Rodrigo Araya
Ma! He’s kissin’ Ma! He’s kissin’ Ma! He’s kissin’ Ma! He’s kissin’ Ma! He’s kissin’ Ma! HOLD IT!
Say, Jimmy, did you listen to Benny on Sunday night?
Rodrigo Araya
They made Goodman a dopey conductor on the Texaco show. He always spoke in the third person.
kathy_fuller_seeley
I am working on the Benny radio scripts August-October 1932, and its so interesting that Jack and Harry Conn got into political humor then
Laura, hello!
kathy_fuller_seeley
the Thanksgiving time always reminds me of Jack being tried in court for turkey murder, and the fun of seeing wild turkeys run wild on Laura’s patio (which was in early August)
Rodrigo Araya
I have been listening to several Texaco hour-long shows and the station identification always came some 5 minutes late…
The man in the control room…
garth_johnson
And now ladies and gentlemen, our broadcast today originates somewhere in cyberspace — that is the space somewhere between Cuc and Amonga.
Rodrigo Araya
ROCHESTER: I’m dreaming of a White Christmaaaaas…
JACK: Rochester! It’s still November!
JACK: Rochester! It’s still November!
kathy_fuller_seeley
Thank you for the 3 Barbara Thunell scrapbooks, Laura, I look forward to sharing their treasures with the group!
Laura Leibowitz
Kathy – Glad the timing ended up being good with them! As I mentioned before, I’ll try to turn more around faster now that I’ve gotten it out of my head that I need to do it online.
So how’s everyone feeling tonight?
kathy_fuller_seeley
yay!!!! Thank you Laura! And now that I have learned how to use the equipment, and stabilize the books aht are in fragile shape, its all good!
By the way, have any of you see the new Web site?
It’s still not fully done, but it’s at least out there.
kathy_fuller_seeley
I am thinking that turkey does not work so well for only 2 people having the holiday dinner. I am considering Trader Joe’s General Tzos’ chicken for thanksgiving hahaha
oh gosh, I must go see the new website!
Rodrigo Araya
There was a bit on a 1943 Fred Allen show about a composer who had composed a song similar to “White Christmas”.
garth_johnson
the talk about scanning scrap books got me to re-arrange my office a bit — need some “Light” reading so a George Burns Book will be soon a low quality PDF
Rodrigo, did the new song involve silver or orange? hahaha
kathy_fuller_seeley
My good news is that Ben Ohmart’s typists have transcribed BOTH volumes 2 and 3 of the scripts, so we will soon be set for the rest of 1932 and on to 1933!
Hello Neil!
kathy_fuller_seeley
gosh and its still 80 in Austin Texas, send us a little of your cooler temperatures!
garth_johnson
Not in my neighbourhood Neil — I’m only 100′ a.s.l., Have to climb a few hundred feet and go a few miles more inland —I’m stuck in the perpetual rain cloud that hangs over Vancouver during November . (edited)
Rodrigo Araya
ROCHESTER: Boss, I’ve got to talk to you about that polar bear!
JACK: What’s the matter with Carmichael? (To the cast) That’s the bear’s name.
ROCHESTER: I saw him with your iPad, and five minutes later a man from Amazon sent a crate full o’ fish!
JACK: What?!
ROCHESTER: By the way, your credit cards are all maxed out!
JACK: What’s the matter with Carmichael? (To the cast) That’s the bear’s name.
ROCHESTER: I saw him with your iPad, and five minutes later a man from Amazon sent a crate full o’ fish!
JACK: What?!
ROCHESTER: By the way, your credit cards are all maxed out!
kathy_fuller_seeley
I am curious about the weather in various places, as I need to send my brothers some chocolates that come from Canton, Ohio, and their website says that if I can;t GUARANTEE the temperature in the place of delivery, that they won’t send candy that might melt!
haha Rodrigo, that Carmichael is one smart bear!
One brother is in Wilmington Delaware and the other in Columbia South Carolina
Rodrigo Araya
JACK: I never realized you had two pianos, Phil.
PHIL: What pianos?
JACK: Who’s the guy with the mustache then?
PHIL: He’s lost. He thinks I’m Guy Lombardo.
MARY: Sweetest music this side of Vine Street…
PHIL: What pianos?
JACK: Who’s the guy with the mustache then?
PHIL: He’s lost. He thinks I’m Guy Lombardo.
MARY: Sweetest music this side of Vine Street…
Hi Roger!
Hello Neil
kathy_fuller_seeley
I named the koi fish in the pond I inherited –Jack, Mary, Rochester, Phil, Don, and little Joan….here is the downside of naming pets after characters you care about,,,,
Thank you all for the weather forecast. And if you want fantastic chocolate covered peanut clusters, may I suggest Heggy’s of Canton Ohio! (Have not lived there since 1998 but send my brothers gifts every year since then)
So what Benny-wise is on everyone’s mind tonight?
kathy_fuller_seeley
I wish there were marvelous chocolates to send from Waukegan. But the best I have done so far is to order myself a tshirt from Jack Benny Middle School, the 39’ers
kathy_fuller_seeley
Darrl Lantz aka Buckbennyotr did a marvelous discussion podcast about Jack’s 40th birthday celebration on The Shower of Stars, Feb 13, 1958. Its gobsmacking to see Benny radio show performers back to 1932, and wacko weird to see Vegas dancers singing “jack jack jack jack”….. I am finding reviews of the show, and they were very mixed!
Rodrigo Araya
I was reading the script from the first episode and compared it to the broadcast version.
There were quite a few differences.
Doug Kiser
My uncle use to send me a ham every year from honey baked and that is the way it was shipped.
kathy_fuller_seeley
Laura, there must be a joke there ……. spices by the shore……spices so strong you can smell them from Chicago…..Vanilla that’s sweet as a naval recruit’s ….ummm…..
Rodrigo Araya
Particularly, a joke about Jack having two first names and John Charles Thomas having three was replaced by one about Jack’s kayfabe brother. (edited)
kathy_fuller_seeley
Doug Kiser YES that is just what the candy company suggests, and I will follow that suggestion to pay for the ice packs!
Laura — when the bloom is on the vanilla bean plant?
Laura — when the bloom is on the vanilla bean plant?
kathy_fuller_seeley
oooh Rodrigo, I would love if you would send me your opinion on the differences in the #1 script and #1 broadcast!!!!
(Waiting to see what Rodrigo does with that reference…)
kathy_fuller_seeley
that is the fun of seeing the script versus what the pressure of live broadcast and writers and ad agency folks frantically monitoring time create!
Rodrigo Araya
“Miss Shutta had her nose lifted some days ago so she could be heard in Philadelphia.”
That’s a joke Jack used on “The Song Writers’ Revue”.
kathy_fuller_seeley
it is a shame that the Benny-Olsen-Shutta (and Sadye Marks Benny) combination did not continue longer. They really clicked and were starting to do some amazing comedy routines! too bad they were parted in late October 1932
roger
I have some days off work coming next month, if the bad weather holds off and COVID-19 outbreak calms down some, I am thinking about going to Waukegan to visit the Benny sites, other than the middle school named after Jack, his childhood home and his statue, are there another other Benny sites to visit in the city?
Like in that Dean Martin sketch… (edited)
We have a self-guided Banny tour that the City of Waukegan put together…let me get you a link.
Jack Benny Center for the Arts, Waukegan Historical Society
I appreciate that Laura.
kathy_fuller_seeley
that is a wonderful find!!!! The publicity folks were starting to do great stuff with Jack and Ethel and George. Then the ratzenfratzen ad agency Ayer +sons convinced the sponsor to MOVE to a larger colllection of radio stations on CBS…..which entailed new network and new nights of broadcast. Its a miracle that any Benny fans could follow him, And a huge shame that Olsen and Shutta had to leave.
garth_johnson
Across from the Park at Washington and Sheridan is the apartment block that was home to Cora Salisbury
Thanks, Rodrigo!
Rodrigo Araya
The strange thing is that before 1948, CBS was pretty much considered to be a place for “new”, untested ideas and “has-beens”…
Laura Leibowitz
Oh and don’t forget the Am Echod cemetery where Jack’s parents and sister and many cousins are buried.
roger
I live three hours south of Chicago in East Peoria, IL, It it would be a long day, but I would like to make a one day trip.
kathy_fuller_seeley
you are so right, Rodrigo. William Paley made a HUGE move in late 1948 to steal away NBC’s top radio evening performers — Jack Benny and Amos n Andy — to set themselves up for TV successs
Rodrigo Araya
You can notice this notion of CBS by looking at Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra in the first case (“graduated” to NBC) and the serial-era Amos n’ Andy and Joe Penner in the other (switched from NBC). (edited)
Laura Leibowitz
I don’t know that he actually died in Florida. Would have to look up the death certificate.
Florence always lived in that area, so he may have stayed with her when he came back.
garth_johnson
If you’re going to – Wah – kee – gan — be sure to pass thru Racine — Now a park there once was the Racine Theater at 211 S. Main Street, — That’s where Salisbury and Kribelsky played — This is the earliest venue I have found them playing at August 21, 1911
kathy_fuller_seeley
an awesome find, Garth!!!! I have got to run, but I wish everyone an excellent Thanksgiving, even if we celebrate it in very small gatherings. I am working on the transcripts of Benny scripts volumes 2 and 3, so hope to have presents for you all, soon!
So what else Benny-wise is on your minds tonight?
Rodrigo Araya
KNOCKING MAN: Mr. Benny, are you doing “Stanley and Livingstone” next week?
JACK: Are you a head-hunter?
KNOCKING MAN: No. Hair is all I’m after! Goodbye!
JACK: And he’s right, folks!
JACK: Are you a head-hunter?
KNOCKING MAN: No. Hair is all I’m after! Goodbye!
JACK: And he’s right, folks!
Harry Baldwin. What an ironic name…
Roger – You get the link to the self-guided tour brochure?
The Past Events is one of the “missing pages” on the new site that I need to complete.
garth_johnson
Not much — some earlier talk about chocolate has made me look at hedgehogs from a local confectioner — Kosher ones at that
roger
The agency that Jack and Mary adopted Joan, was it the same agency that George and Gracie adopted their kids?
Roger – It’s supposed to be. The Cradle.
I bet the Benny statue still has a mask on.
Barbasol.
Laura Leibowitz
This sounds like one of Eddie Carroll’s schticks as Jack, talking about Chi Chi the Marquis Chimp in a bus crash.
Rodrigo Araya
I think people did know Jack and Fred were faking the feud, but weren’t as cynical as today’s audiences are, so they went with it… (edited)
Laura Leibowitz
That’s probably true to a degree, but we all know the stories about Jack getting letters that he should pay Rochester more.
Some people have a hard time separating character from reality.
garth_johnson
Rodrigo Jack and freds use of the language, tone and temperment was not supportive of a real feud
Rodrigo Araya
Well, I imagine some people did recognize the fact Fred’s troupe assisted Jack in several NY-made episodes.
Like John Brown, Minerva Pious and Charlie Cantor singing “Ma! He’s Makin’ Eyes at Me”.
Or Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons?
Just thinking of feuds where the people actually disliked each other.
garth_johnson
I have no audio for Ben and Walter and so can’t make the call — Winchell’s columns – of what I’ve read – would cause me to think there could be some level disagreement — but as its been documented it was not a _ real _ feud, Winchell is not my kind of light reading, I prefer Ed Sullivan.
Doug Kiser
“That’s probably true to a degree, but we all know the stories about Jack getting letters that he should pay Rochester more”Wish I could make now what Rochester made then. lol
OK, I’m going to go back to my endless to-do list. Thanks for stopping, folks!
Have a great week!
