2 expert ?'s - English horses and no respect?

[DerekJ]

1) I seem to remember hearing a Mel Blanc radio gag described (and not even sure of that) so was thinking it sounded silly enough to be from a Benny episode, but just wanted to check--
All I remember is, jokes about the characters being at the English derby races, a mention of "those fine English-bred horses", and Blanc(?) providing the sound effect:
"(WHINN-nnnyspluttercoughandallthatyouknow)"

Again, not sure if this was radio or TV, let alone Benny, but just wanted to be sure my memory hadn't short-circuited...

2) Okay, so I'm not the only one who sniggers when Jack does his radio gag of "all his Hollywood celebrity friends", reads off a list of bizarre nobody names, and that no-respect nobody "Rodney Dangerfield" is always mentioned at the top of the list--
I assume Rodney must have been working at the (40's) time, so writers would've heard the name and thought it sounded funny, but was the real Rodney actively straightening his tie in anything at the time?

[LLeff]

1) I seem to remember hearing a Mel Blanc radio gag described (and not even sure of that) so was thinking it sounded silly enough to be from a Benny episode, but just wanted to check--
All I remember is, jokes about the characters being at the English derby races, a mention of "those fine English-bred horses", and Blanc(?) providing the sound effect:
"(WHINN-nnnyspluttercoughandallthatyouknow)"

Mel Blanc definitely did an English horse imitation, on both radio and television. I've seen him do it as part of an Amateur Show on television, but you probably heard that on radio. Can't give you an exact date yet...ask me next year when I'm further into research for 39 Forever Volume 2.

2) Okay, so I'm not the only one who sniggers when Jack does his radio gag of "all his Hollywood celebrity friends", reads off a list of bizarre nobody names, and that no-respect nobody "Rodney Dangerfield" is always mentioned at the top of the list--
I assume Rodney must have been working at the (40's) time, so writers would've heard the name and thought it sounded funny, but was the real Rodney actively straightening his tie in anything at the time?

No, Rodney didn't start working as a comedian until the 1960s (I had the same question myself). I sent a query to today's Mr. Dangerfield asking if there was an intentional connection with the Benny gag. No answer. The name is so unusual that I can't believe it's pure coincidence. However, I don't have evidence to substantiate a definite connection between the two.

[Guest]

2) Okay, so I'm not the only one who sniggers when Jack does his radio gag of "all his Hollywood celebrity friends", reads off a list of bizarre nobody names, and that no-respect nobody "Rodney Dangerfield" is always mentioned at the top of the list--
I assume Rodney must have been working at the (40's) time, so writers would've heard the name and thought it sounded funny, but was the real Rodney actively straightening his tie in anything at the time?

No, Rodney didn't start working as a comedian until the 1960s (I had the same question myself). I sent a query to today's Mr. Dangerfield asking if there was an intentional connection with the Benny gag. No answer. The name is so unusual that I can't believe it's pure coincidence. However, I don't have evidence to substantiate a definite connection between the two.[/quote]

After finally checking IMDB.com (IMDB is Your Friend!tm), the other theory, of course, is that--like most Jewish comics breaking into the mainstream--"Jacob Cohen" (who also worked under "Jack Roy" for a while") could have borrowed the name from hearing it on JB (since the running gag might've also turned up on the 50's TV eps.), and also thought it sounded implausibly funny.

...But, as pointed out, we may never know.

[_bill]

on the radio, the Mel Blanc as English horse was on the Feb 08, 1953 show - about 20 minutes in. On TV, it was on the Dec 25, 1962 show and one of the tonight show appearnces with Jack and Mel. In his book, Milt Josefsberg recalls it was a time they went to the race track (perhaps in the dream sequence), but I can't find that one.

[LLeff]

In his book, Milt Josefsberg recalls it was a time they went to the race track (perhaps in the dream sequence), but I can't find that one.

Check out the show for this month's (May 2) IJBFC chat...I haven't heard the show in a while, but there's definitely a dream sequence and a race track.

[Gerry O.]

2) Okay, so I'm not the only one who sniggers when Jack does his radio gag of "all his Hollywood celebrity friends", reads off a list of bizarre nobody names, and that no-respect nobody "Rodney Dangerfield" is always mentioned at the top of the list--
I assume Rodney must have been working at the (40's) time, so writers would've heard the name and thought it sounded funny, but was the real Rodney actively straightening his tie in anything at the time?

No, Rodney didn't start working as a comedian until the 1960s (I had the same question myself). I sent a query to today's Mr. Dangerfield asking if there was an intentional connection with the Benny gag. No answer. The name is so unusual that I can't believe it's pure coincidence. However, I don't have evidence to substantiate a definite connection between the two.

After finally checking IMDB.com (IMDB is Your Friend!tm), the other theory, of course, is that--like most Jewish comics breaking into the mainstream--"Jacob Cohen" (who also worked under "Jack Roy" for a while") could have borrowed the name from hearing it on JB (since the running gag might've also turned up on the 50's TV eps.), and also thought it sounded implausibly funny.

...But, as pointed out, we may never know.[/quote]

It's VERY possible that the present-day Rodney Dangerfield heard the name on a Jack Benny radio broadcast and remembered it years later....Rodney has often said that he has always been a BIG Jack Benny fan, and he even admitted that he patterned his "No Respect" character and gags after Jack. Rodney would say of Jack's character, "Here's a guy who's a famous Hollywood star and ordinary people like store clerks and waiters are giving him all kinds of CRAP!" (Rodney's words, not mine!).

Rodney also likes to tell of when he was just starting to become famous and Jack Benny visited Rodney in his dressing room and told him how funny his "No Respect" character was. Rodney said that that was THE high point of his entire career as a comedian!

[_bill]

Check out the show for this month's (May 2) IJBFC chat...I haven't heard the show in a while, but there's definitely a dream sequence and a race track.

Yep, it's in that one too... A little after 22 minutes in, 1954-May 02.