Jack Benny Old Time Radio Comedy Superstar
"This is Jack Benny. There will be a slight pause while you say, 'Who cares?'"
And so began the radio career which lasted over 23 years and created one of the all time favorite and timeless radio comedies. All based on the somehow loveable character who was a vain, argumentative, cheapskate who loved his money more than anything else and was a self-proclaimed, but often incorrect, expert.
Jack Benny once noted, "I played a character who embodied all the faults and frailties of mankind." Yet, America fell in love with him in part because it was clear that Benny was playing a part that was the complete opposite of his true self.
Although Jack Benny was the star of the show, just about every joke
was at his expense. This combined with Benny's character flaws provided his writers and supporting cast, which included his wife
Sadye Marks as Mary Livingstone and Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, an
unlimited supply of hilarious material which propelled them to the
top of the ratings. Jack Benny also paved the way in leading radio
away from the Vaudeville style of stand up, slapstick comedy
towards character based relationship comedy. In the process, they
created the first situational comedy.
Here is a audio sample featuring Jack, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson
and Dennis Day. (mp3 or wav format)
Over the years, Jack Benny and his team created a number of gags and trademark lines including a parody of The Whistler called The Fiddler, the hidden basement bank vault surrounded by a moat with a guard who hasn't seen daylight since the Revolutionary War, a 12 year long on the air "feud" with the Fred Allen Show. But his most notable gag was where a crook would corner Benny and demand "Your Money or Your Life?" After a long pause, the impatient crook would demand an answer. An annoyed Benny would respond, "I'm thinking about it!"
It wasn't long before the answer to the original question of "Who cares?" became, "His millions of friends and fans care!"
The Ultimate Jack Benny Collection
For more than 20 years, Jack Benny reigned as the king of radio comedy. How he turned a self-absorbed cheapskate into a beloved icon ranks among the great achievements in entertainment history. Benny revolutionized the way humor was played on the radio by introducing the situation comedy and by giving most of the best lines to his brilliant supporting cast. Return to radio's golden age with Rochester, Mary Livingstone, Phil Harris, Don Wilson and the rest of the old gang for 40 episodes of Benny's best. Relive Jack's first and last radio shows, plus all of the classic gags, unforgettable characters and infamous bloopers - all digitally restored and remastered for your ultimate listening enjoyment.
Jack Benny 3 Hours on 3 Compact Discs
Jack Benny is truly one of the funniest comedians of all time. During his 20 plus years on the radio, he delighted audiences with his situation comedies whereby the strong supporting cast received the best lines and the biggest laughs. These laughs continue till this day with another classic digitally restored and remastered Jack Benny collection by Radio Spirits.
A collection which transcends time and provides three hours of listening enjoyment. Laugh from beginning to end with Benny's hilarious humor and learn why many consider him to be the king of comedy.
The Best of Jack Benny
10 CDs featuring 20 episodes of the Best of Jack Benny.
More Old Radio Shows available on CD and Cassettes.
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