Old Time Radio's Greatest Stars: Jack Benny Collection 1
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About this listen
Versatile actor/comedian Jack Benny had a long career (1911-1974) and was truly a star of stage, screen and radio. Recognized as a leading 20th-century American entertainer, Benny often portrayed his character as a miser, playing violin poorly, and claiming to be no older than 39, regardless of his actual age. Known for his comic timing, Benny had the ability to cause laughter with a pregnant pause or a single expression, such as his signature exasperated “Well!” His radio and television programs, popular from 1932 until his death in 1974, were a major contribution to the sitcom genre. He surrounded himself with a talented group of supporting players, including his real-life wife Mary Livingstone, announcer Don Wilson, bandleader Phil Harris, singer Dennis Day and valet Eddie “Rochester” Anderson. Other cast members on his radio and TV show included Mel Blanc, Frank Nelson and Joseph Kearns. Although Jack Benny began in vaudeville and graduated to movies and television, it was on radio that Benny had his greatest success. Heard on NBC and CBS for decades, his sponsors included Jell-O, Grape Nuts Flakes, Canada Dry and Lucky Strike. We’ve carefully chosen 11 radio episodes starring Jack Benny from our master archives for this collection, and we hope you love them!
The Lux Radio Theatre 9-26-38 “Seven Keys to Baldplate” (1-hour)
The Quiz Kids 4-16-41 w/ Jack Benny as a guest Quiz Kid
Command Performance 5-10-45 w/ M.C. Jack Benny
The Amos ‘N’ Andy Show 11-10-44 “Employment Agency” w/ guest, Jack Benny
The Burns & Allen Show 1-8-48 w/ guest, Jack Benny
The Jack Benny Program 1-2-49 w/ guests, Amos ‘N’ Andy
The Jack Benny Program 4-15-51 w/ guests, Ronald & Benita Colman
The Jack Benny Program 1-11-53 w/ guest, Bob Hope
The Jack Benny Program 11-12-50 w/ guest, Richard Widmark
The Jack Benny Program 4-27-52 w/ guest, James Stewart
Suspense 4-5-51 “Murder in G-Flat” w/ Jack Benny
Public Domain (P)2018 CBS Broadcasting, Inc., all rights reserved.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Jack Benny: War Days
- By: Original Radio Broadcast
- Narrated by: Jack Benny, Mary Livingstone, Phil Harris, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
With four new writers and plenty of brand-new gags, radio's favorite comedian entertains home front America, as well as troops at Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine camps. In fact, the whole gang is here! Mary Livingstone, Phil Harris, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Dennis Day, Larry Stevens, and Don Wilson are all on hand—along with plenty of unexpected guests! Here are sixteen laugh-packed episodes from the early 1940s, featuring favorites like Mel Blanc, Frank Nelson, Minerva Pious, John Brown, and Butterfly McQueen.
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it's Jack Benny! Need I Say More?
- By Mary Ellen Byrne on 05-03-23
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The Jack Benny Program, Collection 2
- By: Black Eye Entertainment
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 5 hrs and 54 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Jack Benny liked to portray himself as a skinflint but his generosity as a comic allowed other characters to get their fair share of laughs...usually at his expense. Benny got more laughs playing the straight man and didn’t care if he was the butt of the jokes. With his brilliant timing, smooth delivery, and trademark mannerisms, Benny was a huge influence on the development of the radio sitcom. References to Benny’s reputed stinginess, vanity, and infirmities were expected and weekly running gags established the program’s memorable characters.
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Jack Benny: A Man and His Bear
- By: Original Radio Broadcast
- Narrated by: Jack Benny, Mary Livinston
- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Who's that bear? And what's he doing in Jack Benny's basement? It's the famous Carmichael—guarding the vault and getting laughs! Dish up the Jell-O for Mary Livingston, Phil Harris, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Dennis Day, and Don Wilson in twenty classic prewar episodes—and be sure to leave a plate for you-know-who downstairs!
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What happened to the bear
- By Chris Coyne on 03-09-23
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Jack Benny: Neighbors
- By: Original Radio Broadcast
- Narrated by: Jack Benny, Mary Livingstone, Ronald Colman, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
Ronald and Benita Colman made 20 guest appearances on The Jack Benny Program, including some of the most hilarious entries in the series. The Colmans' refined personaes played an excellent "grand opera" to the "ragtime" of Jack's mercenary enterprises. In this set, you'll hear the dashing Ronald read the winning entry of the "I Can't Stand Jack Benny" contest. You will also hear Benita receive the third longest laugh ever on the Benny radio program. It's no wonder that The Colmans' visits to Benny's radio series have become listener classics.
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The Poor neighbors
- By Chris Coyne on 08-01-23
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Jack Benny vs. Fred Allen: The Feud
- By: Jack Benny, Fred Allen
- Narrated by: Jack Benny, Fred Allen, Portland Hoffa, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Among radio comedy's most enduring features were its running gags - and few gags ran longer, or more hilariously, than the legendary feud between two of its great masters: Jack Benny and Fred Allen. For nearly 20 years the mere mention of Benny on an Allen program was guaranteed to produce an escalating laugh - just as bringing Allen up with Benny had listener in stitches at the mere anticipation of a response. This collection brings together the classic episodes that started it all, to the showdown that was supposed to end it once and for all.
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Benny great Allen not so much
- By Maya on 12-02-18
By: Jack Benny, and others
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Jack Benny: No Place Like Home
- By: Jack Benny
- Narrated by: Jack Benny
- Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Any comedian can be funny in the studio, but domestic comedy is usually considered the province of actors who happen to do comedy. Jack Benny straddled the two roles for most of his career - the suave, witty master of ceremonies standing on stage in front of a curtain one moment; the put-upon householder tormented by a bumptious servant, eccentric friends, and troublesome neighbors the next.
By: Jack Benny
-
Jack Benny: War Days
- By: Original Radio Broadcast
- Narrated by: Jack Benny, Mary Livingstone, Phil Harris, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With four new writers and plenty of brand-new gags, radio's favorite comedian entertains home front America, as well as troops at Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine camps. In fact, the whole gang is here! Mary Livingstone, Phil Harris, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Dennis Day, Larry Stevens, and Don Wilson are all on hand—along with plenty of unexpected guests! Here are sixteen laugh-packed episodes from the early 1940s, featuring favorites like Mel Blanc, Frank Nelson, Minerva Pious, John Brown, and Butterfly McQueen.
-
-
it's Jack Benny! Need I Say More?
- By Mary Ellen Byrne on 05-03-23
-
The Jack Benny Program, Collection 2
- By: Black Eye Entertainment
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 5 hrs and 54 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jack Benny liked to portray himself as a skinflint but his generosity as a comic allowed other characters to get their fair share of laughs...usually at his expense. Benny got more laughs playing the straight man and didn’t care if he was the butt of the jokes. With his brilliant timing, smooth delivery, and trademark mannerisms, Benny was a huge influence on the development of the radio sitcom. References to Benny’s reputed stinginess, vanity, and infirmities were expected and weekly running gags established the program’s memorable characters.
-
Jack Benny: A Man and His Bear
- By: Original Radio Broadcast
- Narrated by: Jack Benny, Mary Livinston
- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Who's that bear? And what's he doing in Jack Benny's basement? It's the famous Carmichael—guarding the vault and getting laughs! Dish up the Jell-O for Mary Livingston, Phil Harris, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Dennis Day, and Don Wilson in twenty classic prewar episodes—and be sure to leave a plate for you-know-who downstairs!
-
-
What happened to the bear
- By Chris Coyne on 03-09-23
-
Jack Benny: Neighbors
- By: Original Radio Broadcast
- Narrated by: Jack Benny, Mary Livingstone, Ronald Colman, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ronald and Benita Colman made 20 guest appearances on The Jack Benny Program, including some of the most hilarious entries in the series. The Colmans' refined personaes played an excellent "grand opera" to the "ragtime" of Jack's mercenary enterprises. In this set, you'll hear the dashing Ronald read the winning entry of the "I Can't Stand Jack Benny" contest. You will also hear Benita receive the third longest laugh ever on the Benny radio program. It's no wonder that The Colmans' visits to Benny's radio series have become listener classics.
-
-
The Poor neighbors
- By Chris Coyne on 08-01-23
-
Jack Benny vs. Fred Allen: The Feud
- By: Jack Benny, Fred Allen
- Narrated by: Jack Benny, Fred Allen, Portland Hoffa, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Among radio comedy's most enduring features were its running gags - and few gags ran longer, or more hilariously, than the legendary feud between two of its great masters: Jack Benny and Fred Allen. For nearly 20 years the mere mention of Benny on an Allen program was guaranteed to produce an escalating laugh - just as bringing Allen up with Benny had listener in stitches at the mere anticipation of a response. This collection brings together the classic episodes that started it all, to the showdown that was supposed to end it once and for all.
-
-
Benny great Allen not so much
- By Maya on 12-02-18
By: Jack Benny, and others
-
Jack Benny: No Place Like Home
- By: Jack Benny
- Narrated by: Jack Benny
- Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Any comedian can be funny in the studio, but domestic comedy is usually considered the province of actors who happen to do comedy. Jack Benny straddled the two roles for most of his career - the suave, witty master of ceremonies standing on stage in front of a curtain one moment; the put-upon householder tormented by a bumptious servant, eccentric friends, and troublesome neighbors the next.
By: Jack Benny
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What listeners say about Old Time Radio's Greatest Stars: Jack Benny Collection 1
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
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Performance
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- Hamilton
- 06-11-23
Not much Jack Benny
Bunch of other shows that Jack Benny appeared on. And, some of the the actual Jack Benny shows included were already part of other collections.
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