I wish Jack Benny was still that age and doing his skits now. Mel Blanc also. This crazy world we are living in, we need them. at least we can find them all here on RU-vid. I'm thankful for that! God Bless all
I wrote Mel Blanc a letter when I was a kid(1981). He responded by sending me an 8x10 color photo of him and his characters, signed to ME(putting my first name on it). As a 10 year old kid, I couldn't believe it. I love this guy!
I did this as a kid too at about that time to Robert guillaume and he never got back to me but my friend got the same thing you did from Tim Conway. Glad to hear you did!
@@PaulA-os9pb I was 10 years old at the time. I sent out a lot of letters asking for autographs on baseball cards to players, with a self addressed stamped envelope. Most did it, but some didn’t. Pete rose or mike Schmidt wouldn’t return my card with an autograph. Dave Winfield and Gaylord Perry wouldn’t either. My favorite Steve Garvey always did. I wrote Neil Armstrong(first man on the moon) a letter and got his autograph as well as Dr Jonas Salk. Dr Salk had discovered the polio vaccine, which was a very big deal for kids in the 50’s. Polio is what put FDR in a wheelchair. I really doubt that most celebrities like this would return their autograph these days. Thank you for your comment.
Even among voice actors, he is GOAT He has one of the greatest single takes in the history of the profession. The "Rabbit season/Duck season" episode of Looney Tunes where Daffy is trying to convince Elmer Fudd that it's rabbit season. The part where Daffy dresses up like Bugs, and Bugs like Daffy, he does each characters voice, doing an impression of the other, and had an argument between the two. He did it without messing up in *ONE TAKE!* And he also played Elmer Fudd!
@@landonletterman831 Mel Blanc didn't do the voice for Elmer in the episode "Rabbit Fire" (the one you mentioned), it was actually Arthur Q Bryan. Mel went on to voice Elmer, after Arthur passed away.
I swear to god every time Mel says something funny I can't take it anymore I'm crying from laughter so much thank you Mel blanc for everything you're the best
Most Latino's have a terrific sense of humour. It's like how white people think Speedy Gonzales is offensive, and yet Mexican's love the mouse always pulling one over the "gringo's". We ALL need to take a step back and figure out a way to laugh together. Because really, all of humanity is a big joke anyway!
Oh man, I live in Southern California, I'll be the first to say that as a white guy, I have never once, EVER, met a Mexican that did not love cultural humor. They really love it.
Jack Benny was a well-trained violinist who raised so much money for orchestra funds over the years. The best part is that he loved playing SO much, and that was the real joy of it. We could feel his happiness. He was never intimidated either, working with some of the world's finest violinists.
Several actors and actresses are musically inclined. Larry Fine(berg) played the violin. He and Samuel (Shemp) Howard were 2 of the original 3 Stooges.
I could watch this all day---These guys played off of each other so well, and even on just the radio they were masters at their craft!! That is where Mr. Mel Blanc really did his magic. R.I.P. MEL BLANC---OH THE JOY YOU GAVE TO ALL MANKIND!!!
Jack Benny and Mel Blanc had such great comedic timing. He had the studio audience in stitches right along with the home viewers. Not one foul word, no off color jokes just great timing with a great script and actors that knew their business. I wonder if we will ever get back to that?
Candidly before my time, but the timing of the humour is so spot on, many modern comedians can learn from them. And yes, I find it very funny, and yes I do have a good giggle.
Disagree Jeff. Society has gone down the crapper, since this show appeared. Almost to the bottom, thanks to the CULTural marxist influence of the 1960's.
How can anyone give this a thumbs down?? This is classic tv with two legendary giants up front and center. Mel Blanc enjoyed torturing Jack with surprises. Jack was a class act. He was among the few celebrities that gave minorities opportunities and even stood up for them in rough situations.
Who knew that he had so many talents? I'd only known him for his outstanding voice-overs for Loony Tunes, Merrie Melodies, and other toons ; this is Wow 👌 👏! Thanks RU-vid 😊
Do some research on Mel and you will be pleasantly surprised. He was not only the first and greatest voice actor, but a talented actor, musician, song writer and singing artist. His natural singing voice is beyond perfect and hard to find. His list of credits is unbelievable, not to mention all the work he never got credit for. I don't think there was a musical instrument he couldn't play. And he devoted his time to charitable causes. Just an all-around great guy. We won't see any like him anymore. 🥰❤
Si! Mel Blanc was an accomplished musician well before his radio/voice/TV career, once the youngest orchestra leader in the U.S. Such an amazing entertainer.
I didn't know just how well versed a musician Mel was. He definitely has not had the recognition as a vocalist that he deserved. I wish a compilation album of his best songs from the cartoons would be put out. Also glad this bit finally showcased Jack's own skill with the violin.
The skill of holding an audience is breathtaking here. It is impossible to imagine just how much joy Mel Blanc has brought to the world with his voice characterisation, Many thanks for posting. ps Those are some pretty fancy guitars the Tijuana boys are playing!
Top line Gibsons. I'd kill for those guitars. The left handed cat is Frank Remley, who played in Jack's house band forever, and was the butt of many a drinking joke.
I lived through this as a child and now it seems like it's from another planet. No constant "F" word being thrown out for laughs. People actually laughed without a flow of foul language and sick humor hitting them in the head.
I grew up listening to Jack Benny on the radio every sunday night in the 40s and 50s and watching his show on TV, and I have to tell you, I think this is the first time i have seen him play the violin legitimately. My only memories are of him fooling around with it, and I really thought it was just a comic prop. Thanks for posting this clip, he and Mel were a national treasure.
Oh no no no. He was a superb musician. Johnny Carson asked him once if he had to choose between comedy and being a violin virtuoso. He said he would take the violin. And he used to play in concert halls and symphony orchestra in between seasons - seriously - at least as seriously as he ever could.
i am mexican and say this is funny as hell............we make fun of ourselves in mexico...........but in this country everything became politically correct........americans take things to seriously
Joseph Wonderless idk. I just get the idea that people think that all Mexicans do gardening and the like. I don't believe it, even though i see it, but it's the stereotype. But then again, people think plenty bad about my heritage, even though I can attest to their falsehood.
akumma888 The joke was made here in the first place.. You act like you're speaking against other people but yet who's the ones complaining about this being offensive?..
Somewhere, there is a fat white woman with purple hair and eyebrow piercings screaming, "That's racist!" Just like she did about the Taco Bell Chihuahua. I too am a Hispanic. And I got a big bang out of it.
Mel Blanc did virtually all of the voices of the loonie tunes characters. Ask any voice over actor and yhey will yell you that Mel Blanc was the greatest of them all, hands down.
Blanc & Benny were the ideal comedy duo, each one possessed of the greatest deadpan delivery in the business. This classic "Si, Sy, Sue, Sew," etc., routine always killed. Another great bit was Mel playing Jack's violin coach, the terribly frustrated & depressed "Professor LeBlanc." Unmatched entertainment.
Super. I Remember this from the Dating Game, and it was the TV ad song for Mazda's Great Little Car. (GLC) Every time that I hear Spanish Flea, the words come back to haunt me. "It's Mazda's, Great Little Car, it's Mazda's, Great Little Car, it gets 45 mpg, 35 mpg, WOW, it's Mazda's Great Little Car." Now the curse is yours. P.S. Mel and Benny were great. 💙 T.E.N.
Wait... He's doing his Bugs Bunny voice with a Hispanic accent. He was right... You can get oodles of different characters just by doing one voice in different accents.
At 1:31 I'm surprised Jack held it together as well as he did, and I would've expected a bigger laugh out of the audience when Mel said "Yes sir" cause I lost it big time when that happened.
Actually Mel would try to make Jack laugh backstage because of that look that he would give him. That's why in the airport scene with the "Si, Sy, Sue, Sow" shtick, you can actually see Jack cracking up for just a minute.
I seen the headlines on the newspaper early morning in July 1989 telling of Blancs passing, and it left me with a profound sadness, that an era had passed.
Mel Blanc was the voice of speedy Gonzales and his cousin slow Gonzales. And to hear him say "si" makes it even funnier. I was expecting him to say "andale, andale, arriba, arriba!" Used to love it, especially, his cousin slow Gonzales. I used to watched them when I was little, good memories.
Whoever said that Jack Benny was a racist is a bold face liar.Jack Benny was never racist and he made very sure where ever he went Eddie "Rochester"Anderson was there.Rochester died a very wealthy man because of Jack Benny made sure he ivested his money wisely.Jack Benny was a great man.
Rochester died in the motion picture country home. I think there was an income "ceiling" for people who lived at the home. I don't think very many multi-millionaires lived there. eddie Anderson may have HAD money at one time. however, I don't think he had all that much money when he died........
Indeed, there were numerous times when Jack's entourage would show up at a hotel only to be told that Rochester couldn't stay there; Jack's standard response was, "Then neither can the rest of us." He was a civil rights activist 15 years before there was a civil rights movement...
+Byron Benguche' you are so right--and if you notice Rochester's scenes with Jack were never condescending master/servant--in fact Rochester many times got better half of Jack's often infantile ways. By the way, Jack refused to perform, I believe, in places where Eddie could not book in the same hotel--They were friends as well as co-workers.
Jack Benny is, by far, one of the greatest comedic talents in entertainment history. Add in Me Blanc and they had a chemistry that will NEVER be equaled. Thanks!
Every time I watch these clips with Jack and Mel, I notice Mel seems to have that same effect on Jack as Tim Conway has on Harvey Korman on “The Carol Burnett Show”!! 😃👍
Part of the reason for Jack's deadpan expression in this sketch was to prevent him from laughing uncontrollably. You could see it on his face every time he and Mel did this routine, or a variation.
Yep, you can see it happen in the "Si, Sy, Sue" airport sketch, as Jack Benny cracks up for a while. It was also known that Mel would literally try every time to make Jack crack up backstage by giving him the "Si, Sy, Sue" stare.
I must have watched this same skit 10 times now. There is something completely different about communication between people and team playing when cultures that are alien to each other meet in different environments. This show is a timeless masterpiece.
Both my mom and I just loved Jack Benny and enjoyed reruns of his show back when I was a kid (1960's). I was LOL at Mel Blanc's stone-faced "Si, Sy, Sue"! 🤣And the music was terrific. Jack Benny mostly pretended he was a bad violinist to make people laugh - but his playing was delightful here. Wish we had variety shows like that today.
There is absolutely NOTHING "racist" about this stuff. Latinos LOVED Mel Blanc! A few years ago, there was a "controversy" about Speedy Gonzales on Cartoon Network. Some butt-in-ski thought it was "racist," and tried to get Speedy off the air. When Latino fans got wind of this, they insisted, "What's all the fuss about? We LOVE Speedy Gonzales!"
Blanc was interested in music at an early age and became proficient on bass, violin, and sousaphone. He began his professional life as a radio musician in the late 1920s, and in 1933 he and his wife cohosted a daily radio program from Portland, Oregon. As the low-budgeted show did not allow for the hiring of supporting actors on a daily basis, Blanc was compelled to provide a variety of voices himself and thus began honing the skills that brought him success
Only the best...Jack's, beautifully timed long suffering takes are wonderful. I recall when I played the Sahara in Vegas, lunch time, dining room, Jack,. the headliner, in pajamas, slippers and a robe, came down in the elevator, and stood in the entrance to the lunch room, before sitting down, he scanned the room with a long suffering take. The laughs he got with his appearance were priceless.
It’s very funny! PS: As a Hispanic, I feel very honored (not offended) to see an famous American playing Hispanic-American music (Spanish Flea by Tijuana Bass), but he did it respectfully.
I heard back in the 90s that while Speedy Gonzales was being removed from TV in the U.S. because it was supposedly offensive, it was the most popular cartoon on Mexican Cartoon Network. I heard this around the same time that I drove past a high school on the Navajo reservation proudly declaring itself "Home of the Redskins". It's funny how white people feel the need to be offended for non-whites.
