Where's Jack? (New Game)

[shimp scrampi]

Hmm... how's about a hint? This gentleman was the recipient of an early, imperative catchphrase from Jack.

[Maxwell]

Don Bestor, as in "Play, Don"?

[Yhtapmys]

Don Bestor, as in "Play, Don"?

Well done, Maxwell. That's it.

Yhtapmys

[shimp scrampi]

Right on Maxwell. Don Bestor, Jack's original bandleader under the Jell-O sponsorship and creator of the "J-E-L-L-O" jingle.

[Maxwell]

I don't know how many times I saw "A Night at the Opera" before I paid attention to Groucho telling the orchestra leader at the opera house during the climactic scene, "Play, Don."

[shimp scrampi]

Two recent shots of a couple of lovely ladies at a TVLand event. Who are they, and what do they have in common regarding Jack Benny?

[Moose Hatrack]

I'll probably get slugged for this, but...
How 'bout a hint?

[shimp scrampi]

No slugging! I don't have a great hint that covers the both of them, so I'll answer the second half of the question. These are the two (as far as I can tell) surviving cast members of the Jack Benny radio show who had recurring roles on the program as adults (there are still a goodly handful of child actors still around). Interestingly, with one other addition, they are also the only adult surviving cast members with recurring roles from "I Love Lucy", which was the reason for their joint appearance at this TVLand tribute. They'll both be 90 years young this fall, and look great!

Now ... can you name them!?

[scottp]

Hmm... I noticed in the program for last weekend's SPERDVAC convention that one of the guests would be Doris Singleton, who played Lucy Ricardo's friend Caroline Appleby who couldn't see Harpo or any of the other promised celebrities without her glasses.
Maybe that's her on the right?
Whoever is on the left must have made some unholy pact with somebody, if she's approaching 90!

[Yhtapmys]

Hmm... I noticed in the program for last weekend's SPERDVAC convention that one of the guests would be Doris Singleton, who played Lucy Ricardo's friend Caroline Appleby who couldn't see Harpo or any of the other promised celebrities without her glasses.
Maybe that's her on the right?
Whoever is on the left must have made some unholy pact with somebody, if she's approaching 90!

I gather Doris and Shirley Mitchell are still alive.

Yhtapmys

[shimp scrampi]

That's actually Doris Singleton on the LEFT, and Shirley Mitchell on the right. Doris played Pauline, Mary's maid, and Shirley Mitchell frequently played Mabel the telephone operator after Sara Berner did. And, yes, both are alive and look incredible!

[Yhtapmys]

That's actually Doris Singleton on the LEFT, and Shirley Mitchell on the right. Doris played Pauline, Mary's maid, and Shirley Mitchell frequently played Mabel the telephone operator after Sara Berner did. And, yes, both are alive and look incredible!

The first time I saw Shirley Mitchell was on Petticoat Junction; she had a recurring role. I had no idea at the time she had a lengthy radio career.

Yhtapmys

[shimp scrampi]

Both of them have been in SO many things. That's one of the wonderful aspects of television from that era, there was a comparatively smaller, versatile 'stable' of talented character actors than there is today. I think it provides a kind of subliminal cohesion to vintage TV that is a big part of its charm. Once you learn their names, you'll notice them in all kinds of roles.

There's a very lengthy Television Archive interview with Doris, viewable at:
This Link

They need to get around to Shirley! I believe they both attended SPERDVAC just a couple of days ago.

OK, next up, hopefully easy. Who's this:

[Moose Hatrack]

Well, I'll probably get slugged for this but,
Irving Fein?

[shimp scrampi]

Someone slug Moose. Irving Fein is right!