This Day in Jack Benny

In the spring of 1946, Phil Harris and his wife Alice Faye were interviewed on the Chicago radio show of columnist Nate Gross. A week later, Jack Benny was the guest on the program. Here are both 15 minute episodes!

Dennis Day narrates Read-Along Records:
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1949)
Snow White and Sneezy (1952)
Snow White and Dopey (1952)

John Henderson's wife Stephanie joins him for a chat about the state of the podcast.

https://thisdaybenny.com/

June 6, 1937 - Death at Midnight Part 2. Jack Benny has lost his watch, a Christmas present from Phil Harris. Eddie (Rochester) Anderson is in the episode. This is his last appearance before becoming Jack's butler.

References include the movies "Death Takes a Holiday" and "This Way Please".

May 30, 1937 - Jack Benny is back after being sick and does a mystery play called "Death at Midnight" or "The Bang Bang Scream Murder Case"

References include Bing Crosby, Mae West, Laural and Hardy, Dracula, Bullocks Wilshire department store, and the book "Live Alone and Like It" by Marjorie Hillis,

May 23, 1937 - Jack is sick and does not appear on the program. Don Wilson, Phil Harris and Kenny Baker fill in with guest singer Trudy Wood.

April 20, 1947 - Jack Benny and Mary Livingstone play Fred MacMurray and Claudette Colbert in their version of "The Egg and I".

References include a radio component called the magic eye, singer Nelson Eddie, Sen-Sen liquorice breath freshener, and Murine eye drops.

March 25, 1951 - It's Easter day and Jack Benny and the gang (joined by Mary's sister Babe) do a parody of the movie "Sunset Boulevard".

References include the Senate crime investigating committee, billiard champ Willie Hoppe, Telula Bankhead, Hopalong Cassidy, movies "Harvey", "Broken Arrow", "Tomahawk", "Lassie", "Banzo", "Wabash Avenue", and "I'll Get By".

April 1, 1951 - Leaving New York to do his TV show, Jack takes Babe Livingstone to the train station.

References include The Kefauver Committee, Dick Tracy, the song "The Tennessee Waltz", the radio show Suspense, and Claudette Colbert, Basil Rathbone and Robert Motgomery who would be on his TV show.

November 4, 1960 - Jack Benny is the violin soloist at the Cleveland Symphony Benefit Gala.

March 13, 1938 - Death in the Night Club. Jack Benny and the gang talk about the Academy awards and do a play about a murder trial.

References inlcude Kenny Baker in the movie "Goldwyn Follies", Fred Allen in "Sally, Irene, and Mary", Edward G Robinson, Spensor Tracy, Shirley Temple and Robin Hood and his band.

March 7, 1954 - Jack's big date at the Acme Plaza Hotel with Giselle Mackenzie broadcast from New York, New York with guest Frank Fontaine.

References include the play "Tea and Sympathy", movies "Beat the Devil", "It Should Happen To You", and "Riot in Cell Block 11".

February 27, 1944 - At the Hollywood Canteen Jack Benny and the gang broadcast for soldiers with guest Eddie Cantor.

References include celebrities Hetty Lamarr, Betty Grable, Lana Turner, Dorothy Lamour, Larry Adler, The Hall Johnson Choir, Al Jolson and Frank Sinatra. Plus the song "Chloe".

February 13, 1944 - From March Field Jack tells the story of buying camels in Egypt last summer. Larry Adler the harmonica player joins him to re-create a portion of their USO act.

Refrences include liquid stockings, Pepsi Cola, Wendel Willkie and FDR, The Andrews Sisters, Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, the songs "Mairzy Doats" and "Deep In The Heart Of Texas".

January 28, 1951 - Douglas Fairbanks Jr Guest Show. Jack Benny and the gang are in New York getting ready for Jack's second-ever television show. Phil Harris had won the Bing Crosby Pro-Amateur Golf Tournament at Pebble Beach by sinking an incredibly long putt on the 17th hole.

References include Bock Beer, Fred Allen, Ethel Merman, and the broadway shows "Guys and Dolls", "Call Me Madam", and South Pacific". 

January 23, 1944 - From Camp Muroc in the Mojave Desert Jack Benny broadcasting for a crowd of soldiers with guest Alexis Smith returning for the second week.

References include Jack's article in Liberty Magazine, Phillip Morris cigarettes, Fred Allen and the Andrews Sisters song "Shoo-Shoo Baby".

January 16, 1944 - From El Toro, California Alexis Smith makes guest appearance. 

References include the Corsair aircraft with folding wings, Good Humor wagons, silent film actress Theda Bara, and Oscar Levant who names piano pieces on the game show "Information Please".

January 6, 1952 - Jack Benny and the gang talk about the Rose Bowl then do thier version of the mystery radio show "Suspense".

References include Los Angeles cross streets Pico and Supulvida, director of price controls Michael DiSalle, and the movie "Death of a Salesman" with Fredrick March.