Rochester on the web IJBFC front page

[BT]

Good to see Eddie Anderson up front--I hope you'll let him stay there a while. Surprising to me how little recognition he gets these days--there's no web site devoted to him, far as I know.

[BT]

Not sure how the word "web" got into that subject line, but you get the point: viva Rochester!

[shimp scrampi]

I agree, it's quite a dashing pic of Roch as well. He looks great with the natural hair and the natty suit. The contemporary politics of the "Rochester" character sure complicate the Jack Benny legacy, but what a great comic Eddie Anderson was.

[Roman]

Anyone else notice how Eddie Anderson consistently broke Jack up? You can sometimes hear Jack break up over something Dennis said (or, more often, how he said it) but it happened far more with Rochester than anyone else.

[LLeff]

Anyone else notice how Eddie Anderson consistently broke Jack up? You can sometimes hear Jack break up over something Dennis said (or, more often, how he said it) but it happened far more with Rochester than anyone else.

I'll see your Rochester and raise you a Mel Blanc.

[Maxwell]

Anyone else notice how Eddie Anderson consistently broke Jack up? You can sometimes hear Jack break up over something Dennis said (or, more often, how he said it) but it happened far more with Rochester than anyone else.

I'll see your Rochester and raise you a Mel Blanc.

I used to love watching Jack with Mel on the show playing Sy or any number of other characters. You could see him just about ready to lose it on numerous occasions. I keep thinking that one of those episodes was set either in a train station or airport, and Jack could barely get out his lines as the punchlines approached (Sy and Sue).

[Clyde]

And who could forget the annual Christmas shows...shopping for shoelaces (metal tips or plastic tips?....or dates....or gopher traps....or paints....) all with poor ole Mel as the harried store clerk. In my minds eye, I can see Jack biting his lower lip, trying not to go into hysterical laughter as Mel goes through his tirade.

[Gerry O.]

And who could forget the annual Christmas shows...shopping for shoelaces (metal tips or plastic tips?....or dates....or gopher traps....or paints....) all with poor ole Mel as the harried store clerk. In my minds eye, I can see Jack biting his lower lip, trying not to go into hysterical laughter as Mel goes through his tirade.

On the TV version of the Christmas shopping show, you actually DO see Jack biting his lower lip and looking down at the counter to keep from completely breaking up at Mel's major meltdown.

That's what I loved about Jack's breaking up (or rather his attempts NOT to break up). Some performers like Red Skelton would just let themselves go and openly break up during a sketch, and others like Harvey Korman might try to stifle their laughter a LITTLE, but they DID let on that they were breaking character and laughing. However, poor Jack usually tried his DARNDEST not to let on to the audience that he found something funny.....He would bite his lip, look the other way, ANYTHING to keep from completely cracking up and breaking the effect of the sketch....and THAT made the whole thing even FUNNIER!