of 1950s television.