Jack Benny on "Those Were the Days"

[Maxwell]

The holiday season is fast approaching, and Jack's shows will be prominent on Chuck Schaden's WDCB-FM radio program "Those Were the Days" starting this coming Saturday, November 18 where he bookends his show with two Benny Shows from November, 1947.

All shows are streamed live on the date of the brodacast from 1:00-5:00 p.m. CST at http://www.wdcb.org. They can also be heard for a week beginning the following Tuesday on the Nostalgia Digest web site: http://www.nostalgiadigest.com/Those%20Were%20The%20Days.htm.

Here's the holiday season lineup of Those Were the Days shows featuring Jack:

*Noveber 18:

Jack Benny Program (11/23/47): Jack and Mary go shopping to buy a turkey. The program notes that the Lucky Strike commercial is one of the best done by the Sportemen Quartet. I concur.

Liberace Program (11/54): Liberace plays a number of autumn and Thanksgiving related numbers.

Durante-Moore Show (11/22/46): Features a Thanksgiving Opera about John Alden and Priscilla, with singer Susan Ellers as Priscilla.

Cavalcade of America (11/24/47): "Us Pilgrims," starring George Tobias. "An immigrant's idea of the first Thanksgiving."

Jack Benny Program (11/30/47): Jack goes on trial for having Rochester kill the turkey purchased in the previous program. Program also features the Sportsmen, Jack, and Don in the commercial singing "That's What I Like About the South."

*December 2 (a remembrance of Pearl Harbor):

H. V. Kaltenborn (12/7/41): One of the earliest reports of the attack, within a half hour of the attack.

New York Philharmonic (12/7/41), excerpt: Deems Taylor's intermission commentary is cancelled to present reports by Ford Wilkins, Albert Warner, and George Fielding Elliot, anchored by John Daly.

Great Gildersleeve (12/7/41): Gildy is visited by cousin Octavia who is on a cross-country lecture tour. Show interrupted five times by war bulletins.

Jack Benny Program (12/7/41): Featuring a Jekyll-Hyde sketch. Interrupted by war and civil defense bulletins.

CBS News Special (12/8/41): FDR's "Day of Infamy Speech" reported by Park Simmons and Albert Warner. Commentary by Eric Severeid.

Fibber McGee and Molly (12/9/41): Fibber gets a coupon good for a 40% discount at a department store. Program opens with Robert St. John reporting war news and closes with an announcement to stay tuned for a message by the President and the singing of "America."

Franklin D. Roosevelt (12/9/41): FDR's first wartime fireside chat.

*December 23 (Christmas Show):

Great Gildersleeve (12/25/46): Gildy tells the kids the story of "A Christmas Carol."

Philco Radio Time (Bing Crosby) (12/25/46): Bing's annual Christmas show. Features a dramatization of the story "The Small One."

Wild Bill Hickock (12/24/51): "Sir Tommy, The Silver Knight" with Guy Madison as Wild Bill and Andy Devine as his pal Jingles. Bill and Jingles meet a Scrooge-like character.

Jack Benny Program (12/19/48): Jack drives Mel Blanc crazy shopping for a wallet for Don.

Fibber McGee and Molly (12/21/43): Fibber and Molly run into several citizens of Wistful Vista while shopping for a Christmas tree. Teeny and the King's Men sing "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." (IIRC this is the version made famous by Fred Waring that we used to sing every year in high school chorus.)

*December 30 (the next episodes of the shows from the prevous week):

Great Gildersleeve (1/1/47): Gildy forgets to ask Eve Goodwin to the New Year's costume ball.

Philco Radio Time (1/1/47): Guest Joe Frisco. Songs by Bing: "Rainy Night in Rio" and "The Old Lamplighter." Peggy Lee: "He's Just My Kind" and "You Can Count on Me." Skitch Henderson plays "Clap Your Hands."

Wild Bill Hickock (12/31/51): "The Dead of Winter." Bill and Jingles plan to attend a New Year's celebration at Thompson's Corners.

Jack Benny Program (12/26/48): Jack's last radio show on NBC.

Fibber McGee and Mollie (12/28/43): To get a fresh start for the new year, Fibber ties a string around his finger, and then forgets why he put it there.[/url]

[Maxwell]

Chuck Schaden has recently taken over the hosting duties on "When Radio Was," and he is now posting the program schedule on his Nostalgia Digest web site, http://www.nostalgiadigest.com/When%20Radio%20Was.htm.

Check your local listings for time and station.

Upcoming shows with Jack and even Mary(!):

*November 18:

Have Gun Will Travel (6/28/59): "Homecoming"

Jack Benny Program (5/30/48): Excerpt

*November 20:

Great Gildersleeve (11/23/49): Gildy starts the Jolly Boys Band.

Jack Benny Program (11/19/39): Thanksgiving Ostrich excerpt

*November 25:

The Fat Man (6/8/46): "The Black Angel"

Mail Call (10/1/48): Excerpt with Rudy Vallee, Frank Sinatra, and Mary Livingstone

*November 29:

Halls of Ivy (3/3/50): Fifteen-year-old genius

Jack Benny Program (2/1/48) Excerpt with Ronald and Benita Colman.

*December 22:

Screen Director's Playhouse (12/23/49): "Miracle on 34th St."

Jack Benny Program (12/12/37): Christmas shopping (clip)

*December 25:

Dragnet (12/22/53): Missing statue of infant Jesus (This episode also was filmed twice for television.)

Jack Benny Program (12/20/53): Trimming the Christmas tree (clip)

*December 28:

Jack Benny Program (12/31/39): New Year's Eve

Bob Hope Show (9/24/46): Show Business (clip)

*December 31:

Red Skelton Show (12/31/48): New Year's Eve

Fred Allen Show (6/27/48): Guest Jack Benny (clip)

[epeterd]

Is there a reaon you put an emoticon in the date of all the Jack Benny shows you listed?

[TimL2005]

Is there a reaon you put an emoticon in the date of all the Jack Benny shows you listed?

I think it's something to do with the number 8 showing up that way..somehow the emoticon shows up..

[DerekVOF]

Unfortunately the sunglasses smilie is the number 8 with a closed parenthesis -- .