Jack Benny's Violin

[snoopy58]

My sister-in-law's Grandmother worked with Jack Benny in a vaudeville act, and one night he was broke and needing money. Jack Benny sold his violin to the Grandmother for thirty dollars. The Grandmother has kept the violin just like Jack Benny gave it to her, in the originial case. My sister-in-law inherited it. She is wanting to know how much it is worth and how she would go about selling it. Any info would be appreciated. Thank you PS. My sister-in-law took it to Chicago to have it autheticed and it is Jack Benny's violin. We believe it is one of his first violins he used.

[LLeff]

My sister-in-law's Grandmother worked with Jack Benny in a vaudeville act, and one night he was broke and needing money. Jack Benny sold his violin to the Grandmother for thirty dollars. The Grandmother has kept the violin just like Jack Benny gave it to her, in the originial case. My sister-in-law inherited it. She is wanting to know how much it is worth and how she would go about selling it. Any info would be appreciated. Thank you PS. My sister-in-law took it to Chicago to have it autheticed and it is Jack Benny's violin. We believe it is one of his first violins he used.

Hi Snoopy,

Interesting story. Can you tell us more about your sister-in-laws grandmother? Did she and Jack actually work together in the same act, or were the just on the same bill? What was her name and what did she do in her act? Do you know about what year this would have been? Any photos of her and Jack together? What additional information was used to authenticate the violin? Any information would be helpful.

[Guest]

The grandmother's name was Kathryn E. Smith and she worked as the piano player while Jack Benny did his act. The vaudeville act was performed at Winthrop Harbor in Illinois. We are trying to take pictures to show the violin, bow and case. The inside has the maker's name and the date of 1900.

My sister-in-law's Grandmother worked with Jack Benny in a vaudeville act, and one night he was broke and needing money. Jack Benny sold his violin to the Grandmother for thirty dollars. The Grandmother has kept the violin just like Jack Benny gave it to her, in the originial case. My sister-in-law inherited it. She is wanting to know how much it is worth and how she would go about selling it. Any info would be appreciated. Thank you PS. My sister-in-law took it to Chicago to have it autheticed and it is Jack Benny's violin. We believe it is one of his first violins he used.

Hi Snoopy,

Interesting story. Can you tell us more about your sister-in-laws grandmother? Did she and Jack actually work together in the same act, or were the just on the same bill? What was her name and what did she do in her act? Do you know about what year this would have been? Any photos of her and Jack together? What additional information was used to authenticate the violin? Any information would be helpful.

[bboswell]

Jack Benny sold his violin to the Grandmother for thirty dollars.

I'll give you $20...


But seriously, has anyone heard more about this violin? This is a great story!

[LLeff]

But seriously, has anyone heard more about this violin? This is a great story!

Nope. Like so many others, this one came forward, told the story, intimated that they might be interested in selling, and then disappeared. Oddly enough, someone else came forward a couple months ago with another violin almost exactly the same story, but that her forebear played piano in a different theatre. These things very seldom come to fruition.