IJBFC Chat

[Brad from Georgia] We gave Ally a Don Wilson welcome. We need to welcome Jennifer: "Ladies and gentlemen, a big hand for a young lady who not only writes, but does it upside down! Jennifer!"

[Ally1995] ditto

[Steve -shimp-] Doing well

[Jennifer] haha

[Jennifer] thanks

[Brad from Georgia] I'm recouping from a stomach bug. Yuck. What a way to spend spring break.

[Ally1995] That stinks..

[Jennifer] horrible

[Laura Leff] So did folks get a chance to listen to the show for tonight?

[Jennifer] i did

[Laura Leff] Brad - Glad you're on the upswing.

[Steve -shimp-] Yeeeeessssss

[Jennifer] it was great

[Ally1995] I had AP homework..

[Brad from Georgia] Yes! But before I got sick.

[KayLhota] laura, I found out some stuff about my Dad's military history. He would have seen Jack Benny in July of 1945 in pilsen Czech, with Ingrid Bergman

[Brad from Georgia] I did like the Andy Devine bits! Darn it, I know some people don't like Andy, but I really like his verve!

[Ally1995] oh wow

[KayLhota] and he played piano for Bob Hope when Bob came to Pilsen in 1945

[Laura Leff] Kay - Impressive! I presume he must not have gotten any autographs on a dollar bill...

[Ally1995] xD

[Brad from Georgia] What did they call those things, LL?

[Jennifer] i just saw a mad mad world

[Jennifer] and it has jack

[Jennifer] rochester

[Ally1995] yeah-and don knotts

[Laura Leff] Brad - Short snorters

[Jennifer] and andy

[Brad from Georgia] "Butt out, Blue Eyes!" "Well!"

[Ally1995] which is epic

[KayLhota] that movie is loaded with super stars

[Jennifer] i never noticed that andy was in it

[Ally1995] Brad is just a total quote man, isnt he?!!

[KayLhota] Andy Devine is the Sheriff that calls Spencer Tracy

[Laura Leff] If you had to give just one person top billing in "Mad Mad Mad Mad World", who would it be?

[Brad from Georgia] I saw that movie first when I was in high school, in a drive-in theater. And I forgot to take the speaker out, ripped up the wiring, and had to spend the next Saturday working at the theater to pay it off.

[Brad from Georgia] Spencer Tracy!

[Ally1995] Oh my gosh

[Jennifer] probably phil silvers

[Jennifer] i like the furniture store bit

[KayLhota] I was 7 when I saw it at the Drive In. Not old enough to drive. Hardly old enough to follow it!

[Ally1995] I've never seen the whole thing, but u have inspired me to

[Brad from Georgia] There are so many good bits. I also liked Jimmy Durante as Smiler!

[Jennifer] and the ethel merman milton berle relationship is great too

[Jennifer] ah yes

[Laura Leff] "It's buried under a big dubble-ya..."

[Jennifer] durantes bit is great

[Ally1995] ..

[Brad from Georgia] Mickey Rooney had some nice bits, especially with Jim Backus in the plane.

[Jennifer] and he kicked the bucket

[KayLhota] when he kicks the bucket he really kicks one

[Steve -shimp-] I've never seen It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World...

[Brad from Georgia] "Tell me it don't make no diff'runce!"

[Jennifer] i think youll like it

[Steve -shimp-] I haven't heard many good things but maybe it's worth checking out

[KayLhota] "Tell me it don't matter Aunt Belle"

[Ally1995] I'll have to look the movie up on Youtube.. They've GOT to have it.

[Laura Leff] Rochester is a little sad in it, but nice to see him still.

[Ally1995] Oh really?

[Brad from Georgia] Steve--it's long, probably overlong, but ride along for the gems.

[Jennifer] "Are you English? Tell me one thing, are you English?"

[Brad from Georgia] That was after Rochester's stroke, wasn't it?

[KayLhota] ride is the word! So much of it is in cars!

[Laura Leff] Steve - It's worth seeing just to be in on it. It's only, what, three hours of your life.

[Laura Leff] Brad - Yes.

[Brad from Georgia] And blink and you'll miss the Three Stooges....

[Steve -shimp-] Yeah, I imagine, I've certainly wasted more time on lesser pursuits...

[Ally1995]

[Ally1995] I know theyre in it

[Laura Leff] As the firemen

[Jennifer] yes

[Ally1995] Hysterical

[Steve -shimp-] With Curly Joe at that time?

[Jennifer] the three stooges were firemen

[Brad from Georgia] Yep, Joe de Rita

[KayLhota] the music cue even gives them 3 blind mice as the camera shoots each stooge

[Ally1995] Oh jeez

[Brad from Georgia] Oh, LL, may I make my announcement?

[Ally1995] I need to see it NOW

[Jennifer] sure

[Laura Leff] Brad - By all means

[Steve -shimp-] I'm doing the drumroll

[Brad from Georgia] Okay. Carolyn Carroll and I have signed a contract with a publisher to write the biography of Eddie Carroll.

[Ally1995] lolz

[Jennifer] ooh

[Steve -shimp-] Oh, fantastic!

[KayLhota] wonderful!

[Jennifer] thats good

[Jennifer] well done

[Steve -shimp-] Can you say which publisher?

[Jennifer] who's carolyn carroll? his daughter?

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - His wife.

[Jennifer] oh

[Jennifer] i was close

[Ally1995] wowzer

[Laura Leff] Sure. Tina's his daughter.

[Brad from Georgia] I'm interviewing folks by phone right now. So far I've talked to an old Western star, Ben Cooper; to a Canadian Senator who was one of Eddie's boyhood chums; and to members of the Eleniak family (Eddie was an Eleniak).

[Ally1995] That's pretty exciting

[Brad from Georgia] Steve--BearManor Media. They do tons of nostalgia.

[Jennifer] thats very exciting

[Ally1995] Haha

[Laura Leff] Ben Ohmart's joint (BearManor)

[KayLhota] I was hoping it would be Bear manor

[Jennifer] i wonder if jack ever met him

[Ally1995] yeah

[Steve -shimp-] I was wondering if it would be BearManor.

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - Met Eddie?

[Steve -shimp-] Good deal.

[Jennifer] yeah

[Brad from Georgia] Next week, I hope to have a phone interview with Jamie "Klinger" Farr.

[Brad from Georgia] Jennifer--they worked together once.

[Laura Leff] Anyone want to tell about Jack and Eddie working together? Brad?

[Brad from Georgia] Tell the story, LL--you were the one who surprised Eddie!

[Laura Leff] Ah, this is true...

[Ally1995] Brad is officially the joker of the group here.

[Laura Leff] Well, back in the late 60s, Eddie actually worked on one of Jack's color specials.

[Ally1995] cool!

[Brad from Georgia] One in every pack. And I'm not always playing with a full deck. And I think one of my masts is loose.

[Jennifer] oh

[Laura Leff] He was part of the commercial, playing sort of a stage manager.

[Jennifer] as a guest star?

[Ally1995]

[Brad from Georgia] Bit part, Jennifer.

[Jennifer] oh

[Ally1995]

[Laura Leff] Cut to a few years ago, and I'm sitting in CBS Television City watching some of the color specials being transferred from the masters.

[Laura Leff] I'm watching this show, and suddenly, there's Eddie!

[Ally1995] That is so awesome--again!!

[Jennifer] wow!

[Brad from Georgia] "Jack Benny's Birthday Special"

[Brad from Georgia] LL--should I tell the Jack/Eddie story?

[Ally1995]

[Laura Leff] I think the folks around me though I went crazy, as I jumped up and said excitedly, "I know him!"

[Jennifer] was that the first time you met?

[Laura Leff] Brad - Sure, go for it.

[Ally1995] ok then tell:

[Brad from Georgia] OK--in rehearsal, Jack said to Eddie, "Lookit, kid, I can't just call you 'stage manager.' You need a name. What's your name?" Eddie says, "Eddie Carroll."

[Ally1995] Of course

[Laura Leff] I had been in touch with Eddie since the late 80s, didn't meet him until 2002.

[Ally1995] u guys are so lucky

[Jennifer] thats interesting

[Brad from Georgia] Jack says "Then from now on I'll call you Eddie. Is that all right?" Eddie says, "Sure," and Jack yells up to the control booth, "Hey, Irving, from now on the kid is Eddie."

[Jennifer] you're lucky that you meet all these people

[Laura Leff] Brad - (Freddy)

[Ally1995] definately

[Ally1995] Poor us, younguns.

[Brad from Georgia] And Jack turns back and says, "I hope that's all right with you." Eddie did a Jack Benny impression: "Well, I HOPE it is. It's the name my MOTHER gave me!"

User john has entered this room.

[Steve -shimp-] Hi John

[Jennifer] thats clever of him

[Ally1995] Heya John

[Laura Leff] Hi John!

[Jennifer] hiya john

[KayLhota] Hi John

[Brad from Georgia] Jack looks at him deadpan, then turns to the booth and yells, "Forget it, Irving. The jerk doesn't DESERVE a name!"

[Steve -shimp-]

[Ally1995] LOLZ

[Brad from Georgia] Hi, John.

[Jennifer] haha

[john] Hello, everyone!

[Jennifer] hi!

[Ally1995] Another new persone for me to meet--considering I'm new.

[Brad from Georgia] Jell-O, John.

[Jennifer] three new ones

[Ally1995] This is great

[Brad from Georgia] LL--go on with how you surprised Eddie many years later!

[Ally1995] yeah

[john] Jell-o to you too. This is my second chat so I'm pretty new too.

[Jennifer] i probably wont be able to come next time

[Ally1995] oh..

[Laura Leff] So Eddie always claimed he was on one of the Benny farewell specials.

[Jennifer] its 12 hours difference

[KayLhota] maybe the time after that, Jennifer?

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - Ah, darnit!

[Ally1995] xD

[Jennifer] is it sunday over there right now?

[Ally1995] Over here it is

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - Yep. It's 5:23PM where I am.

[Laura Leff] AKA 17:23

[Jennifer] well, over here its monday

[Ally1995] Luckily Jack comes on in an hour or so!!

[Ally1995] RTV

[KayLhota] 8:23 here outside of Boston MA

[Brad from Georgia] It's Sunday evening here. It's 8:24 pm in Georgia.

[Jennifer] and today i get a day off school

[Ally1995] LUCKY

[Ally1995] How come??

[Jennifer] for labor day

[Ally1995] Oh

[Laura Leff] Georgia is one minute ahead of Boston.

[Ally1995] Oh rlly??!

[Jennifer] 11:22 AM right now

[Steve -shimp-] I think the US needs a labor day in March as well...

[Steve -shimp-] I'd go for that.

[Ally1995] totally

[KayLhota] or I the time changed a minute ahead while I was typing

[Jennifer] whens yours?

[Laura Leff] Our Labor Day comes in September

[Ally1995] yep

[Jennifer] oh

[Brad from Georgia] We used to get Robert E. Lee's birthday off in January when I was a kid. Of course, he was still alive back then....

[Ally1995] I didnt even get it off this year

[Steve -shimp-] ba dump-dump

[Jennifer] its actually the 14th here

[Laura Leff] Brad - That's a good Benny-esque line

[Ally1995] Even day--that means I've got BAND!!

[Brad from Georgia] I got banned once.

[Steve -shimp-] Well, I won't complain about losing an hour when Jennifer's a whole day ahead

[KayLhota] what do you play?

[Ally1995] LOLZ

[Laura Leff] Banned in Boston

[Ally1995] I play VIOLIN LOL, Clarinet guitar and keyboarf

[Laura Leff] Band in Boston

[Brad from Georgia] Manned in Manitoba.

[KayLhota] wow, I am floored, Ally?

[KayLhota] That is marvelous!

[Ally1995] Thanks. I play clarinet with school

[Laura Leff] Hey Jennifer - How's your violin study coming along?

[Brad from Georgia] You can tell I've been on spring break. Way to GO, Ally!

[john] Referring to the show, did Jack really get hurt skiing? (I hope I'm not bringing up something already discussed)

[Jennifer] its going well

[Ally1995] I've been playing for as long as Jack had when he was 15

[Jennifer] im learning jingle bells at the moment

[Jennifer] when i play at home

[Laura Leff] John - Not at all...we haven't talked about the show much. No, this was a gag on the previous show.

[Jennifer] i wear my black glasses

[Brad from Georgia] I used to play piano in our marching band, but I got a hernia pushing it down the street and had to stop.

[Ally1995] OMG.

[Jennifer] its nice to look a bit like jack when playing

[john] Thanks... another running joke. It was a good one.

[Laura Leff] John - Yes, this is the first show after the four-part Yosemite series.

[Ally1995] yeah--I totally felt like a failure at playing a couple of times--like on the one with Stern as a guest

[Jennifer] its yosemite in texas?

[john] I haven't heard those yet

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - Just don't stand staring out at Lake Michigan instead of practicing, like he did when he was your age!

[Brad from Georgia] Eddie Carroll learned to play violin for his Jack Benny tribute, Jennifer--he was in his mid-forties and left-handed, so it was a challenge. But he learned "Love in Bloom." He sounded a little better than Jack, though.

[Ally1995] wow..

[Jennifer] ok

[john] Yosemite is in CA. I live about a 1 1/2 hour away.

[Brad from Georgia] Jennifer, Yosemite is in California. Beautiful place. We vacationed there once.

[Ally1995] yeah I heard about that in the Joan book xD

[Steve -shimp-] I had a third-grade teacher that pronounced it like "yo, Semite"

[Jennifer] the teacher actually got me the sheet music for the streunzer exercises!

[Laura Leff] John - Ah...if you like this show, you really must hear those. They're an unusual classic of the Benny radio show, and a real turning point in my mind.

[Ally1995] I pronounce it like that!!

[Jennifer] oh

[Brad from Georgia] Now I think about Yosemite Sam.

[Jennifer] sounds like a nice place

[Ally1995] ditto Brad.

[Brad from Georgia] HOWever, LL surprised Eddie one evening....

[john] Really, Laura? You got me intrigued.

[Jennifer] ive actually got the streunzer exercises for my violin

[Laura Leff] Wow...lots of conversation threads here...this may be a recored

[Ally1995] I skip the exersizes---which is a Jack move..

[Steve -shimp-] But do you have Monsieur LeBlanc at your side?

User Josef has entered this room.

[Laura Leff] Hi Josef!

[KayLhota] hi Josef

[Brad from Georgia] Hi, Josef!

[Josef] hi all!

[Jennifer] hi jo

[Ally1995] Josef!!

[Steve -shimp-] Hi Josef

[Jennifer] hi josef

[john] Heya, Josef

[Ally1995] And what is Josef like?

[Laura Leff] John - They're not so unusual for later in the series, but they're kind of a nonesuch to have a completely out-of-the-studio plotline that carries from show to show like that.

[Josef] Pretty good actually, happy to be able to be on this month's chat. Missed it last month

[Steve -shimp-] The Yosemite shows are a neat little detour for the show. I hadn't realized tonight's ep was the first after those.

[Laura Leff] It's also the show series I point to for the turning of Mary's character from kind of "dizzy dame" to her more acid self of the 1940s.

[Brad from Georgia] Interview with Phil Harris: "So what's Phil Harris really like?" PHIL: "Booze and blondes, baby, booze and blondes."

[john] I see... I thought this show was great. I really felt like Jack was at his peak.

[Laura Leff] You can hear the residual of that in tonight's show.

[KayLhota] yes, that came to mind when I heard them that they were unusual to be set elsewhere, and I didn't think they'd done that before.

[Jennifer] i liked the show

[Ally1995]

[Josef] Steve, I didn't either. Thought I had listened to all the yosemetie shows

[Ally1995]

[Ally1995] Every time I hear Phil I hear Baloo

[Jennifer] thats true

[Laura Leff] This isn't technically one of the Yosemite shows...just the first one after that series.

[Steve -shimp-] I of coursed liked the Gracie cameo. Jennifer will be proud to know that Gracie's mascot for the Surprise Party was a kangaroo

[Jennifer] thats because he IS Baloo

[Josef] Right

[Jennifer] yes

[john] That's right.. I forgot about Baloo/phil.

[Laura Leff] Kay - They'd done it a little, but not much.

[Brad from Georgia] What did everyone think of Andy in the show tonight? He had some good lines."

[Ally1995] Jungle Book was my favorite--and now that I know he was in it it's awesomer!

[Jennifer] but not everyone in australia knows about australian things

[Ally1995] true--though I only assume that.

[Brad from Georgia] Whoever they got to voice Baloo in "Talespin" came mighty close to Phil.

[Ally1995] yeah totally

[Jennifer] for instance, i didn't know that here was called "down under"

[john] Andy was funny. I like him best in Never Say Die (bob hope movie)

[Steve -shimp-] I can take or leave Andy D, pretty much

[Ally1995] Jen--haha!!

[Jennifer] i haven't seen that

[Ally1995] It's kinda cool to have a reputation tho

[Josef] I'm not a big Andy fan, depends on the episode for me and how they use him

[Jennifer] some people (including me) have never seen a kangaroo or a wombat

[Jennifer] or a dingo

[Ally1995] I really wanna travel!!

[Jennifer] also

[Brad from Georgia] Jennifer--That's because Georgia is called "Up Yonder." No, not in the USA. Here it's "Down yonder." Or more precisely, "Rat cheer." "Where we at?" "We rat cheer."

[john] Any is an acquired taste, I think.. a little annoying in his high pitch squealling voice.

[Laura Leff] Ally - Where are you?

[Jennifer] not all australians eat damper

[john] Andy, that is. Not "any"

[Ally1995] I'm in the US--Massachusetts- "The Spirit of America"

[Jennifer] ha

[KayLhota] Ally, I live in MA as well!

[Laura Leff] Ally - Aha! More than one Massachusetts rep tonight, I see!

[Ally1995] COOL

[KayLhota] yes!

[KayLhota] Waltham

[Jennifer] cool

[Ally1995] MA is a great place. I'm in Attleboro.

[Josef] When I first heard Andy in the Buck Benny stuff from the late 30s, it seemed like a good fit. Anytime they don't do a Buck Benny episode and he's on, just seemed different

[Brad from Georgia] John--IRL, Andy's voice wasn't nearly as grating. I heard an interview with him, and I could hardly tell it was Andy.

[Jennifer] wheres colarado?

[Laura Leff] My current client is opening a new headquarters in Waltham.

[Josef] Ally, cool. I live in Boston

[KayLhota] ah ha. You are south of me

[Ally1995] I love Boston!!

[Brad from Georgia] Jennifer--Colorado is in the American west, more or less the middle of the country from north to south, but somewhat west of center.

[KayLhota] My son Daniel is going to Bunker Hill community college

[Jennifer] oh

[Ally1995] I was just over there at the Science Museum I got to go on a Segway

[john] Brad, that would be interesting to hear.. I figure he really didn't sound like that.

[Ally1995] XD

[Jennifer] i read that andy got depressed

[Ally1995] Bunker Hill--I think I've seen that place

[Jennifer] and even wanted to commit suicide

[Josef] Jennifer--oh wow

[Ally1995] jeez...

[Laura Leff] Kay - Do you know who voiced Andy in "Malibu Beach Party"?

[Jennifer] because of his changing voice

[KayLhota] No, I'm sorry that I don't know who did the voices in that cartoon

[Jennifer] but then he discovered he could do comedy

[Brad from Georgia] He did have a kind of gravelly voice, but it was lower pitched. I think he was one of the original investors in Eddie's favorite hangout, the Sportsmen's Lodge, where you could fish for trout in the center of Studio City.

[john] It seems a lot of movie stars committed suicide.

[Ally1995] That cartoon's hilarious!

[Jennifer] what cartoon?

[Josef] Jennifer, comedy was great for him.

[Ally1995] Malibu Beach

[KayLhota] MalibuBeach party]

[Jennifer] i agree

[Steve -shimp-] Andy seems in a more normal register in his Twilight Zone episode

[Ally1995] On youtube if u look

[Brad from Georgia] "Malibu Beach Party,"

[Jennifer] he used to be in football

[Jennifer] oh

[Jennifer] ive seen it

[Jennifer] its great

[Ally1995] I love Jack and Roch

[Laura Leff] With Kay's cross-reference of stars

[Brad from Georgia] He did injure his throat when he was a youngster, which gave him the rough quality in his voice.

[Ally1995] they look so random

[Jennifer] i noticed that phil strangely had dark skin

[Ally1995] wierd.

[Josef] Then of course Andy's also the voice of Friar Tuck in Robin Hood

[Laura Leff] I think they wanted to make him look very tan

[Ally1995] cool, I didnt know that

[john] Brad, are you talking about rochester or andy's voice?

[Brad from Georgia] And Phil is Little John.....

[Jennifer] robin hood? the disney film?

[Ally1995] yeah

[Ally1995] An overlooked one in my world

[Jennifer] strange

[Laura Leff] John - There are stories about both

[Brad from Georgia] Andy's voice. He had a stick in his mouth and fell, ripping the back of his throat.

[Jennifer] ouch

[Ally1995] woah

[Josef] Jennifer, yeah the Disney cartoon. Both he and Phil voice characters in it

[Steve -shimp-] ack, I just cringed reading that

[Jennifer] oh

[Ally1995] Me too

[Jennifer] too bad jack couldn't

[Laura Leff] As opposed to Roch, who supposedly damaged his vocal chords trying to outshout other newspaper boys here in Oakland.

[Jennifer] i think hed be good at robin

[john] Sometimes accidents turn out good as in Andy's case -- it would seem, brad

[Josef] Who would Jack have been in Robin Hood?

[Brad from Georgia] Rochester had a much more "normal" voice in Gone With the Wind; he exaggerated his vocal peculiarities for radio.

[Ally1995] Yeach Roch did damage his

[Jennifer] and mary could do the lady

[Laura Leff] Josef - Maid Marion

[Ally1995]

[Josef] Laura

[Laura Leff] He had the walk for it

[Ally1995]

[Ally1995] Thats a good one.

[Jennifer] what would roch do?

[john] I heard that rochester damaged his voice selling newspapers in NYC as a kid

[Ally1995] yep

[Jennifer] yeah

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - Alan a Dale

[Steve -shimp-] Jack would've been a good Robin Hood, but the story would be different. He'd just steal from the rich and not give it to anyone else.

[Laura Leff] John - Oakland, not NYC

[Jennifer] yeah

[Brad from Georgia] Roch would be Alan a Dale, of cours--you beat me to it.

[Ally1995] totally

[Laura Leff] So here's a question...

[Jennifer] how about Schlepp?

[Laura Leff] Of all the interesting voices in Jack's show

[john] Thanks, Laura.. I remember now

[Laura Leff] Andy

[Laura Leff] Roch

[Brad from Georgia] "Robin, aren't you going to give to the poor?" "I'm thinking it over!"

[Laura Leff] Frank Nelson

[Ally1995] XD

[Laura Leff] Mel Blanc

[Laura Leff] Schlepperman

[Laura Leff] Kitzel

[Josef] Brad

[Laura Leff] Etc.

[Ally1995] Nelson is crazy funny

[Laura Leff] Who's the top?

[Jennifer] we probably dont need two yiddish

[john] Well, I'm off to church. It's been fun.

[Jennifer] bye

[Steve -shimp-] Mel

[Laura Leff] Have a good one, John!

[KayLhota] wow, that's a tough choice! You know how I love Mel Blanc

[Ally1995] Church--wow cool

[Josef] For me, I love Nelson and Blanc. Anytime they're both on the show I love it

[Brad from Georgia] LL, it's so hard! Mel kept the audience in stitches, but that was because of his facial experessions, too!

[Josef] Have fun John!

[Ally1995] It's like bedtime over here!!

[Steve -shimp-] in terms of versatility

[john] thanks, laura. chat to you latter. Bye, Josef

[Ally1995] Mel was awesome. So cool

[Jennifer] bye

[Ally1995] bye!!

[Brad from Georgia] Nelson always cracks me up--once he hit his "YESSSSSSS" stride.

User john has logged out.

[Ally1995] Or when he was the insane photographer

[Jennifer] was there a time when he didn't do that?

[Brad from Georgia] And between Schlepperman and Kitzel, I think I prefer Kitzel barely. He had a kind of sweet quality about him.

[Jennifer] the yes thing?

[Ally1995] Probably not.

[Jennifer] yes

[Ally1995] That was his THING

[Jennifer] but i love schlepp's

[KayLhota] I've heard Frank Nelson play straight on LUX Radio Theater

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - Definitely. He has some completely straight roles early on where you wouldn't even know it's him if you didn't know.

[Josef] Yes, Brad. I especially loved Nelson as the guy Jack bumps into at the train station

[Ally1995] It defined the Nelson we all love

[Brad from Georgia] Jennifer--in the early days on Jack's show, Nelson had a very actor-ly voice.

[Jennifer] hello, stranger thung

[Jennifer] wow

[Ally1995] oh wow--I havent heard that yet

[Jennifer] thing

[Ally1995]

[Josef] Wow, I never heard his straighter voice--or didn't really pay much attention to it

[Jennifer] me neither

[Jennifer] i saw frank in lucy

[Laura Leff] I've noticed that on television, Nelson more frequently has the entry line of "Howww do you do?" instead of "Yess?"

[Jennifer] where she tried to stop the train

[Ally1995] I'm not a dedicated radio fan--but I can appreciate it just as much

[Jennifer] because ricky wasnt on

[Jennifer] yes

[Jennifer] otr is a lot of fun

[Brad from Georgia] I really, really like the deadpan train station routines where they go through a whole song lyric while Jack fumes. "I want a ticket to Constantinople." "It's Istanbul, not Constantinople." "Why did Constantinople get the works?"

[Laura Leff] That's nobody's busines but the Turks

[Josef] That's nobody's business but the turks

[Ally1995] BRAD. U are a funny dude.

[KayLhota] ally, you are living at a great age to hear old radio. It's easy to download.

[Ally1995] I guess so

[Laura Leff] But you've got to know the song to "get it."

[Jennifer] otr is a lot of fun

[Jennifer] yes

[Ally1995] I really wish I was alive then

[Josef] That's true Laura

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - Tell about singing "Clancy Lowered the Boom"

[Steve -shimp-] I like the "Tennessee Waltz" version of that routine too

[Jennifer] i sang clancy lowered the boom on camp

[Brad from Georgia] Ally, it's a recurring bit! I never knew that song was that old until I heard Jack's show. I only knew the They Might Be Giants version. Heck, Bing Crosby recorded it in 1949!

[Ally1995] Oh man.

[Ally1995] I LOVE the Giants version

[Brad from Georgia] Jennifer--How was it received?

[Ally1995] so funny

[Josef] Yeah, they sang that song a lot

[Jennifer] Very well, actually

[Steve -shimp-] Just yesterday someone told me they thought it was a TMBG original too.

[Steve -shimp-] How odd

[Ally1995] I saved it into my playlist xD

[Ally1995] Cause I hear it so many times in history

[Jennifer] i also did some jack-dennis jokes

[Brad from Georgia] Ally--did you in Australia get to see the cartoon series "Tiny Toon Adventures?" They have a musical segment set to "Istanbul."

[Laura Leff] (Pssst...she got an award for it)

[Jennifer] they didn't understand the characters

[Josef] That's awesome Jennifer

[Brad from Georgia] Congratulations, Jennifer!

[Jennifer] but they still found it funny

[Steve -shimp-] congrats Jennifer

[Ally1995] Yeah--But I aint in Australia. I'm American..

[Jennifer] i actually got a reward

[Brad from Georgia] Oh, wait, I'm mixing up my newcomers!

[Ally1995] The Tiny Toons were awesome too

[Jennifer] a lollipop

[Laura Leff] Ally - LOL

[Ally1995] XD

[Jennifer] im from Aus

[Jennifer] not her

[Jennifer] dont worry

[Ally1995] That is awesome--I want to travel there

[Brad from Georgia] Sorry, Ally. Not that Australia's in any way bad, Jennifer. I think I'd better shut up now.

[Laura Leff] LOL

[Ally1995] HAH

[Jennifer] thats ok

[Ally1995] I love other countries. America isnt the bestest.

[Jennifer] i also sang "The Thing"

[Josef] That must've been a fun song to sing

[Brad from Georgia] Ally--that's what we in the Confederacy always said, too.

[Laura Leff] What'd you do for the buh-buh-buhs?

[Ally1995] Brad--nice one

[Jennifer] but i was only given 2 minutes so i had to get off halfway through

[Brad from Georgia] Yeah, who put the bomp in the bomp sh-bomp sh-bomp?

[Jennifer] i did

[Ally1995] OK now that pic of Jack is just staring me down as I type.

[Brad from Georgia] Good for you. We need more bomps in this world.

[Jennifer] by using this sort of drum thing they had

[Laura Leff] Hold tight, hold tight, hold tight hold tight foodlee-wackee-sackee want some seafood mama... *singing8

[Josef] Don't worry Ally, you'll get used to Jack looking over us\

[Brad from Georgia] Fewer bombs, more bomps. It would be a better world. Noisier in some ways, but better.

[Jennifer] its ok

[Ally1995] HA hA... I hOpe So...

[Steve -shimp-] "The Thing" getting cut off for time is almost funnier than the whole thing playing through

[Steve -shimp-] Very "Gong Show"

[Laura Leff] More be-bomp

[Jennifer] remember that the rest of the gang is looking down on us too

[Ally1995] yeah!!!!!!

[Josef] yes they are

[Brad from Georgia] Well, let's go down to Alabammy....

[Ally1995] That is just a great thought to have.

[Laura Leff] Hey there's a challenge...

[Josef] let's go see my dear ole mammy

[Laura Leff] Can this group sing "That's What I Like about the South" together?

[Jennifer] they'd probably be very happy that we're part of their fan club

[Ally1995] I love the Are You Being Served skit on that tune

[Josef] That is a challene Lauara

[Laura Leff] Just throw out a line when you know it

[Laura Leff] I'll go next

[Laura Leff] She's fryin' eggs and broilin' hammy

[Jennifer] i heard phil sing "That's What I Like About The West" but i haven't heard the south

[Brad from Georgia] It's literally true in my office at school. I have the Hirschfeld caricature of Jack framed with his signature, looking down over my desk. And next to it is an autographed photo of Eddie Carroll.

[Ally1995] Ah, the Kinks.. playing in the background as we talk about Phil again

[Jennifer] I think jack should've sang more

[Jennifer] i love his voice

[Ally1995] Jack's voice was great

[Laura Leff] I just watched the Max Bygraves episode where Jack's voice sounds a little less than great!

[Jennifer] oh

[Ally1995] what happens?

[Jennifer] i haven't seen that

[Laura Leff] But I think he may have been trying to sound bad

[Jennifer] ha

[Ally1995] peobly

[Ally1995] probly

[Jennifer] probably

[Ally1995] ..

[Laura Leff] He's singing a popular song called "Underneath the Arches" with Bygraves

[Ally1995] OH YEAH

[Laura Leff] Bygraves (a British performer) sends him off to get tea

[Ally1995] I watched that last week

[Ally1995] on the tele

[Josef] Now there you can make no mistakey, where those nerves are never shakey

[Jennifer] Has anyone ever noticed in a night at the opera how groucho says "Play, Don."?

[Brad from Georgia] She's got baked ribs and candied yams

[Ally1995] alrighty then!!

[Steve -shimp-] Those sugar cured virginia hams

[KayLhota] yes, that's right, Jennifer.

[Jennifer] yeah

[Jennifer] its very funny

[Laura Leff] I even noticed in 39 Forever last night that I'd found one where Jack says "Play Ted" (for Ted Weems, late in the Canada Dry run).

[Brad from Georgia] Weird. My screen froze there for the longest time! I think it's my virus checker which just started its scheduled check.

[Steve -shimp-] Basement full of those berry jams

[Ally1995] funny stuff....

[Laura Leff] What happened to the layer cakee?

[KayLhota] I also heard Groucho in a "hollywood Hotel" episode close announcing JELL-O flavors

[Josef] Hot corn bread, blackeyed peas

[Jennifer] when was the first time that Jack said his signature "play, "

[Ally1995] ......

[Laura Leff] I'm getting hungry

[Josef] You can eat as much as you please :)\

[Jennifer] im hungry too

[Ally1995] Not me--I just had a huge dinner

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - I'd have to pull 39 Forever again, but I think it's that time when he says "Play Ted"...must have been late 1932.

[Ally1995] My bros never ate the thing

[Jennifer] strange

[Ally1995] haha..They always play Xbox

[Jennifer] 39 forever is a great book

[Ally1995] the whole time--It's just dumb war games.

[Jennifer] i use it for everything i watch

[Steve -shimp-] speaking of firsts, was tonight's show one of the earlier Remley gags?

[Brad from Georgia] W're having Southern fried chicken for dinner. It's late because of Daylight Savings.

[Ally1995] I love Netflix--but thats it

[Jennifer] have you ever thought of doing a television version?

[Josef] Aaah don't take one, have two, there's dark brown and chocolate too/ suits me, they must suit you

[Laura Leff] Thank you, Jennifer.

[Ally1995] Ok Josef u are on a roll there

[Jennifer] thats ok

[Laura Leff] Steve - I'd have to look that up as well...Rem had been with the band a few years, I think.

[Steve -shimp-] Here comes ole Roy with all the news, boxback coat and his button shoes

[Josef] sorry, I got carried away.

[Ally1995] HAHA

[Ally1995] it's fine

[KayLhota] It's been so long since I last heard the song, I can't go near trying to get the words tonight

[Brad from Georgia] Did I tell you about the place called Dowah Diddy?

[Jennifer] was remley a real person?

[Steve -shimp-] It ain't no town, and it ain't no city

[Josef] It ain;'t no town and it aint no city

[Steve -shimp-] It's awful small but awful pretty

[Ally1995] Brad--dont even get started

[Brad from Georgia] Jennifer--there's some debate about that, but generally, yes, he was.

[Josef] Doo wa ditty

[Laura Leff] But he's all caught up on his union dues and that's why he doesn't live in Wisconsin

[Jennifer] why is there debate about it?

[Josef] debate about what?

[Ally1995] Remley being real?

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - Sure was...he's going to be on the cover of the next Times issue.

[Jennifer] yes

[Josef] He was a real guy

[Jennifer] oh thats good

[Jennifer] what did he look like?

[Brad from Georgia] Just a joke. Actually another actor PLAYED the very real Frank Remley on Phil Harris's radio show!

[Jennifer] oh

[Laura Leff] He looked a little like Lawrence Welk!

[Ally1995] I think he shows up on the tv show doesnt he?

[Steve -shimp-] You can see Remley in some of the TV episodes

[Josef] Elliott Lewis

[KayLhota] yes, Elliot Lewis played Remley

[Jennifer] why didn't the real remley do it?

[Ally1995] yeah thanx Steve

[Steve -shimp-] Jack gave the real remley some bit parts

[Jennifer] oh

[Laura Leff] Ally - Sure does...I just sent a bunch of shows to his family where he appears.

[Jennifer] thats good

[Jennifer] is it true that mary was related to groucho?

[Ally1995] Laura--that is amazing how u r in contact with these people!!!

[Laura Leff] Remley could deliver a few lines, but he wasn't a real comedian.

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - Not true.

[Brad from Georgia] Right. Say did we do old Parson with all the news, box-back coat and button shoes? I've lost track.

[Jennifer] really?

[Laura Leff] Ally - They came to me...I got lucky on that one!

[Ally1995] Yeah I'll say!!

[Josef] Brad I think so. But we forgot something

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - Yes, I debunked that one a few years ago.

[Steve -shimp-] way way down where the cane grows tall, down where they say "you all"

[KayLhota] Laura, are you in touch with any Benny rubin relatives?

[Jennifer] why did they say that she was?

[Laura Leff] The Marx Bros were originally Marrix and came from Germany.

[Ally1995] Laura must have a lot of responsibility on this forum

[Brad from Georgia] I'm sure. There's --yup, the can grows tall line. I forgot that!

[Josef] Walk on in with that southern drawl

[Jennifer] oh

[Laura Leff] Mary's family came from Romania and was Markovitz.

[Jennifer] oh yes minnie was german

[Jennifer] oh

[Laura Leff] Ally - Actually, it's easy tonight with so much conversation!

[Ally1995] ha--I bet

[Jennifer] then theres no possible way they were related

[KayLhota] Sam marx was from Alace Lorraine, france

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - If they were, it's a pretty distant connection.

[Jennifer] but i heard that jack met mary through zeppo?

[Laura Leff] Kay - that's right...good call.

[Laura Leff] Ah, who wants to tell the "how Jack met Mary" story?

[Brad from Georgia] Jennifer--Eddie Carroll once was on TV with the real Groucho. Years later, after both Jack and Groucho had passed, he starred in "The Odd Couple" with Frank Ferrante--Edde played Felix as Jack, and Frank played Oscar as Groucho!

[Ally1995]

[KayLhota] Zeppo may have met Babe Marks first, I guess

[Josef] Oh, yeah, he met her in a cool way,

[Jennifer] thats good

[Ally1995] He was very cool in the TV episode

[Ally1995] Or he thought he was..

[Brad from Georgia] Actually, Sadye first saw Jack when she was a young teenager and he did a stage show.

[Ally1995] yeah

[Jennifer] oh frank ferrante did an iompression of groucho, right?

[Laura Leff] Brad - Well, kind of.

[Ally1995] She actually played strings too I think

[Brad from Georgia] Jennifer--Yes, Frank does a touring show, "An Evening with Groucho."

[Josef] Wasn't there a dinner involved

[KayLhota] yes, Jennifer. Frank Ferrante does a dynamite Groucho

[Brad from Georgia] Josef--Yes, a seder.

[Jennifer] is he still alive?

[Laura Leff] OK, I'll jump in on this one

[Josef] that's what I thought.

[Ally1995] Oh come on--it's been an hour already??!!!

[Brad from Georgia] Jennifer--Frank? yes, he is.

[Jennifer] thats good

[Ally1995] 9:00... Jack on in an hour... and school at 6. DARN YOU PHIL HARRIS.

[Laura Leff] So it's the spring of 1920, and Jack is on the Orpheum circuit in Vancouver with the Marx Bros

[Jennifer] yes

[Laura Leff] And Zeppo tells Jack, "Hey, I know about this wild party with girls and all...let's go."

[Ally1995] wowee

[Laura Leff] Jack says, "I'm in." (Or words to that effect.)

[Ally1995]

[Jennifer] sounds more like phil than Zepp

[Josef] thats right

[Brad from Georgia] LL--I think Jack actually said, "Hmmmmmmmm."

[Ally1995] yes indeed

[KayLhota] wine women and song

[KayLhota] Zeppo was a ladies man

[Ally1995] hmmmm. Now that ive gotten into Jack I do that all the time.

[Laura Leff] So all along the vaudeville circuits, families of different ethnicities and backgrounds would often host performers of the same ethnicity to have familiar food, etc.

[Jennifer] yes

[Laura Leff] Chinese families hosted Chinese performers, Jewish families gave Jewish performers Kosher home-cooked meals, etc.

[Laura Leff] So Zeppo takes Jack to this home.

[Laura Leff] And it's a Passover Seder.

[Jennifer] was groucho jewish or german?

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - Both

[Brad from Georgia] The Irish would serve corned beef and cabbage when they hosted Pat O'Brien. The beavers served birch when they hosted Charlie McCarthy, and so on.

[Jennifer] oh

[Ally1995] ...

[KayLhota] partly jewish on his father's side, but German was spoken at the house

[Jennifer] dont you mean edgar bergan?

[Laura Leff] A Seder is a very long ritual dinner celebrating the Jewish exodus from Egypt

[Laura Leff] Definitely not a wild party

[Jennifer] and then what?

[Josef] Jennifer--Bergen could never remember who he was

[Ally1995] At the end of Hotel California I must go.

[Brad from Georgia] No seder cider served.

[Jennifer] ha

[Ally1995] My brother's getting on to me.

[Laura Leff] And the girls...were Mary (about 14 at the time) and her sister Babe.

[Jennifer] oh

[Ally1995] hm

[Jennifer] the one in the letters? that babe?

[Brad from Georgia] Babe was not yet a steelworker at the time.

[KayLhota] yes

[Laura Leff] Jack stayed to be polite, but realized he'd been duped.

[Jennifer] oh

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - That one!

[Jennifer] whats duped?

[Ally1995] ha ha.

[KayLhota] fooled

[Laura Leff] Duped = fooled

[Jennifer] oh

[Laura Leff] Had a joke played on him

[Brad from Georgia] bamboozled. led down the garden path.

[Jennifer] oh ok

[Ally1995] I dont really say that anymore..?

[Laura Leff] Mary thought Jack was very snooty and angry that he didn't pay more attention to her

[KayLhota] there was wine women and song, but all around a passover dinner

[Ally1995] Yeah she did

[Josef] kind of a bad joke to invite someone to a part that's actually a serious seder

[Brad from Georgia] Well, the wine was Manishevivitz.

[Ally1995] which is kinda funny..

[Laura Leff] So she went to his performance the next day with her friends and sat in the front row and they all stared at him without laughing

[Ally1995] yep

[Jennifer] thats not very nice

[Ally1995] Its in Joan's awesome book

[Josef] which drove him crazy

[Laura Leff] And the story goes on, but that's the gist of the Jack meeting Mary the first time.

[Ally1995] I read that during school last month

[Brad from Georgia] Well, Mary could be exasperating at times....

[Jennifer] i agree

[Laura Leff] Pretty typical Mary...even young.

[Josef] Ally cool. I always read that book when I go flying

[Josef] yep

[Ally1995] Oh darn, I gotta go now. Goodnight folks!

[Jennifer] so jack did performances before mary?

[Steve -shimp-] Bye Ally

[KayLhota] goodniughtt ally

[Laura Leff] Josef - Is that like "I Faw Down and Go Boom"?

[Josef] Goodnight Ally!

[Jennifer] bye ally

[Ally1995] I will be back.!!

[Laura Leff] Goodnight Ally!

[Jennifer] goodnight

[Laura Leff] Great having you here!

[Ally1995] And thank you all!!

[Brad from Georgia] Jennifer--Jack had a whole career before Mary.

[Jennifer] oh

[Brad from Georgia] Bye, Ally!

[Jennifer] so what year did they meet?

User Ally1995 has logged out.

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - 1920 originally.

[Josef] something like that Laura. I hate flying, and need something lighthearted to read on the plane

[Jennifer] oh

[Jennifer] so what time is it over there now?

[Laura Leff] Josef - Gotcha.

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - 18:07 here

[Josef] yeah. Calms my nerves to read something a lil funny

[Steve -shimp-] I can't believe it's past eighteen o'clock already.

[Jennifer] if it's 6:07, why are people going to sleep?

[Laura Leff] So anyhow...Eddie and Carolyn come over to my house...

[Jennifer] its 12:05 at the moment by the way

[Josef] In Massachusetts it's 9:07

[Brad from Georgia] Shhh. She's gonna tell it!

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - I'm on the West Coast, so it's later for other folks!

[Jennifer] oh

[Jennifer] so later at about 8:00 PM

[Jennifer] its the next day?

[Laura Leff] So Eddie and Carolyn are here looking over my collection, and they say that it's very impressive

[Jennifer] wow

[Laura Leff] And I told them that I have something even more impressive.

[Jennifer] what?

[Josef] what's that?

[Laura Leff] I get them to come upstairs and sit in front of the television

[Laura Leff] And I had the DVD set to the right spot.

[KayLhota] Jennifer, yours is the next day. We are the night behind you!

[Jennifer] oh

[Jennifer] ok

[Laura Leff] I turned it on, and for the first time in 40 years, Eddie saw himself working with Jack on the color special.

[Jennifer] wow!

[Josef] oh wow that's cool!

[Laura Leff] I have to admit that I watched them a lot more than I watched the screen.

[Jennifer] yes

[Laura Leff] It was a pretty happy moment.

[Josef] I bet

[KayLhota] I'm so glad for them

[Steve -shimp-] I imagine that really made Eddie's day

[Jennifer] their expressions must have been priceless!

[Brad from Georgia] Eddie called me a couple of weeks later. He was enormously touched and talked about how Laura was such a wonderful person.

[KayLhota] aww

[Jennifer] thats very nice

[Laura Leff] Brad - I had him fooled, didn't I?

[Laura Leff] Is there anything else about tonight's show that we haven't discussed?

[Brad from Georgia] Totally! His exact words: "The DVD started, and I was floored!" But about being nice? Naw, you're what we call a peach around here!

[Laura Leff] We've gone in so many directions, that I want to make sure we covered everything there.

[Josef] I came in late. Did we talk much about the Gracie for prez?

[Laura Leff] Brad - A Georgia peach

[Jennifer] no

[Jennifer] we didn't

[Laura Leff] Josef - We should talk more about it. Go for it!

[Steve -shimp-] "Make Love with a Guitar" sure has a different meaning today...

[Jennifer] but im sure that we all agree that it was a great episode

[Laura Leff] Steve - Yes, funny that...

[Brad from Georgia] Not much at all, Josef! Gracie was good, but absent George it wasn't as sharp as it could have been.

[Jennifer] i agree

[Steve -shimp-] Gracie still has a way with a cornball line that always floors me. "Are you nominated"? "No, I just drink to be sociable".

[Brad from Georgia] I think Jack had to struggle a little to keep from laughing at Gracie.

[Jennifer] george was a good foil for gracie

[Josef] Yeah, it was a pretty cool publicity stunt in 1940. George and Gracie needed to get their show ratings up and change the show a bit if I remember correctly

[Jennifer] jack had to struggle to stop laughing from pretty much anybody if you think about it

[Steve -shimp-] Here's a Jack connection - Mary Kelly was a big part of Gracie's presidential campaign

[Brad from Georgia] Kay was saying that was the transition period from girlfriend/boyfriend to George and Gracie as a married couple.

[Laura Leff] Funny since often in the Burns and Allen television show, Gracie will have very successful scenes while George watches her on the magic TV set

[Jennifer] ben blue had the most trouble

[Josef] Very true Laura. I love both George and Gracie.

[Jennifer] i love george and gracie too

[Jennifer] theyre a great team

[Laura Leff] Kay - Very good point.

[Josef] I liked their show a lot more when they finally "married " them.

[Brad from Georgia] The story of how George always visited Gracie's tomb and talked to her has always touched me. I do that with my dad, who passed away exactly ten years ago today. Went out and visited, said hi.

[Laura Leff] Which brings up the question of why Jack never did a similar transition with Mary.

[Jennifer] i hadn't heard that story

[KayLhota] I was listening to the Burns and allen programs during that time, and I found something a clipping I think that they were giving Gracie more of the show

[Jennifer] thats because jack died before mary

[Brad from Georgia] Jack didn't really have a "dating" thing going on with Mary. She was just sort of a nebulous employee.

[Jennifer] just a friend

[Laura Leff] Someone recently sent me scans from a radio stars book from around 1935 that includes Gracie, but not George.

[Josef] Huh

[Brad from Georgia] Jennifer--you iknow the rose story, don't you?

[Jennifer] thats strange

[Jennifer] no i dont

[Jennifer] what rose story

[Laura Leff] Ah...here we go...

[Laura Leff] Brad, it's all you, man.

[Josef] it's a touching story

[KayLhota] it is

[Jennifer] what is it?

[Brad from Georgia] After Jack died, a florist delivered one red rose a day to Mary. He explained that Jack had set it all up: "Send my Doll one rose a day so she'll know I haven't forgotten her."

[Laura Leff] *cue the sentimental music*

[Jennifer] thats very nice

[Josef] yeah it is

[Steve -shimp-] Of course, Jack never paid for flowers for her BEFORE he died.

[Brad from Georgia] It became an Internet "glurge" (sentimental story) some years later.

[Jennifer] oh

[Jennifer] if he hadn't paid for them how did they get to her?

[Laura Leff] I started to doubt it at one point, but then I interviewed the florist.

[Brad from Georgia] But it's true. When Eddie passed away, Jack's daughter Joan had the same florist send flowers to Carolyn.

[KayLhota] oh, that is so sweet

[Brad from Georgia] Jack established an account, and the interest paid for the roses.

[Jennifer] a chip off the old block

[KayLhota] wow

[Jennifer] wow

[Jennifer] then what

[Laura Leff] Then she got them every day until July 1, 1983 when she died and Jack could deliver the rose in person to her.

[Brad from Georgia] When we visited Jack's grave, I thought--too late--that we should have brought two red roses. Instead we left pebbles and two shiny pennies.

[Laura Leff] We had one red rose in a bud vase at the "Penny for Benny" celebration in December.

[Josef] This is when I wish I lived closer to California

[Brad from Georgia] Yes, I saw that. Wish I could have been there!

[KayLhota] yes

[Jennifer] it shouldve been two- one for jack and one for maru

[Jennifer] mary

[Jennifer] this is when i wish i lived in america

[Laura Leff] I always do one in the vase that's on the grave, because it's really *from* Jack *to* Mary, so it counts them both.

[Jennifer] oh

[Jennifer] thats nice

[Josef] yeah it is

[KayLhota] so sweet

[Laura Leff] But I can see the advocacy for two!

[Brad from Georgia] Ah, my lovely wife tells me fried chicken's on. It's been wild and a lot of fun! Next month, all! I don't really have any suggestions for a show. Maybe an Easter Parade one, if we haven't done them all?

[KayLhota] bye bye brad

[Jennifer] bye

[Steve -shimp-] bye brad

[Josef] bye Brad!

[Jennifer] im like easter parade

[Laura Leff] Brad - They're all so similar. Let me see what I can do.

[Brad from Georgia] Barbara says I'm a little late, so goodbye, folks!

[Laura Leff] Have a good one, Brad!

[Jennifer] next month on the 3rd its my birthday

User Brad from Georgia has logged out.

[Jennifer] bye

[Laura Leff] Late dinner as well...

[Laura Leff] So what else Benny-wise is on everyone's mind?

[Jennifer] bing crosby did a good jack thing yesterday

[Jennifer] it was a song about songs

[Josef] Well, I saw that Radio Spirits is putting out a collection of the Jack Benny vs. Fred Allen feud

[Steve -shimp-] I'm surpirsed Bing Crosby did ANYTHING yesterday...?

[Laura Leff] Steve - *snicker*

[Jennifer] i mean i saw him do it yesterday

[Josef] his ghost, must've been

[Steve -shimp-]

[Jennifer] it was a lucky strike parody

[Jennifer] it was very funny

[Josef] oh cool

[Laura Leff] Jennifer's got to see Goldie, Fields, and Glide

[KayLhota] Oh that's wonderful

[Josef] yes!

[Jennifer] what's that?

[Steve -shimp-] Oh, yes, a charming skit

[KayLhota] it is

[Laura Leff] You all tell her about it.

[Laura Leff] C'mon folks...I dropped the handkerchief, you pick it up.

[Steve -shimp-] George Burns was actually in a vaudeville act called "Goldie Fields and Glide"

[Jennifer] really?

[Steve -shimp-] and they adapted it as one of Jack's TV shows, that Jack and Bing were his partners

[Josef] But he and Jack would often do an act at parties if I'm correct

[Steve -shimp-] Although they really weren't in the vaudeville days

[Jennifer] oh

[Laura Leff] George had plenty of vaudeville partners, but Jack wasn't one of them.

[Jennifer] i find vaudeville very interesting

[Steve -shimp-] The original act was long before George met Gracie

[Jennifer] it's stage- right?

[Laura Leff] I even found a Variety review of it (stumbled onto it)...very lukewarm!

[Steve -shimp-] Yes - I think the original partners were childhood friends of George's from New York

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - That's correct.

[Josef] I saw it done with Jimmy Stewart as well. Kinda funny hearing him sing the MOTHER song

[Laura Leff] Josef - Jimmy Stewart or Gregory Peck?

[Jennifer] so what were goldie fields and glide?

[Josef] Jimmy Stewart.

[Jennifer] did they do jokes?

[Josef] It was like a song and dance routine

[Laura Leff] Josef - Television series or color special?

[Jennifer] oh

[Josef] tv series, I'm guessing early 60s

[Josef] or late 50s

[Jennifer] and vit was with bing, george and jack? That's impressive.

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - Yes...you'll enjoy it when you see it!

[Jennifer] i think ive seen a clip from the episode

[Josef] It's on youtube

[Jennifer] with rochester moving jack's hammock?

[Laura Leff] Ah well there you go...

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - Yes, that's it!

[Steve -shimp-] Yes, that's the one.

[Jennifer] but thats the only bit i saw

[Jennifer] then don comes in

[Laura Leff] Keep watching.

[Jennifer] jack shows him a scrapbook

[Jennifer] and there it cuts off

[Laura Leff] There may be a part 2

[Jennifer] no

[Steve -shimp-] It's funny how much nostalgia George continued to express for Vaudeville

[Jennifer] only that bit

[Steve -shimp-] I never got that same vibe from Jack

[Steve -shimp-] as their careers went on

[Laura Leff] Steve - Much like Fred Allen's "Much Ado About Me" book

[Josef] You can see Goldie Fields and Glide with Jimmy stewart on youtube if you search for it

[Jennifer] fred wrote a book?

[Steve -shimp-] Oh, I've never read that one - I should put it on the list.

[Josef] me too

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - Fred wrote a couple books. They're very good.

[KayLhota] Fred wrote at least 5 books

[Jennifer] is it true that he died when he walked down the street to get a newspaper?

[Laura Leff] Kay - I presume you're counting the ones of his letters?

[KayLhota] I have a friend that grew up in Dorchester MA near where Fred Allen once lived

[KayLhota] and she is a huge Fred Allen fan

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - He died on the sidewalk in New York when he was out for a walk...not sure if he was going for a newspaper.

[Jennifer] oh

[Jennifer] thats very sad

[Jennifer] what year was it?

[Laura Leff] And because he was out of the public eye, no one knew who he was for a while.

[Josef] that is sad

[Steve -shimp-] How so, LL, wasn't he on WHAT'S MY LINE at the time?

[KayLhota] Fred Allen was on TV on "What's My Line

[Jennifer] he must have been old, and barely recognizable

[Jennifer] ah

[KayLhota] no, he still looked like Fred Allen

[Josef] Yeah they did a special show for him didn't they?

[Jennifer] im a huge fan of what's my line

[Laura Leff] It was March 17...1957? Trying to remember between Lou Costello in 1959...or was it 1954...

[Laura Leff] Josef - Yes, they did

[KayLhota] maybe no one walked by him and knew who he was

[Jennifer] they've got the best guys on it

[Steve -shimp-] Yes, after he died, there's a special What's My Line, I'm pretty sure it's online.

[Jennifer] whats that about lou?

[KayLhota] MARCH 17 for Fred Allen

[Laura Leff] Crud, which year...BRB

[KayLhota] 1956

[Josef] Yeah, it's a sad episode

[Laura Leff] I know the date, but the year is escaping me

[KayLhota] and March 6 1959 for Lou Costello

[Jennifer] wow

[KayLhota] poor Laura running off to find the date before I could tell her

[Laura Leff] Kay - Right...1956. Had it triangulated but not nailed.

[Jennifer] what does lou do on it?

[KayLhota] I'm sorry. Lou's passing was on March 6 1959

[Steve -shimp-] Lou's not on the What's My Line, I think we were just noodling dates of death for famous comedians

[Josef] he didn't do anything on What's my Line, outside of being a guest

[Jennifer] was jack ever on whats my line?

[Josef] Yes, twice I believe

[Steve -shimp-] Yes. So was Rochester

[Laura Leff] Yes, the "What's My Line" for Fred is very touching. As is Jack's brief comments where he sounds like he's on the verge of tears all the time.

[Laura Leff] Ah-hah! (Those who have seen Jack on the show will get that.)

[Steve -shimp-] Roch trying to disguise his voice on What's My Line is hilarious.

[Steve -shimp-] and slightly painful looking

[Jennifer] jack seems like mr. daly and him were good friends

[Josef] Steve, I never saw that episode

[Steve -shimp-] I'm sure that clip's on youtube too.

[KayLhota] is it on you tube?

[Josef] I'm gonna check right now

[Josef] you're right, it is on youtube

[Jennifer] clips of whats my line are easy to find

[Laura Leff] Very good

[Jennifer] but its hard to find whole episodes

[Laura Leff] What else for discussion?

[Josef] that's true. I've only seen like one full episode

[Steve -shimp-] I think they ran them on Game Show Network for awhile.

[KayLhota] I have a story to share about hunting down my Dad's WW2 history

[Jennifer] ok

[Laura Leff] I've passed the 90% mark for reviewing the television shows for 39 Forever Volume 3.

[Laura Leff] Kay - Please do.

[Steve -shimp-] Congrats, LL!

[Jennifer] oh good

[Josef] yay!

[Steve -shimp-] I am so looking forward to Vol. 3

[Jennifer] me too

[KayLhota] My Dad was in Pilsen Czech in 1945 in the army

[Josef] I need to get vol. 1 & 2

[Jennifer] where volumes 1 and 2 different to each other in any way?

[Laura Leff] The only thing is that I just started a big new project for my client, with an ETA of July 1st. So I won't be able to get a lot of concentrated time on the book until late summer at the earliest.

[Jennifer] were

[Jennifer] oh

[KayLhota] he cut a few records with a small jazz band that he played in

[Steve -shimp-] It'll be worth the wait LL

[Jennifer] yes

[Jennifer] worth the wait

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - They just cover different dates - V1 1932 - spring 1942 and V2 fall 1942 to 1955.

[Jennifer] oh

[Laura Leff] Kay - Cool!

[Steve -shimp-] Do you have the records Kay?

[Laura Leff] What label?

[KayLhota] we had one 78 rpm which I just transferred from tape to MP3

[KayLhota] and I was looking to find something on the band and the musicians

[Jennifer] i like the pictures on the covers

[Jennifer] but the volume 1 one is quite strange

[KayLhota] I found a website about his army unit and a picture of him that I had never seen before

[Jennifer] is jack receiving a reward?

[Josef] That's neat Kay

[KayLhota] and a recording on amazon.com that I could download that was his "Boogie woogie" missing recording

[Jennifer] yes thats great

[Jennifer] what was the name of your grandfather?

[KayLhota] we had been hunting for it when he was alive

[Steve -shimp-] So neat!

[KayLhota] finding the recording and the pictures were so spooky

[Josef] I bet'

[Steve -shimp-] what's the name of the jazz combo?

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - That's a microphone...it's from a movie publicity painting

[KayLhota] "Bob Clithero and his Cavaliers"

[Jennifer] oh

[Jennifer] he looks quite young there

[KayLhota] the band sprung out of the 8th Army stationed in Czech

[Jennifer] how old was he?

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - Yes, I wanted a young-looking shot for those years. I think it is 1937 (so 43), but I'd have to double-check the original on my wall.

[Jennifer] its a good picture

[KayLhota] I know that my dad played for Bob Hope during the summer of 1945 when Bob Hope came with the USO show

[Jennifer] wow

[Josef] Jack's pictures are always cool to look at

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - I like it...wanted something in color, so that limited me for that era.

[Jennifer] yes

[Jennifer] i agree

[Laura Leff] Kay - I'm surprised he didn't have his own piano player

[KayLhota] jack Benny has the nicest face. Very good features.

[Jennifer] but color wasn't really around yet

[Josef] Yes he did

[Jennifer] yes

[Jennifer] jack does look nice

[Josef] Jennifer, it was, but expensive

[Jennifer] yes

[KayLhota] I think that the stars used to bring up talent from the army audience so that the guys could applaud one of their own

[Laura Leff] Rochester in color = Gone With the Wind

[Laura Leff] Kay - That makes a lot of sense.

[KayLhota] you've noticed it in the camp shows, haven't you?

[Jennifer] technicolor must've been REALLY expensive

[Josef] wait, he's in Gone with the Wind?

[Laura Leff] Josef - Sure is

[Jennifer] roch is in gone with the wind?

[Laura Leff] Yep

[KayLhota] they mention CO's and bring a few references in

[Steve -shimp-] Yes, he plays "Uncle Peter"

[Steve -shimp-] In heavy makeup

[Josef] I need to watch it again.

[Jennifer] what part did he play?

[Josef] Uncle Peter? Really?

[Jennifer] oh uncle peter

[Laura Leff] Kay - Yes, that's a point...they do play the bit parts. Hadn't thought of that. But they were so local, they could bring the band.

[KayLhota] he's Aunt Pittypat's Uncle peter.

[Laura Leff] He tries to kill a rooster

[Jennifer] roch looked nice just the way he was

[KayLhota] He has white hair and eyebrows made up to look old

[Laura Leff] But he looked too young for the role he was playing

[Jennifer] yes

[Josef] Kay, that's probably why never noticed

[Laura Leff] His voice is also rather moderated, so unless you're on the watch for it, you might not notice.

[Laura Leff] Like it's hard to notice Jack in Casablanca.

[Steve -shimp-] Oh my

[Laura Leff] *looking innocently at the ceiling*

[Steve -shimp-] the great debate

[Jennifer] is jack in casablanca or not?

[KayLhota]

[Steve -shimp-] I give up on that one.

[Laura Leff] Zubin Mehta tells me there's no way Jack was in Casablanca.

[KayLhota] I say not, but that's just me

[Laura Leff] I just smiled.

[Jennifer] im confused

[Laura Leff] Join the crowd

[Josef] I've never seen the movie to say yes or no (Casablanca that is)

[KayLhota] I see a man that looks a little like him in the crowd, but not him

[Jennifer] i havent seen it

[Steve -shimp-] You could see the movie six thousand times and not resolve this issue.

[KayLhota] I've frozen the DVD

[Jennifer] but ive heard that Bogie's in it.

[KayLhota]

[Laura Leff] Now THAT I can confirm.

[Jennifer] good

[Josef] Yeah, Bogie's the star. If you can't confirm that, well...

[KayLhota] laura, are you still in contact with Benny Rubin's family?

[Jennifer] who's benny rubin?

[Laura Leff] Kay - Oh sorry...I forgot to answer that. I was in touch with a niece of his, but haven't talked to her in a long time.

[KayLhota] a comic and a friend of Jack Benny

[Jennifer] good

[Steve -shimp-] Jennifer - he's in a million JB TV shows

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - And pretty extensive bit player on Jack's show--radio and TV. Look him up in the performer index.

[Jennifer] ok

[Steve -shimp-] You'd recognize his face instantly if you googled his picture.

[Jennifer] is california ok?

[KayLhota] Benny rubin is the man that came up with the name Jack Benny

[Laura Leff] Mary actually made her radio debut before Jack working with Benny Rubin in 1928 or so.

[Jennifer] mum just told me it got damaged by a tsunami?

[Steve -shimp-] Wow, is that true LL?

[Josef] oh wow Laura, did not know that

[Steve -shimp-] There's a neat factoid.

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - Ah, we're fine. A little damage, but we were far enough away that it wasn't a problem.

[Jennifer] a japanes one

[Jennifer] thats good

[Steve -shimp-] What was the radio program with Mary?

[Laura Leff] Steve - I found that in Rubin's book "Come Backstage With Me".

[Jennifer] i study japanese in class

[Jennifer] one of my subjects

[Laura Leff] Steve - He was doing a "pilot" program for his own series.

[KayLhota] cool!

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - Did you feel any of the effects of the quake?

[Jennifer] no

[Jennifer] it goes through power lines

[Laura Leff] OK, figured that was far enough away not to affect you.

[Jennifer] no

[Jennifer] just aren't any power surges here

[Jennifer] theyre's a big one in california

[Laura Leff] Or nuclear meltdowns, for that matter. Which is good

[Jennifer] no

[Laura Leff] A power surge in California?

[Jennifer] thays all usa

[Jennifer] yes

[Jennifer] a big one

[Laura Leff] I hadn't noticed.

[Laura Leff] We're just naturally powerful.

[Jennifer] its because of all of those power factories

[Jennifer] be careful

User Josef has logged out.

User Josef has entered this room.

[Josef] wow, server went wacky for a minute

[Jennifer] hi josef

[Steve -shimp-] welcome back Josef

[Josef] hi again

[Jennifer] what happened?

[Laura Leff] Good thing my computer is on a surge protector now.

[Josef] ask my computer

[Laura Leff] Maybe a power surge?

[Jennifer] yes

[Josef] maybe

[Jennifer] big power surges

[Jennifer] japan has a big one too

[Steve -shimp-] I am staying on the wifi and battery

[Jennifer] good

[Steve -shimp-] y'all are scaring me

[Laura Leff] But yeah...typical California, there was a big traffic jam of people trying to get away from the coast to higher ground, and another jam of people trying to get to the coast to watch the tsunami.

[Josef] I just took my laptop off the power cord and running on battery

[Jennifer] anjd new zealand had a big earthquake

[Josef] yes

[Jennifer] queensland had a big flood

[Laura Leff] Yeah, we'd better batton down the hatches.

[KayLhota] I saw the flood on the news a few weeks ago

[Jennifer] i was going to go holiday there in january

[Jennifer] i couldn't

[KayLhota] not with that kind of rain

[Laura Leff] Unless you really like swimming

[KayLhota] yeah

[Jennifer] yeah

[Josef] for sure

[Jennifer] all t6he theme parks got wrecked

[Laura Leff] You know, Jack never did any earthquake jokes...wonder what that would look like...

[KayLhota] the Boston area got flooded last march, but not like in australia

[Jennifer] and they're the only them parks we have here

[Jennifer] no disney land

[Jennifer] no im sure jack didn't want to upset any one

[Steve -shimp-] I wonder if Jack did have "off-limits" topics for jokes, aside from the obvious censorship issues

[Steve -shimp-] Apparently Gracie Allen wouldn't tolerate any gags about mice.

[Jennifer] i know that groucho did

[Laura Leff] I'm thinking of a couple TV shows where there are two workers (Mel and Benny Rubin, IIRC) who are trying to blast into Jack's vault because Jack lost the key, and Jack plays his violin as the house collapses around him as they blast.

[Josef] I've often wondered aboit that myself steve

[Laura Leff] Steve - Really?

[Steve -shimp-] I know Mary hated that "Get a little brown before they lower you down" gag

[Laura Leff] Steve - She must have hated Disney

[Steve -shimp-] Heh

[Laura Leff] Steve - I'm not that fond of that line myself...

[Josef] that line is just written weird

[Jennifer] she must've hated disney for bringing mickey into this world

[Josef] Jennifer

[Steve -shimp-] Yes, I know Gracie had some other things, like she wouldn't do any jokes about people with limps or other handicap type things, no matter how benign

[Josef] wow, did not know that

[Jennifer] too bad gracie died before george

[Jennifer] his depression must've been horrible

[Laura Leff] Some people get bent out of shape over Frank Fontaine's John L.C. Silvoney today, thinking that it makes fun of mentally ill people.

[Josef] really?

[Laura Leff] But then again, some people don't like Speedy Gonzalez because they say it makes fun of Mexicans

[Jennifer] but it doesn't

[Josef] Or Amos n Andy

[Steve -shimp-] I don't really see Silvoney as mentally disabled, more just from outer space or something.

[Jennifer] he always WINS

[Laura Leff] Steve - Same here. He sounds exactly like an old friend of mine who had cerebral palsy, but I don't think that's really what he was going for.

[Laura Leff] We may as well say Andy Devine makes fun of teenage boys whose voice is changing.

[Jennifer] some people get angry about the great gazoo, saying that he causes trouble for fred and barney and never does anything right

[Jennifer] makes fun of martians

[Josef] true Laura

[Josef] can't make fun of martians

[Laura Leff] I guess anyone can get angry about anything if they want to spin it hard enough!

[Steve -shimp-] I always got Silvoney confused with Stan Freberg's "one lump or two" WB lion character, I didn't realize Freberg was copying Fontaine.

[Laura Leff] Pete Puma

[Steve -shimp-] Pete Puma, that's it.

[Jennifer] i didn't realize that Stan Freberg was Baby Bear

[Laura Leff] And I got exposed to the characters in this order: Pete Puma, Crazy Guggenheim, and then Silvoney.

[Jennifer] in Looney Tunes

[KayLhota] Bea Benaderet was mama bear

[Josef] love Bea Benaderet

[Laura Leff] Stan Freberg supposedly played a camel on one radio episode of Jack's show...Jack brings him back from Egypt.

[Steve -shimp-] Baby Bear and Mama Bear in what show?

[Jennifer] and she did some great characters on the show

[KayLhota] not on jack but in a Chuck Jones cartoon

[Jennifer] like Kenny's girl

[Jennifer] what was her name?

[Laura Leff] Blanche Stewart

[Jennifer] oh sorry

[KayLhota] right

[Jennifer] got confused

[KayLhota] I was trying to remember her name

[Laura Leff] Or do you mean Kenny's girl's character name? Lena?

[Josef] me too

[KayLhota] Lena

[Jennifer] yeah lena

[Laura Leff] Hee hee hee hee hee

[Laura Leff] *Trying to imitate her laugh*

[Josef] wait I just got confused

[Jennifer] Mary: Kenny doesn't even deserve her

[Jennifer] Jack: Quiet, Mary!

[Jennifer] Lena: Hee hee hee hee hee hee

[KayLhota] Oh, now I've got to pull out the jack plays the bee episode

[Jennifer] Kenny: She was my New Year's date

[Laura Leff] I thought that was January 1st.

[Laura Leff] (Sorry, had to throw a comment from the peanut gallery.)

[Jennifer] jack's good at the inch-worm too

[KayLhota] I love how he swerves the song into "with Plenty of money and you"

[Jennifer] the gang's songs are wonderful

[Laura Leff] I played that show for Stuart Canin, because he thought Jack never played "The Bee"

[Josef] oh wow

[Jennifer] such as: have you got any castles, baby

[KayLhota] I can imagine his facial expression when the song swerves

[Laura Leff] Jack goes into "Plenty of Money and You" and Stuart snaps up at me and says, "THAT'S not 'The Bee'!"

[KayLhota]

[Laura Leff] Big smile and wide eyes

[Steve -shimp-] That's great.

[Josef] yeah it is

[KayLhota] that bit is so funny

[Jennifer] i love "getting to know you"

[Jennifer] jack's eyes

[Steve -shimp-] I really liked your interview with Stuart Canin, LL

[Laura Leff] Canin had just played "The Bee" for me here in the living room, so it was pretty cool.

[Jennifer] Stuart Canin?!

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - Oh yeah...that was one of the numbers that made me permanently fall in love with him.

[KayLhota] yes, that would have been a moment in paradise

[Jennifer] me too

[Laura Leff] Steve - Thank you. Credit really goes to Stuart, not me.

[Jennifer] he's so cute

[Jennifer] at one point i was going off him

[KayLhota] but, I love that you played the recording of Jack Benny playing the bee

[Jennifer] but that song brought me straight back

[Steve -shimp-] Well, you seem to have a real knack for getting good stories out of all these folks, so take some credit!

[KayLhota] yes

[Jennifer] and i fell in love with him all over again

[Laura Leff] Steve - Well, it's their good relationship with Jack that inspires the wonderful stories.

[Steve -shimp-] OK, play the old humble bit, but we know better

(some loss)

[Jennifer] i think that its great that the fan club's free

[Jennifer] it shows that even though jack's cheap

[Jennifer] you're not

[Jennifer] zubin sounds like a nice guy

[Josef] yeah

[Laura Leff] Or that we try for a price that even Jack would take!

[Jennifer] yeah

[Jennifer] anyone would take

[Jennifer] no spamk either

[Steve -shimp-] definitely the best return on investment I've seen

[Jennifer] in fact

[Steve -shimp-] OK, folks, I should head on out.

[Jennifer] this might be the best fan club ever made

[Jennifer] bye steve

[Steve -shimp-] yes indeed!

[Laura Leff] Take care, Steve. Good to "see" you again.

[Josef] bye Steve have a great nite!

[KayLhota] night steve

[Laura Leff] Well, thanks for being so supportive. I really do appreciate it.

[Jennifer] good night

[Steve -shimp-] Yes - my schedule makes it harder for me to make the chats these days but I'll try to be better

[Steve -shimp-] Night!

[Laura Leff] And on that note...should we call it good for this month?

[Josef] night!

[Jennifer] my schedules even harder

[Jennifer] school!

User Steve -shimp- has logged out.

[KayLhota] I guess so, Laura. it's been so fun

[Josef] I think so, I need to wake up at 4:30 tomorrow

[Jennifer] yes

[Laura Leff] Yes, it's been a great night.

[Jennifer] such a great fan club

[Josef] Sure is!

[Laura Leff] Thanks Jennifer for making it here this month!

[Jennifer] i'll keep on writing laura

[Laura Leff] And thanks to everyone who made this such a fun chat.

[KayLhota] please come again Jennifer

[Laura Leff] Jennifer - Please do!

[Jennifer] ill try

[Josef] Okay, have a great night. You're welcome, glad it was fun!

[Jennifer] too bad i have school

[Laura Leff] We'll wait for you to graduate.

[Jennifer] haha

[Jennifer] 'ok

[Laura Leff] OK, take care folks. See you next month!