 The Jack Benny Program was an enormously successful sketch-like situational comedy which ran from 1932 to 1955. The show centered around a fictional version Jack Benny as a successful comedian who was cheap, petty and vain. The program had a staple of characters such as Eddie Anderson who played Benny's African-American valet "Rochester Van Jones" (who was nearly as popular as Benny himself); rotund announcer Don Wilson, the butt of endless "fat" jokes; Mary Livingstone, Benny's real-life wife, who played his wisecracking lady friend on the show; and the remarkably versatile Mel Blanc, who provided several characters' voices, as well as the famous sound of Benny's aging auto, an early century Maxwell that always seemed on the verge of collapse. The program moved from New York to Los Angeles in 1936 so the show could draw more easily upon Hollywood celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Stuart, Bing Crosby, Barbara Stanwyck and many, many others. Orson Welles was a frequent guest host that took the microphone whenever Jack was unavailable. The humor in these classic bits is as fresh as the day it was written. Benny had a unique way of hooking himself and his guests into the worst situations imaginable that made for side-splitting comedy. No one was immune to his antics. He'd even work the commercials into the body of his show, making his very sponsors the butt of his jokes. And how will we ever forget his terrible violin playing, his never getting older than 39, and his ever "penny pinching" demeanor? Truly a classic in classic radio. # # # FIRST BROADCAST: 2nd May 1932 LAST BROADCAST: 22nd May 1955 CAST: Jack Benny, George Hicks, George Olsen, Ethel Shutta, Sadye Marks, Mary Livingstone, Ted Weems, James Melton, Frank Parker, Howard Claney, Alois Havrilla, Frank Black, Don Wilson, Don Bestor, Jimmy Grier, Johnny Green, Michael Bartlett, Kenny Baker, Phil Harris, Eddie Anderson, Rochester Van Jones, Dennis Day, Sam Hearn, Andy Devine, Mel Blanc, Frank Nelson, Joe Besser, Artie Auerbach, Larry Stevens, Sara Berner, Bea Benaderet, Jane Morgan, Gloria Gordon, Sheldon Leonard, Joseph Kearns, Ronald and Benita Colman, Bill Days, Max Smith, John Rarig, Gurney Bell, Jay Mayer, Marty Sperzel, Thurl Ravenscroft, Bob Crosby, Bob Gregor, Sid Silvers, Paul Douglas, Dix Davis, Elliott Lewis, Eddie Marr, Blanche Stewart, Veola Vonn, Frank Fontaine. WRITERS: Harry Conn, Al Boasberg, Howard Snyder, Hugh Wedlock Jr, Bill Morrow, Ed Beloin, Sam Perrin, Milt Josefsberg, George Balzer, John Tackaberry. ORCHESTRA: Mahlon Merrick THEMES: Yankee Doodle Boy, blending into Love in Bloom (Benny's personal theme); Hooray for Hollywood (closing theme). PRODUCERS: Hilliard Marks, Irving Fein SOUND EFFECTS: Ed Ludes, Virgil Reimer, Jack Wormser, Monty Fraser (NBC); James Murphy, Gene Twombly, Cliff Thorsness (CBS). The Jack Benny Show - 1932-1955
The radio episodes on this disc are recorded as digital audio files commonly known as "MP3's" and require a computer or MP3 player (like your smartphone) to play them. The type of DVD referred to in this listing is a computer disc used to store and transport these files to you. We put many of our titles on DVD because they're able to store 7x the data as a CD and provide the most episodes for your dollar! Since this is a DVD, it will not play in a CD player. It requires a DVD-equipped computer or home DVD player capable of playing MP3s. The simplest way to see if your computer has a DVD drive, is to look for the DVD logo on the face of the drawer that slides out. If the DVD logo is not visible, you probably have a CD drive. Buy with confidence from our store for even more great radio programs. New shows are added weekly, so add us to your favorite sellers list and come back and see us! To purchase multiple items from our store, just continue your shopping spree, adding titles to your cart, then pay only once you've finished. Payment: is totally secure using your credit or debit card. Online payments received before 5:00pm EST receive same day shipping. Shipping/Handling: Order tracking updates are provided by eBay when order ships - either the same or next business day. Orders that utilize the 'economy' shipping method may not include en-route tracking. International import duties/customs fees (if any) are the responsibility of the buyer.  THANK YOU FOR LOOKING! |