Buck Benny a Wow!

[Yhtapmys]

On our chat tonight, it was opined Buck Benny Rides Again was probably Jack's 2nd best movie. You probably haven't read a contemporary review of the film. Well, through the magic of soothing syrup (which wasn't invented yet when the movie was out, so it is truly magical), here we go. Excuse any scanning errors...

Jack Benny Scores in "Buck Benny Rides Again," Topnotch Western Comedy
Rochester's Clowning Again Steals Show
Dennis Day and Phil Harris Featured In Supporting Roles
By CHESTER R. BAHN
Editor, The Film Daily
New York. May 4.—"BUCK BENNY RIDES AGAIN" (Paramount) — Here is a solid laugh hit—a travesty on Western that is loaded with entertaining comedy. Jack Benny has never done better work than as the city chap, who becomes a hero in the wide open spaces in spite of himself.
As usual, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson delivers solidly with his comedy, hoofing and singing. He does a number with Theresa Harris, a dusky girl, that is a big applause-getter and also does a solo dance that is very effective in winning laughs.
Phil Harris and Dennis Day of Benny's radio troupe are among the principals, while Andy Devine aids in the fun. Ellen Drew, Virginia Dale, Lillian Cornell, Kay Linaker, Morris Ankrum, Ward Bond, Charles Lane and James Burke, do good work. The Merriel Abbott dancers are seen to advantage in two clever numbers.
Of the four songs written by Frank Loesser and Jimmy McHugh, "My Kind of Country" seems likely to win the most favor.
Benny goes West to prove to Ellen Drew, with whom he falls in love, that he is a true, fearless son of the great outdoors. He, Rochester and Phil Harris go to Caldwell, Idaho, where Harris' sweetheart, Kay Linaker, is awaiting a divorce from her husband. Ellen, and her sisters, Virginia Dale and Lillian Cornell, who comprise a singing trio, pet an engagement in a swank Caldwell hotel, patronized by rich tourists.
To impress Ellen, Benny poses as owner of Andy Devine's ranch. He has Devine engage cowhands to stage fake fights with him, and when Ankrum and Bond, real outlaws, arrive, Benny mistakes them for cowboys in on the trick. He takes a good beating for his mistake. However, when Ankrum and Bond try to rob the Caldwell hotel, Benny turns the tables on them, with the aid of Carmichael, the polar bear.
- - -
This story is from the Amarillo Daily News of May 3, 1940. There's an odd sidebar which follows the review.

PARAMOUNT
"Buck Benny Rides Again"
CAST
Buck Benny ....... Jack Benny
Joan Cameron ... Ellen Drew
Rochester ......... Eddie Anderson
Phil ................... Phil Harris
Virginia Dale ..... Virginia Dale
Andy ................ Andy Devine
Peggy .............. Lillian Cornell
Brenda Tracy .... Kay Linaker
Josephine ......... Theresa Harris
Dennis Day ....... Dennis Day
Porter No. 5 ...... George Guhl
Lost Porter ........ Billy Bletcher
Bellboy .............. Allen Wood
Bellboy .............. Monte Collins
Bald Headed Messenger — Harry Baldwin
It's a hard riding, straight-shooting, two-fisted Jack Benny, a mighty tough hombre, who appears in "Buck Benny Rides Again," the newest screen vehicle of tha famous film and radio comedian, which opens Saturday at the Paramount Theater. Wild Bill Hickok and Billy the Kid were tenderfeet by comparison with the rip-snorting buckaroo, the terror of the plains, the mad man of the west, Buck Benny of Bar None.
It's a new, dynamic Benny with a scowl on his face and a glint in his eye—a hero to everyone except his valet, who happens to be Rochester. Rustlers qual at his approach—they were paid to quall and they earned their money. Redmen cower, and raise their hands furtively to their own scalps—the tribes were scoured for braves who really knew how to cower in a pinch. Buck Benny rules the range—through extensive bribery.
For "Buck Benny Rides Again" tells the story of a harmless, inoffensive radio performer, Jack Benny played by himself, who discovers that his girl friend adores the West, and the only way to win her is to make like Hopalong Cassidy.
With the aid of Andy Devine, who actually owns a dude ranch in the West, Benny is enabled to pose as a rancher of the old school. He pays Andy's cowhands to pose as bandits, so that he can put them to rout. He bribes them to let him bully them in badman style. Everything works out until Benny, who hates horses, is forced to mount one of the diabolical animals for the roundup. His performance on horseback gives the show away, but
he redeems himself—if accidently—when genuine bandits appear on the scene.
Benny's supporting cast includes virtually all the members of his radio program, with the exception of Mary Livingston, who joins his old rival, Fred Allen in some offscreen heckling. Ellen Drew, Paramount's new star, plays the feminine lead, with Virginia Dale and Lillian Cornell in other principal feminine roles. Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Phil Harris, Andy Devine and Dennis Day play the radio characters they have made famous. Carmichael, the polar bear, has a bit part.
- - -
Now Buck Benny Enters Pony Express Stamp Fight
By PAUL HARRISON
Staff Correspondent
HOLLYWOOD—Jack Benny, a fine figure of a westerner if there ever was one, was lounging on the shady side of Paramount's $85,000 cook shack, or cafe, when your correspondent innocently showed him newspaper containing a story about the Pony Express stamp conroversy.
The rootin', tootin' Buck ("When you call me that, smile!") Benny read the article, which was by Fred Harman, who draws the Red Ryder adventure strip. Harmon is one of several western artists and historians who have pointed out inaccuracies in the drawing of the Pony Express messenger on the new 3-cent stamp.
"Hm-m-m," said Benny. Then, with mounting interest, "Wal, I'll be daw-gone!" Suddenly he straightened with determination and called sharply, "Rochester, get me a horse!"
"Yassuh, Senor." A sun-blackened vaquero in white silk fiesta outfit came around the corner at a brisk crawl. This was Benny's top hand, Jose, whom he calls Rochester for short "Si, si, Mistuh Benny. Only Ah already got you a horse. It's in the fourth race at—"
"No, I mean a hoss to ride. There's gonta be trouble in Washington. Maybe they'll have to withdraw this issue of stamps, and then Jim Farley will need an authentic picture of a pony express messenger. I'll pose for it! I'll show 'em how those boys really looked!"
Rochester said, "Ain't no horse in de studio 'ceptin' one that kinda sags. You be wantin' de stepladder, too?"
"No, I can climb on from the hitch-rail. But get me a gun and some mail pouches and meet me at the western set. I'll take the short cut and round up a photographer. Buck Benny rides again!"
As we walked across the lot to the set where some of the scenes of his new picture have been filmed, Benny fumed about the errors in the portrayal of the pony postman. "I could see at a glance that the saddle
bags, the gait of the horse and the posture of the rider were all wrong.
Why didn't somebody ask me about it? It may be too late now, but I'll do what I can. Maybe Farley'll put my picture on an 81st anniversary stamp."
Rochester, with a shaggy, swaybacked horse, was waiting for us. He also had some pouches and the first gun he could lay hands on in the prop department—a bell-muzzled blunderbuss. "Mistah Benny," he faltered. "I think this hoss would look kinda funny on a stamp."
"Are you a philatelist?" thundered his boss.
"Yessuh. Ah believe everybody goan die when they time comes."

Yhtapmys

[JohnM]

Well, that was an odd sidebar, presumably the product of the author's own suspect sense of humor. Funny that Jack was involved (well, not really) in a stamp controversey even way back then.

I liked the review above the strange sidebar. It was clearly ghost-written by Steve Bradley!

[Yhtapmys]

Well, that was an odd sidebar, presumably the product of the author's own suspect sense of humor. Funny that Jack was involved (well, not really) in a stamp controversey even way back then.

Yeah, it sounds like he asked Jack one question and then invented a whole story as he went along. Or maybe he took bits from a publicist's handout and added to it. We'll never really know. But it's so out in left field, I can't picture a publicity dept. inventing those quotes. Then again, anything's possible in Hollywood.

I think it's great Charles Lane and Billy Bletcher were in the movie. Lane played a sour guy to perfection for, what, seven decades, and Billy supplied voices for a lot of funny cartoons. "Swami Rabbitima!"

Yhtapmys