This Day in Jack Benny

January 7, 1940 - Barbra Stanwyck guest stars to reprise her role in "Golden Boy", only things don't go exactly as planned. This is also just after the 1940 Rose Bowl. Jack won a bet with Phil Harris and he is giddy about getting paid off. A great episode!

December 31, 1939 - Gladys Dissapoints Jack on New Year's Eve. This episode has a few old references. Alexander Woollcott was an author and critic. Sally Rand was a Burlesque dancer, and Ginger Rogers was an actress. This is a light hearted and fun episode.

December 28, 1947 - This is a sort of year in review for 1947. Princess Elizabeth gets married. The new look in fashion is a style that includes longer shirts. Perry Como's "Chi-Baba, Chi-Baba" is a hit as well as Phil Harris' "That's What I Like About The South". In This episode of the Jack Benny Show they do a fantasy skit personifying the year 1947 as an old mat at the end of his year. The New...

December 24, 1939 - It's Christmas Eve and Jack invites the gang over. This is in 1939 at the end of the Great Depression. Listen after the show for a Christmas clip from The Aldrich Family.

December 23, 1945 - Newsreel of Christmas shopping for dolls and hobby horses in 1945. The US is working on withdrawing troops from Europe after WWII. In this episode Ronald Coleman has a touching speech about Christmas after wartime.

December 17, 1939 - The Jack Benny Program was broadcast live each week, so they did it twice. Once for the east coast time zone, once for the west coast time zone. There are two versions of this episode, listen to what changed from one to another.

October 9, 1949 - Mel Blanc sings does his Al Jolson impression "Neyyyaa" singing along with the Sportsmen quartette. He also just made a record imitating Jolson singing "Toot-Toot-Tootsie Goodbye". Meanwhile Jack is recoverying from nose surgery and accidentally impersonates the Fisk Tire boy. 

December 10, 1939 - Jack finishes the Murder on the Gridiron episode which is less gridiron and more murder mystery. They have some great double-talk nonsense voices. They also mention the movie "The Private Life of Henry VIII" starring Charles Laughton.

December 5, 1954 - This is the last of the great Christmas Shopping episodes on The Jack Benny radio show. Jack Buys oil paints for Don for Christmas. Dennis Day had many vinyl records.

December 3, 1939 - Jack Benny AKA Buck Benny the cowboy joins other western stars for the Santa Claus Lane Parade. Meanwhile in cinema, Spencer Tracy won the Oscar that year for "Boys Town". The skit in the episode is part one of "Murder on the Gridiron" where they spoof college football.

November 27, 1949 - Dis you know Ricardo Montalban & Esther Williams sang the first recorded version of the holiday hit "Baby, It's Cold Outside"? Or was it Red Skelton? In this episode Jack spends and evening playing bridge. How could something so average wind up so crazy?

November 26, 1939 - References in this episode include Earle Liederman, a strongman on the vaudeville stage who sold a mail-in bodybuilding course. The Tyrone Power movie "The Rains Came" (1939) and the movie "The Devil is a Sissy" (1936). Plus Jack and the gang talk about his Thanksgiving party and they go duck hunting with Andy Devine.

November 21, 1943 - Happy Thanksgiving from the front lines! The war is on which means the rationing of meats, but Jack is still able to get turkey. Then he dreams he is a turkey. Plus Jack plays violin as a guest on the USO broadcast "Soldiers in Grease Paint".  

November 19, 1939 - The year with two Thanksgivings. President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving from the last Thursday of November one week earlier and the nation almost lost it's mind. Some stays stayed with the old Thanksgiving time, some the new, some both. Jack Benny and the gang celebrate the holiday in this episode.

November 16, 1947 - Cleaning Jack's Den before Jack goes to the DMV to get his Driver's License. Movies in '47 included "Forever Amber" and "The Egg and I".

November 12, 1939 - Jack Benny has a toothache and goes to the dentist. Dr. Frank Nelson. What could be more torture? Only Fred Allen and his sponsor Ipana Toothpaste.

November 1 & 8, 1936 - Clips from a few episodes of the Jack Benny Program from 1936. It's also election week Landon vs FDR.

November 5, 1939 - It's s spoof of the movie "The Women" with Jack Benny, Phil Harris and Don Wilson as the women. A podcast of the greatest Old Time Radio ever, The Jack Benny Program! Starring Jack Benny with Mary Livingstone, Phil Harris, Rochester, Dennis Day, and Don Wilson. The Jack Benny Show AKA The Jello Program AKA The Lucky Strike Program aired from the 1930's right through to the 1950'...

November 4, 1951 - Listen after the episode for a clip from Jack's TV show that day. Harry Shearer is well known as the voice of Mr. Burns, Ned Flanders, Principal Skinner, Smithers, Otto, Kent Brockman and many more. His very first job in entertainment was on The Jack benny Program.

October 29, 1939 - Happy Halloween! This episode of the Jack Benny program takes place at a masquerade party and it's no surprise that Don Wilson is dressed like a bowl of delicious JELL-O. Plus, before the show we take a trip to The San Fransisco World's Fair of 1939-1940 and learn about the swing version of "The Mikado".

October 26, 1936 - Jack Benny stars in "The Big Broadcast of 1937". They talk about the movie "Anthony Adverse", and the star-studded "Romeo and Juliet". Plus a brief answer to the question 'what are minstrel shows?'.

October 22, 1939 - This episode spoofs the movie "Stanley and Livingstone", no relation to Mary Livingstone. And Kay Kaiser from the movie "That's Right You're Wrong" is a guest.

October 19, 1947 - Jack Benny is out golfing. Mel Blanc is still looking for a job doing his Al Jolson impression. References to Fibber McGee and Molly, the song "My Blue Heaven", and golfers George Fazio, Lou Clayton, and Artie Steppens.. Plus the Maxwell, Dennis Day, Mary Livingstone, Rochester, and Phil Harris. This episode has some great moments!

October 15, 1939 - Disney's Cinderella features Verna Felton as the Fairy Godmother. But long before she sang "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" she was Dennis Day's mother on the Jack Benny Show.

October 9, 1949 - What?! Jack Benny suddenly stopped being cheap and became the soul of generosity? He give Mel Blanc a raise, he offers Rochester spending money and the night off, and he buys himself a yacht.