General question on how/why the shows have survived

[shimp scrampi]

It seems to me that the Jack Benny program is one of the more "complete" OTR series in circulation. Sure there are plenty of missing episodes, especially early on, but how and why do we have so many preserved to this day? For example, pre-1940 Burns and Allen are very rare. How many transcription discs were actually made for any given single broadcast, and what are the largest sources of the shows floating around today? Jack's own collection? Networks? Sponsors? Private collectors? Is it a function of Jack's popularity? Basically, "tell me a story" about why we're so lucky to have these shows where so many others are far less complete.

[Alan]

Is it a function of Jack's popularity?

I would agree that being a top rated show certainly helped.

Though I've always wondered about the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes OTR series; they were concurrently starring in a very popular feature film series, yet i believe only about 2 dozen of their radio shows are in circulation.

Though there are several unfortunate exceptions ( like Rathbone-Holmes, Shimp's Burns&Allen example, ILAM...), i feel that alot of "major" otr, starting by early 40s, and certainly by about 1945, have a decent "survival" percentage.....so maybe the high proportion of circulating JB shows isn't that uncommon?

PS- I hope that some currently "uncirculated" JB shows will become available. I seem to remember reading (Joan's book i think)about how JB himself keep a disc copy of each show--did these get donated to a University? Doesn't the Library of Congress have alot of rare otr? Maybe some other private collections will surface for public distribution?

[LLeff]

Basically, "tell me a story" about why we're so lucky to have these shows where so many others are far less complete.

It is a very long story, but it does basically have to do with Jack keeping copies of each show. These are now at UCLA (per Alan's question). Eddie Cantor also kept copies of his own show (plus REHEARSALS), so those are progressively being released by his grandson.

Back to the Benny show, there were at least three copies of each show made: one for Jack, one for the sponsor (no, I don't know where those went), and one for a member of the ensemble (e.g., peformer, writer, etc.) who made a significant contribution to the show. So Dennis Day had some, Phil Harris had some, etc. Those are sort of scattered around...Dennis' discs are now with Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters, Phil's are (partially) in his home town of Linton, Indiana (but there are more of his that are in the hands of a private collector), etc. And of course, there are the AFRS versions which mean even more copies. I've also had the pleasure of handling some transcriptions that Jack gave to a close friend of his who attended those specific shows. So all these together make for good pickings of the whole run. We're very, very lucky.

[shimp scrampi]

Lucky indeed, if you think about it - that is really mind-boggling that so many are extant - think of a book that only had three copies printed? How tough would that be to track down sixty years later? Looks like we have to thank Jack not only for the shows themselves, but their survival to this day as well.

[Alan]

I would guess that i'm not the only one who has read that, in at least some cases, the AFRS "version" is the only "known" copy of certain OTR eps.

Of course, I have have heard many JB shows from the AFRS...probably several that i have ONLY heard in the AFRS version....i assume that (to date) there are certain JB eps that are widely circulated only in the AFRS version?

?? ; I assume/guess that most any show that was prep'd for AFRS broadcast was usually produced in multiple copies?