This Day In Jack Benny

January 30, 1944 - The Mills Brothers song "Paper Doll" was at the top of the charts. In this episode Jack Benny is promoting his upcoming movie "The Horn Blows at Midnight" by visiting the studio lot. It is a whole lot of fun. Too bad the movie would end up bombing at the box office.

January 29, 1939 - Jack Benny is in the midst of this feud with Fred Allen. In this episode the reference the Western movie series "Hopalong Cassidy" which ran through they 1930s and 1940s. They also make a few very old references. The comedy recording "Cohen on the Telephone" from 1913 (and 1916) and the real life exotic dancer and WWI spy Mata Hari.

January 25, 1948 - Jack Benny has not his real name. His real name was was Benny Kubelsky. In this is a very fun episode where the cast is on a train home after a trip. 

January 22, 1939 - They make a very early reference to television in this episode. But it's mostly about Jack Benny telling how he saved Fred Allen's life back in the days of Vaudeville. There is an obscure reference to the animal stage act "Fink's Mules".

January 19, 1936 - "JAIL-O again" Jack is in Jail for speeding. Unfortunately the audio quality is really bad. So instead... January 19, 1941 - Jack spoofs the James Cagney boxing movie "City of Conquest" plus they talk about him getting his feet in the forecourt of Grumman's Chinese Theater.

January 15, 1939 - On Jack's Screen Guild Performance with Joan Crawford he tries to prove he can make love on screen as well as any other actor. The Cast doesn't buy it. Plus a fun sitcom style opening with Jack ordering lunch at the local diner. A great episode!

January 10, 1954 - The episode celebrates Jack Benny's announcer Don Wilson with a joke biography. That day a real biography of Jack appeared in Parade Magazine. Also on news stands you could read the latest gossip on Zsa Zsa Gabor.

January 8, 1939 - This is the second time Jack and they gang performed this parody of Snow White on the air. It is a lot of fun. Listen after the episode for a clip from the Screen Guild Show starring Jack Benny from that same night.

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 Tenant is a young 1948. Listen after the show for a selection from Phil Harris' other Show "The Fitch Bandwagon."

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.