This Day in Jack Benny Podcast
October 16, 1938 – The JELL-O Program starring Jack Benny is moving to the new NBC studio. This is the last episode in the old studio. In it they mention the old age pension plan that they hoped would get the US out of the depression called the Townsend Plan.
October 8, 1944 – Frank Sinatra is a guest on this episode. His hit at the time was “Sunday, Monday or Always”. They mention the teenage girls who were fans of music like Sinatra known as Bobby Soxers. We also talk about spanking, and war time rationing with stamps and tokens. Plus “Sympathy spelled backwards is Yhtapmys. Yip, Yip, Yatapamiss!” a parody of Serutan.
October 1, 1944 – In this wartime episode Jack Benny compares himself to General Patton. Jack is just back from a USO tour. Dennis Day has joined the Navy and Phil Harris was the replacement host for “Kay Kaiser’s Kollege of Musical Knowledge”. Plus Dick Tracy characters Flattop, Gravel Gerdy, The Brow and the Summer Sisters. Plus references to Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Boris Karloff and surprise guest Fred Allen!
September 28, 1952 – In this episode Jack Benny plays Gary Cooper’s character in their version of the western “High Noon”. Dennis Day started using Chlorophyll Toothpaste. and Jack Benny had his picture in the Radio Guide.
Radio Mirror – August 1952 – Eddie Cantor, Donna Atwood, Jack Benny
September 26, 1954 – A really fun episode from 1954. They mention radio shows from the 1920s – A&P Gypsies conducted by Harry Horlik and Sam ‘n’ Henry (later known as Amos ‘n’ Andy). They mention “The September Song”, Rheingold the dry beer, and Bing Crosby’s stock in the Pittsburg Pirates.
The sound quality in these episodes is not the best, but it’s fun to hear the roots of the Jack Benny show. In these clips they mention a boxing match between Barney Ross and Jimmy McLarnin. Pitcher Dizzy Dean, crooner Bing Crosby, violinist Heifetz, The poem Gunga Din, Actor George Arliss, poet Henry W Longfellow, Jack Benny’s movie Transatlantic Merry Go Round, and Popeye the Sailor. Plus Jack recives the Radio Stars Magazine award For Distinguished Service To Radio.
September 14, 1934 – School Days (clips)
September 21, 1934 – Boxing Match (clips)
October 14, 1934 – First Episode fro JELL-O (clips)
October 21, 1934 – Grocery Store (full episode)
September 20, 1953 – Jack and the gang do their version of Gary Cooper’s new movie “Return to Paradise”. They mention Ralph Edwards’ This is Your Life, miners union president John L Lewis, president Eisenhower, Tallulah Bankhead, Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardener. Plus, Mary Livingstone on the cover of Women’s Home Companion magazine.
