Showing results by author "Jack Benny" in All Categories

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.

Jack Benny - he's your friend, my friend, and everyone's friend besides! He's always got his tried and true gang to pal around with, too, but that's not all! Throughout the 1940s and '50s, buddies from Burns & Allen to Bogie & Bacall came to play on his program. There were hilarious guest appearances by kings of comedy (Groucho Marx, Danny Kaye, and Red Skelton) and queens of the screen (Rita Hayworth, Barbara Stanwyck, and Dorothy Lamour).

It's midcentury madness as Jack Benny slides smoothly into the 1950s with great guests, hilarious running gags, and even a song or two! This classic collection features 20 episodes from Jack's final years on radio, accompanied by his constant cohorts Mary Livingstone, Phil Harris, Bob Crosby, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Dennis Day, the Sportsmen Quartet, and Don Wilson.

Among radio comedy's most enduring features were its running gags - and few gags ran longer, or more hilariously, than the legendary feud between two of its great masters: Jack Benny and Fred Allen. For nearly 20 years the mere mention of Benny on an Allen program was guaranteed to produce an escalating laugh - just as bringing Allen up with Benny had listener in stitches at the mere anticipation of a response. This collection brings together the classic episodes that started it all, to the showdown that was supposed to end it once and for all.

Phil wants to borrow $2000, so Jack pays a visit to the vault. Guest Hoagy Carmichael tries to sell Jack a fine song called, "Smokin' Luckies". Jack visits Professor Le Blanc for a violin lesson. It doesn't sound like Mel Blanc as Professor Le Blanc. Don Wilson, Eddie Anderson, Phil Harris, Hoagy Carmichael, Dennis Day, Jack Benny, Bea Benaderet, Jerry Hausner, Joseph Kearns, Ukie Sherrin.

On his way to rehearsal, Jack runs in to Ed Wynn. He's happy to see his old friend - until he learns that his cast thinks that Wynn is funnier than he is!

He's stepping out and living large - and hoping someone else will grab the check! That's Jack Benny, living the high life with a galaxy of guest stars in this hilarious collection of 20 digitally restored and remastered episodes.

When you're the country's favorite radio comedian, you tend to have a lot of friends. And those friends can't wait to have you stop by for a visit, crack a joke or two, play a fiddle solo, or even step out of character for a rare dramatic turn. Such was the case with Jack Benny. Consistently near the top of the rating charts with his own program, Jack was a popular guest artist on dozens of different series.

"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.

Jack takes a break from practicing "The Bee" on his violin so that he and the gang can go meet Phil's mother and sister who are visiting from Mobile.

This collection contains four Christmas radio classics from The Jack Benny Program.

This collection contains five Christmas radio classics from The Jack Benny Program.

Hear the voices of old-time boxing greats, including Jack Dempsey, Luis Firpo, Al Mayer, Nat Fleisher, Joe Louis, Max Schmeling, Jack Johnson, Jim Jeffries, Tony Galento, Benny Leonard, and Bill Corum.

It was the decade of a World War and a Cold War. It was the decade of the Zoot Suit and FDR. But most of all, it was the decade of Jack Benny! Radio's favorite comedian truly came into his own during the 1940s.

Any comedian can be funny in the studio, but domestic comedy is usually considered the province of actors who happen to do comedy. Jack Benny straddled the two roles for most of his career - the suave, witty master of ceremonies standing on stage in front of a curtain one moment; the put-upon householder tormented by a bumptious servant, eccentric friends, and troublesome neighbors the next.

Jack's footprints have been preserved in the concrete in front of Graumann's Chinese Theatre. The cast does its version of, "City For Conquest", a prize fight story in which Dennis knocks out Jack! Jack Benny, Don Wilson, Phil Harris, Eddie Anderson, Dennis Day, Mary Livingstone, Cliff Nazarro, Frank Nelson.

Cleaning up after her big New Years party, Mary thinks back to the previous night and the events that prevented Jack from joining the festivities.

Jack and his friends are leaving for New York; so it's down to the train station for the traditional send-off...well, not quite.

From the St. Albans Naval Hospital, New York. Jack takes the gang to see his appearance in "Hollywood Canteen," and meets guests Fred Allen and Portland Hoffa in the theatre.

Jack is trying to get Gladys Zybysko on the phone. Plans are made for next week's show in Oakland.