IJBFC Chat - August 6, 2017
(Name of message originator appears right after the timestamp)
[4:59 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Hi folks!
[5:00 PM] R.Hookie: Hi Laura
[5:00 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Hey Hookie!
[5:00 PM] Tom Vorce: Hey there, Laura!
[5:00 PM] Laura Leibowitz: You know, there's an old
commercial I keep meaning to look for
[5:00 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Hi Tom!
[5:00 PM] R.Hookie: Hi Tom
[5:00 PM] Laura Leibowitz: But I'm pretty sure it's local
to a Grand Rapids area appliance chain.
[5:01 PM] Laura Leibowitz: I don't recall why it's been
playing in my mind recently, but it was pretty popular and cute at the time.
[5:01 PM] Tom Vorce: Hi R. Hookie!
[5:01 PM] Laura Leibowitz: So, Hookie, I'd ask you to go
look for it, but it probably wouldn't mean anything to you.
[5:01 PM] R.Hookie: You want me to research it?
[5:01 PM] Brad Strickland: Hi, everyone.
[5:01 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Hey Brad!
[5:01 PM] R.Hookie: Hi Brad
[5:02 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Hookie - If you really want
to. I don't want to send you on a search you won't find
interesting.
[5:02 PM] Tom Vorce: Hello Brad!
[5:02 PM] R.Hookie: I might find it... about when was it
on?
[5:02 PM] Brad Strickland: Hi, Tom, Hookie, Boss Lady!
[5:02 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Hookie - Late 70s-early 80s, was
for Highland Appliance.
[5:03 PM] R.Hookie: Got it... I'll find it
[5:03 PM] Laura Leibowitz: The woman of the house has
gotten new appliances in her kitchen, and made up this gourmet meal and
announces it to her family
[5:03 PM] Laura Leibowitz: The punch line is her son
saying, "What ever happened to hamburger ala ketchup?"
[5:04 PM] R.Hookie: Good stuff to go on... I'll be digging
through some files later
[5:04 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Great, thank you!
[5:04 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Brad/Tom - Hookie is known for
unearthing old commercials.
[5:05 PM] Tom Vorce: That's cool!
[5:05 PM] Brad Strickland: The other day I was trying to
remember a commercial jingle. The first ATM in our part of the country was
dubbed "Tillie the All-Time Teller." She was a big-eyed cartoon girl
in a bonnet, and there was a little song she sang, sort of with an "East
Side, West Side" lilt, but all I can recall is "I'm Tillie the
All-Time Teller, I work at First National Bank...." Then I blank out, and
though I found Tillie's picture on Google, I couldn't find the song or lyrids.
[5:05 PM] Brad Strickland: Lyrics.
[5:05 PM] R.Hookie: The weirdest one was a Star Wars themed
Old Dutch potato chip commercial
[5:06 PM] Brad Strickland: I remember Ernie Kovacs hawking
Dutch Masters cigars!
[5:06 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Hookie - does it compete with
Stan Freberg's old ads?
[5:06 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Brad - Talk about the man who
knows!
[5:06 PM] R.Hookie: hold on
[5:06 PM] Brad Strickland: I put a mention of the Dutch
Masters commercials in one of the kids' books I wrote. It was one of the
Bellairs series, set in the 1950s.
[5:08 PM] R.Hookie:
File
uploaded: Old Dutch star wars.webm
[https://s3.amazonaws.com/uploads.hipchat.com/598646/4071820/y1SsTKFCvhbKcLI/Old%20Dutch%20star%20wars.webm]
[5:08 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Let's give folks until 5:15 (my
time) and we'll start the show.
[5:09 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Well, uh....it's better than
"Jet Benny."
[5:09 PM] R.Hookie: I guess it needs converting... like
rice
[5:09 PM] R.Hookie: Did you see it?
[5:09 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Yeah, just watched it from your
link above.
[5:10 PM] Brad Strickland: Mine says I need an app to play
it, which evidently I don't got.
[5:10 PM] R.Hookie: Hmmm... it won't play out here...
[5:10 PM] Laura Leibowitz: I opted for download and then
opened it with Firefox.
[5:10 PM] R.Hookie: Oh, well, I've seen it
[5:10 PM] Brad Strickland: My computer can't find an app to
play a .webm file.
[5:10 PM] Tom Vorce: Same here....says I need to download
it first.
[5:10 PM] Brad Strickland: And I don't have Firefox, just
Chrome.
[5:11 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Oh well...
[5:11 PM] R.Hookie: You're not mising out on much
[5:11 PM] Laura Leibowitz: In the interest of killing time
by shameless name dropping...
[5:11 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Joanna (Jack's youngest
granddaughter) and her family came over to my house yesterday.
[5:12 PM] R.Hookie: She was the one at the piano?
[5:12 PM] Laura Leibowitz: That's Joanna's daughter on the
piano, Joanna's shooting the video. So technically it's Jack's
great-granddaughter at the piano.
[5:13 PM] R.Hookie: I knew that after I typed it
[5:13 PM] Laura Leibowitz: And two of Jack's
great-grandsons, Brandon and Justin were here too.
[5:14 PM] Brad Strickland: Wow!
[5:14 PM] R.Hookie: Was it a good visit?
[5:14 PM] Tom Vorce: Wow! is right!
[5:14 PM] Laura Leibowitz: I think so...they seemed to
enjoy the collection.
[5:14 PM] Laura Leibowitz: I think Joanna was a little
surprised that I do more than just her grandfather.
[5:15 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Many people say my house is a
museum.
[5:15 PM] Brad Strickland: Who else do you, uh,
"do?"
[5:15 PM] R.Hookie: There it goes...
[5:15 PM] Brad Strickland: "Their house is a museum,
when people come to see 'em, they really are a srea-um,"
[5:15 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Oh, she was asking about an old
steamer trunk I have on display with vintage hats, gloves, clothes
[5:16 PM] R.Hookie: I just call that a closet
[5:16 PM] Brad Strickland: Misspelled screa-um. Now, HOW
does a person manage to do THAT?
[5:16 PM] Tom Vorce: LOL
[5:16 PM] R.Hookie: snap - snap
[5:16 PM] Laura Leibowitz: OK...I can't remember who
requested we do a Suspense show, but I don't believe they're here...
[5:17 PM] Laura Leibowitz: And Brad, I know you don't like
the Suspense shows...
[5:17 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Was going to do "Good and
Faithful Servant"
[5:17 PM] Brad Strickland: I can take 'em or leave 'em.
Jack's just usually subdued in them.
[5:17 PM] Michael Amowitz: Jello folks
[5:17 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Hey Mike!
[5:17 PM] R.Hookie: About Rochester?
[5:17 PM] Brad Strickland: Hi, Michael!
[5:18 PM] Tom Vorce: Hi Michael!
[5:18 PM] R.Hookie: Hey Michael
[5:18 PM] Laura Leibowitz: You've been missed, Mike.
[5:18 PM] Laura Leibowitz: So do you want to do the
Suspense show, or I can go grab something else.
[5:19 PM] Tom Vorce: I'm fine with whatever you all want to
do!
[5:19 PM] R.Hookie: I'm in for anything
[5:19 PM] Laura Leibowitz: OK, let's roll with it
then. Stand by...
[5:19 PM] Brad Strickland: I'm OK with it if everyone else
wants to hear it. We just got a severe-weather warning, btw, so I may lose the
connection anyhow.
[5:19 PM] R.Hookie: Right now Maude's on in the background
[5:19 PM] Laura Leibowitz:
https://www.watch2gether.com/rooms/ijbfc-mbrm7osc3l5p85x3t9
[5:20 PM] Laura Leibowitz: If anyone comes to the chat room
with the show in progress, please click the above link to join us!
[5:26 PM] Michael Amowitz: I remember Kovacs and Dutch
Masters...can't download the Dutch commercial. I also think I remember this Jack
in Suspense episdoe
[5:27 PM] Michael Amowitz: Yeeeessss!
[5:27 PM] Michael Amowitz: episode even
[5:28 PM] HipChat: Hi @Tracy! Welcome to Hipchat. You can
@-mention me by typing @HipChat and I'll tell you what HipChat can do!
[5:51 PM] R.Hookie: Rather entertaining
[5:51 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Jack sounds kind of automatic on
his lines.
[5:51 PM] Brad Strickland: It was OK, but...subdued.
[5:51 PM] Michael Amowitz: I heard it a few years ago on
Radio Spirits
[5:52 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Yes, subdued is a good word for
it.
[5:52 PM] Brad Strickland: The conclusion was kind of
anticlimactic, I thought.
[5:52 PM] Michael Amowitz: I enjoyed it :)
[5:52 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Is there someone who would have
played it better?
[5:52 PM] Brad Strickland: The squirrels ruined it for me.
[5:52 PM] Tom Vorce: I recognize Hy Averback, as the main
director on the first two seasons of "The Real McCoys."
[5:52 PM] Brad Strickland: Averback and Kearns are all over
OTR.
[5:52 PM] Tom Vorce: I enjoyed it, too.
[5:52 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Brad - Drat those squirrels!
[5:53 PM] R.Hookie: Maybe Les Nessman
[5:53 PM] Tom Vorce: I'm a bit ignorant of OTR, I'm afraid!
[5:53 PM] Brad Strickland: I have a squirrel story, much
too long to tell, that shows you what devils they are.
[5:53 PM] Tracy: was "Murder in G-Flat" also an
episode of Suspense?
[5:53 PM] Laura Leibowitz: In Norma Varden's obit, it
listed her working with Jack.
[5:53 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Tracy - Sure was!
[5:53 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Tom - Oh my, you've come to the
right place to get educated if you want.
[5:53 PM] Tracy: Tom, Don't worry! This is an
awesome hobby!
[5:53 PM] Tom Vorce: That's good!!
[5:53 PM] Brad Strickland: Tom, I listen a lot to Sirius XM
and hear a ton of shows I'm not really interested in, but I hear a lot of
familiar voices.
[5:54 PM] Tracy: Or... way more than a hobby
for some (me)... more like an obsession! lol
[5:54 PM] Laura Leibowitz: I had her obit in one of the
earliest issues of the Jack Benny Times, and always kept an eye out for them
working together. I think the writer got her mixed up with Verna
Felton.
[5:54 PM] Brad Strickland: Once Kearns did the voice of
Franklin Delano Roosevelt . . . but he sounded like Dennis the Menace's
next-door neighbor, Mr. Wilson.
[5:54 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Seems a lot of people who get
into OTR go deep into obsession on it!
[5:54 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Brad - Wrong fireplace, I
suppose.
[5:55 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Tom - Did you come to Jack by
way of television?
[5:55 PM] Tom Vorce: Yes I did, Laura.
[5:55 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Fireside, more like...
[5:55 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Tom - How much have you heard
the radio programs thus far?
[5:55 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Like the regular series?
[5:55 PM] Brad Strickland: I've discovered a few OTR shows
I enjoy: Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. The radio version of Gunsmoke. Jack, of
course, and to a lesser degree Burns and Allen. I even chuckle a little at Lum
and Abner occasionally.
[5:55 PM] Tracy: It was odd hearing Jack push the woman
into the vault. Even that mild violence seemed strange
[5:56 PM] Tom Vorce: Yes, the regular
series. No, I've heard very little OTR.
[5:56 PM] Tracy: Brad, Jack is by far my favorite, but I
love the science fiction too.
[5:56 PM] Brad Strickland: It's not surprising that Jack
had kept the fifty thousand intact. It WAS surprising he would so blithely
surrender it.
[5:57 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Some day I'll find out what
inspired him to start doing Suspense shows. Maybe it was an
invitation from Elliott Lewis, I don't know.
[5:57 PM] Tracy: I can't picture Jack being physical with
anyone...
[5:57 PM] Tracy: Maybe he just wanted to do something
different?
[5:57 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Tracy - You should have seen the
big fight in "Buck Benny Rides Again"!
[5:57 PM] Brad Strickland: Speaking of which, I've just
directed my first show for the Atlanta Radio Theatre--H.P. Lovecraft's "The
Thing on the Doorstep." It will be out soon. Next I'm up to direct
"Terrific Park," an adaptation of a George Alec Effinger
science-fiction story.
[5:58 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Maybe, but he had his radio
series at this time, was on the verge of starting television...he had enough to
do.
[5:58 PM] Tracy: I've never seen Jack in any movie except
for his cameo in Mad Mad Mad world
[5:58 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Any recommendations from the
audience for Tom to branch out into OTR more?
[5:58 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Tracy - You haven't seen
"To Be or Not To Be"?
[5:59 PM] Brad Strickland: Fred Allen is witty, but I don't
enjoy it as much as Jack's shows.
[5:59 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Burns and Allen is a good place
to start.
[5:59 PM] Michael Amowitz: I'd say Fred Allen, but all the
topical references would fly by :)
[5:59 PM] Brad Strickland: Bob Hope, no, the jokes are
stale because they're mostly topical.
[5:59 PM] Tracy: Tom, My first episode of the Jack Benny
program was "Wings of a Hawk"... 1953 I
think.. I was hooked by that one
[5:59 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Fibber McGee and Molly
[5:59 PM] Tracy: Of course, War of the Worlds... orson
welles
[5:59 PM] R.Hookie: I liked George Washington Slept Here
[5:59 PM] Tracy: and the lore with it
[5:59 PM] Michael Amowitz: Burns and Allen is fairly
timeless too, LL :)
[5:59 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Hookie - I think you and I may
be the only ones...
[5:59 PM] Tom Vorce: I like "Burns and Allen" on
their TV series, maybe I'll check them out, too.
[6:00 PM] Tracy: Laura, No, nothing!
[6:00 PM] Brad Strickland: "Our Miss Brooks," but
that's only because I spent so many years as a teacher and I like Eve Arden's
voice.
[6:00 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Tracy - To Be...is definitely
the pinnacle of Jack's movie career.
[6:00 PM] Tom Vorce: Thanks for the suggestions, everyone.
[6:00 PM] Tracy: Odd... since he is my favorite performer
of all time...
[6:01 PM] Tracy: I am curious about "Horn Blows at
Midnight" because of all the jokes... lol
[6:01 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Tracy - If you want to start at
the top, start there. And let us know when you're ready for more!
[6:01 PM] R.Hookie: I like Our Miss Brooks too
[6:01 PM] Tracy: Ok, I will watch it and let you know!
[6:01 PM] Laura Leibowitz: That's a funny one...I've heard
a lot of people say "it's not so bad."
[6:01 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Thoughts from others on Horn?
[6:01 PM] Brad Strickland: Tracy--the "War of the
Worlds" that we always hear is a rehearsal recording. Unless it's turned up
recently, the broadcast recording seems to be lost.
[6:02 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Tracy/Tom - Actually, you both
might be interested to hear the Ford Theatre version of "The Horn Blows at
Midnight."
[6:02 PM] Brad Strickland: I've had worse root canals than
"Horn."
[6:02 PM] Tom Vorce: I need to watch Jack's movies, too!
[6:02 PM] Laura Leibowitz: A lot of people say that they
think it's better than the movie.
[6:02 PM] Tracy: Brad, I've heard that the recording is
actually a hasty "post broadcast" recording done the next
day. I'll look into that
[6:02 PM] Brad Strickland: It's funny, actually--but it
gets clunky when it goes for physical comedy rather than personality comedy.
[6:02 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Tom - And Omnibus did a TV
version. If you need a disc of it, drop me an E-mail.
[6:02 PM] Michael Amowitz: By me, the movie was better
[6:03 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Yeah, Jack doing physical comedy
never quite works for me.
[6:03 PM] Brad Strickland: Might be, Tracy. I was surprised
to learn it wasn't the broadcast version.
[6:03 PM] Tom Vorce: OK, Laura.
[6:03 PM] Brad Strickland: Well, Laura, most of the
physical stuff looked like a not-very-close stunt double was doing it.
[6:03 PM] Michael Amowitz: I'm easily pleased when it comes
to Benny
[6:03 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Yes, but even the close-up of
Jack being doused in the coffee cup.
[6:04 PM] Brad Strickland: Me, too, Mike.
[6:04 PM] Laura Leibowitz: But people do seem to be on the
50+% of it on the rotten tomatoes score....
[6:04 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Haven't looked that up, just
saying that from my own experience of hearing people talk about it.
[6:05 PM] Brad Strickland: Sirius recently played the
"Your money or your life" show. I was surprised at how crisp the
recording seems--and it was the first time I noticed that Jack was suffering
from a cold when he did the show.
[6:05 PM] Laura Leibowitz: So what else Benny-wise is on
folks' minds?
[6:05 PM] Tracy: Michael, me too actually..
[6:05 PM] Tracy: something about his delivery, gentle
humor,...
[6:05 PM] Tracy: makes me happy when I'm listening
[6:05 PM] Michael Amowitz: I enjoyed the great
garanddaughter video
[6:05 PM] Brad Strickland: I think Jack could have done
very well in a straight role if one had ever come his way. He didn't have a good
range, but his voice acting is nuanced and of course splendidly times.
[6:06 PM] Laura Leibowitz: They're a great family.
[6:06 PM] Michael Amowitz: oops speling
[6:06 PM] Laura Leibowitz: That's one of the distinctions
between a comedian and a comedic actor.
[6:06 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Cary Grant was a comedic actor.
[6:06 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Jack was a comedic actor.
[6:07 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Bob Hope...did he ever do a
serious role?
[6:07 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Milton Berle...comedian.
[6:07 PM] Michael Amowitz: I thought he played "To Be
or Not to Be" fairly straight :)
[6:08 PM] R.Hookie: Didn't Miltie just steal from others?
[6:08 PM] Tom Vorce: Milton Berle did a good dramatic role
on a "Big Valley" episode.
[6:08 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Yes...and the role was written
for him. That's why Jack qualifies as a comedic actor.
[6:08 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Tom - Indeed!
[6:08 PM] Tracy: Was watching an old episode of Big Bang
Theory with some friends last night. We marveled at a particular
scene where the timing of the characters actions with no dialog was important,
and very well done
[6:08 PM] Tracy: made me think of Jack!
[6:08 PM] Laura Leibowitz: I wouldn't be surprised if
someone behind the scenes is a fan.
[6:08 PM] Brad Strickland: BTW, I'm reading "The
Comedians" by Kliph Nesteroff. The thesis is, succinctly, comedians are
usually horrible people. The book has a scant few pages on Jack Benny: Other
comedians hated him because he stole their gags. And he was a smuggler! And . .
. people have completely forgotten him. And that's about it for Jack.
[6:09 PM] Laura Leibowitz: One of the talking heads on the
so-called "History of Comedy."
[6:09 PM] Tom Vorce: Big Bang- one of the few modern day
sit-coms that I think is excellent!
[6:09 PM] R.Hookie: I bet that would be Chuck Lorre
[6:09 PM] Laura Leibowitz: History of comedy that had its
first episode talking about cursing in comedy.
[6:10 PM] Laura Leibowitz: So history stops around the
mid-1960s, I guess.
[6:10 PM] Laura Leibowitz: OK, off my soapbox.
[6:10 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Any requests for next month?
[6:10 PM] Brad Strickland: Nesteroff has long passages on
comics I've never heard of being busted repeatedly on morals issues, primarily
working blue.
[6:11 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Brad - B.F. Keith was long dead
by that time, if you know what I mean.
[6:11 PM] Tracy: Jack, the International Jewelry
Smuggler! lol
[6:11 PM] Laura Leibowitz: He was a patsy...he was just a
patsy...
[6:11 PM] Tracy: Hmmmmm...
[6:12 PM] Tracy: lol
[6:12 PM] Brad Strickland: OK, next month . . . how about
one from the borrowed-Oscar arc? Maybe not "Your money or your life."
The one with Bing Crosby as guest?'
[6:12 PM] Laura Leibowitz: I'm OK with that.
[6:12 PM] Tom Vorce: Any featuring Jack and the
Maxwell?? Why he kept it. Always wondered about that.
[6:12 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Tom - Maybe the Just Plain Bill
episode...
[6:12 PM] Tracy: Was June Foray ever on his
show? That would be cool to do next month!
[6:12 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Where Jack is looking at the
possibility of buying a new car
[6:13 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Tracy - Oh good point...
[6:13 PM] Brad Strickland: Tom, he donated it to the scrap
drive in WWII. But I think it turned out to be 4-f and returned after the war
was over.
[6:13 PM] Tom Vorce: OK, Laura.
[6:13 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Yeah, the Maxwell reappears with
little explanation eventually....
[6:13 PM] Tracy: I wonder if her and Mel ever did anything
together?
[6:13 PM] Tom Vorce: LOL, that's fitting, Brad.
[6:13 PM] Brad Strickland: Oh, man, I once saw June Foray
on a voice-actors panel. The other talents gave her a standing ovation. They
obviously respected and loved her.
[6:13 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Hm...not the regular radio
series...
[6:14 PM] Laura Leibowitz: There's one from the TV series,
but I don't have it and it's not in circulation...
[6:14 PM] Tracy: bummer
[6:14 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Looks like that's it for June
Foray on Jack's regular series.
[6:15 PM] Laura Leibowitz: OK, so how about Just Plain
Bill?
[6:15 PM] Brad Strickland: Works for me.
[6:15 PM] Michael Amowitz: Bummer
[6:15 PM] R.Hookie: I'm in for anything
[6:15 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Actually...I'm wondering if I've
got my wires crossed....
[6:15 PM] Tom Vorce: I'd like that one, Laura!
[6:15 PM] Tracy: You can't pick something I wouldn't like
[6:16 PM] Laura Leibowitz: I'll go looking for
it. They may have done it on another program.
[6:16 PM] Laura Leibowitz: But I swear I've heard it.
[6:16 PM] Brad Strickland: Weather's kicking up now. I'm
gonna sign off. Good night!
[6:16 PM] Laura Leibowitz: OK...let's call it good for
tonight then.
[6:16 PM] R.Hookie: Good night Brad
[6:16 PM] Laura Leibowitz: Thanks for stopping,
folks! I'll see you next month.
[6:16 PM] R.Hookie: Good night folks!
[6:17 PM] Tracy: Nite!
[6:17 PM] Tom Vorce: Good night,
everyone. Thanks for your interesting chit-chat!
[6:17 PM] Michael Amowitz: Goodnight y'all!