The Jack Benny Hour - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

comedyfreak · 10-25-2009, 05:58 PM

I recently got all his specials on dvd and they're great! I wish this type of comedy would come back it was for the whole family. Some of the dvd's have the original commericals intact, he even worked the commericials into his show which they don't do now.

Pitooey · 10-25-2009, 06:48 PM

I love Jack Benny. He was so funny to me.

Marvo301 · 10-26-2009, 01:18 AM

Oh! Rochester! Jack Benny was a great. I have a DVD with a handful of episodes.

70s show watcher · 10-26-2009, 05:18 AM

he is one of my all time faves too

MickeyMac · 10-26-2009, 10:26 AM

Jack Benny was a classic comedian.

comedyfreak · 11-03-2009, 10:30 AM

I never knew that Mary Livingston was his real life wife.

TV Knowledge Fan · 11-15-2009, 04:05 AM

...whose real name was Sadye Marks [her brother Hilliard later produced Jack's radio and early TV shows], originally served as Jack's "straight woman" in vaudeville. By 1933, he initially "worked" her into his radio show as "Mary Livingstone", a "fan from Plainfield, New Jersey"- eventually, her role became that of a "cast member" and friend, who often deflated Jack's ego {"I'm in my late 30's- or my early 40's"/"You were in your 'early 40's' in the Gay Nineties!"}. She could get a laugh with her unique, sarcastic tone of voice in just three words; in an April 1948 episode, when guest star Dorothy Kirsten and announcer Don Wilson were discussing opera, Jack tried to enter the conversation {"Well, I thought..."}, and Mary squelched him with "OH, SHUT UP!". Jack never failed to mention in later years that, with those three words, she got one of the longest laughs ever heard on the radio show.

Eventually, she acquired a slight aversion to performing before live audiences {sometimes, she'd faint after the show had ended}, and by 1954, was literally recorded her lines in her bedroom for insertion into the radio shows (it was either Jack's script secretary Jeannette Eyman or Joan Benny [their daughter] who read Mary's lines during the actual taping of those shows, with Mary's voice substituted later). Mary never appeared on Jack's live TV episodes either, preferring to make her appearances on film, without a live audience in attendance. When her close friend Gracie Allen announced her retirement in 1958, Mary did the same [her last filmed episode of "THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM" was telecast in March 1959]. Joan Benny's account of life with her mother [and not all of them were pleasant memories] is featured in her book "Sunday Nights At Seven".

I'd love to see several of Jack's monthly "SHOWER OF STARS" specials for Chrysler between 1955 and '58; those are the ones that aren't readily available...

CosmicCharlie · 11-07-2020, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TV Knowledge Fan

...whose real name was Sadye Marks [her brother Hilliard later produced Jack's radio and early TV shows], originally served as Jack's "straight woman" in vaudeville. By 1933, he initially "worked" her into his radio show as "Mary Livingstone", a "fan from Plainfield, New Jersey"- eventually, her role became that of a "cast member" and friend, who often deflated Jack's ego {"I'm in my late 30's- or my early 40's"/"You were in your 'early 40's' in the Gay Nineties!"**. She could get a laugh with her unique, sarcastic tone of voice in just three words; in an April 1948 episode, when guest star Dorothy Kirsten and announcer Don Wilson were discussing opera, Jack tried to enter the conversation {"Well, I thought..."**, and Mary squelched him with "OH, SHUT UP!". Jack never failed to mention in later years that, with those three words, she got one of the longest laughs ever heard on the radio show.

Eventually, she acquired a slight aversion to performing before live audiences {sometimes, she'd faint after the show had ended**, and by 1954, was literally recorded her lines in her bedroom for insertion into the radio shows (it was either Jack's script secretary Jeannette Eyman or Joan Benny [their daughter] who read Mary's lines during the actual taping of those shows, with Mary's voice substituted later). Mary never appeared on Jack's live TV episodes either, preferring to make her appearances on film, without a live audience in attendance. When her close friend Gracie Allen announced her retirement in 1958, Mary did the same [her last filmed episode of "THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM" was telecast in March 1959]. Joan Benny's account of life with her mother [and not all of them were pleasant memories] is featured in her book "Sunday Nights At Seven".

I'd love to see several of Jack's monthly "SHOWER OF STARS" specials for Chrysler between 1955 and '58; those are the ones that aren't readily available...

Great Info
even though I'm 11 years late !

10-25-2009, 05:58 PM	#1
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,058	The Jack Benny Hour I recently got all his specials on dvd and they're great! I wish this type of comedy would come back it was for the whole family. Some of the dvd's have the original commericals intact, he even worked the commericials into his show which they don't do now.
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10-25-2009, 06:48 PM	#2
Pitooey Member Forum Star Join Date: Feb 15, 2001 Location: Rocking in Transylvania. Posts: 15,042	I love Jack Benny. He was so funny to me.
	__________________ Pitooey... AKA JennyLee - I love the Monkees all over again! *SAY NO TO DRUGS* Jesus saves...

10-26-2009, 01:18 AM	#3
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,452	Oh! Rochester! Jack Benny was a great. I have a DVD with a handful of episodes.
	__________________ Only a life lived for others is worth living. Albert Einstein A life isn't worth living unless it has impact on other lives. Jackie Robinson Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. Benjamin Franklin

11-15-2009, 04:05 AM	#7
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	Mary.... ...whose real name was Sadye Marks [her brother Hilliard later produced Jack's radio and early TV shows], originally served as Jack's "straight woman" in vaudeville. By 1933, he initially "worked" her into his radio show as "Mary Livingstone", a "fan from Plainfield, New Jersey"- eventually, her role became that of a "cast member" and friend, who often deflated Jack's ego {"I'm in my late 30's- or my early 40's"/"You were in your 'early 40's' in the Gay Nineties!"}. She could get a laugh with her unique, sarcastic tone of voice in just three words; in an April 1948 episode, when guest star Dorothy Kirsten and announcer Don Wilson were discussing opera, Jack tried to enter the conversation {"Well, I thought..."}, and Mary squelched him with "OH, SHUT UP!". Jack never failed to mention in later years that, with those three words, she got one of the longest laughs ever heard on the radio show. Eventually, she acquired a slight aversion to performing before live audiences {sometimes, she'd faint after the show had ended}, and by 1954, was literally recorded her lines in her bedroom for insertion into the radio shows (it was either Jack's script secretary Jeannette Eyman or Joan Benny [their daughter] who read Mary's lines during the actual taping of those shows, with Mary's voice substituted later). Mary never appeared on Jack's live TV episodes either, preferring to make her appearances on film, without a live audience in attendance. When her close friend Gracie Allen announced her retirement in 1958, Mary did the same [her last filmed episode of "THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM" was telecast in March 1959]. Joan Benny's account of life with her mother [and not all of them were pleasant memories] is featured in her book "Sunday Nights At Seven". I'd love to see several of Jack's monthly "SHOWER OF STARS" specials for Chrysler between 1955 and '58; those are the ones that aren't readily available...

10-26-2009, 05:18 AM	#4
70s show watcher Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: May 20, 2008 Location: between point place and studio 8 h Posts: 4,548	he is one of my all time faves too

10-26-2009, 10:26 AM	#5
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,004	Jack Benny was a classic comedian.

11-03-2009, 10:30 AM	#6
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,058	I never knew that Mary Livingston was his real life wife.