Also, known for his generosity in real life, it was the opposite of the stingy character he portrayed for decades. Known for being able to crack people up with just "his look"...His great friend George Burns was always able to get the same response from Benny, with just a look or a word, even when not trying to be funny!
someone should make a movie about jack benny. he's been gone to long and there are so many that would enjoy learning of him who don't know anything about him
One of the funniest men of all time. Perfect delivery, generosity, he had the best writers, he had the best supporting cast, and isn't it so that he always gave his guests the funniest line, and insisted that he had the line immediately after that so that he could milk the pause for laughter for all it was worth? And just that iconic pose at 0:25...!
@@mehboobkm3728 Agreed. I remember reading that during the days of segregation, the hotel they were going to stay in would not allow the gent who played Rochester to stay there and so both Mr. Benny and the entire company were going to leave. Needless to say, the hotel had a rather rapid change of heart.
I haven't laughed so much in AGES. Long live Jack Benny! I grew up watching the Jack Benny Program with my family and also saw a few of his films. He's outstanding as Josef Tura, husband of Carole Lombard, in TO BE OR NOT TO BE. Jack Benny was THE BEST! Thanks for sharing.
This was aired June 21, 1959. Benny appeared on "What's my Line" three times as mystery guest in 1953, 1959, and 1965. Daly reciprocated by appearing once on Jack Benny's program in 1961. The comment Jack makes to Jayne Meadows "That was as nice a kiss you've gotten in a long time.....Steve!" is a ribbing to the fact that Allen and Meadows were happily married (and they remained married until Allen's death).
I think what I love most about Jack, and its evident here, is his reaction to scenarios or jokes or gags. They were priceless. I think that's why I laugh so much at his work!
One of my fav's of all time. The incredible Jack Benny. I think I've seen all of his shows - even from the '50's thanks to DVD rentals from the library! One of the greatest funny men of all time. Mr. Benny was univerally appealing and liked by EVERYONE. Awesome talent and perfect timing.
He was SOOOOO sweet!!! omg when he died, his wife, Mary, received flowers on her birthday for the rest of her life, from Jack. this man was adorable!!!!!! sooo sweet and sooo cute!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE JACK BENNY!!!!
Jack Benny you were great and just as funny as bob hope. R.I.P. I still watch your old tv shows on rerun. I was so sad when you died in 1975 I cried. God Bless you. And I know you were a generous person too. Benny Kubelsky your real name from Waukeegan Illinois.
True jack benny and bob hope .....Terrific comedy.......Benny is always distracted with bob's unexpected joke that irks benny to react ......Especially hunting tiger in jungle ......Both were themselves into splits.......With audience with bob's unexpected jokes and cracks ........
Outstanding video - funny, clean, and such a pleasure to watch. Ranks right up there with the episode in which Bishop Fulton J. Sheen appeared on the show and, after some questions, one of the panelists said "Weekly on television and non-profit?" (laughter) "Oh, boy, have YOU got a crazy sponsor!" (crowd falls apart) As someone else said in the comments - these are so therapeutic to simply watch and enjoy :)
As per previous comments: He was a genius and from what I've read about his life was also a hard working man who looked after his family and the people he worked with. He had (and still has thanks to the medium of film) an ability to make people laugh by his mere physical presence. We will never see his like again!
Jack loved his fans. He kept a stack of his photos on a table in the foyer of his home in Hollywood. When a fan would knock on the door he would often answer it himself, and sign a photo for them.
Jack Benny played a character who was cheap, vain, and petty. And the man himself was generous and humble and one of the most loved people in show business. He once said he was fascinated people would like such an awful character, as long as he made them laugh.
Programs such as What's My Line, Jack Benny, I Love Lucy, You Bet Your Life, Burns and Allen from the 50s and 60s saved my life. Without them, I would have died of boredom or despair growing up in suburban Toronto. They gave me hope that there was something beyond the narrow conformity and prejudices of my working-class family.
There was a "rivalry" between Benny and Allen during the radio days. Allen made a comment about Benny's violin playing, and when Benny fired back at Allen on his own show, people started to think there was a war betwee, the two of them, and they milked it for all it was worth. Away from the airwaves they were the closest of friends.
Heifetz was a violinist, and Benny played the violin badly as part of his comedy routine. However, Benny practiced the violin seriously and could play well . . . well, well enough when he wanted. If it is not already posted on RU-vid, I wish someone would post a duet of "Getting to Know You" Benny did on live TV with Giselle McKenzie. That illustrates Benny's talent with the violin.
@@razorback9926 it is possible he MIGHT have been making a joke about Jack's age... sorta like on his radio show when he said his Social Security number was 2 (Al Jolson was #1!) ;-)
Jack also appeared on Goodson Todman’s I’ve Got a Secret. He kept coming out as if he were the next guest and Garry Moore had to keep sending Jack offstage. When Jack learned one man’s secret that he burned a million dollars that day, Jack slapped his shoulder just like he does here with John Daly.
Great! Love that Jack Benny! He will always be "39" years old and hearing his slightly intentionally off key violin playing "Love In Bloom" and watching his silent, long stares always bring a smile to me...and remember his 1927 Maxwell, the car was practically a part of the cast of his show with sound effects by the great Mel Blanc! This What's My Line episode appears to be from about 1964 and Jack looked great!!
"Do Mischa Ellman and Jascha Heifetz scream with horror at the mere mention of your name?" "OH SHUT UP!!" Perfect timing as ever. Jack knew the game was over then. I love Jack Benny....
@zamusicza Jack once said in an interview that if God were to offer him the proposition of making him a great violinist, but in return Jack could never tell another joke as long as he lived, Jack said he would take Him up on it. He was an accomplished player, but never rose to the heights that he aspired to, and it is interesting to know that in spite of his legendary status in show business, he would have traded it all to be a concert violinist.
If you guys are wondering, Mr. Benny signed in as Jascha Heifetz, who was a Lithuanian-born violinist who toured with Benny in the USO during World War II. His name was dropped by Mr. Cerf when he realized that it was Jack Benny. Now, I don't know very much else besides this, so look it up for yourselves.
Well to add more information to those whom may be unfamiliar with some of Jack Benny's running gags: Part of the humor of Jack Benny's radio and TV programs often poked fun at Benny's fictional flaws (his flaws when in character), such as being incredibly cheap and stingy, or in this case, being a horrible violinist. He would often egotistically say he was as good as, or even better than, Jascha Heifetz, who was an incredibly talented violinist. But, humorously, on radio and TV, whenever he played the violin, it sounded worse than a dying cat, and the other characters would sometimes interrupt him or prevent him from playing altogether. So, basically, Benny signing in as Heifetz just added to an old recurring joke that he pretended to be an amazing violinist. I actually think Jack Benny was a fine violinist, unfortunately I have never had the pleasure to hear him play properly. The one time that I remember he did try to play normally on his TV program (by a letter request), he was paired with a pianist (played by a comedian who I regret to not remember the name of) that would interrupt him by playing loudly, and even started dancing around, whenever he tried to play.
+Scutshakes Look on RU-vid for Mel Blanc's final sketch with the Jack Benny Show. After deciding not to return for any more seasons, Benny chose to honor his long time friend by writing a long sketch where at the end, to prove a point, he plays the violin fantastically for about a minute. Amazing stuff.
This was during the late summer of 1959, just before Jack moved to 10pm(et) on Sundays, right before "WML?" in the '59-'60 season. John Daly himself would guest star on one of Jack's filmed episodes in January of 1961. You knew the game was pretty much over when Bennett made his keen observation and Jack HAD to say, "Oh, shut up!".
The thing about Jack was not what he said, but how he said it. I read somewhere that Jack Benny got the biggest laugh ever recorded in television. A robber tells him, "Your money or your life." There is a long pause in which the audience goes nuts, then Jack says, "I'm thinking about it!" No one else could pull off that gag except Jack.
As of July 2012, the The Jack Benny Program airs Mon-Thu Nights 2a ET | 11p PT & Saturday Nights 12a ET | 9p PT. GOD BLESS THE WOMAN WHO BROUGHT THAT MAN INTO THIS WORLD! P.S. and ROCHESTER TOO! :)
If I absolutely HAD to name my all-time favorite comedian I would choose Jack Benny. You just have to like him. The way he looks, acts, talks - there's only one Jack Benny.
