I guess he really was cheap. C’mon, Benny and Burns didn’t want to pay the duty on the jewelry and tried to pull a fast one- which was kinda sleazy considering it was right before the war and everything. Anyway, Jeb Bush’s wife got caught doing the same thing.
He should have asked Rochester do the gig. That way there would be no penalty at all for it would be considered racist and ..........oh wait this was back in the days where the law actually meant something.
"Throughout the 1940s Benny's popularity continued to grow. During World War II he contributed tirelessly to the war effort by selling war bonds and by entertaining the troops both at home and abroad. His experiences performing on the Armed Forces Radio System led him to quicken his delivery, and after the war Benny, who was a perfectionist in preparing his routines and an excellent editor of his own material, developed a slicker program with greater emphasis on comic situations."