Jack in a Classic Play?

[Brad from Georgia]

Gary Fishgall's book Gregory Peck: A Biography mentions on page 143 that on December 25, 1949, CBS broadcast an adaptation of the Kaufmann and Hart comedy The Man Who Came to Dinner. The cast included Peck, Henry Fonda, John Garfield, Charles Boyer, Gene Kelly, Rosalind Russell and Dorothy MacGuire. And starring as Sheridan Whiteside was Jack Benny!

Now, I really liked Monty Woolley's interpretation of that character (supposedly based on Alexander Woollcott, radio's "Town Crier") in the movie. But I can really see Jack turning in a great performance as the waspish, demanding, pernickety Whiteside!

Is there a recording of this broadcast? I'd love to hear it!

[Gerry O.]

Gary Fishgall's book Gregory Peck: A Biography mentions on page 143 that on December 25, 1949, CBS broadcast an adaptation of the Kaufmann and Hart comedy The Man Who Came to Dinner. The cast included Peck, Henry Fonda, John Garfield, Charles Boyer, Gene Kelly, Rosalind Russell and Dorothy MacGuire. And starring as Sheridan Whiteside was Jack Benny!

Now, I really liked Monty Woolley's interpretation of that character (supposedly based on Alexander Woollcott, radio's "Town Crier") in the movie. But I can really see Jack turning in a great performance as the waspish, demanding, pernickety Whiteside!

Is there a recording of this broadcast? I'd love to hear it!

Yes, there is...in fact, I think that it's available from this website's archives.

I hate to throw cold water on things, but as much as I love Jack Benny, I just couldn't get into him as Sheridan Whiteside.....Jack just wasn't NASTY enough!

Actually, Whiteside's witty insults and one-liners are more of the "Fred Allen" school of comedy. In fact, I could see Fred playing Whiteside very easily!

I just always think of Jack as being the victim of other people's insults, so when I heard him dishing it out instead of taking it, something just didn't feel right about the whole thing.

[Brad from Georgia]

You're right, it is available--hmm, only thirty minutes? According to the Peck biography, it was a full hour adaptation! Oh, well, I guess sooner or later I'll hear it. I actually think Jack COULD have been a more effective Whiteside than Allen: the character has a certain elegance that would be well within Jack's range, and a little direction could easily give him the nasty edge the character needs (as in The Meanest Man in Town). Thanks!

[LLeff]

I actually think Jack COULD have been a more effective Whiteside than Allen

Line from the play said by Whiteside:

"Shut your nasty little face."

Imagine Jack saing it. Imagine Allen saying it. Nuff said.

[David47Jens]

Gary Fishgall's book Gregory Peck: A Biography mentions on page 143 that on December 25, 1949, CBS broadcast an adaptation of the Kaufmann and Hart comedy The Man Who Came to Dinner.... And starring as Sheridan Whiteside was Jack Benny!

My first exposure to The Man Who Came to Dinner was a 1972 TV production starring Orson Welles. Additional cast members included Lee Remick, Joan Collins, Don Knotts, Edward Andrews, Marty Feldman, Peter Haskell, and the indomitable Mary Wickes! By the way, if anybody has a copy of that version, please let me know!

In the meantime, I'll add my two cents' worth to the Sheridan Whiteside character's being played by Jack, or Fred Allen... I can see Fred fitting the role more comfortably, but mainly for the same reason that I can't always "buy" Jack (at least, at first) in any character other than the "real" Jack Benny, the one we "know" from the radio and TV shows.

[Gerry O.]

In the meantime, I'll add my two cents' worth to the Sheridan Whiteside character's being played by Jack, or Fred Allen... I can see Fred fitting the role more comfortably, but mainly for the same reason that I can't always "buy" Jack (at least, at first) in any character other than the "real" Jack Benny, the one we "know" from the radio and TV shows.

That brings up a very interesting point.....the fact that Jack had done such an EXCELLENT job of defining his radio character that it actually turned out to hurt his career when it came to non-"Jack Benny" type roles.

When Jack first started making movies, he had plans to become a light comedian....sort of like Jack Lemmon. However, whenever he played a different type of character in his early films (charming con man, etc.), the moviegoers would always complain, "He was pretty good in that movie, but he didn't act like 'Jack Benny'!". In fact, you STILL hear that complaint today when modern-day viewers watch one of Jack's early films. As a result, Paramount started making films like "Buck Benny Rides Again" and "Love Thy Neighbor", where the studio not only forced Jack to be the RADIO "Jack Benny" persona in character, but also in name. (The studio didn't even bother to change Jack's character's name after "Man About Town").

Other "radio to movie" comedians didn't seem to have this problem. Although Bob Hope played basically the same character in films that he played on radio, he WAS able to successfully branch out into different kinds of roles occassionally ("Beau James", "The Seven Little Foys").....but the public simply would not accept ANY type of character from Jack other than the one that he had established on his radio program. He had done TOO good a job of it!

[Gerry O.]

When Jack first started making movies, he had plans to become a light comedian....sort of like Jack Lemmon. However, whenever he played a different type of character in his early films (charming con man, etc.), the moviegoers would always complain, "He was pretty good in that movie, but he didn't act like 'Jack Benny'!". In fact, you STILL hear that complaint today when modern-day viewers watch one of Jack's early films. As a result, Paramount started making films like "Buck Benny Rides Again" and "Love Thy Neighbor", where the studio not only forced Jack to be the RADIO "Jack Benny" persona in character, but also in name. (The studio didn't even bother to change Jack's character's name after "Man About Town").

Other "radio to movie" comedians didn't seem to have this problem. Although Bob Hope played basically the same character in films that he played on radio, he WAS able to successfully branch out into different kinds of roles occassionally ("Beau James", "The Seven Little Foys").....but the public simply would not accept ANY type of character from Jack other than the one that he had established on his radio program. He had done TOO good a job of it!

I forgot to mention.....I've read that when Jack was making "Charley's Aunt", the studio kept asking him to "Benny-ize" his character with familiar Benny mannerisms and reactions.

[Brad from Georgia]

I actually think Jack COULD have been a more effective Whiteside than Allen

Line from the play said by Whiteside:

"Shut your nasty little face."

Imagine Jack saing it. Imagine Allen saying it. Nuff said.

Yes, but they could have altered the line to "OH SHUT UP!"

[LLeff]

When Jack first started making movies, he had plans to become a light comedian....sort of like Jack Lemmon. However, whenever he played a different type of character in his early films (charming con man, etc.), the moviegoers would always complain, "He was pretty good in that movie, but he didn't act like 'Jack Benny'!".

Really? His character in "The Medicine Man" (for example, since that's widely available) is pretty consistent with what I hear in the 5/2/32 Canada Dry show, as well as the 1928 "Bright Moments" short which is essentially a film of his vaudeville standup routine. Or do you mean the later movies like "College Holiday" after his radio character started getting more familiarly defined?

[Gerry O.]

Really? His character in "The Medicine Man" (for example, since that's widely available) is pretty consistent with what I hear in the 5/2/32 Canada Dry show, as well as the 1928 "Bright Moments" short which is essentially a film of his vaudeville standup routine. Or do you mean the later movies like "College Holiday" after his radio character started getting more familiarly defined?

Actually, I was thinking of the mid-1930's films like "College Holiday", "Artists and Models", "Broadway Melody of 1936", etc. In the very early 1930's, Jack's radio character wasn't that well defined, so the "radio-movie" comparison wasn't that much of a problem....but once the "Jack Benny" that we all know was established, it caused problems with his film roles.

Speaking of "The Medicine Man", true.....it probably didn't cause comparison problems when it was first released. However, just try showing "The Medicine Man" to an average, modern-day audience who is familiar with, and expecting, the "Radio and TV" Jack Benny and you'll probably end up with a very disappointed crowd!

[David47Jens]

Speaking of "The Medicine Man", true.....it probably didn't cause comparison problems when it was first released. However, just try showing "The Medicine Man" to an average, modern-day audience who is familiar with, and expecting, the "Radio and TV" Jack Benny and you'll probably end up with a very disappointed crowd!

That's exactly the kind of thing I was referring to, especially since most of the Benny roles I've encountered, other than his cameos and "Buck Benny Rides Again" (where Jack played the "Jack Benny" character) were first viewed (by me) well after I'd become thoroughly familiar with the radio shows. Whenever I've viewed a film where Jack deviates from type, it's always a bit jarring at first... but luckily, Jack as an actor is good enough so that I "get into it" after a while, so that it doesn't interfere with my enjoyment of the film.

(By the way, I hope the above is fairly intelligible; I'm operating under the influence of NyQuil... )

[Maxwell]

You're right, it is available--hmm, only thirty minutes? According to the Peck biography, it was a full hour adaptation! Oh, well, I guess sooner or later I'll hear it. I actually think Jack COULD have been a more effective Whiteside than Allen: the character has a certain elegance that would be well within Jack's range, and a little direction could easily give him the nasty edge the character needs (as in The Meanest Man in Town). Thanks!

Brad, your wait might be shorter than you expected. Chuck Schaden is playing that particular episode of the "Hotpoint Holiday Hour" from 12/25/49 on his "Those Were the Days Radio Show" here in the Chicago 'burbs on WDCB-FM (90.9 for locals). The broadcast is Saturday, Nov. 26 sometime between 1:00 and 5:00 p.m. CST on his "Radio to Get into the Holiday Spirit By" show. You can hear the show on the web at http://www.wdcb.org at the same time. If you can't listen on Saturday, it will be available for a week beginning on the 29th on his web site http://www.nostalgiadigest.com.

The program title would suggest that it is a one-hour adaptation.

[Brad from Georgia]

Woohoo! Thanks, Maxwell.

[Brad from Georgia]

Well, this is way off topic, but I've decided to audition for a part in our college theater's next production, The Front Page. The role I'd like is Roy Bensinger, who strikes me as very Benny-esque: vain, easily nettled, and somewhat prissy. So I've decided to audition with a monologue from...The Man Who Came to Dinner. I did locate a recording of the Benny show and thought that Jack did pretty well as Whiteside, actually. One of his lines in particular drew a huge laugh from me...it had to do with a wire Whiteside receives from someone named Monty Woolley.[/i]

[Maxwell]

You're right, it is available--hmm, only thirty minutes? According to the Peck biography, it was a full hour adaptation! Oh, well, I guess sooner or later I'll hear it. I actually think Jack COULD have been a more effective Whiteside than Allen: the character has a certain elegance that would be well within Jack's range, and a little direction could easily give him the nasty edge the character needs (as in The Meanest Man in Town). Thanks!

Brad, your wait might be shorter than you expected. Chuck Schaden is playing that particular episode of the "Hotpoint Holiday Hour" from 12/25/49 on his "Those Were the Days Radio Show" here in the Chicago 'burbs on WDCB-FM (90.9 for locals). The broadcast is Saturday, Nov. 26 sometime between 1:00 and 5:00 p.m. CST on his "Radio to Get into the Holiday Spirit By" show. You can hear the show on the web at http://www.wdcb.org at the same time. If you can't listen on Saturday, it will be available for a week beginning on the 29th on his web site http://www.nostalgiadigest.com.

The program title would suggest that it is a one-hour adaptation.

I just heard the start of Schaden's broadcast (hope you're listening), and the show is described as a full hour.