Jack Benny: Drawing a Blanc

"Train leaving on track five for Anaheim, Azusa, and Cuc-amonga!"

A woebegone old car, a harried department store clerk, a monosyllabic man in a sombrero, and a train announcer whose line ran somewhere between Orange County and the Twilight Zone are all memorable characters from The Jack Benny Program, and all the products of a single talented throat: Mel Blanc.

"The Man of a Thousand Voices" was Carmichael the Polar Bear, who lived improbably in Jack's cellar. He was Professor LeBlanc, Jack's violin teacher, whose French accent seemed to mimic every wail of his pupil's tortured strings. He was Polly the Parrot, Jack's impudent bird, who was less interested in crackers than in putting his master in his place.

Come hear eight digitally re-mastered episodes starring Jack Benny, Mary Livingstone, Phil Harris, Dennis Day, Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson, and Don Wilson, and guess who Mel Blanc will pop up as next!

Episodes include "Leaving for New York City" 01-07-45, "Jack and Mary Pick Up Bags at the Train Station" 03-04-45, "First Performance of Professor LeBlanc" 04-29-45, "Jack Dreams of the Race Horse 'Texas Sandman'" 10-21-45, "Lost Weekend" 03-10-46, "Jack and Mary Late for Broadcast (a.k.a Jack Fires the Sportsmen)" 02-23-47, "Jack Tries to Re-Hire the Sportsmen" 03-02-47, "The Egg and I" 04-20-47, "The Turkey Dream" 11-30-47, "Texas Benefit" 12-11-49, "The Cast Sings the Commercial" 06-03-51, "Bend in the River" 04-27-52.

©2012 Trust "C" under Will of Jack Benny, under license from Trust "C" under Will of Jack Benny. (P)2012 RSPT LLC