This Day In Jack Benny

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's. Each week your host, John Henderson, brings an episode from that week 60-80 years ago. It's old, yet still as funny as ever. An OTR podcast Read more at http://thisdaybenny.com

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.

October 2, 1949 - They mention vaudeville performers like Al Jolsen and The Avon Comedy Four, Jack Benny is cheap. That is until one day while taking inventory of his cupboard he gets hit on the head with a large can of tomato juice.

October 4, 1953 - Baseball manager Leo Durocher AKA "Leo the Lip" watches the Yankees vs Dodgers 1953 World Series with Jack Benny. Bob Crosby discusses his brother Bing Crosby. Plus Mary Livingstone, Dennis Day and Don Wilson.   

October 8, 1939 - Aldrich Family was the summer replacement show. This is the first show of the new season and the first episode ever with Dennis Day. Find out why the previous singer, Kenny Baker, left the show. Hint: It wasn't about the money. 

September 29, 1946 - Jack is humming the hit song of the day "South America, Take it Away" by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters. Jack is upset Phil and Dennis have their own shows ("Fitch Bandwagon" and "A Day in The Life of Dennis Day")

September 25, 1949 - Jack Benny visits the CBS studio to start a new season on the radio and runs into ventriloquist Edger Bergen and his pal Charlie McCarthy, Red Skelton and Amos n Andy.

September 21, 1952 - Jack Benny and Rochester do their own version of Abbot and Costello's famous bit "Who's on First?". Plus Shopping in Scotland with Jack and Mary. and Bing Crosby's less famous brother Bob.

September 18, 1949 - Mel Blanc is remembered as "The man of 1,000 voices" in this episode he is begging Jack Benny to let him do a voice, any voice on his program.