Mary fainted?

[helloagain]

I just read a telegram in the memorabilia section of the photo gallery stating that Mary fainted after reading her last line on the Jello Show of 1-25-42. I just listened to the ending of that program and there is nothing to indicate that anything was wrong. I heard no commotion or an audience reaction. This show was done live, so they could not have edited it. Anybody know anything about this?

[Yhtapmys]

I just read a telegram in the memorabilia section of the photo gallery stating that Mary fainted after reading her last line on the Jello Show of 1-25-42. I just listened to the ending of that program and there is nothing to indicate that anything was wrong. I heard no commotion or an audience reaction. This show was done live, so they could not have edited it. Anybody know anything about this?

Here's a wire story:

MARY IS ILL
Comedian's Wife Collapses After Broadcast
HOLLYWOOD, Jan. 26 (INS).—Mary Livingstone, wife of comedian Jack Benny, was confined to her home today as the result of collapsing at the conclusion last night of the Benny broadcast, in which she is one of the stars.
It was said that she has been under treatment for some time for a sinus infection.
The actress fainted on the stage a moment after the program went off the air. She was carried to her dressing room by Benny and Phil Harris and later was taken home.

I would presume it was after the second show.

Yhtapmys

[Yhtapmys]

Oh, I don't know if it's coincidence, but this squib was in the Chicago Tribune on Jan. 27, 1942:

Jack Benny has called off his trip to New York because he and Mary Livingstone are not feeling well. They were tentatively scheduled to do a broadcast from Great Lakes Naval Training station, and that, too, is apparently out.

Yhtapmys

[helloagain]

Yes, I forgot about the second show. Does anyone have a copy of that show? Was the first program recorded as a backup in case there was a problem with the repeat broadcast? I only know of one instance where both shows are available ( Christmas shopping, 1939 ). Are there others?

[shimp scrampi]

Mary was notorious for her fainting spells. I've seen other references to them in the papers well into the fifties (you'd think they'd stop reporting on it after awhile - 'Mary faints' was about as newsworthy as 'Berle steals joke').

There are plenty of anecdotes about the fainting in the biographies and some humorously snide remarks about it from George Burns in his books, who seemed to think it was an attention-getting "drama" ploy on Mary's part, or possibly a side effect from Mary's tendency to go on diets a lot.