Jack Benny

Jack Benny holds two unique and quite wonderful distinctions.

First, Jack Benny is almost universally regarded   by critics, contemporaries and historians as having the best comic timing of any performer in show business. Jack Benny’s ability to take a pause, stretch out a word, or use a simple hand gesture or roll of the eyes to sell a joke influenced an impressive generation of comedians.  A talented student at the University of Nebraska – Johnny Carson – wrote his entire senior thesis as an analysis of  Jack Benny’s style of comedy!  Bennie’s influence can be seen in the work of  not just Carson, but, Bob Newhart, Shelley Berman,  Ray Romano and Jerry Seinfeld.

Second, Jack Benny had a lifelong, unquestioned reputation as one of  the nicest  men in all of Hollywood. He was charitable, kind, considerate and gracious. He traveled endlessly to entertain the troops during World War II, refusing to take payment from the government to do so. He would appear at any charitable function at the drop of a hat. Professionally, he was courteous and encouraging of talent. Marilyn Monroe, who cast a suspicious eye on the motives of many of the men in Hollywood, absolutely adored  Jack Benny. She recognized in him a genuinely kind and thoughtful person who truly appreciated her talent. Maryland’s reaction is typical of the way almost everyone who ever worked with Jack Benny reacted to him. If you came on his top rated radio show, you are guaranteed to have an opportunity to shine. As he famously said, “I don’t care who gets the laughs as long as my show is funny! Jerry Seinfeld built his show in the exact same way.

This multimedia presentation, laden with film clips and wonderful stories is sure to entertain and uplift you!