Listening to the Jack Benny program

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Listening to the Jack Benny program

Postby speedy » Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:47 pm

A while back I ordered all of Jack's radio shows as a gift for my mother (she's 81). She greatly enjoys listening to these trips down memory lane, and vividly remembers listening to the show when it was a radio powerhouse. As a side effect of this gift, I too have become an avid fan of the show. I remember the TV show, but am too young (fifty eight) to remember the radio show. I have all of the shows on my iPod, and listen when I am outside working. I find that virtually every show has at least one laugh out loud moment. The classic grouping of Jack, Don, Rochester, Phil, Mary and Dennis had a chemistry that is undeniable. There is so much that is appealing here that's it's tough to know where to begin. Great writing, super talented cast, the obvious affection that Jack has for his "kids", the tremendous secondary characters like Mel Blanc and Frank Nelson, and it goes on. As a new poster I'd like to offer up a few more specific observations:

Jack Benny truly was a comedic genius, and the respect that the cast had for him is best illustrated I think by the fact that I have never heard any of the other cast members make fun of him when he flubs a line. Jack was very adept at making comedic hay when one of the cast was late with a line, or otherwise stumbled, and these are often some of a shows funniest moments. But when Jack flubs, no one gives it to him.

I knew Rochester was great, but I had no idea that Dennis and Phil were such great comedians. Considering that this was their secondary talent makes this doubly impressive.

Mary's voice is just enchanting. I love her laugh and greatly enjoy the occasional song she would do with Phil. From what I gather, she may have not been the world's nicest person, but I think she added greatly to the show.

Phil's band (Mahlon's?) was a legitimate swing band with great arrangements. Too bad the music has been edited out on many of the shows.

Not everyone on the show hit a home run. I never understood Jack's fascination with Andy Devine. Ok, he talks funny, but that's it! He was on way too much in my opinion. Same for John L Spivony (Frank Fontaine). Another one trick pony, but Jack obvious found him hilarious. Although he was not on often, Larry Adler's harmonica is enough to make me hit the fast forward. But out of all of the characters that were created and cast over the show's run, this list is a quibble.

Finally, the show's appeal led me to sample other old radio classics like Burns and Allen, Fibber McGee and Molly, Amos and Andy and others. The Benny show has stood the test of time better than any of them. It stands head and shoulders above all comers 70+ years on.
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Postby Maxwell » Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:39 pm

This post reminded me of something I heard on the Sirius/XM OTR channel a couple of weeks ago. Greg Bell was interviewing Craig Ferguson who expressed his admiration for Jack by saying that in his opinion, "Jack Benny was the greatest comedian of all time."
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Postby Yhtapmys » Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:11 pm

The show really is wonderfully balanced, amazing considering the shows of the late 30s can be a lot different in structure than those of the late 40s. It even survived some secondary character mis-steps along the way in the early 40s; Frank Nelson just didn't work as the sound effect guy, Mel Blanc's Hubert Peabody character doesn't really shine, and the kid writer had no depth.

Regardless, the main characters were extremely well-defined .. even today, newspaper stories will make references to Jack and being cheap or 39 when talking about something else .. and the interaction was believable (I find Dennis on his own show far too contrived). I think that's what attracted the audience.

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Postby helloagain » Sun Sep 06, 2009 1:05 pm

I have to agree with practically everything that has been said here. Jack Benny was truly a comic genius. I listened to a very funny show recently where he doesn't even say a word until the last 5 minutes of the program. There were others where he was off the show entirely due to illness, and his character still got laughs. Comic genius is an overused term, but to get laughs without even showing up...that's beyond genius. Frank Fontaine, you may remember, did the Sivoney character years later with Jackie Gleason. On that show he revealed a great singing voice. The harmonica is low on my list of favorite musical instruments, right above the accordian and bagpipe, but I can tolerate Larry Adler for a couple of tunes. I share your opinion of Andy Devine, although he became a pretty good dramatic actor later on ( catch him in 'Island in the sky' ).
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Postby Maxwell » Sun Sep 06, 2009 7:02 pm

helloagain wrote:I share your opinion of Andy Devine, although he became a pretty good dramatic actor later on ( catch him in 'Island in the sky' ).


Only if you want to see him in swimming trunks. EEEEEAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!!!!!
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Postby helloagain » Mon Sep 07, 2009 6:18 am

That's right, I forgot about that scene. Or maybe my subconcious mind blocked it out. I guess I was remembering the later scenes. Of course, you may recall Andy as Wild Bill Hickock's sidekick 'Jingles' in the '50s TV series. I still remember those Kellogg cereal commercials ( They're shot from guns! ).
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"Yes, Phil. He's the only comedian who tells 'em and smells 'em at the same time!"
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Postby Brad from Georgia » Mon Sep 07, 2009 10:47 am

I kinda like Andy Devine, partly because like Helloagain I remember him as Jingles P. Jones. But he had that loosey-goosey, raucous sense of fun--combined with a kind of childlike embarrassment from time to time--that made him funny. And he could crack Jack up, which is something that's always nice to hear. It's funny, but though the old broadcasts are dated in many ways, they don't sound that way when you're listening to them--not nearly as much as old Bob Hope broadcasts, for example. I think Benny's magic was creating an enduring persona that still seems recognizable and familiar, so the shows date...but don't age.
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Postby Maxwell » Mon Sep 07, 2009 11:26 am

helloagain wrote:That's right, I forgot about that scene. Or maybe my subconcious mind blocked it out. I guess I was remembering the later scenes. Of course, you may recall Andy as Wild Bill Hickock's sidekick 'Jingles' in the '50s TV series. I still remember those Kellogg cereal commercials ( They're shot from guns! ).


Quaker Puffed Wheat and Quaker Puffed Rice were shot from guns, not Kellogg's cereals.

"Hey Wild Bill, wait for me!"
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Postby Maxwell » Mon Sep 07, 2009 11:31 am

Brad from Georgia wrote:I kinda like Andy Devine, partly because like Helloagain I remember him as Jingles P. Jones. But he had that loosey-goosey, raucous sense of fun--combined with a kind of childlike embarrassment from time to time--that made him funny. And he could crack Jack up, which is something that's always nice to hear. It's funny, but though the old broadcasts are dated in many ways, they don't sound that way when you're listening to them--not nearly as much as old Bob Hope broadcasts, for example. I think Benny's magic was creating an enduring persona that still seems recognizable and familiar, so the shows date...but don't age.


I was just commenting on this topic to my 90-year-old mother the other day. My son got me a Sirius radio for Christmas last year, and I spend most of my commute to and from work listening to the OTR channel. The comedy shows that seem to be most played are the Jack Benny Program, Fibber McGee and Molly, The Great Gildersleeve, and the Bob Hope Show.

I was commenting to my mom that of those shows, the first three hold up much better than Hope's show. I attributed it to the fact that the first three are character driven while Hope always relied more on topical humor. Topical humor almost always becomes dated unless one has been immersed in the history of the period, I'd think
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Postby Brad from Georgia » Mon Sep 07, 2009 5:24 pm

And of course, being tired, I got that last line was exactly backwards: the shows age, but don't date.

What a Labor Day weekend. My wife and I fed the cast and crew of a puppet show (in which our daughter Amy is starring--she's a professional puppeteer). Then we bought and arranged delivery for a new garage door, thanks to my having broken our old, weathered one. Then I replaced a light fixture AND a light switch and managed not to electrocute myself or burn down the house. Then I finished the revisions on my latest science-fiction novel. And tomorrow I get to finish the revisions on my latest mystery novel. Two books, two different publishers, two different editors...and one long weekend in which to make alllllllll the changes.....
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Postby helloagain » Mon Sep 07, 2009 5:31 pm

Well, Brad, you must've watched Wild Bill Hickcock more than I did. I never knew Jingles' middle initial and last name. I don't know when Andy officially left the Benny program, but I recall him doing a guest shot or two in the late '40s, on Jack's birthday, I think. I've always wondered if he was any kin to Andy Griffith. I think they bear a family resemblance, although I have never found any info to support this theory.
"Hey, Jackson, does Fred Allen always talk through his nose?"

"Yes, Phil. He's the only comedian who tells 'em and smells 'em at the same time!"
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Postby helloagain » Mon Sep 07, 2009 5:35 pm

I realize that I am replying to my own post, but I had a pleasant surprise this Labor Day. I tuned in to the Jerry Lewis telethon and saw Mr. Benny! They were running a clip from what appeared to be the early '70s.
"Hey, Jackson, does Fred Allen always talk through his nose?"

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Postby Brad from Georgia » Mon Sep 07, 2009 7:27 pm

helloagain wrote:Well, Brad, you must've watched Wild Bill Hickcock more than I did. I never knew Jingles' middle initial and last name. I don't know when Andy officially left the Benny program, but I recall him doing a guest shot or two in the late '40s, on Jack's birthday, I think. I've always wondered if he was any kin to Andy Griffith. I think they bear a family resemblance, although I have never found any info to support this theory.


Shucks, I even remember the episode in which Wild Bill discovers that his sidekick's real first name is Aloysius. That was why he preferred "Jingles." I can also recall "Andy's Gang." "Plunk your magic twanger, Froggy!"
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Postby Maxwell » Tue Sep 08, 2009 5:56 pm

Brad from Georgia wrote:
helloagain wrote:Well, Brad, you must've watched Wild Bill Hickcock more than I did. I never knew Jingles' middle initial and last name. I don't know when Andy officially left the Benny program, but I recall him doing a guest shot or two in the late '40s, on Jack's birthday, I think. I've always wondered if he was any kin to Andy Griffith. I think they bear a family resemblance, although I have never found any info to support this theory.


Shucks, I even remember the episode in which Wild Bill discovers that his sidekick's real first name is Aloysius. That was why he preferred "Jingles." I can also recall "Andy's Gang." "Plunk your magic twanger, Froggy!"


Before it was "Andy's Gang," it was "Smilin' Ed's [McConnell's] Buster Brown Gang." I remember my late brother announcing to me that Smilin' Ed had died.
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Postby Yhtapmys » Tue Sep 08, 2009 7:05 pm

helloagain wrote:I realize that I am replying to my own post, but I had a pleasant surprise this Labor Day. I tuned in to the Jerry Lewis telethon and saw Mr. Benny! They were running a clip from what appeared to be the early '70s.


At 39, Jack was probably the youngest person on the show by about 40 years.

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