Benny helping Allen?

[Yhtapmys]

I've noticed on a bunch of the 1944 that John Brown and Minerva Pious made appearances. I thought they had worked out of New York, then realised this was probably during the period Fred Allen took a year off.

Did Jack decide to have them come out to Hollywood and give them some work, or did they come out on their own?

Yhtapmys
"Drive your blues away!"

[Gerry O.]

I'm not sure about the 1944 situation, but it's interesting to note that Jack used a few members of of Fred Allen's radio company (who were still actively appearing on Fred's "Town Hall Tonight" program) when he visited NYC in 1938.

On Jack's show of December 11, 1938, Jack is broadcasting from New York, and he does a sketch where he and Mary are Christmas shopping in a big NYC department store. John Brown plays a clerk and Charles Cantor plays a very fussy, effeminate floorwalker. Jack probably heard these actors on Allen's program, had respect and appreciation for their talent and used them on his own show every chance he could get.

[TEADJones]

It could be the Minerva was on the west coast for a film... "I'm not talking to you!"