Two Questions About a 1939 Show

[Greg]

This morning I listened to the 03/19/39 program on my way to work. Two questions puzzle me:

1) Don introduces the Jell-O plug by saying something like "the spring season is near, and that means marbles, skipping rope, baseball, a new hat for the wives, and seat catalogues for the husbands."

So, what is a 'seat catalogue' and what does it have to do with the spring season?

2) Later in the program, Mary meets an old friend who says "why hello Mary! How are you? Are you still working at the May Company?"

This question evokes howls of laughter in the audience. A quick Google search tells me that the May Company was a department store in SoCal in the 1930s, but why is this question funny?

Thanks for your help,
Greg

[Moose Hatrack]

Don's pear shaped tones fooled you on "seat" catalog. Don probably said "seed" catalog. Gardeners anxiously anticipate the arrival of said literature each Spring. It's a fever that causes one domestic garden to produce more zuchini than a small town could eat in a month.
Based upon your question regarding the May Company, I envy you. If you keep listening to Jack, you'll find that Mary's association with the May Company will have you laughing as loud as the audience. It's a running gag that runs so deep it can only be fully appreciated by listening to the entire Benny collection. In a nutshell, Jack "discovered" Mary Livingstone while she was working behind the stocking counter at the May Company. In its simplest form, the joke goes like this: Mary's wise cracks wear on Jack until he threatens to send her "back to the May company". It's much subtler (and I think funnier) than Ralph Cramden's "to the MOON Alice".
Occasionally snooty guests take shots at Mary by reminding her of the May Company entry on her resume. That might be the kind of reference you heard. The writers never ran out of way to play the May Company card.
Please keep listening and the let effectiveness and flexibility of this gag soak in like it did with its original audience!

[Greg]

Hi Moose. Yes, "seed catalogue" makes perfect sense; thanks for clarifying that.

As for The May Company, the audience reaction indicates that this running joke was firmly in place by March of 1939, but I've listened to the previous 2 years of shows over the last several months and don't remember hearing this gag. And I don't think it's mentioned in Laura's books. But again, it makes perfect sense.

Thanks again,
Greg

[Jack Benny]

Hi Moose. Yes, "seed catalogue" makes perfect sense; thanks for clarifying that.

As for The May Company, the audience reaction indicates that this running joke was firmly in place by March of 1939, but I've listened to the previous 2 years of shows over the last several months and don't remember hearing this gag. And I don't think it's mentioned in Laura's books. But again, it makes perfect sense.

Thanks again,
Greg

Hi Greg,

Welcome to the board! I think the May company gags were used almost from the beginning of Mary's tenure on the show from my recollection, but began to be more frequent in '39 because Mary started to "come after" Jack more on the show when Kenny left, and Jack needed a retort after he was attacked by Mary.

[Jack Benny]

Hi Moose. Yes, "seed catalogue" makes perfect sense; thanks for clarifying that.

As for The May Company, the audience reaction indicates that this running joke was firmly in place by March of 1939, but I've listened to the previous 2 years of shows over the last several months and don't remember hearing this gag. And I don't think it's mentioned in Laura's books. But again, it makes perfect sense.

Thanks again,
Greg

Hi Greg,

Welcome to the board! I think the May Company gags were used almost from the beginning of Mary's tenure on the show from my recollection, but began to be more frequent in '39 because Mary started to "come after" Jack more on the show when Kenny left, and Jack needed a retort after he was attacked by Mary, so he would mention the May Company.

[LLeff]

As for The May Company, the audience reaction indicates that this running joke was firmly in place by March of 1939, but I've listened to the previous 2 years of shows over the last several months and don't remember hearing this gag. And I don't think it's mentioned in Laura's books.

It's not? Now you've got me curious... *accessing my electronic version*

I do see that the first time I ever captured it part of the story was 3/19/39, and then again on 12/31/39 where Mary got a calendar from the May Company saying, "Come back, all is forgiven." I may have been so acquainted with the Mary-May Company connection that hearing it (or seeing it in a script) for the "first time" in the radio series didn't register with me.

But it sounds like you could use a little more information on that connection. If you want the "true" story, go to the Biography - The Story section of this Web site and search for "May Company". If you want the fictional version of it, then click here-> http://www.archive.org/details/JackBennyProgram-5x03.HowJackMetMary.

[Greg]

Hi Laura- thanks for the info!