January - April 2006 Volume XXI, Numbers 1-2

Jack Benny on a 39 stamp…it makes cents!

Copyright 2003, Laura Leff 8 President’s Message

Jell-O again folks…first of all, thanks to so many members who have continued to inquire about my health and recovery. I’m happy to say that I am pretty much fully recovered from my health challenges, and am incredibly busy with various things you will read about in this newsletter. Happy to say that I am between contracts right now, as I couldn’t fit all this into my life and an 8-to-5 job as well. It feels very good to be able to devote so much of my attention to things that inspire so much enthusiasm.

On December 16, I attended the Hollywood premiere of the movie Angels with Angles, starring Frank Gorshin as George Burns. This was Frank’s last on-screen appearance, as well as Rodney Dangerfield’s. The story is probably best described as It’s A Wonderful Life with George Burns as the angel, Dangerfield as God, a Heaven full of vintage comedians, and two struggling earth-bound men getting mixed up with beguiling Cuban terrorists, a lot of cigars, and Fidel Castro’s personal kung fu master (also played by Gorshin). The Jack Benny cameo is played by Whitney Rydbeck. As luck would have it, I ended up sitting next to Irving and Marion Fein and trading Benny stories until the movie started. If you never got an opportunity to see Gorshin onstage in Say Goodnight, Gracie, this is your only opportunity to see his amazing Burns impersonation. My thanks to Scott Edmund Lane, the movie’s costar (at left above)/producer/director/writer/composer, for the invitation, and to Michelle Malik of the Eddie Cantor Appreciation Society for being my escort for the evening and helping point out/guess the various stars at the premiere party.

As those on the most recent chat know, I am delighted to say that I recently signed a contract with the Jack Benny estate to be an official representative. My thanks to everyone on the Forum who has been sharing their ideas for how to get Jack back into the public eye. If you have other ideas, connections, referrals, etc., please contact me at [email protected]. I’m open to all suggestions.

In fact, you may have recently seen that Jack was included in TV Guide and TV Land’s “100 Most Unexpected TV Moments”, airing December 5-9. Specifically, they included Jack and Joan’s appearance on Password when the secret word was “miser”, as well as an appearance on Here’s Lucy. Many thanks to TV Guide/Land for remembering Jack, and making this my first deal for the estate.

One other housekeeping note…since the Tape Trading List is available online (www.jackbenny.org -> Programs -> Tape Trading List), it will no longer be printed in The Jack Benny Times. Anyone who does not have Internet access and would like a current copy, please send a SASE to me at the address at the end of this newsletter. Now on with the show! New Members **** Dave Osborne **** Mark Matus **** Mark Barclay **** Jim Grodnik **** Charlie Miller **** Ron Stewart **** Richard Reany **** Randy Black **** Tony Phillips **** Ken Mullen **** George Pender **** Adam Himmel **** Takeshi Sunada **** Nathan Schultz **** Casey White **** Susan Blackburn **** Mark Wuellner

2 **** Mickey Silver **** Ernest Barnes **** F. N. Vescera **** John Marsden **** Bill Roth **** William P. Howard **** Aaron Garbutt **** Steve Palmer **** Edward Hansen **** Jan-Christine Johnson **** Steve Kinder **** Rick Davis **** Frank N. Vescera **** Todd Lipton **** Arthur C. Nolasco **** Troy DeVolld **** David Zackon **** Celeste Picco **** Jimmy Congo **** James Loomis **** John Fotia **** Craig Soderberg **** RJ White **** Edye and Andy Thibodeau **** Jeff Shubert **** Steve Wannamaker **** Donald L. Perkins, Jr **** Darren Walkey **** Kenneth Smith **** John Egan **** Bob Wray **** Bonnie Myers **** Tom Zappulla **** Terry W. Ogletree **** Becky Alberts **** Don Gemelli **** Jodi lee Kaemingk **** John Lierenz **** Hugh Smith **** Christopher Turner **** Jamey Foshee **** Matt Marino **** Barb Signore **** Bob Berbenich **** Gareth Young **** Michael B. Dool **** Danny Rose **** Stevie Keith **** John D. Hall **** Carol Thomas **** Mrs. M. Miani **** Tim Smith **** Rob Haskins **** Michael Bankes **** Ted Armiger **** Chuck Mehno **** Paul Wildenberger **** Michael D Cowand **** Kurt Grossman **** William W. Rundle **** Bill Zeffiro **** Shaun Neff **** Teresa Matthews **** Ken Kopacki **** Judy Laucka **** Harry L Edwards **** Greg Brown **** Glenn Oates **** William Byron **** Dawn Kelm **** Howard Stern **** Christian A. Metcalf **** Stacie Whittier **** C.E. Morton **** Tony Gosmer **** Gloria Allen **** Dwight Waters **** Dan Gebhart **** Susannah Bailey **** Mark Coalter **** Shahab Moghadam **** Clay Hoff **** Richard Morris **** Thomas Racz **** Gerald Allan Penrose **** James Herrick **** Debbie Briggs **** Barb Bolin **** Rebecca Barker **** Richard Dates **** Eric Smulowitz **** Matthew Billy **** Carl M. Wetterling, Jr **** Andy Gillespie **** Tim Gammon **** David R. Blain, Jr. **** David Nicholls **** Kate Lenstet **** Gary Nieman **** Tim Lewis **** Frode Nilsen **** Jeff Rodman **** Dean Knudsen **** Erika Remmy **** Dan Trigg **** Timothy Simpson **** Jim Negri **** Michael Blakeslee **** Joseph Andolina **** Walter L. Moore **** Gary Nakashima **** Mark Staunch **** L. J. Lucky Cuoco **** James Spragens **** Thomas Labouve **** Philip L. Jacob **** John Navarro **** Chris Gray **** Kevin Feraday **** Rudy Lacoe **** Edward Johnson **** Tanya Soth **** Brian Cordova **** William Hanke **** Hyman Riebman **** Ed Foulkes **** Whipple D. Crossman, Jr. **** Sarkis Marashlian **** Barbara Baeckert **** Patrick Schipani **** Craig A. Whetstone **** Roger Deem **** Donald R. Beck **** Thomas L. Amos **** Harry Bird **** Phil Connolly **** Robert J. duPreez **** Carole Carter Mauss **** Bryce Hart **** Dennis Stephens **** Scott Palmer **** Jim Szalma **** Mahaira Fatima **** Dennis Alwood **** George Mathews **** Mel Berks **** John Lyrla **** Christine Stringfellow **** Ken Scott **** David L Kountz **** Stephen W. Schwalge **** Dianne Fox **** Jerry Larson **** Dave Heikkala **** Stan Finer **** Brian Greene **** Ken Cancelosi **** Karl Newyear **** David McCray **** Joe Michaels **** B. Kaput **** Roy E. Berglund **** John Flink **** Victor Sotny **** David Bossenberger **** David Fine **** Terry Holt **** Dianne Lee Gibson **** John Dewyze **** Mike Adams **** Kent Stevenson **** Larry Mon **** Derek Tague **** John Enrietto **** Karl Tiedemann **** James Buie **** Maxwell Stern **** Robert Haltom **** Jeff Taylor **** Robert Reicher **** Matthew Stueber **** William Wainer **** Shelly Burleson **** Bill Collins **** Joe Voigt **** Michael Schwark **** David Marsiano **** Jim Jarrett **** Ken Samen **** Barry Hoffman **** Kevin Diehl **** Becky Dietz **** Dr. Craig G. Adams **** Nicholas Coudsy **** Ken Trajanowski **** Benito A. Gutierrez **** George Lyons **** Michael Rachap **** Derek Shayne **** Eric Jordan **** Richard Koscierzynski **** Daniel Sabia **** David Clark **** Sterling Brooks **** Robert Olson **** Scott Piner **** Ray Penn **** Chris Clough **** Brent Johnson **** James D. Lamb **** Joe Blaumer **** Ron R. Newcomb The Jack Benny Stamp Campaign

By now, most of you have heard about our campaign to get Jack on a 39 cent stamp. The rates go up on January 8th, and it is hitting the long-awaited magic number. The online petition, as of this writing, is fast approaching 2,500 signatures. The City of Waukegan has been mobilized, thanks in great part to support from Mayor Richard Hyde. Barb Bolin, a teacher at the Jack Benny Middle School, has spearheaded a schoolwide campaign to get students to write letters in favor of the stamp. We have also garnered support from luminaries such as Leonard Maltin, Phyllis Diller, Arte Johnson, author Neil Gaiman, plus Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Representative Melissa Hart (R-PA). And the list of supporters keeps growing!

3 We have been on the front page of the Chicago Tribune and discussed on their editorial page, in the Los Angeles Times, covered by the Associated Press, broadcast on CNN Headline News, Jim Bohannon’s America in the Morning, and NPR, plus included in many, many other media outlets (go to www.jackbenny.org and click on the Jack Benny stamp campaign for a full list). So WHAT’S NEXT?

The answer is: THE 39 MAN MARCH! On Tuesday, February 14 (Jack’s birthday, of course), a group of Jack Benny fans—including Waukegan’s Mayor Hyde--is going to march on Washington to publicly show their support for a Jack Benny 39-cent stamp. This march will start at 12:15PM at the Washington Monument, and proceed up the Washington Mall to the front of the U.S. Capitol Building. There we will have a rally to show why honoring Jack on a stamp is the right thing to do. The rally will be capped with private meetings with Congresspeople who support the stamp. Rally attendees will be invited to proceed to a special nearby event, which will be announced shortly. Additionally, a group dinner and preparations (e.g., sign-making, etc.) will be held on the evening of February 13.

I want to be there! What now? Go to www.jackbenny.org and complete the RSVP form indicating that you will be attending the 39 Man March, and if you will need hotel accommodations. Once we have a better idea of the number of people coming from out of town, a group rate will be negotiated at a location near the march site. If you do not have online access, please drop a note to the address at the end of this newsletter with your name and how many will be in your group. More details will be communicated shortly.

I can’t be there, but I still want to support the stamp. What can I do? You can support the stamp in a number of different ways:

• If you haven’t done so already, go to www.jackbenny.org and sign the online petition. • Write a letter to the Citizen’s Stamp Advisory Committee to advocate for the Jack Benny stamp. Their address is:

Mr. Ron Robinson, Chairman Citizen's Stamp Advisory Committee Stamp Development U.S. Postal Service 1735 North Lynn Street, Room 5013 Arlington, VA 22209-6432

• Advocate to your Senators and Representative to support the stamp. The Stamp Committee has responded to Washington political support for stamps in the past. Your Congresspeople are in Washington to support your interests, so express yourself!

4 • If you have any media connections in your area, spread the word about the campaign to them. Our press releases are available online, and I am also available for interviews. Have them contact me by E-mail at [email protected]. • Have another idea of how to build support for the stamp? Let’s hear it! [email protected]

Some more details Those who have already written to the Committee may have received a letter in response that a person cannot be on a stamp more than once every 50 years. This is not a rule that has been followed consistently by the Committee. For example, Judy Garland is slated to be on a stamp next year, and she was also on a 25-cent stamp in 1990. Similarly with John Wayne. With the right leverage and solid support, this rule is not a stopping point.

Additionally, the designs for 2006 have been announced. In talking within the stamp collecting community, there is high confidence that the 39-cent rate will hold at least through mid-2007. Therefore, it is our hope that our efforts can bring enough visibility and urgency to the committee to have a Jack Benny stamp in early 2007, perhaps even around his birthday.

Many thanks to our co-lead, Hollywood publicist Michael Levine, for his guidance and help in getting us this far. Also thanks to member Ken Miller for providing the rallying call “Jack Benny on a 39 stamp…you know it makes cents”. And finally, thank you to all the folks who have shown so much support for this idea. I have been dazzled by the amount of passion and enthusiasm the Jack Benny 39-cent stamp concept has generated, and we need to show that level of commitment to the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee. NOW ON TO WASHINGTON FOR THE 39 MAN MARCH!!! Bound Back Issues

The bound edition of The Jack Benny Times from 2000 to 2005 is now available! This lovely 377-page softcover volume contains all the stories, trivia, and interviews you have enjoyed over the past years…and maybe some you missed! This includes many exclusive interviews that I have done with a variety of luminaries including Isaac Stern, Fred deCordova, Frank Nelson, Gisele MacKenzie, and many, many more. Single-issue back copies are no longer stocked, so this is your opportunity to own all of these issues in one volume, plus a complete index for easy reference. All this for only $27.50 (media mail or international surface mail included)! Checks or money orders can be made payable to “IJBFC” and sent to the address at the end of this newsletter, or you can pay online via Paypal by sending payment to [email protected].

Of course, 39 Forever, Second Edition Volume 1 is still available for $40. When is Volume 2 coming out, you ask? I assure you that along with the stamp campaign, I am working hard to insure that you will see the next volume in the near future. Stay tuned!

5 December 26 – 31st Anniversary of Jack’s Passing

On my recent trip to Los Angeles, I stopped at Hillside Cemetery to check on Jack’s grave and take some photographs. Most of the online photos of the grave were taken some while ago, so the photo at left shows all the arrangements I placed there in February 2004 on a 39 Forever research trip. The side arrangements are a silk collection of Forsythia, Wisteria, and other spring flowers in purple, yellow, and white. The vase bouquet features a single red silk rose, in honor of Jack’s request to have a red rose delivered to Mary every day for the rest of her life. While it is a Jewish tradition to put a rock on the grave when visiting (there were several rocks when I was there), Hillside Cemetery observes Reform Jewish rules and many graves are decorated with flowers (which takes its roots from customs in various parts of the world). I have noticed that many people will also place pennies at Jack’s grave, in lieu of a rock. Do You Know?

David Zackon asks: “I was reading the chat transcript in hopes of learning about one line of the Jan 13, 1952 episode. It's spoken by Frank introducing the barbershop quartet's musical number - at about minute 18:00. He identifies the singers as "Billie Guest, Artie Stebbins, Mervin Leroy, and Junior Lemley" - or so it sounds to my ears. There's mild audience reaction & Jack says ‘What a quartet!’ What's the joke here? Who are they and/or what's the connection to Jack?”

Rob Jackson asks: “My father was Jack's pilot during his USO tour through North Africa..circa 1943. Their plane was dubbed ‘The Five Jerks from Cairo’. There is not much info on this on your web site or anywhere else for that matter. Jack also wrote letters to the parents/spouses of service men stationed over there, and many were published in the newspaper. It was during this time that he wrote a letter to my dad's fiancee (eventually my mother). “I am looking for any thing that links Jack and his USO tour with my dad…pictures, letters, documents...that sort of thing.. At the time he was a 2nd Lieutenant. His name was Robert Jackson. His call sign or nickname was "Sec". I'm not sure what it means or what it was in reference to but that's what they called him. As the story goes, my dad was chosen out of all the people in his squadron because he was the lowest ranking flight officer at the time. Apparently Jack had seen enough of officers pulling rank in order to have the honor to fly his tour, so he chose my dad....what a great honor. Every Veterans

6 Day, I become more and more interested in my father and mother’s military service and am trying to get as much info as I can...... any help you can provide is greatly appreciated.”

Greg VanBeek asks:

“Do you know anything about a TV show Jack did in 1974 called The Bluffers? It aired on NBC 5/28/74. I recently found the attached NBC publicity photo for the show. Jack at 80 looks good on the pic...at least as good as Bob Hope, who was 70 at the time.”

Kolja Meeuwsen of the Netherlands asks: “I am looking for a TV show where Jack Benny and Jascha Heifetz discuss and play together To a Wild Rose. Do you know if there is a DVD or video with this famous duo so that I can see them?”

Keith Scott of Australia asks: “On the famous 1-7-45 train station show, do you know who played the Malcolm Wimbish character who wants to rent Jack's house? The Lucky Strike script identifies him as ‘Pat,’ but no last name. He sounds like a movie character actor, rather than a radio actor.”

If you can answer any of these questions, please E-mail your response to [email protected]. You Do Know!

In the last issue, Jim Cox asked about Andre Baruch being an announcer for Jack Benny. Turns out that Baruch was one of the Lucky Strike announcers for the remote opening and closing commercials from 9/29/46 through 1/26/47. Also on these commercials with Baruch were Basil Ruysdale, Hal Sims, and of course, the auctioneers F.E. Boone and L.A. “Speed” Riggs.

Kay Lhota reports: “Last night my friend Rich Finegan showed me a video tape from the Columbia series Screen Snapshots. It was made in the 1950's and hosted by Jack Carson, but it included the scenes from the Camp Haan footage that was shot in 1942. Screen Snapshots often brought back old footage from the past shorts in the series, so my guess is that those clips probably were lifted from an earlier edition of Screen Snapshots. I had been wondering why that footage had been shot, and who had shot it since seeing the film clips on your website. I'm so glad to have at least part of that answer now, and to get the opportunity to see the radio cast perform.”

7 Craig Shemin writes: “I worked for the Muppets for about 14 years and I always compared Kermit’s role to Jack Benny—surrounded by a lot of funny characters. Believe it or not, Jim Henson appeared with Jack on a Tonight Show episode in 1974. And Jim Henson wanted to do a special called The Muppet Income Tax Special that was to guest star Jack Benny.”

For some years now, Alan Grossman has been trying to trace the identity of Barbara Whitney, a small recurring role as Phil’s girlfriend on the Benny radio show from 10/30/38 to 12/25/38. The lines are cued in the script as “Barbara”, leading to the supposition that the role may have belonged to a woman actually named Barbara. This was not uncommon in the series, with various roles being named after the first actor or actress playing them, even though some roles might continue with other performers (e.g, Pauline as Mary’s maid, and Toni Marcus as the girl who interrupts Jack onstage and proceeds to play a violin duet with him). However, Alan believes that Barbara Whitney was actually Eleanore Whitney, and provided an extensive article on her to back up his assertion (excerpted from Films, Summer 2000, “Eleanore Whitney: In Her Own Little Style” by Michael Bernal): “Born in Cleveland, April 21, 1917, Eleanore Whitney was a slim brunette actress and tap dancer who appeared in only 14 feature films. While under contract to Paramount Studios during 1935- 38, her films consisted primarily of B musicals and light romantic comedies. Despite her talent, she has been almost completely forgotten. Only a few accounts of her career can be found in print. Yet for those of us who do remember, Eleanore Whitney belongs right up there with the likes of Ruby Keeler, Dixie Dunbar, and Ann Miller… “Between films Eleanore found time to appear as a special guest on various radio programs including visits to the show of fellow co-star Jack Benny [E.N.: she was in College Holiday], and to her crooner friend’s Bing Crosby Show. By this time Eleanore Whitney was already being given good spots in films, and it wasn’t long before she became the female lead in most of her films…. “This same year [1938] Eleanore met philanthropist Frederick Backer of New York, once assistant U.S. Attorney, whom she married the following year. Once married, Eleanore retired from the movie-making capitol at the age of 21 and moved to New York City.” I Met Jack Benny When I Was a Kid… From Derek Taylor Shayne, author of Dark Star of Dambala, Wings Over Hollywood and Monte Carlo After Midnight: As a comedy writer Jack was practically my college course on how to do it right. The flawless mechanics of his running gag has been something I've tried to emulate. Thought you might enjoy this memory...

When I was 14, which would have been in the late sixties, I saw Jack perform at what was then the Playboy Hilton on Miami Beach. It was a kind of dinner theater setting, and even though he was suffering from one of his colds, he killed 'em for over an hour. Having studied him since I was old enough to sit upright at a television set, I knew his style inside and out, and at one point

8 he began one of his carefully constructed set ups leading to the kind of punch line he could deliver with all the force of a depth bomb.

In sheer anticipation of what was to come, I cracked up loudly just seconds before he got the payoff line out, effectively ruining the moment. Jack shaded his eyes from the lights, staring down at me for half a beat, before throwing out his hands and scolding, “Can you wait a minute, kid? I haven't even TOLD it yet!”

Then, with that crooked little smile he recomposed himself and muttered, “Smart aleck kid, stepping on MY lines...” The audience roared, and I was both embarrassed and delighted. He was the most masterful comedian I've ever seen.

From G. Michael Adams (pictured at left): I met Jack Benny in the late sixties or early seventies (I don’t remember which) when my parents (Glenn & Maytha Adams) introduced me to Jack Benny at the Broadmoor resort in Colorado Springs. My Father believes it was in 1971 when I was twelve years old and I believe he is correct. Jack was doing a show there and I got to play golf with him and Dow Finsterwald who was the pro down there in those days (I still have the photograph). Jack kept us laughing all day and he took to me so well that he asked me to sit up on the side of the stage during the performance that evening. When Jack mentioned our golf outing in his opening dialogue, my Dad came up to me afterwards and said I should give Jack a dollar for the “plug.” I didn’t know what a plug was!! Jack had a violin made for me signed, “Mike, see if you can putt with this, Uncle Jack.” My Mom dropped it as she was putting it in the trunk of the car and it broke in a thousand pieces (I was so sad)… My meeting with Jack was one of my fondest memories of childhood.

Dave Heikkela recalls: I attended Jack Benny Junior High School (as it was originally known) from 1965 through 1967. It was a two-year school, so there was a complete turnover of students every two years. Jack visited Waukegan every other year after the school opened and performed at an all-school assembly. For 60 to 90 minutes, Mr. Benny performed his vaudeville shtick and answered questions from students.

9 One of my classmates asked if he was actually born in Waukegan. He admitted he had not...explaining that his mother was in Chicago the day she went into labor. Since she and Mr. Kubelsky resided in Waukegan she asked the attending doctor to please list Waukegan, Illinois as his place of birth. Mr. Benny didn't say anything about his mom's admiration for big cities like is mentioned on the FAQ page.

Mr. Benny was also asked about how he felt about having a school named after him. Jack relayed the following: he stated he was honored when he was informed by city fathers in 1959 that a school was to be built in his honor. He was invited to the ground-breaking ceremony which was held during the week Waukegan celebrated a centennial birthday. He and his wife rode in the big Centennial Celebration Parade and waved to the crowds from a 1939 Maxwell [E.N. More likely a 1919…the last Maxwell was made in 1925.]. Later he was dismayed to find out it was only a "Junior" high school. He admitted to us that he told a little lie to his Hollywood cronies. He bragged how he was held in such high esteem and honored by the city fathers who had previously honored Daniel Webster and Thomas Jefferson by naming High Schools after them. Well, there are schools named after those two historical figures, but they are only Junior Highs as well. The city's high school had the generic name of Waukegan Township.

Here are a couple of tidbits that I found in an article the local newspaper ran ten or so years ago about the week Jack was here in 1959. Maybe as a publicity stunt, he opened savings accounts for all the 18 or so children who were born that week back in 1959. Thirty-nine dollars were deposited into each account with the stipulation the money could not be touched until the child's 18th birthday. What Mr. Benny couldn't foresee was a change in banking laws. Apparently some of the parents had forgotten about the $39.00 windfalls. Those accounts went untouched. The financial institution imposed inactive account surcharges which gobbled up some of those idle accounts.

While Mr. Benny was known for being a tightwad, he also displayed another act of generosity during his 1959 visit. He asked if he could visit the house where he grew up. When the owners let him in, he was dismayed to find the house run down. He purchased new furniture from a local store for the new owners.

I've never forgotten Mr. Benny's visit, and always looked forward to his television appearances. The fifties and sixties will always be special times for me as those were my Wonder-Bread years. Many of the memories are recaptured when revisiting classics like the Jack Benny Show and other classic sit-coms from that era.

Ann Thompson writes: I’m really interested in the movie Buck Benny Rides Again. It was filmed in 29 Palms, California. My father was the wrangler for their horses. Dad had a riding stables in 29 Palms and he put his horses out in the corrals and put the movie horses in the barn. I think he said he got $10 a day to take care of them and he didn’t want anything to happen to them. So he even slept in the barn with them. Mom was expecting me at the time and she slept in the barn too, and said she would get up early and run back in the house before anyone saw her in her nightgown. [E.N.: OK, OK…she didn’t quite meet Jack when she was a kid. But she was there!]

10 Jack Benny: Guardian Angel By Steven Thompson

It may seem unlikely but, in 1996, Jack Benny literally returned from heaven for one last comedic episode…even if it wasn’t exactly one of HIS episodes. To be specific, it was an episode of WOLFF AND BYRD, COUNSELORS OF THE MACABRE, the award winning comic book created, written and drawn by Batton Lash for Exhibit A Press. For those unfamiliar with the characters, WOLFF AND BYRD are fictional attorneys who specialize in cases involving the supernatural. Appearing in a variety of publications since the late seventies, their clients have included witches, vampires, swamp monsters and things that go bump in the night. In issue 12 of their ongoing series, their client was a somewhat inept guardian angel…named Benjamin.

It wasn’t always going to be Jack according to cartoonist Lash . “If you look closely at the cover preview of WOLFF & BYRD #12 in W&B #11, you'll see the angel had long hair. It was going to be a ‘typical’ looking angel, except he was going to be inept at being a guardian angel. It wasn't until I began to develop the story that I decided to make the angel Jack Benny and his charge Dennis Day. Their characters are so well established, I thought it would be fun to do a tribute. It was only after I had my heart set on doing the angel a la Jack, I recalled Benny's character in THE HORN BLOWS AT MIDNIGHT. It was then I felt I made the right decision to go the Benny route!”

And go the Benny route, he does. Jack is perfectly cast as Benjamin but Dennis is equally in character as McNulty (Dennis’ real name). Frank Nelson also appears as an angel dispatcher along with many of Benny’s running gags. Says Lash, “I would've loved to have gotten in references to Jack's Maxwell, his vault, banter with a Rochester, Don Wilson and Mary Livingston character-- but I had to draw the line somewhere! Benny's character endures over the years because people can relate to the character he developed. That's what I wanted to concentrate on. The Benny trademarks I tossed in were fun to do and (I hope) fun for the reader to recognize but the danger is that the story might just become one big in-joke for only Benny fans. I wanted readers to appreciate Jack, certainly, but I also wanted them to enjoy the story and not feel like they were being left out!”

The story itself deals with Dennis’ character being hurt in various minor injuries to the point where an ambulance-chasing lawyer decides to take his guardian angel, Benjamin, to court. Benjamin asks for advice from Frank Nelson’s heavenly dispatcher. “Angels leaving on track five for Anaheim, Azusa and Cucamonga.”

“Gee,” says Benjamin, “look at all those guardian angels”

Nelson’s angel dispatcher says “Yes—terrible tragedy down on Earth…people getting hurt fleeing for their lives…”

“Oh!” says the angel. “Is it an earthquake? A flood--?”

“No, a movie theater was showing a revival of ‘The Horn Blows At Midnight.’”

11 In a silent panel worthy of Jack’s vaunted timing, Benjamin turns and stares at the reader. Ultimately, Nelson steers him in the direction of Wolff and Byrd. Alanna Wolff is the senior partner. Far from a typical comic book female, she’s tall, businesslike and wears glasses. Her most obvious and striking feature, however, is her white hair, worn in a bizarre upswept style that vaguely resembles a Spanish conquistador’s helmet!

By contrast, Jeff Byrd is a slightly pudgy, normal looking fellow, albeit with Steve Ditko’s goofy Norman Osborn hair from the Spider-Man comics of the ‘60’s.

Ditko is an obvious influence in the strip’s art style but Lash is clearly a student of all comics art (and writing) styles and often utilizes different styles and techniques both here and in Bongo Comics’ RADIOACTIVE MAN series. In fact, he was in actuality, a student of both Harvey Kurtzman (creator of MAD) and Will Eisner (creator of THE SPIRIT) and their influence abounds in the storytelling in this issue.

“I love Jack!” he says. “ I enjoyed his particular style of comedy as a kid, and even moreso as an adult. As a fan, I'm not as feverish as I should be (hunting down tapes of the old Benny radio and TV shows) but I'll always stop what I'm doing when they're being re-broadcast! I fondly remember WQXR (New York) broadcasting the Benny show every Sunday at 7 during the mid 80's-- it was a treat!”

Besides comics, Lash shows an uncanny ability to adapt a person’s style. He deftly blends the physical mannerisms familiar to fans from Benny’s later TV shows with classic radio catchphrases from “Yipe!” to “Well!” to “Oh, shut up!” Visually, you can almost see Jack turning to face the “camera” for one of his hilarious pauses.

It seems that Benjamin had revealed himself to Dennis because his pride made him resent not getting credit for his good deeds. As they talked, he had also revealed that he had money left (in a vault, naturally), before he died. “Oh yeah” says Dennis. “Benjamin told me all kinds of secrets! He even told me how old he was when he died—39! That’s why I never asked him how many angels can dance on the head of a pin—he can’t count!” Benjamin’s offer to settle the case by giving Dennis beatitudes and spiritual wealth is refused.

“How do you like that?” says the angel. “Here I manage to hide away a little bit of cash just in case that bit about ‘you can’t take it with you’ is wrong…and now some lawyer wants to take it with him!” Dennis’ lawyer insists that Benjamin stay away from his client (which leads to his amusing attempts at watching over Wolff and Byrd’s super secretary, Mavis.) and the accident prone “kid’ is soon involved in a major traffic accident, landing he and his lawyer in the hospital.

Ultimately, there is, of course, a reconciliation between Benjamin and Dennis. When told by the doctor that his condition is improving, Dennis replies “I guess I have my lucky stars to thank.” An invisible voice cries out “NOW CUT THAT OUT!!”

I asked Lash if he had feared that modern audiences might not get the joke. “Not really” he said; “Jack Benny's character traits are universal, I think. To the uninitiated, the angel was a cheap, vain bumbler. If the reader was aware of Benny, then it was gravy! I ALWAYS worry that ANY given issue might fall flat! But, again, I thought the foibles of the angel and his charge would

12 resonate, so I didn't think the reader had to be ‘in the know’. I was gratified by the response to that issue, by the way- a lot of readers- not necessarily Benny fans- told me how much they enjoyed it on it's own merits… It was one of my more popular issues- it completely sold out!”

Jack Benny fans should seek out WOLFF AND BYRD: COUNSELORS OF THE MACABRE issue number 12 as a back issue at your local comic book store. It’s also reprinted in the trade paperback collection CASE FILES volume III, available online at www.exhibitapress.com or by mail order from Exhibit A Press, 4657 Cajon Way, Dept. 32, San Diego, CA 92115. All quotations used in this piece are copyright 2003 by Batton Lash and are used by permission. The House that Jack Built Rebuilt Again making the most of my Los Angeles visit, I swung by Jack’s house at 1002 North Roxbury. The construction fences are down and there is furniture in the windows, although I’m told that workers were still at the house with ladders and equipment for finishing touches during the previous weekend. Here is the house as it is today:

13 And here is a postcard of the house from the 1940s:

The major external changes in the front are a new roof, plus the addition of side windows to the living room bay window (right side). The house was changed from whitewash to brick some years ago, as well as the conversion of the window above the living room to a balcony (this was Mary’s room, which is the master bedroom). Unfortunately, much of the interior of the house was removed down to the studs (especially upstairs), and extensive additions have been made to expand the square footage of the back into the backyard. Also sorry to say that despite best efforts, this renovation resulted in the demise of the octopus in the backyard pool. Sunday Nights at Seven readers will recall that little Joanie was frightened that the octopus was looking at her, resulting in Jack draining the pool and having it retiled with no eyes. However as opposed to some of its neighbors that have been completely changed or demolished, we can still go out to Jack’s home in Beverly Hills, looking much as it did after its original construction. Etcetera Raul Moreno provided us the picture at left and says: “I am such a HUGE Jack Benny fan. Up until a few months ago at KNX (where I work), I worked at Columbia Square, the very place were Jack's show came from during his CBS years. At one point, my studio was in the area where the office for Jack and his writers was, so I really feel that I have a connection to him.

“From the time I started in radio (1980), I wanted to work at CBS since that is where Jack worked. In

14 1997 my dream came true and I walked the same hallways as he did, and as we all joked, used the same bathroom he did! I was going through a box of pictures when we moved and came across this great shot of Jack in the Hollywood Christmas Parade around 1947.”

Ironically, the sign on the float says “NBC’s JACK BENNY”, although the photo was found at CBS! Tracking the Benny Winners Two IJBFC members have taken the initiative of finding the stories of two of the best- remembered contest winners associated with Jack Benny. Thanks much, Kathy and Glenn! Kathy Fuller reports: I plugged the name Carroll Craig into anwho.com, and since he was a "senior" I had a little hope of finding "junior." Up popped an address and phone number for a Carroll P Craig. Usually I am deathly afraid of calling strangers on the phone, but I tried anyway, and I just had a nice, brief chat with Mr. Craig.

Yes, it was his father who won the “I Can’t Stand Jack Benny Because” contest in January 1946. He said there was a bit of controversy at the time that the winner was from Southern California (was it a fix? Ha ha). Craig, Sr was an aeronautical engineer who just wrote a little on the side, so it appears to have been talent rather than inside connections that won the contest. Craig (Jr) said that his father got to meet Jack Benny, and that there were articles in the Santa Monica and Los Angeles papers, but that is all he remembered of any publicity. No, he did not appear on the Jack Benny program. Yes, he remained a Jack Benny fan. Craig Sr. did a little bit of writing, a few children's books and things like that, but it just remained a hobby. I asked if they had given him anything like a publication of other winning entries or anything, and he did not remember seeing anything like that.

Glenn Laxton tracked down Florence Hubbard, who guessed that Jack Benny was “The Walking Man” on Truth or Consequences. The following information is excerpted primarily from an article in The Dallas Morning News of 5/24/76. The Walking Man contest raised $1,580,000 to mark the beginning of the Heart Fund.

“One cold March night in 1948, Florence Hubbard came in from the slush after a hard day’s work selling dresses at Carson Brothers in Chicago. In her late 60s, the doctor’s widow tuned the radio to one of her favorite programs, Ralph Edwards’ Truth or Consequences. The program was sponsoring a contest called The Walking Man, and she had entered. ‘I turned on the radio, and just as I got into the bath to wash off some of the slush, the doorbell rang.’ In came a troop of reporters. (‘They always seem to know things are going to happen ahead of time.’) Mrs. Hubbard was told that she had been selected to answer the question, ‘Who is the Walking Man?’ Soon the telephone rang, Edwards identified himself and asked the question. Mrs. Hubbard answered with assurance, ‘Jack Benny.’

“’It upset the fruit basket and changed my life,’ says Mrs. Hubbard, now 98 and residing in Dallas. She was taken to California where she met Edwards and Benny, Mary Livingstone (Benny’s wife), and other stars. The object of national envy (hundreds of people claimed to have

15 written the same winning letter, the basis for selection as a contestant), Mrs. Hubbard toured the country. It was a dream come true, her prized totaled over $22,500. But it was not the prizes which prompted her to enter the contest in the first place. The object of the contest was to promote public support of a national voluntary heart agency. At that time, the American Heart Association (AHA) was a professional organization, consisting of physicians only. The radio benefit (contestants were asked to send contributions along with their ’25-word-or-less’ letter on why they should support the AHA) was the beginning of the AHA as it is today.

“Mrs. Hubbard had a special interest in the contest. Her husband had died of heart trouble 14 years earlier. ‘It was the first contest I had ever entered, and is still the only one I have entered.’ Over 30,000 entries were sent to the radio program; she wrote only one letter. Mrs. Hubbard believes she was chosen for the contest, ‘because I followed the ruled, and because they liked what I said. If you had your return address on the wrong side of the paper, your entry was discarded, I was told. You’d be surprised how many people don’t follow directions.’ Doing what is appropriate is something she prides herself in. It shows. Mrs. Hubbard won’t discuss the context of her entry. ‘It was against the rules to ever reveal what was said, because of other people claiming they said that or better.’…

“…Going back a few years before the eventful contest, Mrs. Hubbard was an artist. A graduate of the Chicago Art Institute, she exhibited her enamel china painting there in 1910. ‘You don’t paint enamel,’ she corrects, ‘You la-a-a-y is on…When I closed my studio, I couldn’t stay at home. It was not interesting enough.’ So, she took the $35 per week sales job, not out of financial necessity so much as out of boredom. (She was over 65 at the time.) Then, the contest and the change in lifestyle. ‘I got 47 propositions for matrimony,’ she laughs. ‘I used to pass the letters around the store; I never got most of them back.’ Among the prizes were an airplane, a brand new Cadillac and a trailer home, which she sold. (‘I think the airplane was bought by someone in Texas.’) The final tab was $23,500. ‘I paid the government quite a bit.’…” Dreaming of a Winter Vacation? By Troy S. Picklyk Want to take a winter vacation, but just can’t get away? How about taking one with Jack and all the gang on the ultimate road trip—the fun, the folly, and winter sports. All you have to do is sit back and relax, and listen to the Yosemite series of radio episodes, found in February 1940 of the Jell-O series. This is one of my personal favorites, and is a 2 hour plus joy ride of pure Benny magic. Long before Chevy Chase’s bevy of vacation films, Jack, Mary, Rochester, Don, Dennis, and Phil took one of their own.

Before we hit the road, we should learn a little bit about this national treasure that is Yosemite. Native Indian people have lived in the Yosemite region for over 8000 years. The first European man was probably from the Joseph Walker Party in 1833. Then came the Gold Rush of 1848. The scenic beauty and natural wonders led conservationists to appeal to California Senator John Conness, who introduced a bill to grant the Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove of giant Sequoias to the state of California as an inalienable public trust. On June 30, 1864, President Lincoln signed the bill into law (did Jack really vote for this guy?).

16 It was the first time the federal government set aside scenic lands simply to protect and provide them for all people’s enjoyment. This was a precursor to first National Park, Yellowstone, a few years later in 1872; which ties into these episodes when Jack mistakes his radiator cap for their “Old Faithful” geyser!

The gist of the story line begins with Jack offering his gang an all-expenses-paid vacation to the luxurious Ahwahnee Hotel, situated in Yosemite National Park. All except Phil, cancelled due to his attitude. We hear a little scuffle between the two of them, arguing about who got the most laughs on last week’s show. Phil wants to hire gag man Belly Laugh Barton.

So where is this luxurious resort, and why in the world does cheapskate Jack offer to pay for everyone? Located in the Yosemite Village, the Ahwahnee was opened to the public in 1927. The hotel remains much the same today as it was in 1940 when Jack and our gang arrived, except for the nine-hole golf course which was removed in the 1980s’ back to nature movement. It was the brainchild of Lady Astor, who pitched a fit when accommodations at the now-gone Sentinal Hotel were not luxurious enough! Designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood, the hotel consists of 99 hotel rooms and 4 cottage suites. The name itself means "large gaping mouth"—let me tell you that our gang’s mouths are in their finest commercial form during there stay! One has to wonder if their week over week promotion of the place was one of the first conscious product placement opportunities on the show, resulting in a substantial discount on Jack’s spree.

The Gang probably arrived on highway 41 from Fresno, coming up to the massive structure made of steel, granite, and poured concrete that was purposefully made to look like redwood beams. Inside lay untold wonders of beamed ceilings, massive stone fireplaces, rich wall tapestries, and stained glass windows; with a mix of Native American Art, Art Deco, and even Middle Eastern pieces.

17 Jack did sign the register (date uncertain), along with a host of other luminaries. The million- dollar guest list includes notables such as Humphrey Bogart, Shirley Temple, Boris Karloff, Greta Garbo, Charlie Chaplin, Bing Crosby, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, and modern-day stars such as Tim Allen, Charlton Heston, Mel Gibson, Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt. John F. Kennedy even has a suite named after him. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip, President Eisenhower, and President Teddy Roosevelt also checked in!

Early critics to the hotel stated, "Why would anyone build a hotel in YOSEMITE when you could sleep in a tent?" Our gang preferred sleeping in their car for at least one night! Badger Pass is an hour away (2 hours in Maxwell?)—it is the oldest ski area in California and has been open since 1935. It still has ski instructors for the asking! (Jack should've asked a lot more out of Mr. Larson). There are also various snack shops (teahouse?), and fortunately for Jack, they still have a first class First Aid Station!

Some personal favorite moments from these shows:

When Phil passes the rest of the gang in the Maxwell, Jack urges on Rochester. Jack I’ll give you $50 if you can pass him! I’ll give you $100… Rochester Go back to $50, I feel bad enough!

There are plenty of classic Maxwell jokes as the antiquated car tries desperately to make the trip. Jack Hey Rochester, listen to that knock in the motor, does that mean anything? Rochester NOT ANYMORE!

Jack All we need now is a flat tire! Rochester Don’t tempt them boss, they’re much too willing!

Rochester I’m tired of singing for you all the time. Why don’t you put a radio in this car? Mary Let him rest…he’s been singing for an hour. Rochester I don’t mind singing Miss Livingstone, but at 8 o’clock he wants me to imitate Amos n Andy…I can’t do that black-faced stuff!

On the first night, Jack, Don, and Dennis share the same bed at an auto-court. Jack What’s the idea wiggling your ears all night long? Dennis I dreamed I was a butterfly on my way to a daisy.

One of my favorite running gags during this particular series is that Dennis keeps disappearing— assumed to the outhouse, but never mentioned straight out. Jack Come on Rochester, let’s go…where’s Dennis?…..Ohhh….

When the gang stops at a service station for lunch, Jack starts a ridiculous argument with a pet parrot in the restaurant because Polly insists that Fred Allen is a better comedian. Is this bird a precursor to Jack’s own parrot in future programs? Polly He’s got a spoon in his pocket! Jack I have not!

18 The gang beds down in the car because the Yosemite gates are locked, and Mary complains. Mary I didn’t want to come to Yosemite anyway. I don’t know how I ever let you talk me into it. Jack All right, Mary, I’m trying to sleep. Mary Why did you ever leave Waukegan… Jack Mary, would it make you feel any better if I killed myself right now…right in front of you?

Then finally our gang is on its way in the morning. Jack Be happy and gay, it’s a brand new day… Mary Put your toupee on! Jack I’ll just give you ten minutes to be cheerful or you’ll have to pay for your own rooms…

At Jack’s ski lesson, the teacher asks about Jack’s experience level. Mr. Larson So you’re an old timer, Mr. Benny? Mary He’s over 21 twice if that’s what you mean!

After Jack’s disastrous ski experience, he recuperates in the hotel during his birthday. When Jack asks Rochester for his iron tonic… Rochester My, my…it’s the first time I ever had a metallic martini. Jack You lay off my medicine!

Frank Nelson does his classic bit as Jack’s doctor. Dr. Nelson How old are you? Jack It’s none of your business…I’m old enough to vote. Mary For Lincoln!

Mary Kelly plays Nurse Kelly, who arrives with skis still on her feet. She’s been spending more time with Phil than Jack (in a rare appearance where her build was not the object of humor), and she tries to take Jack’s pulse with her mittens still on. Jack Nothing but screwballs in this room. Kelly Is this your birthday Mr. Benny? If I would have known that, I’d have put a candle on your poached egg.

Even after the gang is back in Hollywood, the gang still ribs Jack about his skiing. Jack Did you ever hear the expression “doing it the hard way”? Mary You don’t know any more about skiing than you do about spending money…you do that the hard way too!

Please send all questions, comments, corrections, and additions to: International Jack Benny Fan Club [email protected] P.O. Box 11288 www.jackbenny.org Piedmont, CA 94611 Laura Leff, President Please, friends, send no bombs.

19 I’m writing to the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee RIGHT NOW to ask for a Jack Benny 39-cent stamp! See you in Washington!

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