Super Photo Challenge

[TheSportsmenQuartet]

Here's a stab in the dark: Wasn't there a guy named Robert Welch who directed Jack's radio show for a while? I don't know the time frame but might he be one of the mystery men?

If that's not it could it be Ed Beloin without glasses?? I'm guessing here.

[shimp scrampi]

Robert Welch is a new name to me. Do you remember where that info's from? And, Ed Beloin was long gone from the program by late 1946 and early 1947, so I'd guess not likely on him (especially considering the other writers are there in the pic).

[TheSportsmenQuartet]

I'll try and remember where I read the Welch name.

As for Beloin didn't he come back for the December 1946 show that featured Kenny Baker and Larry Stevens? Was he on that show as Mr. Billingsley?

[TheSportsmenQuartet]

From the August 23, 1942 NY Times: "Eddie Cantor has lost tile services of his program producer, Robert Welch, who will work this year for Jack Benny."

Any idea how long he was with Jack?

I did read somewhere (and I don't remember where right now) that Welch directed the radio show at some point. He could be one of the mystery men.

[TheSportsmenQuartet]

Here is a photo of Robert Welch from "Son of Paleface", a movie he produced and co-wrote.




Is he #21??

[shimp scrampi]

Kind of a stretch for me - if Welch was producing the show for so long, seems like there'd be more of a buzz about him in the biographies and so on. Hilliard Marks is in the photo, wasn't he credited as producer by then?

I was trying to catch a bead on who was doing sound effects for Jack at NBC at this time as possibilities ... still chewing on that one, though finding pics will be tough.

[TheSportsmenQuartet]

What I read, and I haven't had a chance to figure it out where, was that Welch directed the show for a spell.

What is that in #21's hand? A clue, perhaps?

This is all grasping at straws, btw.

[shimp scrampi]

Had a look through the four "standard" biographies on Jack, the bound back issues of the Jack Benny Times, the new Well! (which unfortunately doesn't have an index) and couldn't find any references to Robert Welch. I remember we had a discussion here awhile back about the lack of a "director" credit for the Benny show, and the consensus was that Jack himself was the de facto, uncredited head writer and director, and didn't delegate it to anyone else.

If Welch was indeed on board for a spell starting in 1942 as producer (or whatever) it just doesn't seem that he' could continue through late 1946 and not leave more of a footprint on the history of the show. I guess anything's possible, but this one seems remote to me. I'd be VERY interested in seeing that reference though, so definitely rack your brain!

I forgot to address the earlier excellent point about the little 'reunion' show in Dec. of 1946 - If I'm right on the Dec. 15 date based on the overlap of Auerbach and Berner and the magazine publication date, that show would be the following week's show, so some of those alumni like Beloin, Larry Stevens, etc. could've been around, complicating matters a little.

[shimp scrampi]

Duuhhhh. I of course, in that big pile of reference books, didn't check 39 FOREVER, just since I didn't think it had "production" credits tagged. Of course, though, all the "crew" of the Benny show end up on-mic in bit parts at some point or another. Robert Welch is credited with a handful of appearances starting in 1942 and continuing into 1943, but nothing thereafter. So, he was part of the show at one point, but likely not as late as when this photo was taken.

Laura's indispensable Bible to the rescue once again. It'll be interesting to learn what his production role was though.

[JohnM]

1. Artie Auerbach (pretty sure)
2. ? Mahlon Merrick (not so sure)
3. Don
4. Phil
5. Jack
6. Hilliard Marks (I think)
7. Mary
8. Dennis
9. edited: Frank Nelson - thanks JohnM!
10. Eddie Anderson
11. George Balzer
12. Milt Josefsberg
13. John Tackaberry
14. edited: Gurney Bell (Sportsmen) - thanks TSQ!
15. ?
16. edited: Marty Sperzel (Sportsmen) - thanks TSQ!
17. Sara Berner
18. edited: Bill Days (Sportsmen) - thanks TSQ!
19. Sam Perrin
20. edited: Max Smith (Sportsmen) - thanks TSQ!
21. ? edited: possibly Peter Leeds?
22. Mel Blanc
23. ?

So, still stuck on 15 and 21? This is frustrating. Need to solve. Has Laura had a chance to look at this?

Don't you think 23 is Jeanette Eymann -- at least 80% probability?

[shimp scrampi]

Yeah, 2, 15, 21, and 23 seem to be the sticking points. To summarize:

I like Peter Leeds as #21, myself. I think it fits the evidence.

#23 could be Jeanette, she was on the show at this point, and appeared in the cast of the 12/15/46 show. So it wasn't the previous script secretary as Laura thought she might be if Jeanette hadn't been on board yet. It doesn't look a LOT like later photos of her, but everyone check your driver's license or passport to see how easy it is to take a "that doesn't look like me!" oddball photo.

I think #2 being Mahlon Merrick is a long shot, but there haven't been any other candidates that fit the timeframe yet.

NOBODY seems to even have a guess at #15. Maybe a stereotypical judgement, but he looks more like a "suit" on the business end of things - network or sponsor, than on the creative side to me.

[Roman]

What about Eddie Marr or the actor who played Steve Bradley? They both were active on the program at this time.

[Yhtapmys]

I dunno, Leeds is the best option I've had so far.

Notwithstanding the fact it doesn't look like Leeds, he wasn't a regular on the show anyway.

Was Gene Twombly doing sfx then? Where is he?

Yhtapmys

[shimp scrampi]

Leeds DID appear on the 12/15/46 show though, which is the most probable rehearsal/broadcast around which this photo was taken, for reasons discussed earlier in the thread.

Letting a day player who was working at the time be in the group shot seems more logical than them calling in minor 'regulars' who weren't at the studio already just for the photo. Why not bring in Sheldon Leonard, Benny Rubin, Joe Kearns, or other more popular cast then?

It's subjective, of course, but I see a definite resemblance.

Neither Dick Lane ("Steve Bradley") nor Eddie Marr appeared on shows around this date; Gene Twombly didn't do effects for the show until the move to CBS. And, from the photos I've seen of each of them, they don't look like any of our mystery men (or at least any MORE like our mystery men than my Peter Leeds suggestion )

Some of the NBC-era sound effects credits are Ed Ludes, Monty Fraser, Virgil Reimer, and Jack Wormser. Tough to find photos so far though. Let's keep at it!

[LLeff]

I'm not a booster for McDonald's, but I've got to say "I'm lovin' it"...Times subscribers have seen the article on the Benny-related "History Detectves" work I've done on a few cases, and it's very, very much like what you're doing here with this photo. Wonderful to share the fun!

You've already found answers to several of the questions that popped up to which I might have responded (i.e., yes, Welch was on for a little while, but don't think he was here by then, etc.). And since you found Jeanette in this time, it's unlikely it's her predecessor. Don't think it's Babe...Babe looked like Mary.

The side-by-side of Mahlon is getting me more convinced on 2. And a quick thumb-over of 39 Forever brought a possible brainstorm on the two unidentified folks........what about the tobacco auctioneers? But then I looked back at the scripts and confirmed that the commercials were still being done in New York at this time. Darn.

But here's a picture of L.A. Speed Riggs just for fun: http://www.agr.state.nc.us/paffairs/aghall/riggs.htm

So I just E-mailed Jeanette to see if she can help us out. She doesn't check her E-mail a lot, but it's worth a shot. Keep your fingers crossed, and keep guessing!