Departure of Phil Harris

[mackdaddyg]

This is something I've wondered for years. Was the departure of Phil Harris an amicable one? Everything I've ever read about it says that the show couldn't afford him anymore. I may be wrong, but I've never seen anything after 1952 with both Phil and Jack. No guest appearances on radio or tv at all. It appears that they never worked together again.

The cast during the last few years he was on the show made for some brilliant comedy. The shows after he left were still very well done, but something was missing in the chemistry.

I've read most (I think) of the Jack Benny bios out there, and from what I can recall, Phil's departure is always mentioned in passing at best. Is there more to the story?

Thanks to anyone with any insight.

George

[Gerry O.]

Yes, Phil and Jack DID appear together several times after 1952:

1. Phil guested on Jack's half-hour TV series in 1958.

2. Phil was included as one of the guests on the "Jack Benny's 49th Birthday" hour-long episode of CBS' "Shower of Stars" in 1959.

3. Phil guested on Jack's 1971 NBC-TV special "Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Jack Benny But Were Afraid To Ask". I remember seeing that special, and Jack and Phil did that routine where Jack makes Phil explain each line of "That's What I Like About The South".....and they were still hilarious together.

I also seem to remember seeing a clip where Phil was the honored subject of Ralph Edwards' "This Is Your Life", and Jack appeared as a surprise guest from Phil's past.

I really believe that Jack's 1949 move from NBC to CBS was the main reason for Phil eventually leaving Jack's program. With Phil and Alice's program coming on immediately after Jack's show (on another network.....the Harrises were still at NBC), and the closing of Jack's show consistently plugging "Amos N' Andy" (the CBS show which immediately followed Jack and was on OPPOSITE Phil and Alice), things probably became too awkward and perhaps uncomfortable for Phil to remain as a member of Jack's weekly cast. I don't think that there were hard feelings between Jack and Phil, but there HAD to have been some strange tension there because of the "two different networks" situation.

[mackdaddyg]

Gerry.

Thanks for clearing that up. I obviously have not been lucky enough to see or hear any of the shows you mentioned, but I hope to do so someday.

Considering the possible tension regarding the NBC/CBS situation, what you said makes perfect sense. I'm glad to hear that there were times they performed together afterwards.

Thanks again.

George

[Roman]

There was also a televised roast/tribute to Jack in 1969 which Phil and Dennis spoke. Johnny Carson was the MC and, unlike Dean Martin's later roast of Jack, all the speakers (George Burns, Ed Sullivan, among others) had a real connection and history with Jack.

I don't think that Jack's promotion of Amos & Andy, or any other personal awkwardness, played a part in Phil's leaving. Jack and Phil were experienced old pros who understood the way business worked. The reason for Phil's leaving is surely the most obvious one - the hardship on him of having to race from CBS to NBC every week and, much more importantly, the sharp cutback in radio budgets (and radio salaries) as radio became increasingly eclipsed by television.

[LLeff]

This is a long-standing topic of discussion...you may want to use the Google search on the jackbenny.org home page or the Forum search to see other threads on this same line of thought. (Not saying you can't discuss it here...you certainly can. Just that there's plenty of other comments about it that may interest you!)