Where's Jack? (New Game)

[Maxwell]

Joe Kearns and Bea Benaderet.

[shimp scrampi]

Too easy! Who let Ed out of the vault to talk to Gertrude?

[Maxwell]

Well, both were on TV extensively, so I grew up watching both of them. That made it REALLY easy.

[shimp scrampi]

It's funny, I tried to find a younger picture of Joe Kearns to make it a little tougher. I think the guy was born looking like "Mr. Wilson"!

OK, here's a literal - "Where's Jack"?

[Maxwell]

I'm guessing his boyhood home in Waukegan just based on the fact that it looks like so many houses around here.

[shimp scrampi]

Yep, that's Jack's boyhood home, 518 Clayton Street, Waukegan. Interestingly, the Waukegan 'Benny Tour' flyer indicates the building has been razed, but a street view look on Google Maps pulls up a virtually identical building to the one in the picture. Maybe Laura can verify if this one is still there ... ?

Another view:



Link to the Google image - note the "indented" eaves, the trim above the stairs, the style of the window on the second floor...
link

[shimp scrampi]

Again folks, I'll find some new stuff to post in a day or two, but please continue on if you have photos of your own to add to the game!

[LLeff]

Yep, that's Jack's boyhood home, 518 Clayton Street, Waukegan. Interestingly, the Waukegan 'Benny Tour' flyer indicates the building has been razed, but a street view look on Google Maps pulls up a virtually identical building to the one in the picture. Maybe Laura can verify if this one is still there ... ?

Nope, not there. There was a plaque on the building noting what it was, and IIRC, that plaque now lives a few blocks down in the park around the Benny statue. I know, strange that they would tear it down knowing what it was. I have photos of the vacant lot that I shot through my car window, because Dan didn't want me getting out of the car in that location. There are worse areas (like what I've been told about the area around Rochester's old house), but better to be safe.

And speaking of Waukegan, it was the IJBFC's own member Ken Miller who got the Waukegan deli to start serving the Lindy's Benny sandwich there. I've had one and it's very good and very filling! I've recently lost and good amount of weight (intentionally), and I don't think I could eat a whole Jack Benny Sandwich any more.

[shimp scrampi]

Disappointing on the house. It must have been recently ... Google street view added their Chicago area data in 2007 (and note there are a couple of Clayton street segments in Waukegan, divided by a later highway)... Hoping against hope someone plaqued and razed the wrong house! Here's the 2007 shot of 518 West Clayton, if the Google link wasn't working - it seems finicky.



I'm convinced that's the same house Jack is standing in front of, and it's at the right address!

[shimp scrampi]

On with the game though. What's the Benny connection?

[Yhtapmys]

On with the game though. What's the Benny connection?

Could that be the matronly Cora Salisbury adopting a pseudonym?

Yhtapmys

[shimp scrampi]

Yes! I believe these are the infinitely regressing poodles of Jack's first vaudeville partner, Cora Salisbury.

[LLeff]

Disappointing on the house. It must have been recently ... Google street view added their Chicago area data in 2007 (and note there are a couple of Clayton street segments in Waukegan, divided by a later highway)... Hoping against hope someone plaqued and razed the wrong house! Here's the 2007 shot of 518 West Clayton, if the Google link wasn't working - it seems finicky.

Interesting. I know the house wasn't there when I was in Waukegan in 1986. I can't remember if the house was there when I was in Waukegan in 1982; I remember discussion of it, but can't remember if it was simply "You don't want to go down there" or "You don't want to go down there, it's just a vacant lot anyway."

Dangit.... (quick research break...I know I put something in the Times about this...)

Oh WAIT A MINUTE. We're talking about the CLAYTON house. DUHHHHHHHH. It's Jack's home at 225 South Genesee that was razed. This is the real home where Jack grew up. Mayer (and, I believe, Florence and possibly Leonard Fenchel as well) moved to the Clayton house some time later, and yes, that one still exists. And I also remember a comment during my 1982 visit about, "Jack thought it was the house where he grew up, but we found out later he was wrong." He was wrong because it wasn't his boyhood home, but the family did own the place at one time.

So there you go. Sorry for the brain fade on my part.

[Yhtapmys]

Yes! I believe these are the infinitely regressing poodles of Jack's first vaudeville partner, Cora Salisbury.

Hey, SS, if you want, the song's all yours!

I checked the ASCAP data base and the rights have lapsed. Likely happened years ago.

Yhtapmys

[shimp scrampi]

Oh WAIT A MINUTE. We're talking about the CLAYTON house. DUHHHHHHHH. It's Jack's home at 225 South Genesee that was razed. This is the real home where Jack grew up. Mayer (and, I believe, Florence and possibly Leonard Fenchel as well) moved to the Clayton house some time later, and yes, that one still exists. And I also remember a comment during my 1982 visit about, "Jack thought it was the house where he grew up, but we found out later he was wrong." He was wrong because it wasn't his boyhood home, but the family did own the place at one time.

Whew! I am glad to hear at least that house still stands ... Waukegan's given it a landmark designation (with a better picture):

Link here

Jack would've certainly been on the way out of the nest in 1909-1910, but it's nice to know at least something still stands. So if you're in Waukegan using that Jack Benny tour pamphlet, that "razed" notation's an error!

I wonder if the original Genessee home was already gone by the time they took Jack to the Clayton house for those pictures. I believe those were taken in 1961.

Who knows, the delicate strains of "Parade of the Poodles" might have been squeaked out on a violin on that porch!