"I knew she could do it"

[grittys457]

My first post on this forum.

Anyway, I find that line absurdly funny when Jack says it after Mary is reading a letter from mama and there is some wild story about Babe. I know he used it at least 4 or 5 times in shows, just can't think of any examples. Help me out if you got a great memory.

Oh, and favorite episode from the ten years I've gotten through so far on my Ipod has to be the original Tee Pee Motel show from Palm Springs. Although incredibly racist by today's standards, it has the funniest line I've heard yet in a show. It's when Jack is getting all sorts of slack for staying in a hotel so far away from Palm Springs and when Phil asks where he's staying, Mary interupts with "Just this side of Birmingham, Alabama". Then Jack mutters "Birmingham, Alabama....that's a big fib, isn't it Dennis"...which Dennis replies with a loud and very stereotypical for the time "It shoooooooo is". Caught everybody off guard. Audience was also great that episode which Jack even comments on. Also has Mary's "Cow suit" gaff.

Anyway, I'm only 34 but listen to the show everynight in bed. Great stuff and holds up incredibly well.

[epeterd]

I don't think I've ever heard the Teepee hotel show. What date was it broadcast?

peter

[grittys457]

http://www.archive.org/details/JackBenny1941and1942

It's a few down if you want to download it or you just just stream it from the upper right box. Mary's "cow suit" mistake is funny than her chiss sweese one if you ask me.

On a side note, I just got done with the few episodes that had the famous "I'm thinking it over" line. After reading about it in books and online, I thought it was going to be a five minute laugh. It barely got a three second chuckle and they replayed the line for three episodes or so. Ronald Coleman is epic though. such a perfect counter to Jack's personality.

Last night I listened to the one that Robert Taylor guest hosted and that's some of the funniest Phil Harris ever.

[Moose Hatrack]

Robert Taylor??? You mean SPANGler ARRRlington Bruuuuugh? That's classic Phil. If you listen carefully to Phil & Alice's 12/19/48 Christmas show, at the 9:47 mark you'll hear Remley (Eliot Lewis) call Phil "Spangler'. (The same episode has a brilliant rendition of Jingle Bells with the Sportsmen and Jack is the guest star.)
Always good listening!

[grittys457]

Thanks Moose! I haven't downloaded any of the Phil/Alice shows yet but I'll grab that specific one and check it out tonight.

[grittys457]

Great suggestion Moose, that episode was funny as hell.

"oohhhh daaaaady, don't you go dressing up like santa claus like you did last year. Boy was that corny"

[JohnM]

listen to the show everynight in bed.

I've seen other mentions of this particular habit. I confess I do it too.






*Not every night, mind you.

[Chasitykins]

listen to the show everynight in bed.

I've seen other mentions of this particular habit. I confess I do it too.

Better than listening to Fred Allen every night in bed!

[grittys457]

I hadn't actually heard the line used for awhile until my episode last night. It was the final show of the 1948 season from New York.

Mary- I visited Babe at a hospital here yesterday

Jack- I didn't know she was sick

Mary- She's not, she's a janitor

Jack after a pause- I knew she could do it

Fred Allen showed up for the last 5 minutes or so of the show and they just go back and forth insulting each other and ad libbing about the script. Fred drops a gem that puts the audience into a frenzy. He reads his insult to Jack which was awful and he ad libs "I hope if I'm drowning I don't get thrown a line like this".

The week before ended the same way but with Bob Hope. I like Bob but I found him to be annoying and not funny with his ending bit unlike Allen who nailed it.

[helloagain]

Yes, the 'money or your life' routine has become legend , but as you learned, it was not the longest laugh. Check out this link for a comparison. http://www.jackbenny.org/biography/othe ... _laugh.htm

[grittys457]

Thanks for the list. Since I'm only up to 1948, that gives me stuff to look forward to. Like I said, I was shocked after hearing about that line, to literally hear how blah the response was. They laughed, but no longer than the average good laugh.

That list made me want to go back and tape that laugh from Fred Allen in the season finale, 6-27-08 from New York.

Go to the 21:30 mark to hear Fred read the joke then ad lib that "throw me a line" bit over it. I'm showing it getting a 17 second laugh, a real hard laugh.

[helloagain]

I always thought the 'money or your life' bit was a bit over rated. There are many funnier things than that on the Benny show. And they really ran that into the ground by repeating it on the next 2 or 3 shows, when Jack recalled the incident.

[grittys457]

I agree, I couldn't believe they ran the exact same skit like three shows in a row. When something is a one line dagger, it makes to use to try it again...and again.

Phil, just because your boys are off parole, that doesn't make them dignified.

[helloagain]

I tend to laugh more at the lesser publicized gags. The 'cimmeron rolls' bit always cracks me up, no matter how many times I hear it... or just about any banter between Jack and Frank Nelson.

"Are you the ticket agent?

"Uh, no. I'm standing here because I was born with this rubber
stamp in my hand!"

[kbbl]

you money or your life grew since it was perfect for his character. Radio, TV etc. I wonder how long the laugh is for each occurance.

That list is very interesting. And while it is the exact time of laughter between lines, it is subject somewhat to whoever had the next line (and we all know how easily Jack would loose it) What I like about it is that they are classic lines from the show.