Jack Benny

1894-1974

A legendary comedian who still has this writer in stitches over "Now CUT that out","Well","Wait a minute,which we've all used,he ruled radio for years and years,
with only Kate Smith,Fred Waring and Amos 'n'' Andy and a few others rivalling him and Mary Livingstone,Phil Harris et al in radio popularity.

Strangely,too,being radio,many WB voices were borroweed from this show,not the least of which was main man Mel Blanc,the legendary man of a thousand voiceds (here Si,Professor Le Blanc and others).

He was a violinist,then with Mary Livingston (1907-1991) he became a legend,with cast with Eddie Anderson,who played Rochester (see Eddie Anderrson),Don Wilson and Dennis Day. Except for Day they appeared in a 1958 WB Robert McKimson short,"The Mouse That Jack built".For free,and with onscreen billing,one of the first times this happened to others besides Mel Blanc,the four did it for free,with just a print as requested for their services.

Other cast memebrs were the next one with an entry here,Sara Berner,Bea Benederet,Frank "Yesss?" Nelson and others in WB cartoons.

Jack was on TV just as succesful,which was a surprise given radio's obvious limitations (like Les Paul trying to replicate his sound and hits in public).


Tex Avery's "I love to Singa"(1936) crossed Jack with Major Bowes (1872-1944) for a "Jack Bunny',much that Ben Hardaway,Cal Dalton and David Monahan mixed Kay Kyser(1897-1985) and Bing Crosby (1901-1977)-like characters for the prof in "Katnip Kollege"(1938).

There are several excellent books out on him,includling by his daughter Joan,his top writer Milt Josefberg and others.

One of his sketches involved a violin,with Mel Blanc as one of his JB characters,"Professor leBlanc",singing various sarcastic,beleaugured tunes to the tune of the five finger exercise that goes,Da Da DA da da DA da da,,and so on,,the Jack Benny tune.

Then there was his cheese vault,your money or your life ( Sheldon Leonard was involved with this,then Sam Hearn and Benny Rubin,who inspoired the WB gremlin in terms of his laughing (to the tune of "Yankeee DOodle") shtick)

And of course his prissiners and being forever 39,and his cast of characters.Many of the acotresas ont he show went on to do voices ( Mel Blanc , Eddie Anderson , Jim Backus , Bea Benaderet , Sara Berner Sheldon Leonard ,and in addition, Jack Lescoulie imitated him in some cartoon (see last link for which ones.))



Jack Benny has been missed since 1974.





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