Benny Rubin Dislikes Kitzel

[Yhtapmys]

Here's an AP column dated February 27, 1963. Incidentally, his appearance on Brave Eagle was Jan. 18, 1956.

Benny Rubin Plays First Jewish Role On Television
HOLLYWOOD – A relatively small but nonetheless significant event takes place on ABC’s “77 Sunset Strip” series this Friday night.
Benny Rubin, one of the great dialect comedians in show business, plays his first Jewish character part since 1938.
You’re nuts, somebody will say. We see him on Jack Benny’s show all the time.
But on Jack’s show, Benny Rubin does not play Jewish characters. Three weeks ago, he was an Arab in a commercial with Don Wilson. “And maybe you think that didn’t cause some trouble with my Jewish friends,” Says Benny.
On Tuesday of this week, he was a stagehand on Jack's show, but just a mug type with no particular ancestral identification.
“I quit doing Jewish characters because the movie producers held a meeting in 1938 and banned them from all pictures,” Benny recalls.
“A CAMPAIGN BY Walter Winchell started it. He and the movie moguls decided that because of Hitler and his treatment of the Jews, it was better not to play up Jewish accents. The funny part of it was that Winchell in the next paragraph would quote his favorite character, ‘Mcfoosky.’”
A score or more of Jewish dialect comedians suddenly had no work, says Benny, and few prospects. The late Fanny Brice went into radio and became the non-Jewish “Baby Snooks.” Lou Holtz had just signed with movie-producer David O. Selznick and suddenly found himself canceled. Bert Gordon moved over to Eddie Cantor’s radio show to become the “Mad Russian.”
Benny Rubin opened a dress shop. When it didn’t go, he began peddling barbecue barrels for Beverly Hills’ first patios. Later, he got into radio as host and star of a show called “Best of the Week.” Benny’s salary was $23 per show.
SINCE THEN, BENNY has managed to do all right, although nothing like his days as a vaudeville headliner and movie character actor. TV, radio and movies still shy away from Jewish and Negro dialects.
“I’d rather not do the Jewish characters they do have, the way they are written,” says Benny. He was about to turn down the one on Friday’s “77 Sunset Strip.”
“When I saw the script, I almost cried. One line had this Jewish clothier asking Edd Byrnes, “Would you like your pants I should matching by the coat?” Can you imagine anyone taking gibberish like that? Then I went to the director with it, and he told me to say the lines the way I wanted. We did it in one take.”
Benny never liked the way the late Artie Auerbach did his Kittzel [sic] character for Jack Benny’s show.
“I thought it was phony. There are ways to do these things so that the character is made warm,” says Benny.
SEVERAL YEARS AGO, Herb Leonard, who now produces “Naked City,” was looking for an Indian to put in the “Rin Tin Tin” series. Someone on his staff suggested Benny Rubin, who makes up looking more Indian than Sitting Bull himself.
“I don’t want a Jewish Indian,” snapped Leonard.
A week later, he came storming into his office and began chewing out his assistant. “Why do I have to be casting director besides everything else? Last night on TV I saw the perfect Indian on a series called ‘Brave Eagle.’ Get him for me,” Leonard stormed.
The Indian from “Brave Eagle” was procured as instructed and a few weeks later Leonard was in the projection room looking at the first film of his new Indian
“Now there’s an Indian!” shouted Leonard. “Nothing phony or Jewish about him! By the way who is he?”
“The one you saw on ‘Brave Eagle,’” replied his assistant.
“I know that but what’s his name?”
“Benny Rubin,” murmured the scared assistant, who probably is still running.

Transcribed by Yhtapmys

[scottp]

This week I happened to come onto some "Good News of 1940" broadcasts which have Fanny Brice among the regulars, with Benny Rubin and Lou Holtz among the guests. However, my listening/sleeping patterns play havoc with one-hour shows. So far, I keep missing Benny Rubin's parts...

[scottp]

Correction: Benny Rubin seems to have been a regular rather than a guest.