John Tackaberry

[Yhtapmys]

These notes come the radio column of the Kansas City Star (by R.J.H.) written March 9, 1947. There are a lot of great little items of interest to anyone who is a fan of radio in that age, but I pass on some relevant to Jack's show...

Benny Scripts Sharp.
The Jack Benny show is having its best year in the fifteen or so it has been on the air and a big factor this season, among other things, is sharp writing. The man who heads up the Benny script department, John Tackaberry, is sort of a radio accident.
A former oil field worker and motor car salesman. Tackaberry became a top radio writer within a year after his arrival in Hollywood and a trick of fate put him there.
On New Year's day in 1942. He was listening to the radio at his home in Houston, Tex., and meditating on what he was doing to do to make a living. America had just entered the war and manufacture and sale of cars were under government control. Tackaberry heard Horace Heidt ask for comedy scripts.
Tackaberry wrote some and Heidt liked them. He soon was getting $75 a script and mailing them to Heidt who was on a tour. In a few months Tackaberry was called to Hollywood. By the summer 1943 he was writing for Jack Carson and was signed for the opening of the Benny show that year. He has been with Benny since, along with Sam Perrin. Milt Josefsberg and George Balzer.

Support a Big Factor.
One of the musts for the success of a show besides a good script and talented stars is a good supporting cast. Some programs that do all right in the first two departments, just don't have that something to really click and it is due to failure to take into consideration the importance of the minor parts.
Several shows come to mind that score in the supporting player department—Ozzie and Harriet, Eddie Bracken, Jack Benny, Fibber McGee and Molly and Gildersleeve.
For example, although most of the supporting roles on Ozzie and Harriet are small, a typical show last Sunday included the following: Verna Felton, John Brown, Joe Kearns, Cathy Lewis and Mary Jane Kroft. Bea Benaderet has a regular role but is off now, having become a mother again March 4.

Jack Benny will collect $40,000 for a week's engagement at the Rox theater in May.

Yhtapmys