The Vault

[Benny]

Hi,

First post here. Growing up i never missed the Jack Benny program on tv if I could help it. It was one of my favorites.

I recall watching an episode (whether a regular episode or a special i have no idea) where Jack actually went down to the vault and chatted with the guard (was it Ed?)

Does anyone recall what show or shows this could have been?

thanks very much and happy new year to everyone on this board.

[jackbennynum1]

Does anyone recall what show or shows this could have been?


i remember he was on the lucy show

and that skit was on there

[shimp scrampi]

Hi folks, hope you'll stick around, this is a fun board!

Jack goes down to the vault with Gisele Mackenzie on the May 17th 1953 TV show, which was a live broadcast.

There's another one on filmfrom 1961 where Treasury Agents take a vault tour, plus the Lucy Show episode you mention.

Any others?

[Alan]

Isn't "the vault" ep of the Lucy Show also of some note becouse of the (then relatively) high cost of staging it?


PS-Shimp; that is now my fave Philson pic.....any time and place info?

[shimp scrampi]

The Lucy show was the most expensive half-hour comedy to that point, according to Milt Josefsberg based on a garage-door style gizmo they had to construct to "sink" Jack and Lucy in the quicksand. I don't know how accurate that claim is. The "Hi, Irving!" cheap gorilla suit gets a much bigger laugh for the buck for me in that episode.

As for the Phil pic, it's my favorite too - I figured out how to add the darned pics so figured I would subject you all to it for awhile. It's from 1958, a detail from the cover of his album "That's What I Like About the South" (which you can maybe see are the words coming out of his julep). The same year Phil would make his only TV appearance on Jack's regular show.

[Benny]

wow thanks for the fast replies!

Can anyone describe in more detail the scene in the vault from these 2 episodes and the Lucy show, so that i can zero in on which one I was remembering? Anything would be helpful - plot, cast, dialogue, etc.

Also do you know if any of these are available anywhere?

thanks again.

[shimp scrampi]

The airdate of the 1961 show is Jan. 8th; it has treasury agents asking to see the Vault to get ideas to improve the security of Fort Knox! Joe Kearns is credited in the cast, so Ed probably makes an appearance. If I've seen this one, it's a long time ago and my memory is foggy.

I've seen a clip from the 1953 show - it's on the 1995 "Kelsey Grammer Salutes Jack Benny" special, the vault set is REALLY cheap and wobbly, and the kinescope used on that is pretty low-quality.

Neither seems available on commercial releases or the IJBFC video library at the moment.

The Lucy Show "Lucy Gets Jack Benny's Account", however, is considered public domain and is WIDELY available - check any bargain bin DVD set of "The Lucy Show" - they're ubiquitous and you'll probably find it. Ed doesn't show up in that, but it's a funny skit. Technically, however, it isn't Jack's vault you see in this episode, but rather LUCY's! The plot has the bank she works at build a new vault in order to secure Jack's account. You'll also learn Jack's social security number in this show.

The cartoon "The Mouse that Jack Built" also has a trip down to Jack's "cheese vault", and that is on DVD & in the club library.

[Roman]

I always liked the radio versions of this with Ed the guard who never left the vault and didn't know what was happening in the world. In one show, I remember Jack told Ed that the Germans had surrendered and Ed asked if we'd captured the Kaiser. Another had Jack telling Ed that our soldiers would soon be coming home now that we'd won the war and Ed saying that he bet they'll be a big parade for General Pershing. I loved the idea that this man was so dedicated to his job that he'd go years without any human contact and that Jack was so cheap that he'd go years without needing to take any money from the vault.