This Day in Jack Benny

March 2, 1952 - Guest Show in Palm Springs at the Tamarisk Country Club. The surprise guests will be Danny Kaye, George Burns, Frank Sinatra and Groucho Marx! References include Lord Calvert Whisky, conductor Dir Thomas Beecham, Eddie Cantor, Lana Turner and announcer Harry Von Zell.

February 15, 1937 - The Lux Radio Theater presents "Brewster's Millions" with Jack Benny and Mary Livingstone. There have been a few versions of the story including the 1945 movie (with Eddie "Rochester" Anderson in a supporting role) and the 1985 movie with Richard Pryor and John Candy. This pre-dates both.

1956 - It's a children's record! Jack Benny tells the story of becoming a great violinist and how it all went wrong. Featuring the vocal talents of Mary Livingstone and Mel Blanc. Originally titled "Jack Benny Plays the Bee Ably Assisted by Isaac Stern" in 1956, it was re-released as "Jack Benny Fiddles With The Classics" in 1978.

February 7, 1954 - Dennis is told to quit the show by his mother. Jack Benny is also visited by a ten-year-old Harry Shearer. Plus Mel Blanc's hillarious rendition on "The Whiffenpoof Song (Baa Baa Baa)". References include the actresses Ava Gardener, Lana Turner, Jane Russel and Marilyn Monroe, who was on her honeymoon with Joe DiMaggio. 

February 9, 1936 - Jack Benny and the gang have returned home to New York after almost a year in California. They mention the Winter Olympics in Germany, and the actor Cary Grant. Mary Livingstone writes a play about The North-West Mounted Police.

January 24, 1954 - After a look at the home life of Bob Crosby, Jack Benny and the gang dramatize the Robert W Service poem "The Shooting of Dan McGrew". References include "Santa Baby" by Ertha Kitt, the end of the Chlorophyll fad, and the game of Scrabble. Plus a Lucky Strike commercial by the poet Ogden Nash.  

January 17, 1954 - This episode begins with Jack Benny and the gang have lunch at the drug store and ends with Jack fighting a parking ticket in court, References incule Terry Moore's ermine bathing suit, golfers Fred Wanpler, Lloyd Mangrum, Sam Sneed and Ben Hogen, musicians Bing Crosby, Liberace, The Bell Sisters, The Ink Spots, The Fred Waring Choir, and Teresa Brewer with her song "Ricochet Ro...

January 18, 1942 - This episode was broadcast two days after the sudden death of Jack Benny's co-star Carole Lombard. The episode is all music. "In respect to Carole Lombard, his co-star in "To Be Or Not Be", an Alexander Korda-Ernest Lubitsch film, to be released through United Artists, Jack Benny cancelled his Jan. 18 broadcast of the NBC Jack Benny Show, sponsored by General Foods (Jell-O). Alt...

January 9, 1944 - Jack Benny picks up his new pet Camel. The camel is played by a young Stan Freberg in his only appearance on the Jack Benny show. This is also the last episode with Jack's pet polar bear.   References include bodybuilder Charles Atlas, comedian Fred Allen, and the Draft categories 4-F (Not qualified for military service) and 4-H (Deferred for reason of age, 38-44).

December 26, 1954 - The day after Christmas and Jack Benny visits Dennis Day who has a cold. Plus the unedited master recording for this episode survives and includes a couple of cut jokes and behind the scenes banter. References include "This is Your Life", "Robert Montgomery Presents", Louella Parsons, and John L Lewis.

December 14, 1941 - Horseradish, a ride in the Maxwell, a bird on a stick. Jack Benny is Christmas shopping for Dennis Day. This is one week after Pearl Harbor and the mention the blackouts that followed. Merry Christmas!

December 24, 1942 - Command Performance featuring Bob Hope, Red Skelton, Harriet Hilliard, The Andrews Sisters, Spike Jones, Bing Crosby, Kay Kaiser, Ginny Simms, Ethel Waters, Charles Laughton, Edger Bergan and Charlie McCartney, Dinah Shore, Fred Allen and Jack Benny.

December 7, 1941 – The day of the Pearl Harbor attack that would lead to the United States' entry into WWII. This is a continuation of the previous episode in which Jack Benny plays Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. They also mention socialite friends Brenda Frazier and Cobina Wright Jr.

November 28, 1954 - Jack Takes Dennis to the Psychiatrist. Meanwhile it's the sportsman quartette's birthday. References include the chidren's television host Pinky Lee, the Aurthur Murray dance studio, ballet dancer Nijinsky, the sound barrier, the LA Times and Nat "King" Cole.

November 23, 1941 - Thanksgiving Day Dinner. Jack Benny invites his cast to his house for dinner including Mary Livingstone, Don Wilson and his wife Peggy, and Phil Harris and his new wife Alice Faye. Dennis is in blackface helping Rochester serve the meal. References include Miles Standish, Chipped Beef, Hedy Lamarr, Humphrey Bogart, and gossip columnists Louella Parsons, Harrison Carroll, Jimmy...

November 16, 1941 - He fumbled the ball. Jack Benny tells Don Wilson about his latest hunting trip, Phil Harris plans to be in a play of the pilgrim historical fiction story "The Courtship of Miles Standish", Dennis Day asks Jack about the NBC 15th Anniversary special from the night before, and Mary Livingstone plays a football player in the skit. The football announcers are Frank Nelson and Arthu...

November 9, 1941 - Football Game. Jack Benny is making a movie (To Be Or Not To Be) with Carole Lombard and director Ernst Lubitsch. Phil Harris brings his pal, Leo Durocher, the manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers. References include Fred Allen, John Barrymore's profile, Bing Crosby, Jimmy Dorsey, Alexander Korda, Al Smith and more.

September 1954 - This is a fascinating look behind the scenes of the Jack Benny radio show. I mixed the most interesting parts from the rehearsal on September 9, 1954 and the pre-edit master recording for the episode on September 26, 1954. It features deleted scenes, notes and chatter. You can listen to the finished Broadcast recording here: ThisDayBenny.com/is-the-show-on-the-air-ap-gypsies

October 24, 1954 - Jack, Dennis and Don got to The Drive-In, after Jack Plays gin rummy with Rochester. References include flying saucers, Ronald Colman, and candy like Oh, Henry! bars and Tootsie Rolls , 

October 19, 1941 - On the train to Los Angeles. References include Fred Allen in a bathing suit in a radio guide magazine, Bob Hope, Spencer Tracy, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstien, Scottish singer Harry Lauder, and etiquette expert Emily Post.

October 12, 1941 - Jack Benny and the gang read reviews of last week's opening program as they wrap up thier short trip to New York. References include Daryl F Zanuck, the Lewis/Nova fight, Mickey Owens dropping the ball at the world series, Errol Flynn's fight with a columnist, Braodway plays, penguins in the Radio City Building.

October 4, 1941 - Jack is about to start the new season, but is very nervous. Phil is in love with his new wife Alice Faye and Mary tell the story of going to Ebbets Field to watch the Brooklyn Dogers and New York Yankees in a World Series game. References include Olsen and Johnson, Joe Louis and Lou Nova boxing match, Roseland Ballroom, and ballroom dancer Yolanda.

January 16, 1949 - Jack's Scrapbook Ronald Colman dreams he is Jack Benny and Jack is him. References include the bug California snowfall, the Rose Bowl Queen, songs "slow Boat to China", "Nature Boy", an "California Hear I Come", Ferde Grofé and "Pennies from Benny", a touring vault for the March of Dimes

February 1, 1948 - Jack and Mary See Ronald Colman's Movie.  References include Dennis's wedding, Dorothy Dix advice column, USC football, Schlitz beer, Herbert Hoover, General Eisenhower, Tom Breneman, Hawaii travelogue, Ciro's nightclub with Xavier Cugat and Jerry Lester, celebrities like Lana Turner and Frank Sinatra.

November 9, 1947 - The Corner Drug Store, Denny Day does a funny Ronald Colman impression. The REAL Ronald Coleman is also in this episode in one of the funniest scenes ever! References include Norman Krasna (with a call back to Mel Blanc's woody woodpecker laugh), Phil Haris' Fitch Bandwagon show, A Day in the Life of Dennis Day, Dick Tracy and Mumbles, Roy Rogers and Trigger, and Ronald Colman's...