Posted on 02/28/2021 4:53:11 AM PST by ETL
Jack Goes To A Gym
(to impress his pretty new secretary)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZxWMvJrPbs
How Jack Met Mary
(based on the true story of how he met his real wife, at a department store)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvfgG9BckI8
Christmas Shopping
(old cheapskate Benny, as always, out to save a penny)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u17Xo0dqJ34
Jack at the Supermarket
(Again, Jack out penny-saving)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqbmnZ7sgZM
Jack Renews His Driver’s License
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPmpJGmlVCc
Jack Goes To The Cafeteria
(cheapskate Jack takes a guest on his show out to eat)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPh6AAGqPjk
What a contrast to today's trash TV.
Well!
Jack Benny Lives!
Lately, I have been watching videos of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, I had forgotten how funny those roasts were, Don Rickles and the rest of the bunch from back then. I don’t think there is anything today that compares to the humor of that era. Foster Brooks was just great, as was Joey Bishop, even Peter Falk could bring a laugh.
Jack Benny had a number of running jokes, one of which centered on the fact he was born and grew up in Waukegan, Illinois, north of Chicago, and another, that he had an old Maxwell automobile, that always started with great difficulty, with the sound effects of shuffing and coughing around as the attempt was made. And he was never more than 39 years old.
His sidekick Don Wilson once remarked, “Jack, you could make that 59 years old, and still get laughs!”
That was real talent from real men.
Agreed - catch them now, especially any that featured Eddie Anderson as Rochester. The SJW crowd won’t allow those to hang around much longer, no matter how wrong they would be about the relationship of Jack Benny’s character with Rochester. Any I can recall seeing showed Rochester was usually 2 steps ahead of Jack while letting Jack think he was in charge. There certainly wasn’t any subservience on the part of Rochester, IMO.
And he’s still 39 years old.
A weak redux of that was Benson and Governor Gattling...they tried but no one should ever try to recreate the magic of the originals.
#lightninginabottle
As a long time fan of horse racing and employee of several big name barns as a teen back in the 70s here in New York and in Florida, I was pleasantly surprised when I looked up Eddie Anderson/Rochester’s background and learned that he too was a big fan of horse racing, even becoming a trainer later on his life. ...
Horse racing
Anderson was the owner of racehorses.[67] The best known of them was Burnt Cork, a Thoroughbred that ran in the 1943 Kentucky Derby, making him the first African-American owner of a horse entered into the Derby.[68][69]
Having been given the following day off by Benny, Anderson and his wife, Mamie, traveled to Louisville, Kentucky to see their horse run in the Derby. Since segregation in public accommodations was practiced there, the Andersons were invited to be guests at the home of Mae Street Kidd, a noted female African-American Kentucky politician.[70][71]
Both before and after the race, Anderson was accused of entering his horse in the race strictly for publicity purposes for himself, especially after Burnt Cork finished last. Those making the statements believed this tarnished the name and history of the race.
Jack Cuddy, a United Press International sports columnist, pointed out in his column that around the same time Burnt Cork ran last for Anderson, King George VI’s horse, Tipstaff, finished last at Ascot without any of the comments that surrounded Anderson.[72]
When Burnt Cork won an important race, Anderson came to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for work dressed as a Kentucky colonel; he also insisted on being called “Colonel Rochester”.[1]
After the Benny television show had left the air, Anderson turned back to his love of horses and racing, working as a trainer at the Hollywood Park Racetrack until shortly before his death.[23][73]
He acquired much of his knowledge when one of his racing horses, Up and Over, was injured in a fall; it was suggested that the horse be euthanized due to the extent of those injuries.
Anderson refused this and said he would take care of his injured animal. He spent extensive periods of time at the Paramount Pictures studio library, reading everything in their collection on equine anatomy. This led Anderson to a veterinary surgeon who was interested in helping Up and Over; together the two men got the thoroughbred back on his feet again.[19]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_%22Rochester%22_Anderson#Horse_racing
“After the Benny television show had left the air, Anderson turned back to his love of horses and racing, working as a trainer at the Hollywood Park Racetrack until shortly before his death.[23][73]”
“employee of several big name barns as a teen back in the 70s here in New York”
I had an uncle who took horses from Kansas to NY to race back in that time. I can’t recall what tracks he went to, just that he went there in the summers. His name was Charley Ryan. Does that ring any bells for you?
I think Dean Martin was by far the most talented and likable of the bunch. Guy did everything really well. Obviously singing, comedy, westerns, Matt Helm, etc...
Loved Peter Falk in Colombo.
Check out this funny clip of him, in his usually bummy style and worn out trench coat entering a men’s homeless shelter to speak to a potential witness in a murder case.
Misunderstanding At The Homeless Mission:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2yn0upRVxY
No, sorry, it doesn’t.
As a teenager I had a job walking horses at Belmont Racetrack here in New York during the 70s and, for a short time, at the old Hialeah track in Florida. I worked for several Hall of Fame trainers and stables, including trainer JP Conway (trainer of ‘Twice Worthy’) and PG Johnson, a NY trainer who was always near the top of the trainer standings.
I also worked for the prestigious Ogden Phipps stable, under then trainer John Russell. The last horse I walked was for the Phipps stable. The horse happened to have been a full brother to the great Secretariat. But then Secretariat had over a hundred brothers and sisters! the offspring of the legendary Bold Ruler.
Thug:
Look, bud, I said ‘Your money or your life.’
Jack Benny:
I’m thinking it over.
Thanks for your time and memory check - never can tell about one of those “six degrees” things. Good stories, too!
He makes a mistake on the form and goes to get another one.
CLERK: "That'll be $3.00."
JACK: "I already paid the $3.00."
CLERK: "The government already spent it."
I LOVE Jack Benny.
Many of his tv episodes reused scripts from his radio episodes.
People say that the radio episodes are far funnier than the tv episodes. I found that hard to believe until i listened to his radio episodes for the first time. Sure enough, they were right. If you like the tv show, you’ll love the radio show even more.
Here is a link to all episodes, free for download.
http://otrrlibrary.org/OTRRLib/Library%20Files/J%20Series/Jack%20Benny/
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.