The gangs apperances on other shows!

[Jack Benny]

I thought of how difficult it has been for me to find guest appearances of Jack and the gang on other shows. Jack's appearances have been pretty well documented, but Dennis, Phil, Don, Rochester, and Mary can be harder to find referenced anywhere. For instance, yesterday I found some old Dinah Shore Shows, and there were episodes with guest apperances by Dennis and Phil. Both shows were very interesting, and I love to hear them do "riffs" of their characters on other shows. Below is a list of other shows that some cast members have appeared on...please add to the list if you can.

Family Theater
Lux Theater
Screen Guild Theater
Sealtest Variety
Dinah Shore Show
Doris Day Show
Bob Hope Show
Fred Allen Show

Any others?

[River Phoenix]

You mean to say you don't keep track of your own gang's guest appearances? Aren't you afraid that Bob Hope will take to Dennis and steal him with more money?

[shimp scrampi]

Mary, of all people, considering her hesitancy to appear on the Jack Benny TV show too often, did a guest shot on Burns and Allen's TV series (without Jack) in their last season, ca. 1957-58.

[TheSportsmenQuartet]

Phil Harris and Elliott Lewis appeared on several NBC shows in 1949 under the gag that they were trying to find a job for Remley. The shows I remember are Philco show with Bing Crosby and Eddie Cantor's show.

The Sportsmen appeared twice on Jimmy Durante's show in 1947 filling in for Peggy Lee.

Dennis Day appeared on Fibber McGee and Molly's 15th anniversary in radio. He also appeared on the Kraft Music Hall with Al Jolson in 1949. I believe he was also a guest on Buddy Clark's show in 1949.

[shimp scrampi]

This is a really useful thread to keep going! If folks can add airdates as well, that would be wonderful.

A couple more:

Phil Harris on Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge 8/16/44
Rochester & Butterfly McQueen on "Jubilee!" no date, program #39 c. 1943

[mrdj]

I remember a 'Suspense' with Phil and Alice. They are playing a small town and a young local girl, a big fan of Phil's, is in his dressing room and is accidently shot and killed by Phil. The townsfolk set about a lynching as instant justice. Gripping!

[shimp scrampi]

Nice work mrdj! A little searching reveals that to be:

Suspense, 5/10/51 "Death on My Hands"

and a glance through the Suspense log reveals Dennis Day in the 8/16/59 show, "Like Man Somebody Dig Me"

And THAT reminded me that Dennis was in an Alfred Hitchcock Presents TV episode, "Cheap is Cheap", also from 1959.

[bboswell]

Dennis Day was also in the Suspense show "Christmas for Carol" where he played a man reluctantly turning to crime to afford a nurse for his pregnant wife. Very good story. Interestingly enough, it was on December 21st, 1950, which puts 4 members of the Jack Benny Show guesting on the same show within 6 months of each other:

Dennis Day on Dec 21st, 1950
Ronald Coleman was in "Vision of Death" on March 8th 1951
Jack was in "Murder in G-flat" on April 5th, 1951
Phil Harris & Alice on May 10th, 1951

Also sandwiched in those six months were radio personalities: Fibber and Molly, William Bendix, Lucille Ball (My Favorite Husband) and James Stewart (The Six Shooter.)

[Gerry O.]

A very interesting "guest appearance" has Jack and his whole gang appearing on a 1943 episode of "The Camel Comedy Caravan".

The show ran on Friday nights and was an hour long. (Unfortunately, most recordings which survive of the show only run around 45 minutes because the first part of the program is missing). The Friday night Camel show didn't have a specific format...each week it would take the cast and format of a popular comedy-variety series and make it a special hour-long broadcast. (I know that Bob Hope brought his show and cast to the Camel Comedy Caravan too).

The Benny "Caravan" is basically an extended version of Jack's regular program, with the cast standing around talking, musical numbers by Phil's band and Dennis and one of those "Captain O'Benny" murder mystery sketches....plus Jack and the gang spoof Allen's Alley with "Benny's Boulevard".

It's really strange to hear Jack and the gang talking about enjoying CAMEL cigarettes! (Of course, this was when Jack was still being sponsored by Grape-Nuts Flakes).

[TEADJones]

Suspense - Christmas For Carol with Dennis Day

[shimp scrampi]

Eddie Anderson did a LOT of guest shots as Rochester (without Jack) on Eddie Cantor's radio program:

06-24-42, 06-02-43, 01-03-45, 05-23-45, 02-06-46, 11-28-46,
04-22-49.

Just heard one of the 1945 programs the other day.