Posted on 03/03/2024 6:30:14 PM PST by hardspunned
A clip from the JB Program, from 3 April 1955, featuring the great Marx brother Groucho. It's a parody of You Bet Your Life, the plot being Jack disguising himself to try and pick up "some extra cash." He and his partner are doing great until the last question. After the sketch, Jack and Groucho have a little fun in the closing monologue.
(Excerpt) Read more at youtu.be ...
I’m one of those younger FReepers and in the spirit of Jack Benny, I’ll say that I’m 39 years old, and I’ve always found Jack Benny to be uproariously hilarious.
Jack and Groucho, two fun fellas.
Thanks for posting this. My father was a vaudeville/burlesque master magician of comedic bent who met nearly all these people at some point. Fought Red Skelton over a girl they were both after and said neither won the prize LOL. Now we have to look hard to make sure its actually a girl. Simpler times.
I have listened to some years of jack’s radio show (mostly 30s). the material was usually quite good. eddie anderson (rochester) gets a number of good zingers in regularly. the radio show format did have integrated advertisements (jello for the 30s), a band with a 2-3 minute piece mid-show, and a cast of 6-8 or so.
Neat! Any idea when the Red Skelton competition occurred?
“It’s light up time with Lucky Strike” on the early Jack Benny TV shows. Jack Benny, Eddie Anderson and Mel Blanc, Wow! With all of the great old TV and radio programs available, who needs to fret over trying to find something to watch coming out of hollyweird nowadays? Just last week I discovered a great Jimmy Stewart radio western, The Six Shooter. That led me to the TV version called The Restless Gun starring John Payne. John Payne, I never even knew he did television. Great stuff!
Thank you for posting.
Both young men in the 1940s, way before Red broke out with “The Fuller Brush Man”. I wondered why dad didn’t like his television show and he told me the story. Geez, let it go already, right?
The Jack Benny Show is hilarious.
Some friends met Mr. Skelton, back in the 1980’s. Said that he was very kind and knew a lot about American history.
Groucho’s companion in later years Erin Fleming’s influence and relationship with Groucho were portrayed as controversial. Many of Groucho’s friends and colleagues acknowledged that she did much to revive his popularity, by arranging a series of personal appearances and one-man shows culminating in a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall, which was recorded and issued on a best-selling record album. She also successfully lobbied for the honorary Academy Award Groucho received in 1974.
Several of Groucho’s friends, family and employees, including his son Arthur and youngest daughter Melinda, ruthlessly charged Fleming with embezzling money and pushing the increasingly frail Groucho to the limits of his endurance, largely for her own personal gain.
They also charged her w/ psychological and suspected physical abuse.
Groucho died on August 19, 1977, aged 86. Litigation over his estate was eventually resolved in 1988 in favor of his three children; Fleming was ordered to repay $472,000 which they said she had fraudulently taken from Groucho’s estate.
It destroyed Fleming. Later, Fleming was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. She spent much of the last decade of her life impoverished, homeless, delusional, and in and out of various psychiatric facilities.
Fleming took her own life in Hollywood on April 15, 2003, at age 61.
I think Paul Harvey used to play this every 4th of July. I’m so heartsick about what our country has devolved into I doubt I could listen to it now without actually breaking down and crying.
Cry we must before going forth to resolve the wrongs that have been forced upon us by a vile and evil regime. They asked for it - we tried to be civil.
How true. However, living in a police state as you and I do, be aware that bold inferences like that may very well warrant a visit from the Wray goon squad.
This coming election will tell if we still have a say or if we've lost. My heart has always been with Red's, Ronald Reagan's and this magnificent guy who's setting aside a finality of wealthy leisure to fight for us. Let them come. My screen name isn't about metal bits in a box but putting a hole into the previous one.
I agree, no place in a free nation but it’s here. I don’t believe Trump will be allowed to serve. He’d be no babe in the woods this time around in DC. He knows what needs to be done. They know that. JFK signed his own death warrant when he said, “splinter the C.I.A. in a thousand pieces and scatter it to the winds.” I’m old and broken down as well. When it finally comes, better you and me than our grandchildren. I understand your screen name fully. Can you still do it with these old eyes? I can’t.
2.Yes you still can.
3.We have to because pajama boys can't. Speaking of pajamas allow me to brighten this back up by deferring to the master:
Always misquoted. He said "I DON'T know." While minor it shows how things repeated enough are taken for fact.
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