kathy_fuller_seeley4:54 PM
well, looks I am the first one here, jello everbody!
Rodrigo Araya4:57 PM
Hello, Mr. Benny! This is Rodchester!
Laura Leibowitz4:58 PM
Hi folks!
kathy_fuller_seeley4:58 PM
Howdy, Roch? What’s hangin’?
garth_johnson4:58 PM
Hello, cash customers … this is Jack Benny … Jack as in MULE and Benny as in
BENNY FRANKLIN … the man that put a wisecrack in the Liberty Bell.
Everything’s fine in the Studio tonight. I think we’re all here. Let’s call the roll…BENNY: Fran Frey?
FREY: Here!BENNY: Ethel Shutta?
ETHEL Here I am, Jack.BENNY: George Olsen?
OLSEN: Present.Benny: Laura Leibowitz?
kathy_fuller_seeley4:58 PM
hello Laura!!!!
kathy_fuller_seeley4:58 PM
hahahaha Garth, wonderful!!!!
Rodrigo Araya4:58 PM
Very good.
Laura Leibowitz4:59 PM
How are things, Kathy?
garth_johnson4:59 PM
Kathy at least you know someone is reading the script book
kathy_fuller_seeley4:59 PM
Jack does that less in volume 2, something that sets the first 13 weeks apart…4:59yay!!!!!!
Laura Leibowitz5:00 PM
It’s funny…even though I most likely haven’t heard those shows, I feel like I have.5:00Reading the script from the screen here, I can hear it in my head. Complete with acetate static.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:00 PM
doing fine, Laura. As I mentioned to you, I had a WONDERFUL 54 minute long interview with Barbara Thunell, and we are going to do more on Monday. It makes her so happy to tell her story, and I am so glad to record it!
Laura Leibowitz5:00 PM
Hi Roger!
Neil Ottenstein5:00 PM
Good evening!
Laura Leibowitz5:00 PM
Kathy – Fantastic. Michael able to persuade his mom yet?
Neil Ottenstein5:01 PM
Sounds exciting Kathy
kathy_fuller_seeley5:01 PM
I hope that somebody might like to re-enact a couple of these early shows in the Benny-palooza!
Laura Leibowitz5:01 PM
She actually turned me down today for attending the Benny convention. Ah well.5:01Kathy – I’d say take the reins on making that happen, Kathy. A bunch of people put their hands up for helping with recreations!
kathy_fuller_seeley5:01 PM
Have not heard any updates yet, but from what Michael said, Joan gave a YES, so now its up to the estate lawyers if the original publishers give us leave to republish
Laura Leibowitz5:02 PM
Right, OK. I CCed them on that one E-mail, but Rebecca was out of the office. I’m sure we’ll hear from her.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:03 PM
ah ha, Laura I would greatly appreciate it if you followed up with one more email asking for help. thank you!!!!!
Laura Leibowitz5:03 PM
Will do! In fact, let me do that right now. BRB
kathy_fuller_seeley5:03 PM
I hope everybody is looking forward to quiet but happy holidays here in the group!
Rodrigo Araya5:03 PM
TED (Weems): Meanwhile, we will have a musical number.
garth_johnson5:04 PM
George Olsen will now play “PARADISE”, sung by Paul Small…by special permission
of Canada Dry, made-to-order, by the glass…
Rodrigo Araya5:04 PM
You’ve got a Canada Dry, mmmmmmmmmm…
garth_johnson5:04 PM
Yes Kathy I’m enjoying the scripts
kathy_fuller_seeley5:04 PM
gosh, I need to find out what that original “Paradise” sounds like, as they used it as music cue to suggest hootchie-cootchie
Rodrigo Araya5:05 PM
And then you drink it dry, mmmmmmmmm….
kathy_fuller_seeley5:05 PM
I swear I can hear Jack’s voice when I read them, hahaha
Laura Leibowitz5:05 PM
I may have sheet music of it.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:05 PM
youtube must have a version, everything ELSE in the world is there!
Laura Leibowitz5:05 PM
Kathy – There ya go. I’m right there with you.
Rodrigo Araya5:05 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDxJYn5wCtsYouTube | AwkmusikPola Negri – Paradise (1932)
Laura Leibowitz5:05 PM
Kathy – If you need me to peep in my archive, let me know.5:06Well, there ya go.
Rodrigo Araya5:06 PM
It was the waltz played in the May 2 episode.5:06After the joke about George’s fiver having bloodshot eyes. (edited)
Laura Leibowitz5:06 PM
Since Pola Negri was in it, that likely explains the hoochie-coochie reference.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:07 PM
one thing I enjoy a lot in volume 2 is the first parodies of “Grand Hotel” the blockbuster film of fall 1932. with JACK playing John Barrymore’s part of the lover and everyone taking him kind of seriously
Laura Leibowitz5:07 PM
Kringelore!
kathy_fuller_seeley5:07 PM
indeed! I only have five minutes to live….
Laura Leibowitz5:07 PM
As opposed to thirty years in Sing-Sing.
Rodrigo Araya5:08 PM
Maybe he thought a disgruntled client would get him…
Laura Leibowitz5:08 PM
You know, we have quite a plethora of guests lined up for the convention.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:08 PM
Jack and Harry both would say these were the first current-movie parodies done on radio programs. I bet the Eddie Cantor and Jack Pearl scholars will object, hahaha
Rodrigo Araya5:08 PM
That wasn’t unheard for stock brokers of in the early 30s.
Laura Leibowitz5:08 PM
And possibly Ed Wynn
kathy_fuller_seeley5:09 PM
HOORAY that folks are lining up to participate in Bennypalooza!!!!
Laura Leibowitz5:09 PM
We’re going to have a Beverly Hills Beavers reunion
kathy_fuller_seeley5:09 PM
yes Ed Wynn and his opera parodies
Laura Leibowitz5:09 PM
Kids of pretty much all the regular cast members who had kids5:10(Still waiting on Rochester’s kids to confirm)5:10Including Andy Devine’s son
kathy_fuller_seeley5:10 PM
WOW that is so wonderful!!!!
Laura Leibowitz5:10 PM
And Jimmy Stewart’s daughter5:10Stuart Canin
kathy_fuller_seeley5:10 PM
Laura, you are working miracles, wow!!!!
Laura Leibowitz5:10 PM
And Doris Dodge (who played Toni Marcus after Toni outgrew the role)
Rodrigo Araya5:10 PM
How many of the Beavers are coming?
Laura Leibowitz5:10 PM
Kathy – Nah, it’s a team effort.5:11I’d have to pull the list, but I think at least five and possibly eight.
garth_johnson5:11 PM
1970-04-06_-_nws_-_san_bernardino_sun_-_pg_00_-_orange_show_helps_benny_loose_boredom-2.jpg
Laura Leibowitz5:11 PM
I reached out to Toni Marcus last night…we’ll see.
Roger5:11 PM
Were will the event take place?
Laura Leibowitz5:11 PM
Carol Burnett turned me down5:11Roger – Zoom
Roger5:11 PM
Where will the event take place?5:11oh!
Laura Leibowitz5:12 PM
And a friend of Dick Van Dyke’s did the same today.
garth_johnson5:12 PM
We all can’t get to Jack Benny Plaza in Palm Springs
Roger5:12 PM
Dumb question for 2020 sorry.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:12 PM
how about Bob Newhart?
Rodrigo Araya5:12 PM
Or the Acme Plaza in NY…
Laura Leibowitz5:12 PM
Kathy – I reached out to his manager last night. No response yet.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:12 PM
can we have a contest to design the logo and advertising? I think Garth would be among those who create wonderful things5:13FAN ART FRIDAY you know
garth_johnson5:13 PM
1994 – Dedication of Jack Benny Plaza1994-00-00_-_bio_-_palm_springs_20088778_-_dedication_of_jack_benny_plaza_palm_springs_bobby.jpg
Laura Leibowitz5:13 PM
Roger – That’s OK. Being able to have it on Zoom is what really makes it possible for me to do it. Too many logistics for an in-person convention.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:13 PM
hooray for zoom!
Rodrigo Araya5:13 PM
JACK: I heard they’re planning to put hot water in that joint. No more having to carry it… (edited)
Laura Leibowitz5:13 PM
Actually, I need someone to pull together a 60-second promot video. Stu Shostak offered to run it on his podcast.5:14I’ll put that on Facebook later.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:14 PM
what Benny anniversaries can we be celebrating? 105 years in vaudeville?
Laura Leibowitz5:15 PM
And credit to Walden Hughes…he’s spearheaded getting a lot of the guests.5:15Kathy – Hmmm…good question.
Rodrigo Araya5:15 PM
80 years after getting the Sunday 7pm slot.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:15 PM
that is a great one, Rodrigo!
Laura Leibowitz5:15 PM
Oh he must have had that slot earlier than that
Rodrigo Araya5:15 PM
90 years of radio (they celebrated his 10th in ’41)
kathy_fuller_seeley5:16 PM
Sunday 7 pm in October 1934
Laura Leibowitz5:16 PM
Actually, I’ll buy that.
Rodrigo Araya5:16 PM
Getting the slot for himself rather than the sponsor.
Laura Leibowitz5:16 PM
Kathy – Thanks. Thought he got that when he went to Jell-O.
Neil Ottenstein5:16 PM
https://www.newsfromme.com/2007/08/09/my-jack-benny-story/
Laura Leibowitz5:16 PM
90 years of radio. That can work
Rodrigo Araya5:16 PM
But he got Jell-O in October… Never mind.
Laura Leibowitz5:17 PM
Neil – Oh right…I should reach out to him!
Neil Ottenstein5:17 PM
Mark Evanier might be someone who could be interested to participate
Laura Leibowitz5:17 PM
Neil – Yes, I bet he would. He and I have talked and corresponded a bit over the years. So he knows the club.
Neil Ottenstein5:17 PM
He has been doing a lot of stuff on his youtube channel
Laura Leibowitz5:17 PM
Cool. So noted.
Neil Ottenstein5:17 PM
Great. I know him from the comics world mostly
kathy_fuller_seeley5:17 PM
88 years since starting in radio, to be accurate, but we could split the difference and say 39+ 50!!!!\
Laura Leibowitz5:18 PM
Well, if we count some of the LA appearances pre-Ed Sullivan.5:1850th 39th anniversary in radio. I like that too!
kathy_fuller_seeley5:18 PM
well, anything that is 39+50 is good enough hahaha!
Laura Leibowitz5:19 PM
Close enough. If someone wants to be a stick in the mud about it, then they will.5:19Like whether it was Sadie or Sadye.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:20 PM
we can create an “honorary Don Wilson” award for those who are too particular hahaha
Laura Leibowitz5:20 PM
Or Livingstone or Livingston or both5:20We can call it the “Don’t Give Up the Ship” award.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:20 PM
yes!!!
Laura Leibowitz5:20 PM
Give it to anyone named James Lawrence.
Rodrigo Araya5:20 PM
Or the “Cricket”.
Laura Leibowitz5:21 PM
Jack teaches you history.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:21 PM
Plymouth Roch!
Rodrigo Araya5:21 PM
“Y’know, Jack. Crickets don’t chirp. They rub their hind legs.”
garth_johnson5:21 PM
Here’s an anniversary from January 1931 — Earl Carroll’s Vanities1931-01-03_-_prg_-_cnwycollectibles_catalog_-_earl_carroll_vanities-1.jpg
Rodrigo Araya5:22 PM
WILTSHIRE BOWL
Thru these portals pass the corniest jokes in the world
Laura Leibowitz5:22 PM
True. But leaving that show helped launch Jack’s radio career.
garth_johnson5:22 PM
It was leave or take a second pay cut
Laura Leibowitz5:22 PM
Because they were touring.
Rodrigo Araya5:22 PM
Jack wasn’t proud of that era to be precise.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:23 PM
the Great Depression aspect of Jack’s career is interesting (says the historian)
Rodrigo Araya5:23 PM
Except for what happened with the cow.5:23That was something good…
kathy_fuller_seeley5:23 PM
or the chickens, who laid more eggs when certain jokes were told
Rodrigo Araya5:23 PM
Maybe the best part of the show. Shame they replaced it.
Laura Leibowitz5:24 PM
True. Well, I think I’ve told you about Mary’s letter to Julius Sinykin talking about their life in LA.
garth_johnson5:24 PM
Advancing on to March — and Jack is a “Broadway Romeo”1931-03-28_-_fil_-_source_catalog_-_a_broadway_romeo_-_screencap.jpg
Rodrigo Araya5:24 PM
That cow pissed on the show.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:24 PM
oh I would love to hear about Julius’ letter again!
Rodrigo Araya5:24 PM
JACK: I wish the boss was in
Laura Leibowitz5:24 PM
Hey waiter, do you have frogs’ legs?5:24Well, she uses the “n” word in it.
Rodrigo Araya5:24 PM
No. it’s rheumatism what makes me walk this way.
Laura Leibowitz5:25 PM
Rodrigo – I knew you’d know the punch line!5:25I knew he was going to say that.
Rodrigo Araya5:25 PM
That horse should have been arrested for vagrancy.5:25That cracks me up every time.
garth_johnson5:25 PM
Did you say Hey Walter?!1931-07-12_-_pha_-_historicimages_nex31671_-_walter_tetley-a.jpg
Laura Leibowitz5:25 PM
She says that Jack is spending most of his time swimming and playing golf and has gotten dark as a n…
kathy_fuller_seeley5:26 PM
oh wow haha
Laura Leibowitz5:26 PM
So Thalberg put him under contract and didn’t use him much.
Rodrigo Araya5:26 PM
Studios thought revues would have any staying power…
kathy_fuller_seeley5:26 PM
even MGM was struggling to figure out the new ‘talkies’ landscape
Laura Leibowitz5:26 PM
Well, Big Broadcast did last into the late 30s.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:27 PM
well, that was a separate push to tag along with the popular medium. Paramount did it better
Rodrigo Araya5:27 PM
By the way, I saw a distinct trend with some of Allen’s troupe: When he made “Love Thy Neighbor”, he took his cast to Hollywood and Tetley opted to stay.
Laura Leibowitz5:27 PM
True. Transatlantic Merry Go Round kinda sux.5:28Although I haven’t watched it in decades.
Rodrigo Araya5:28 PM
When he fell sick, Jack took Minnie Pious and John Brown and Brown stayed.
Laura Leibowitz5:28 PM
Rodrigo – Brown stayed, but not so much that I’d call him a regular.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:28 PM
Rodrigo, I believe that is just the point at which Allen had to abandon radio because of his health. That is how Minerva Pious ended up on the Benny show for a few weeks, scary times for Allen’s devoted cast members
Laura Leibowitz5:28 PM
Exactly
Rodrigo Araya5:29 PM
And when he did “It’s in the Bag”, he took the Alley and Alan Reed stayed in Hollywood.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:29 PM
YES most pre-1939 Benny films suck. Nobody knew what to do with him!!!!
Laura Leibowitz5:29 PM
Next floor up.5:30Mm, I don’t know of Hollywood Revue sucked. Just because of the breadth of star power.5:30Medicine Man sucked.
Rodrigo Araya5:30 PM
Jack wasn’t made for heavy drama.
Laura Leibowitz5:31 PM
College Holiday was strange, and feels kind of dirty today because of the eugenics plot line.5:31And it’s timing during the rise of Hitler,
kathy_fuller_seeley5:31 PM
It was WONDERFUL to look at Mark Sandrich the Paramount director’s scrapbooks. He was hired from RKO precisely to make Jack Benny a MOVIE success. Sandrich had made the great Astaire Rogers musicals, and the Phil Harris short. IT was Sandrich who made the “best” or easiest Benny films, Man About Town, Buck Benny and the (awful) Love Thy Neighbor
Rodrigo Araya5:32 PM
My! My! It happened again!
Laura Leibowitz5:32 PM
Thank you. I really don’t like Love Thy Neighbor either.5:32I did not realize that about Mark Sandrich!5:32I have a confession…I haven’t yet seen It’s In the Air
garth_johnson5:32 PM
Sandrich giving Harris a can of corn … as if he needed a refill1939-07-07_-_fil_-_imago0098602078w_-_man_about_town.jpg
kathy_fuller_seeley5:32 PM
Laura, the Hollywood Revue of 1929 is pretty good, and Jack as MC is cute with his bits, its the other MGM films that are not so good
Rodrigo Araya5:33 PM
I don’t know. I don’t see Jack as much of a non-comedic romantic lead.
Laura Leibowitz5:33 PM
I don’t even remember what studio did Medicine Man.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:33 PM
Love thy neighbor is dreadful!!! It made Mark Sandrich ask to move to Bing Crosby musicals. Fred Allen DID NOT WANT TO MAKE IT and you can tell everyone is lackluster, Nevertheless it made A TON OF MONEY for Paramount
Laura Leibowitz5:34 PM
They promoted it heavily enough.
garth_johnson5:34 PM
Tiffany did Medicine Man
Laura Leibowitz5:34 PM
And the whole thing of Jack wanting Fred’s daughter is…just…creepy.5:35Garth – Thanks. Did they do anything else?
Rodrigo Araya5:35 PM
It was Fred’s niece… and it was 1940.5:35Age-gaps were a lot more common back in the day.
Laura Leibowitz5:35 PM
Oh right, niece. Sorry!5:35They’re not so uncommon now.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:35 PM
and just sad and dreadful, but made a bunch of $$$$, which led BOTH Warners and Fox to give Jack Benny per-picture contracts!!!!!
Rodrigo Araya5:35 PM
Maybe the word would be “acceptable”:
Laura Leibowitz5:36 PM
Who would have Fred Allen’s child? Not even Portland.
garth_johnson5:36 PM
Oh What She Said!1940-12-27_-_fil_-_source_catalog_-_love_thy_neighbor_-_screencap-6.jpg
kathy_fuller_seeley5:36 PM
I saw that Paramount still wanted to make several Jack Benny/Eddie Anderson films, but it did not pan out, as the two went on to “bigger” things in the early 1940s
Laura Leibowitz5:37 PM
Garth – LOL5:37And Jack hated “Meanest Man in the World”.
garth_johnson5:37 PM
1940-12-27_-_fil_-_source_catalog_-_love_thy_neighbor_-_screencap-a12.jpg
Rodrigo Araya5:37 PM
So soon?
Laura Leibowitz5:38 PM
Also strange about him being strong on WB buying a script from Dalton Trumbo, then backing out of it.5:38It was, I believe, pre-Hollywood Ten days, so I don’t think that was a factor.
Rodrigo Araya5:39 PM
Maybe he thought the story was too “heavy”. Maybe we’ll never know.
Laura Leibowitz5:40 PM
The Warners file on him from that time is full of false starts, including that bio-pic that somehow morphed into something completely unrecognizable.5:40Killer Kates
kathy_fuller_seeley5:40 PM
talk about a film failure!!!! Its final release is only like 50 minutes long. It STARTED as a decent project, a Yankee-doodle-dandy George M Cohan stage hit. And several of Jack’s previous projects had been recent stage hits — Charlies’ Aunt and Geo Washington Slept Here. But they never came up with a good script, and during filming it just fell apart. Jack was able to ask his friend Ernst Lubitsch to try to salvage it….not much help….
garth_johnson5:40 PM
From Variety — It just may be too many studios not the right project …1941-01-15_-_mag_-_variety_-_benny_doubling_from_paramount_to_20-fox.jpg
Laura Leibowitz5:41 PM
What was Lubitch’s involvement in Meanest Man?
kathy_fuller_seeley5:41 PM
oh the bio pic of Benny! There is funny stuff about that in Variety and the trades. Benny wanted it to be a parody of the “serious” biopix coming about (soon to be Jolson, Buster KEaton, etc). Jack wanted it to be a parody, adn he talked HUMPREY BOGART into being the lead!!!!! But after 1945 it all fell apart
Laura Leibowitz5:42 PM
And it’s got Jack in blackface, which pretty much makes it a no-go today.5:42Kathy – Exactly…somehow Bogart was involved, and I just don’t understand the vision for it.
Rodrigo Araya5:42 PM
I do find it an amusing idea…
Laura Leibowitz5:43 PM
Has anyone seen the bio pic of the guy who created The Gong Show, Chuck Barris?
Rodrigo Araya5:43 PM
Bogie as Benny…
kathy_fuller_seeley5:43 PM
Jack in blackface in that film is the saddest thing, he looks so uncomfortable and grim, but I bet Garth has photos from teh press of Jack and Eddie Anderson appearing in blackface around this time, yikes! Its in Barbara;s scrapbook’
Laura Leibowitz5:43 PM
Of course it is.
garth_johnson5:43 PM
1946-03-08_-_nws_-_jewish_post_-_our_film_folks_of_hollywood_column.jpg
Laura Leibowitz5:44 PM
Kathy – Well, he’s supposed to be a bit grim in that scene because he’s hiding from the cops. But I agree. He looks uncomfortable.5:44There ya go. But playing a comedian worked in a big way for Laurence Olivier.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:45 PM
Laura, no I have not seen the Chuck Barris doc, but will go find it. I love the one about the Smothers Brothers, but Barris would not have censorship on his side, haha
Laura Leibowitz5:45 PM
The Barris one is very, very, very surreal though.5:45The guy playing him is amazing. And it follows his own autobiography thread of him being a contract killer for the CIA.
Rodrigo Araya5:45 PM
March 1946? So “The Horn Blows” didn’t really kill Jack’s film career that much…
Laura Leibowitz5:46 PM
Rodrigo – No. It just happened to be the last major movie Jack did.
Rodrigo Araya5:46 PM
Or more like “blow up” his career.
Laura Leibowitz5:46 PM
Television wasn’t far away, and it was hard to be a star of stage, screen, radio, and television all at the same time.
Rodrigo Araya5:47 PM
I do note that radio comedians bar Hope were making less and less pictures post-war.
Laura Leibowitz5:47 PM
I think–Kathy, correct me if I’m wrong–that theatre attendance was on the decline with the advent of TV.
Rodrigo Araya5:47 PM
Bergen and Charlie in Disney’s “Fun and Fancy Free” and Red in “Neptune’s Daughter” come to mind.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:48 PM
you bet, Rodrigo, as the studios in desperation moved to films with Milton Berle! yikes
Laura Leibowitz5:48 PM
Yikes. Miltie is hard enough to take for just an hour. But a whole film?
Rodrigo Araya5:49 PM
The studios were already in trouble in 1945 for various reasons. The Paramount case and TV certainly did not help…
kathy_fuller_seeley5:49 PM
oh yes, with or without TV, film attendance in the US dropped drastically after 1946,,,,,, amusingly I have learned that it went UP in Italy, but also cratered in the UK. In the US, even in places with no TV, film box office sank and sank
Laura Leibowitz5:49 PM
Moving to the suburbs, starting families.
Rodrigo Araya5:49 PM
Jim Ramsburg wrote that it was people were staying home with the family, listening to the radio.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:50 PM
at the same time, radio ratings in the US were at their highest in 1947 and 1948, and then started to tank in primetime hours
Laura Leibowitz5:50 PM
I think that’s a fair argument as well.
Rodrigo Araya5:50 PM
Listenership rose particularly on Fridays and Saturdays, previously the “graveyard slot” during the war…
Laura Leibowitz5:51 PM
Also, I don’t know how many suburban theatres had been built at that time. Wonder if people didn’t want to take their families “into the city,” or felt it was too far.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:51 PM
some economists say that folks were concentrating on their families and ditched BOTH movies (for which they would need a car to drive to) and radio — and this is before TV reached many places. Drive-In movies WERE a huge lift to the movie industry during this time
Rodrigo Araya5:51 PM
Some things never change. And networks complain no one watches TV on both days…
Laura Leibowitz5:52 PM
I have to wonder at ratings, since I watched Fareed Zakaria GPS this afternoon after my AT&T recorded it this morning.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:52 PM
what scared the radio folks in 1948 and 1949 was that folks with both radios and TVs, watched ONLY the TVs during the times programming was on, and saved the radios for soap operas, drive time in the a.m. and music
Laura Leibowitz5:52 PM
How many people watch something when it’s actually airing vs. watching later/on demand.5:53Kathy – Remind me…at what point did Petrillo’s ban on recorded music end?
kathy_fuller_seeley5:53 PM
this is what PUSHED Jack into TV, notice that he was one of the “last” to start in October 1950…. that was because he was on the west coast, and Live TV was in NYC
Neil Ottenstein5:53 PM
these days just sports and other live events
Laura Leibowitz5:53 PM
And the era of the DJ start?
Rodrigo Araya5:53 PM
The recording ban ended in 1943-44 depending on the company.
Laura Leibowitz5:53 PM
Kathy – Yup.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:53 PM
I think about 1948, end of the ban (about the same time that Bing Crosby’s investment in taped recordings started paying off)
Laura Leibowitz5:53 PM
That was the recording ban, but not the ban on playing recorded music on air.
kathy_fuller_seeley5:54 PM
thank you Rodrigo
Rodrigo Araya5:54 PM
That ban…
Laura Leibowitz5:54 PM
Kathy – OK, that’s what I had in my head. I believe I have an ad somewhere from about 1949 showing Paul Whiteman acting as a DJ.
Rodrigo Araya5:55 PM
Whiteman, Sinatra… Who else was hosting “disc shows” at the time?
Laura Leibowitz5:55 PM
So you don’t have to hire Ramon Raquello and his orchestra
kathy_fuller_seeley5:55 PM
yep, DJs really take off then, and the radio critics I am writing about (Jack Gould in the Times, John Crosby in the Herald Tribune) start writing about them
Laura Leibowitz5:55 PM
Sinatra had a disc show?
Rodrigo Araya5:55 PM
In WOR/Mutual. c. 1950
Laura Leibowitz5:55 PM
Kathy – What was the initial reaction?5:55Rodrigo – I’ll be darned.
garth_johnson5:55 PM
October 5, 1949 – Variety1949-10-05_-_mag_-_variety_-_jack_benny_may_be_guinea_pig_in_agva_bout_with_petrillo.jpg
kathy_fuller_seeley5:56 PM
Critics were frustrated at DJs calling out commercial ads in between too many songs, and they generally hated recorded music over live. But they liked the patter and news updates adn those that spoke well of jazz
Laura Leibowitz5:57 PM
Interesting article!
kathy_fuller_seeley5:58 PM
I wish I was a cartoonist to depict Jack as a guinea pig, hahaha
Laura Leibowitz5:58 PM
Kathy – Fascinating, since BeBop was starting to take off around that time.5:58Well, we’re at the top of the hour. Anything else?5:58Really interesting conversation!
Rodrigo Araya5:59 PM
Out of town papers!5:59Read about how the folks are doin’! (edited)
kathy_fuller_seeley5:59 PM
its so interesting that the radio critics found they had to move to TV, but radio in various genres and forms was still there as much as ever, so to note what the major critics were saying during the 1948-1955 period is very interesting.
Rodrigo Araya6:00 PM
Hey, Tony! I wouldn’t eat in that restaurant again… The overcoats are terrible!6:00(Broadway Romeo)
Laura Leibowitz6:01 PM
I can imagine.6:01Radio Mirror -> Radio/TV Mirror
Rodrigo Araya6:02 PM
There were many jokes about radio being all chatter… They didn’t see “talk radio” or podcasts coming…
Laura Leibowitz6:03 PM
Very true.6:03OK…thanks for stopping tonight!6:03Again, fascinating stuff folks!
Rodrigo Araya6:03 PM
“Sir. Can you give me a radio with good programs, please?”
garth_johnson6:04 PM
Don’t forget to tip your porter as you leave tonight1950-03-02_-_jb5_-_lapl_00110804_-_jack_benny_tipping_a_porter.jpg
Rodrigo Araya6:04 PM
Good night.
Doug Kiser6:06 PM
Good night! Oh I forgot to say hello when I showed up a bit late so Hello!
Neil Ottenstein6:08 PM
Good night