Put on your thinking caps

[Brad from Georgia]

Laura, I'm terribly sorry you've been so ill! Speedy recovery to you. Stay warm and eat lots of Jell-O.

[Brad from Georgia]

....
What we need is for a cable network to get Jack's TV shows and kick them off with a Benny marathon. Ditto TCM. Have Jack Benny as their star of the month. Show his shorts and his features. I think AOL-Time-Warner has the rights to all of those....or at least they should have a Benny marathon on his birthday.....

A Benny birthday marathon! That's brilliant! I don't know anyone from TCM, but I do know some folks at another Turner company. I'll see if they know someone who knows someone....

The street address of the company is, or used to be

Turner Classic Movies
1050 Techwood Drive NW
Atlanta, Georgia 30318 USA

(Since Ted Turner sold everything, I'm not sure this still obtains; I'll check to see and report back.)

A thousand or more snail-mail letters advocating a February 14 Jack Benny Birthday marathon would probably garner attention--more than emails, which would also be a nice touch. Fan club members could do both, in fact. Laura, want to see if we can pull this off? You might run an editorial in the next newsletter, asking fans to mail TCM asking for a Benny day.

"...and if you can't do a Benny marathon, could you please at least steam the stamp off my envelope and send it back to me, so it shouldn't be a total loss?"

[David47Jens]

"...and if you can't do a Benny marathon, could you please at least steam the stamp off my envelope and send it back to me, so it shouldn't be a total loss?"

I can just see that now... Some poor Turner employee doing just that, spending 37 cents of their money on a stamp for the return envelope, plus the cost of the envelope, plus the (company) time involved...

Pretty funny, Brad!

Which makes me think of something on a related note: I'm sure that Jack Benny (the character) would just love email. Imagine... all those messages sent for free!

[Brad from Georgia]

I can confirm that the address I gave above is the correct one for TCM. Letter-writing campaign, anyone?

[shimp scrampi]

I happily got rid of cable some time ago, I just couldn't bring myself to keep shelling out so much every month for so many infomercials (wait, I'm PAYING to see these ads?) and so little programming I actually wanted to see. But I'm happy to write a letter.

Does TCM show television shows though? Although some of them are good, methinks Jack's movies are probably far less likely to bring him new fans than a push of the TV show. How about TV Land as a better target, doing one of their occasional marathon blitzes?

[Maxwell]

I happily got rid of cable some time ago, I just couldn't bring myself to keep shelling out so much every month for so many infomercials (wait, I'm PAYING to see these ads?) and so little programming I actually wanted to see. But I'm happy to write a letter.

Does TCM show television shows though? Although some of them are good, methinks Jack's movies are probably far less likely to bring him new fans than a push of the TV show. How about TV Land as a better target, doing one of their occasional marathon blitzes?

What I kind of had in mind with my suggestions was a full-frontal assault. The Benny movie marathon (shorts and features) could be shown on TCM. Meanwhile we should also be prodding one of the cable networks like TV Land to show his TV shows.

I wish there could be a more effective way to get the radio shows in the public eye, but that audience is even more fragmented than the TV audience. As I wrote earlier, OTR is definitely a fringe interest. BTW, I'm going to post a couple of more broadcasts/webcasts of shows featuring Benny or cast members on the Jack Benny Today board after I post this.

[ZEjackbennykid]

[quote="ZEjackbennykid..... For a quick rise we would need celebrities behind us. one such would be Tom Kenny the voice of spongebob. He is a MEL BLANC fanatic who did several reports on him as a kid. he even connects jacks character to squidward on the movie dvd bonus feature. He's going to be at San Diego Comic Con( july 14-17). I will be there and see what he thinks we should do. LLeff try to come to comic con in sandiego and meet with me and we'll talk to him

I'll be at the Comic Con, ZEjackbennykid--look for me at the Dark Horse table on Friday afternoon, where I'll be signing one of my books with Joe DeVito and Ray Harryhausen, and let's talk Benny stuff.[/quote]

Most xcellent brad from georgia. what is your real name? i will be with my grandparents neighbor and his son in law. my real name is Zach Lloyd Eastman. will you only be at comic con on friday? how long will you be there. please respond as soon as possible. im leaving for san diego on the 12th. respond super quickly

[Brad from Georgia]

Hi, Zach--My real name is Brad Strickland. I'm the coauthor of KONG: King of Skull Island, with artist Joe DeVito. I'll be at the con Thursday, Friday, and Saturday--I have a panel on Friday afternoon, "Spotlight on Ray Harryhausen and All Things King Kong," with a book signing following that at the Dark Horse table. I think that's the only event I'm down for, but I'll probably be hanging out at the Dark Horse table a lot. My wife's a big Bruce Campbell fan, and he's going to be at that spot because he has a comic coming out from DH soon.

[Mike]

Has anyone thought of this before? Write to the Postal Service and suggest that Jack's likeness be put on a postage stamp! (or has it already been done - don't recall). (Write the letter on paper - emails are too easily disregarded). Mike

[LLeff]

Has anyone thought of this before? Write to the Postal Service and suggest that Jack's likeness be put on a postage stamp! (or has it already been done - don't recall). (Write the letter on paper - emails are too easily disregarded). Mike

Been done several years ago. They had a series of stamps with Hirschfeld caricatures that included Jack, Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, Fanny Brice, and someone else (Bergen and McCarthy?).

But I've been waiting with baited breath to see if they're going to request upping the per-stamp price to 39 cents. If so, it's a full court press to get Jack on one!!!

[Jack Benny]

I've been reading articles lately on how the networks are dying to find some good sitcoms. I also always enjoyed the "Life with Bonnie" -I think that was the name- sit-com that was very much likes Jacks Radio show. Why not pitch a new show about the creation of the Jack Benny show with actors playing Jack and all the gang along with actors playing Hilliard Marks, and the writers. Set it during the Jello years, and have Jello sponsor the new TV show. You could have great comedy and drama, like Mash. Tension could build over the seasons as WWII approaches. The first episode could be the introduction of Phil Harris. There could be a very good story line about Kenny's replacement with Dennis.

[WaltP]

But I've been waiting with baited breath to see if they're going to request upping the per-stamp price to 39 cents. If so, it's a full court press to get Jack on one!!!

Man, THAT would be priceless!!!!

I like the marathon ideas, both on TCM and TV Land... Maybe they'll have to break down and play Charlie's Aunt finally.

[Mike]

Been done several years ago. They had a series of stamps with Hirschfeld caricatures that included Jack, Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, Fanny Brice, and someone else (Bergen and McCarthy?).

It's remarkable how much Hirschfeld's drawings actually LOOKED like the person they represented, even thought they were exaggerated caricatures. Sometimes caricatures are not so easily recognizable, but his drawings really captured the essence and likeness of the person. Does anyone recall if that drawing of Jack is among the Hirschfeld collection that is plastered along the walls of the foyer (upstairs, I think) of the TV/Radio museum in Beverly Hills?

[Jack Benny]

Here are a couple of Hirschfeld images of Jack that I have found on the internet.

[Jack Benny]

Sorry, didn't realize how big that image was. Laura, you might want to remove it and I'll post a smaller one.