The Jack Benny Show

[johnfox]

I just purchased a DVD box set of The Jack Benny Show. One of the shows is a special from the mid 60s with Bob Hope and The Beach Boys. During the show Mr Benny talks about the show being in color. My version is black and white. Just curious why. Would there be 2 versions? Anyone remember this show when it first aired???

 

[Tim L]

There were still some stations that broadcast in Black and White in November, 1965..This was probably either Kinescoped or filmed/taped in B&W for those stations..

 

[rwells2265]

Yes, that 1965 special is a kine (or "kinney"), and best of all complete with Eastern Airlines commercials.

My wife found that very DVD set for me - make that SETS (there were two) - and it's a good one. Unlike a lot of the public-domain DVD sets out there, most of the Benny episodes in those sets have the original Lucky Strike spots included. Only a few seem to be from syndie prints.

One of the sets also has a funny episode of General Electric Theater (hosted by Ronald Reagan), where Jack plays a patsy for some bank robbers.

Well worth the search.

--Russell

 

[LKellerIII]

Was the "color" show a special? in 1965, most half-hour shows were still shot in black and white - especially on CBS and ABC, but even on NBC. It was about a year later that color became typical. Though it's possible an exception was made for a couple of Benny shows. As far back as 63 or 64, they would shoot a few color episodes of normally B&W shows, like Perry Mason.

And sorry to be nit-picky, but the Jack Benny Show was on the radio, on TV it was the "Jack Benny Program".

 

[KeithE4]

And sorry to be nit-picky, but the Jack Benny Show was on the radio, on TV it was the "Jack Benny Program".

Actually, on NBC it was "The (name of sponsor) Program," which most, if not all, variety shows were called in those days since they owned the time. I think when the show moved from NBC to CBS in 1949, the name was changed from "The Lucky Strike Program" (on NBC) to "The Jack Benny Program" (on CBS).

I don't think it was ever called "The Jack Benny Show" either on radio or TV.

 

[bpatrick]

Benny's last season of weekly shows on NBC
(1964-65) were in black and white. From 1965
until his death in 1974 he did color specials for
the Peacock Network.

 

[Ultimajock]

And sorry to be nit-picky, but the Jack Benny Show was on the radio, on TV it was the "Jack Benny Program".

Actually, on NBC it was "The (name of sponsor) Program," which most, if not all, variety shows were called in those days since they owned the time. I think when the show moved from NBC to CBS in 1949, the name was changed from "The Lucky Strike Program" (on NBC) to "The Jack Benny Program" (on CBS).

I don't think it was ever called "The Jack Benny Show" either on radio or TV.

...I have the same DVD set (it's a product of Echo Bridge in La Crosse, Wisconsin, the former Platinum Disc Corporation) and some of the early '50s opens actually do display the title graphic as reading "The Jack Benny Show"...

 

[Markxxx]

Jack was a hell of a lot funnier on radio. He was good on TV too but nothing beats his radio show. Google around there are hundreds of free episodes you can listen to

 

[Ultimajock]

Jack was a hell of a lot funnier on radio. He was good on TV too but nothing beats his radio show. Google around there are hundreds of free episodes you can listen to

...especially when Fred Allen was the guest and got a few of his great ad libs in...

 

[RicoGregg]

W-W-W-WELL!

 

[Corky Marlowe]

...especially when Fred Allen was the guest and got a few of his great ad libs in...

That "feud" between Jack Benny and Fred Allen was...Well, let's just say it would be nice if today's feuds (Rosie/The Donald, Olbermann/O'Reilly) were 1-1000th as entertaining.

 

[Ultimajock]

...especially when Fred Allen was the guest and got a few of his great ad libs in...

That "feud" between Jack Benny and Fred Allen was...Well, let's just say it would be nice if today's feuds (Rosie/The Donald, Olbermann/O'Reilly) were 1-1000th as entertaining.

...well, that's because O'Donnell, Trump and O'Reilly take theirs seriously, and Benny, Allen and Olbermann didn't/don't ;-) ...

 

[Newname]

...especially when Fred Allen was the guest and got a few of his great ad libs in...

That "feud" between Jack Benny and Fred Allen was...Well, let's just say it would be nice if today's feuds (Rosie/The Donald, Olbermann/O'Reilly) were 1-1000th as entertaining.

...well, that's because O'Donnell, Trump and O'Reilly take theirs seriously, and Benny, Allen and Olbermann didn't/don't ;-) ...

'Now, really, Rosie...'
'Oh, for heaven's sake, Donald...'
'Oh, HONESTLY, Bill...'
'Now CUT THAT OUT, Keith...'
'WELL! I'm leaving!'

 

[RicoGregg]

'Now, really, Rosie...'
'Oh, for heaven's sake, Donald...'
'Oh, HONESTLY, Bill...'
'Now CUT THAT OUT, Keith...'
'WELL! I'm leaving!'

Now THAT'S funny!

Two big thumbs up, Newname!

 

[Markxxx]

Well Fred Allen also had a long running fued with Charlie McCartney so it's not hard to see why their fued was laughable....LOL

The problem with Jack is so many things with him were long running jokes, at least on his radio shows. Sometimes a joke would carry over and the punchline would be next week.

The funniest part about Radio is they could pull stuff, like with , Don Wilson his announcer, they made the guy sound like he was 500 pounds on the radio. They had to tame the jokes down for TV. And of course Dennis Day was a young kid on the radio and that didn't hold on TV.

My favourite line from the radio show was Phil Harris who called Benny, "Jackson" on his radio show. When Jack asked him why he calls him that, Harris said "That's as close to Jack-Ass as I can get and still keep my job."

 

[News6397]

I think you are referring to the W.C. Fields/Charlie McCarthy feud.
Fields:" Your father was a table leg."
Charlie: "Well, your father was under it."

 

[bpatrick]

Allen died on a Saturday, and on Monday night
Benny appeared on Steve Allen's Tonight Show
with nothing but good things to say about his
"nemesis" (actually, they were the best of friends).

My favorite moment in the entire Benny-Allen "feud"
happened when the two were satirizing "Queen For
A Day." Allen has decided that if he can't lick 'em,
he'll join 'em, so he's going to become a game-show
host (they seemed to be taking over radio in the mid
and late 1940s; Allen's show fell victim to "Stop The Music"
and he ended his career as a panelist on
"What's My Line?"). His show is going to be called "King
For A Day," and Benny--eyeing the possibility of winning
free merchandise--wants to be a contestant. Unfortunately,
network rules forbid professionals from being contestants so
Benny disguises himself as one "Myron Proudfoot" and wins,
among other things, a free pressing of his trousers. As the
assistants move in to remove Benny's pants, this exchange
takes place:

BENNY: Allen, you haven't seen the end of me!
ALLEN: Won't be long now!

 

[Ultimajock]

Allen died on a Saturday, and on Monday night
Benny appeared on Steve Allen's Tonight Show
with nothing but good things to say about his
"nemesis" (actually, they were the best of friends).

...In fact, Allen died on St. Patrick's Day, 1956 (sadly fitting for a Boston Irishman whose birth name was John Sullivan -- and, no, he wasn't related to Ed). Benny also added a brief eulogy to Allen at the beginning of his CBS radio show, then in constant reruns, the following night; and Steve Allen took Fred's usual place on the panel on "What's My Line?" as well that Sunday (Fred and Steve had both appeared on that panel two weeks earlier, Steve taking Bennett Cerf's spot)...

...as a further point of trivia, Steve Allen also appeared on the panel of "What's My Line" the week after Dorothy Kilgallen died (Kitty Carlisle took Kilgallen's usual spot). The opening announcement to that night's broadcast by John Daly was lifted verbatim (except for the names) from that which he used in 1956 when Fred Allen died...

 

[kirkiefan]

From what I heard from compilation LPs of old time radio programs Jack Benny made the claim (on a cerltain LP he narrated)that he and Fred Allen were the best of freinds...the rivalry was just a put-on for the amusement of their audiences. The stunt worked effectively!

Remember a 1969 (or 70) Jack Benny special where Jack smashed his violin into the camera lens while the closing credits were running.

If only Alison Krauss was there back then to give him lessons (LOL!)...or was that a put on too?

 

[bpatrick]

As I understand it (and there are several versions
of what happened), Allen had a 10-year-old violin
prodigy on his show, which aired on Wednesdays
at the time. The kid played either "Flight Of The
Bumblebee" or the more difficult "The Bee." At
any rate, Allen commented that Jack Benny should
be ashamed, and the catgut belonged back in the cat.

That Sunday, Mary Livingstone chided Jack about
being unable to play "Flight Of The Bumblebee." His
response: "Why, I played 'Flight Of The Bumblebee'
so many times I got the hives!" Mary: "I bet you
stung up the place."

Is the story true? Who cares?

But on a more serious note was something Steve Allen
said on "What's My Line?" the night after Fred Allen's
death. "People often ask me if Fred Allen and I were
related. The answer, of course, is no. But last night,
when I heard the news, I couldn't have been more
depressed if the answer had been yes."

I have a definite feeling that if Fred Allen were alive
today he'd be a big fan of "Saturday Night Live," the
nearest thing to the satire he did on his own shows.