Jack Benny

Biography

Jack port Benny was a great number of things to lots of people. To an incredible number of radio listeners, his personality was this is the cheapest guy in America, a graphic so ingrained in to the nationwide awareness that on starting day of football season-instead of tossing out the 1st ball-he simply glanced at it and place it in his pocket, getting the home down. To others, he was the world’s lousiest violinist, whose ego informed him he was among the all-time greats, an impression he distributed to nobody. To many of these same people, he was a guy therefore vain that he stated to become 39 for nearly 40 years. Nevertheless, for market insiders and fellow comedians, he was the inventor of what’s now universally referred to as the family members sitcom as well as the total get better at of comedic timing. He was also as significantly taken off his stage personality as was humanly feasible. Benny might have performed the ego obsessed miser, but no one was even more gracious, particularly when it found posting the laughs on his radio and-later-television displays among his ensemble ensemble. Benny had not been just the pioneer of ensemble ensemble sitcom work however the genius who understood what managed to get tick, knowing complete well it didn’t matter in the event that you (or for matter, who) got all of the laughs so long as individuals tuned back to your present every week. No one was better at safeguarding fun than Jack port Benny. Whichever cast member acquired the preceding punch series, Jack port always ensured that his authors gave another range to him, therefore he could dairy the laugh for many it was worthy of before carrying on the regular. As George Melts away would frequently attest, no one could wring even more laughs away from a blank stare and useless silence than Jack port Benny. No comedian got a keener knowing of what produced their work function than he do, an understanding gleaned from many years for the vaudeville circuit, learning first hands what produced audiences have a good laugh. He was created Benny Kubelsky in Chicago, Illinois on ROMANTIC DAYS CELEBRATION in 1894. His parents resided in close by Waukegan which small Midwestern city permanently became known-through its continuous interjection into radio and television skits-as Jack port Benny’s birthplace and city. There he broke into present business, working being a violinist within the pit music group of the neighborhood vaudeville home. His parents had been against him seeking a lifestyle in present business (specifically humor), but quickly he hit the street employed in an take action with a mature female pianist as “Salisbury and Kubelsky-From Grand Opera to Ragtime.” When concert violinist Jan Kubelik objected to his ham fisted playing and commonalities within their name thru his attorney, his stage name transformed to Ben Benny. Getting a fresh partner, he continuing using the same kind of become “Benny and Woods,” still a couple of years from developing his personality or doing humor on stage. Following the breakout of Globe Battle I, Benny enlisted, employed in a Navy sponsored revue display that toured the Midwest. Following the battle, he drifted back to vaudeville, operating as an individual, performing a monologue as “Ben K. Benny, Fiddleology and Fun.” He briefly transformed the spelling to ‘Bennie,’ however when fiddler-monologist-bandleader Ben Bernie-who have been doing a comparable take action for very much longer-had his attorney get in touch with the upstart, his stage name was transformed going back time to Jack port Benny. During this time period, he previously found out a number of things that were to be staples of his take action. He discovered he was a fantastic grasp of ceremonies, but that he worked well well with somebody, or in an organization. He also discovered that he didn’t have to utilize the violin as a significant element of the work any longer (apart from threatening to try out it for laughs) as soon as he thought out-through trial and error-how to make use of his hands, a fresh comedic style had been freshly minted. Another issue Benny quickly discovered was that the much longer he stared at an viewers after informing a joke-saying definitely nothing-the much longer they laughed. Although generally regarded as a visible gag, this became a lot an integral part of his personality that whenever those pregnant pauses had been applied to radio, they proved helpful equally well otherwise better. He proved helpful in films for awhile, carrying out guest pictures in movies like Hollywood Revue of 1929 plus some two reelers, but really found his moderate with radio in the first 30s. Following a handful of unsuccessful begins, he discovered his sponsor (Jell-O) and his period slot: Sunday evenings at seven, shortly to be an American radio custom for two years. It was with this environment that he created a radio ‘family members,’ with repeating character types, the precursor to the present day day sitcom. There is his sweetheart (true to life wife) Mary Livingstone, his announcer Don Wilson, his bandleader Phil Harris as well as perhaps the main and best loved personality, his African-American butler Rochester, performed by Eddie Anderson. Rochester might have been Benny’s manservant, but no common Negro stereotype was he. Brassy and assertive, Anderson’s personality struck a confident blow for competition relationships that Benny was a lot more than pleased to be considered a behind the moments pioneer of. The display was a nationwide treasure on radio for over twenty years, before producing a successful changeover to tv in 1951. What experienced did wonders on radio worked well similarly well in the brand new infant moderate and by the 1953 period, the Jack port Benny radio plan ceased to can be found. Even if a number of the mysteries from the Maxwell (Benny’s historic car) as well as the renowned basement vault had been erased by finally having images to go with the noises, it was worthwhile just to possess Benny looking at you, causing you to giggle by doing-seemingly-nothing whatsoever. The show went successfully-with small to no alteration to format-for another 15 years, earning eight Emmy honours. Benny continued to do special offers for CBS for another nine years, himself becoming awarded the 1st Trustees Honor ever presented from the Academy of Tv Arts and Sciences. During his loss of life in 1974, Benny was still playing Vegas, performing benefit concerts, television specials, still popular. But still 39.

Quick Facts

• Facts
• Filmography
• Awards
• Salaries
• Quotes
• Trademarks
• Pictures



#	Fact
1	A pre-adolescent Benny was taught violin by Otto Graham's father. The Grahams and the Bennys were next-door neighbors.
2	Interviewed in "The Great Comedians Talk About Comedy" by Larry Wilde. [1968]
3	He turned down a role in The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938). The role was then given to 'Bob Hope (I)' (q)--his feature-film debut--which began his long and successful film career.
4	In 1935, Benny, like most of America, was so captivated by the trial of Bruno Richard Hauptmann, accused of kidnapping Charles Lindbergh's baby boy, that he pulled strings to get himself a seat in the overcrowded New Jersey courtroom.
5	Was a Democrat.
6	Jack's radio program that followed the premature death of Carole Lombard was canceled because Benny, a good friend and admirer, was grief-stricken. The time was filled with music instead. Both had just starred together in To Be or Not to Be (1942).
7	He was awarded three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame--for Motion Pictures at 6650 Hollywood Boulevard, for Radio at 1505 Vine Street and for Television at 6370 Hollywood Boulevard.
8	In 1948, the radio quiz show "Truth or Consequences" ran a weekly contest to identify the Walking Man. The gag was to guess who the foot steps belonged to. Every week they played the steps. Eventually they revealed it was Jack Benny.
9	According to Phyllis Diller's autobiography "Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse", in the late 1960s Broadway producer David Merrick approached Benny with the idea of him playing Dolly Levi in drag in "Hello, Dolly!" opposite George Burns as Horace Vandergelder. The intention was to turn Broadway on its ear and revive flagging interest in the show, which had been running since 1964, originally with Carol Channing as Dolly Levi. This idea never came to fruition. (Diller did appear in the show for 3 months in 1970.).
10	For many years he lived at 1002 North Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills. His neighbors were Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz at 1000 North Roxbury, and Peter Falk and his wife at 1004 North Roxbury.
11	Was good friends with singer Gisele MacKenzie--who also played the violin--and often referred to her as "Doll".
12	When he died in 1974, he left an estate estimated at $4 million.
13	At his funeral George Burns began the eulogy but broke down. Bob Hope rose to the podium in a shaky voice and honored the comedian by reading, "for a man who was the undisputed master of comedy timing, you'd have to say that this was the only time when Jack Benny's timing was all wrong. He left us much too soon."
14	Had a rose delivered to his wife Mary Livingstone each day after his death until the day she died, almost nine years later.
15	One of Benny's best-known schticks as a radio star was his long-standing feud with fellow radio comedian Fred Allen. The two often appeared on each other's radio programs to trade barbs. Sadly, other than an appearance on The Jack Benny Program (1950), in which Allen tries to steal Jack's sponsor, this did not carry over into television, as Allen died shortly after beginning his own TV show. In real life, of course, Benny and Allen were great friends, and Benny even took time on his radio program to eulogize Allen after his death.
16	Hosted the Academy Awards in 1944 and 1947
17	January 1949: A personal friend of Harry S. Truman, he served as Master of Ceremonies for Truman's Inaugural Ball. When he arrived at the White House for the event, a guard pointed to his violin case and asked, "Mr. Benny, what do you have in there?" As a joke, Jack whispered back, "It's a Thompson sub-machine gun." The guard replied, "Oh, that's a relief. I was afraid it was your violin".
18	Took his father to see To Be or Not to Be (1942), but he left the theatre disgusted when he saw Jack in a Nazi uniform. It wasn't until years later that Jack finally managed to convince him that he was making fun of Nazis not supporting them. His father saw the movie again and loved it.
19	7/25/55: His first grandchild, Michael, was born to his daughter Joan and Seth Baker.
20	1934: He and his wife adopted a daughter, Joan Benny (aka Joan Naomi).
21	Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith. pg. 42-44. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387
22	Towards the end of his TV series, he was waiting for his show to air and began watching Bonanza (1959), which started half an hour sooner. He wound up missing his show and said "If I won't even watch me, what chance do I have?".
23	A lifelong lover of classical music, he counted the great violinist Isaac Stern among his closest friends and legendary composer/pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff among his greatest fans.
24	He was actually a very competent violin player, although not an expert, and performed a series of benefit concerts with an orchestra. He was similarly generous with money in real life. The bad violin playing and the miserliness was just a part of his act.
25	He sometimes referred cryptically to "my book" in interviews over the years; the manuscript for his autobiography, "Sunday Nights at Seven," wasn't discovered until years after his death.
26	1934-42: Star of NBC Radio's "The Jell-O Program".
27	1942-44: Star of NBC Radio's "The Grape Nuts Flakes Program".
28	1934: Star of NBC Radio's "The General Tire Show".
29	1933-34: Star of NBC Radio's "The Chevrolet Show".
30	Star of "The Lucky Strike Program" on NBC Radio (1944-1949) and CBS Radio (1949-1955).
31	Star of "The Canada Dry Program" on NBC Radio (1932) and CBS Radio (1932-1933).
32	He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1989.
33	When he appeared as a celebrity guest on the game show Password All-Stars (1961), he got the word "miser" and gave his first clue as, "Me!" thus bringing down the house.
34	He met his future wife Mary Livingstone while he was appearing at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, and he regularly ate across the street at the lunch counter of the May Company department store, where Mary worked as a lingerie salesgirl. Jack Benny actually first met his wife Mary Livingstone in Vancouver British Columbia when he was appearing there, possibly at the Orpheum there as well.
35	Pictured on one of five 29¢ US commemorative postage stamps celebrating famous comedians, issued in booklet form 29 August 1991. The stamp designs were drawn by caricaturist Al Hirschfeld. The other comedians honored in the set are Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy; Edgar Bergen (with alter ego Charlie McCarthy); Fanny Brice; and Bud Abbott and Lou Costello.
36	Two holidays figured prominently in his life: Born on St. Valentine's Day, 1894, he died on the day after Christmas, Boxing Day, 80 years later.
37	At the time of his death, he was scheduled to appear in The Sunshine Boys (1975). After he died, the role was taken over by George Burns.
38	His most famous gag was on his radio show when, in his usual character as a comical miser, he's confronted by a robber who says, "Your money or your life." That's followed by two to three minutes of dead silence, except for the audience which laughed with increasing volume as the silence continued. Finally the robber prodded Jack by saying, "Well?" to which Benny responded, "I'm thinking it over!"
39	He once appeared on the TV quiz show The $64,000 Question (1955). After answering the first question correctly he quit and took home $1.00. His category was violins.
40	A middle school in his hometown of Waukegan, Illinois, was named after him. The school football team is the "39ers," (in honor of his insistence that he is 39 years old every year).
41	Interred at Hillside Memorial Park, Culver City, California, USA.



Actor

Actor

Title	Year	Status	Character
Here's Lucy	1968-1971	TV Series	Jack Benny
The Bob Hope Show	1971	TV Series
The Funny Side	1971	TV Series	Special Guest Host
Kraft Music Hall Presents: The Des O'Connor Show	1971	TV Series
Swing Out, Sweet Land	1970	TV Movie	Man Who Finds Silver Dollar
The Kraft Music Hall	1970	TV Series	Guest of Honor
A Guide for the Married Man	1967		Technical Adviser (Ollie 'Sweet Lips')
The Lucy Show	1964-1966	TV Series	Jack Benny / Harry Tuttle
The Jack Benny Program	1950-1965	TV Series	Jack Benny / District Attorney / Benny the Louse / ...
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World	1963		Man in Car in Desert (uncredited)
The Joey Bishop Show	1963	TV Series	Jack Benny
General Foods Opening Night	1963	TV Movie
Gypsy	1962		Jack Benny (uncredited)
Checkmate	1962	TV Series	Jack Bowen
The Slowest Gun in the West	1960	TV Movie	Chicken Finsterwald
Who Was That Lady?	1960		Mr. Cosgrove (uncredited)
Make Room for Daddy	1957-1960	TV Series	Jack Benny
Startime	1959	TV Series	Jack Benny
The Mouse That Jack Built	1959	Short	Jack (voice)
The George Burns Show	1958	TV Series	Jack Benny
Shower of Stars	1955-1958	TV Series	Jack Benny / Loring Rigley / Howard Carroll
Bachelor Father	1958	TV Series	Jack Benny
Beau James	1957		Jack Benny (uncredited)
The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show	1951-1957	TV Series	Jack Benny
General Electric Theater	1953-1957	TV Series	Tom Jones / Harold Fenton / Sheldon Weeks
The Jackie Gleason Show	1955	TV Series	Landlord
Four Star Playhouse	1955	TV Series	Cautious Gambler
Omnibus	1953	TV Series	Athanael
Somebody Loves Me	1952		Jack Benny
The Great Lover	1949		Jack Benny (uncredited)
Without Reservations	1946		Jack Benny (uncredited)
It's in the Bag!	1945		Jack Benny
The Horn Blows at Midnight	1945		Athanael
Hollywood Canteen	1944		Jack Benny
The Meanest Man in the World	1943		Richard Clarke
George Washington Slept Here	1942		Bill Fuller
To Be or Not to Be	1942		Joseph Tura
Charley's Aunt	1941		Babbs Babberley
Love Thy Neighbor	1940		Jack Benny
Buck Benny Rides Again	1940		Jack Benny
Man About Town	1939		Bob Temple
Artists and Models Abroad	1938		Buck Boswell
Artists & Models	1937		Mac Brewster
College Holiday	1936		J. Davis Bowster
The Big Broadcast of 1937	1936		Jack Carson
It's in the Air	1935		Calvin Churchill
Broadway Melody of 1936	1935		Bert Keeler
Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round	1934		Chad Denby
Mr. Broadway	1933		Jack Benny
Taxi Tangle	1931	Short	Jack Benny
Cab Waiting	1931	Short	Jack Benny
A Broadway Romeo	1931	Short	Jack Benny
The Medicine Man	1930		Dr. John Harvey
Children of Pleasure	1930		Jack - Radio Performer (uncredited)
Lord Byron of Broadway	1930		Voice on Radio (uncredited)
The Rounder	1930	Short	Mr. Bartlett
Chasing Rainbows	1930		Eddie Rock
Bright Moments	1928	Short

Soundtrack

Soundtrack

Title	Year	Status	Character
That's Entertainment! III	1994	Documentary performer: "Singin' in the Rain" 1929 - uncredited
The Jack Benny Hour	1965	TV Special performer: "Mozzarella, Provolone, Parmesan, Ricotta" - uncredited
The Jack Benny Program		TV Series performer - 26 episodes, 1950 - 1964 writer - 4 episodes, 1961 - 1964
The George Burns Show	1960	TV Special performer: "Love In Bloom" - uncredited
Startime	1959	TV Series performer - 1 episode
The Jack Benny Hour	1959/I	TV Special performer: "Mr. Wonderful", "Everybody Loves to Take a Bow" - uncredited
Make Room for Daddy	1958	TV Series performer - 1 episode
The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show	1952	TV Series writer - 2 episodes
The Frank Sinatra Show	1951	TV Series performer - 1 episode
Hollywood Canteen	1944	performer: "Souvenir" 1906 - uncredited
The Meanest Man in the World	1943	"Swanee River", uncredited
George Washington Slept Here	1942	"I'll Never Smile Again" 1939, uncredited
Man About Town	1939	performer: "LOVE IN BLOOM"
Artists and Models Abroad	1938	performer: "What Have You Got That Gets Me"
College Holiday	1936	performer: "Love in Bloom"
The Hollywood Revue of 1929	1929	performer: "Your Mother and Mine" 1929 - uncredited

Producer

Producer

Title	Year	Status	Character
The Jack Benny Program	1965	TV Series executive producer - 1 episode
The Gisele MacKenzie Show	1957	TV Series executive producer - 4 episodes
The Lucky Stiff	1949	producer

Thanks

Thanks

Title	Year	Status	Character
Paper Moon	1973	special thanks

Self

Self

Title	Year	Status	Character
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Lucille Ball	1975	TV Special	Himself
The Perry Como Christmas Show	1974	TV Special	Santa Claus (uncredited)
Annie and the Hoods	1974	TV Special	Himself
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Bob Hope	1974	TV Special	Himself
Dinah!	1974	TV Series	Himself
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson	1963-1974	TV Series	Himself / Himself - Guest
Paramount Presents	1974	TV Movie	Himself - Host
The Dean Martin Show	1968-1974	TV Series	Himself
Jack Benny's Second Farewell Special	1974	TV Special	Himself
Parkinson	1974	TV Series	Himself
ABC Late Night	1973	TV Series	Himself
A Couple of Dons	1973	TV Special	Himself
The Merv Griffin Show	1963-1973	TV Series	Himself
AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to John Ford	1973	TV Movie documentary	Himself (uncredited)
The Dick Cavett Show	1971-1973	TV Series	Himself
The Bob Hope Show	1954-1973	TV Series	Himself / Himself - Guest
Jack Benny's First Farewell Special	1973	TV Special	Himself
The Julie Andrews Hour	1972	TV Series	Himself
Laugh-In	1968-1972	TV Series	Himself
How to Handle a Woman	1972	TV Movie	Himself
Flip	1972	TV Series	Himself
The Man	1972		Himself
The Great Radio Comedians	1972	TV Movie documentary	Himself
The 23rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards	1971	TV Special	Himself
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Jack Benny But Were Afraid to Ask	1971	TV Special	Himself
Here's Lucy	1971	TV Series	Himself
Jack Benny's Twentieth Anniversary Special	1970	TV Special	Himself
The Red Skelton Hour	1957-1970	TV Series	Himself / Introduction
Dinah's Place	1970	TV Series	Himself
The Engelbert Humperdinck Show	1970	TV Series	Himself
The David Frost Show	1970	TV Series	Himself
The Mad, Mad, Mad Comedians	1970	TV Movie	Himself (voice)
The Switched-On Symphony	1970	TV Special	Himself
Frost on Sunday	1970	TV Series	Himself
Jimmy Durante Presents the Lennon Sisters	1969-1970	TV Series	Himself
The Jackie Gleason Show	1969-1970	TV Series	Himself
Jack Benny's New Look	1969	TV Special	Himself
The Irv Kupcinet Show	1969	TV Series	Himself
Baja Marimba Band	1969	TV Movie	Himself
Frank Sinatra Jr. with Family and Friends	1969	TV Movie	Himself
The Joey Bishop Show	1967-1969	TV Series	Himself
The Kraft Music Hall	1967-1969	TV Series	Himself / Himself - Host
The Liberace Show	1969	TV Series	Himself
The 21st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards	1969	TV Special	Himself
An Evening with Jack Benny	1969	TV Special	Himself
Jack Benny's Birthday Special	1969	TV Special	Himself
The Ann-Margret Show	1968	TV Special	Himself
Jack Benny's Bag	1968	TV Special	Himself
BBC Show of the Week	1968	TV Series	Himself
How It Is	1968	TV Series	Himself
The 22nd Annual Tony Awards	1968	TV Special	Himself - Co-Host
Carnival Nights	1968	TV Special	Himself
The Hollywood Palace	1967-1968	TV Series	Himself - Host
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour	1967	TV Series	Himself
The Lucy Show	1967	TV Series	Himself
The London Palladium Show	1967	TV Series	Himself
The Ed Sullivan Show	1954-1967	TV Series	Himself
All About People	1967	Documentary short	Narrator (voice)
The Jack Benny Hour	1966	TV Special	Himself
What's My Line?	1953-1966	TV Series	Himself - Mystery Guest
Bob Hope Christmas Show	1965	TV Movie	Himself
The Royal Variety Performance 1965	1965	TV Special	Himself
The Jack Benny Hour	1965	TV Special	Jack Benny / Rosano
Danny Thomas Special: The Wonderful World of Burlesque	1965	TV Special	Himself
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre	1964	TV Series	Himself
The Andy Williams Show	1964	TV Series	Himself
The Tennessee Ernie Ford Hour	1964	TV Special	Himself
Jack Benny in Australia	1964	TV Movie	Himself
Bob Hope Comedy Special	1963	TV Special	Himself
CBS: The Stars' Address	1963	TV Movie	Himself
The Danny Kaye Show	1963	TV Series	Himself
The 15th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards	1963	TV Special	Himself
I've Got a Secret	1963	TV Series	Himself - Guest
President Kennedy's Birthday Salute	1962	TV Movie	Himself
The Jack Benny Program	1960-1962	TV Series	Himself
Password All-Stars	1962	TV Series	Himself
The Jack Paar Tonight Show	1959-1962	TV Series	Himself / Himself (film)
The Milton Berle Spectacular	1962	TV Movie	Himself / Ben-Hur
The Royal Variety Performance 1961	1961	TV Movie	Himself
The DuPont Show of the Week	1961	TV Series	Himself
Carnegie Hall Salutes Jack Benny	1961	TV Special	Himself
The George Burns Show	1960	TV Special	Jack Benny
This Is Your Life	1952-1960	TV Series	Himself
The Garry Moore Show	1958-1960	TV Series	Himself
The George Gobel Show	1955-1959	TV Series	Himself
The Jack Benny Hour	1959/II	TV Special	Himself
The 11th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards	1959	TV Special	Himself - Presenter
The Jack Benny Hour	1959/I	TV Special	Jack Benny
The All-Star Christmas Show	1958	TV Movie	Himself
Shower of Stars	1955-1958	TV Series	Himself / Himself - Host
The Gisele MacKenzie Show	1957	TV Series	Himself
Screen Snapshots: The Walter Winchell Party	1957	Documentary short	Himself
Climax!	1956	TV Series	Himself
Screen Snapshots: Hollywood Beauty	1955	Documentary short	Himself
The Easter Seal Teleparade of Stars	1955	TV Special	Himself
The Colgate Comedy Hour	1953-1954	TV Series	Himself
General Foods 25th Anniversary Show: A Salute to Rodgers and Hammerstein	1954	TV Movie	Himself / Host
The Bing Crosby Show	1954	TV Movie	Himself
Screen Snapshots: Hollywood's Great Entertainers	1953	Short	Himself
Screen Snapshots: Hollywood's Pair of Jacks	1953	Short	Himself
Stars in the Eye	1952	TV Special	Himself
Screen Snapshots: Memorial to Al Jolson	1952	Documentary short	Himself - Narrator
The Frank Sinatra Show	1951	TV Series	Himself
This Is Show Business	1951	TV Series	Himself
You Can Change the World	1950	Documentary short	Himself
Screen Snapshots: The Great Showman	1950	Short	Himself
The Jack Benny Program	1949	TV Movie	Himself
The Actor's Society Benefit Gala	1949	TV Movie	Himself
Screen Snapshots 9860: Hollywood Friars Honor George Jessel	1948	Short	Himself - Toastmaster
Is Everybody Listening?	1947	Documentary short	Jack Benny - Jack Benny Radio Program
Rough But Hopeful	1946	Short	Himself
Show-Business at War	1943	Documentary short	Himself
Three of a Kind	1941	Short	Himself
Hollywood Goes to Town	1938	Short documentary	Himself
Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 6	1938	Documentary short	Himself
The March of Time: Volume 1, Number 5	1937	Documentary short	Himself
The Voice of Hollywood No. 13	1930	Short	Himself (uncredited)
The Song Writers' Revue	1930	Short	Himself
The Hollywood Revue of 1929	1929		Himself - Master of Ceremonies

Archive Footage

Archive Footage

Title	Year	Status	Character
Gleason: He's the Greatest	1988	TV Series	Jackie Benny
The Best of Gleason 2	1988	TV Movie	Himself
Entertaining the Troops	1988	Documentary	Himself
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC	1988	TV Special	Himself
The Beach Boys: An American Band	1985	Documentary	Himself
The Great Standups	1984	TV Movie documentary	Himself
Bob Hope's Unrehearsed Antics of the Stars	1984	Documentary	Himself
TV's Funniest Game Show Moments	1984	TV Special	Himself
Texaco Star Theatre Presents Bob Hope in 'Who Makes the World Laugh?'	1983	TV Movie	Himself
Showbiz Goes to War	1982	TV Movie
Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter	1982	TV Movie documentary	Actor - Unidentified Film (uncredited)
Red Skelton: A Comedy Scrapbook	1981	Video documentary	Himself
A Love Letter to Jack Benny	1981	TV Movie documentary	Himself
Bob Hope's Overseas Christmas Tours: Around the World with the Troops - 1941-1972	1980	TV Movie documentary	Himself
Best of the Dean Martin Show	1979	TV Movie	Himself
Has Anybody Here Seen Canada? A History of Canadian Movies 1939-1953	1979	TV Movie documentary	Himself - Oscar Dinner, 1942 (uncredited)
CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years	1976	TV Movie documentary	Himself
The Mike Douglas Show	1976	TV Series	Himself - Comedian
Bob Hope's World of Comedy	1976	TV Movie	Himself
That's Entertainment, Part II	1976	Documentary	Clip from 'Song Writers' Revue
Texaco Presents: A Quarter Century of Bob Hope on Television	1975	TV Special	Himself
Brother Can You Spare a Dime	1975	Documentary	Himself (as Mr. Benny)
Milton Berle's Mad Mad Mad World of Comedy	1974	TV Movie	Himself
Paper Moon	1973		Himself on Radio Show (uncredited)
Happy Days	1970	TV Series
The Hollywood Palace	1970	TV Series	Himself
Wayne and Shuster Take an Affectionate Look At...	1965	TV Series documentary	Himself
Hollywood and the Stars	1964	TV Series	Himself
The Ed Sullivan Show	1958-1963	TV Series	Himself
The DuPont Show of the Week	1961	TV Series	Himself
Screen Snapshots 7855: Pennies from Hollywood	1955	Short	Himself
Screen Snapshots: Memories of Famous Hollywood Comedians	1952	Documentary short	Himself
Cassino to Korea	1950	Documentary	Jack Benny - USO Show
Screen Snapshots 2856: It Was Only Yesterday	1950	Short	Jack Benny
Screen Snapshots: Photoplay Gold Medal Awards	1948	Short	Himself - M.C.
The Great American Broadcast	1941		Himself - Opening Montage (uncredited)
Broadway Highlights No. 1	1935	Short	Film Clip Character
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee	2016	TV Series
Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration	2015	TV Movie documentary	Himself / Shower of Stars
Pioneers of Television	2008-2014	TV Mini-Series documentary	Himself / Himself - Jack Benny Program
Glasgow: Big Night Out	2014	TV Movie documentary	Himself
American Masters	1997-2012	TV Series documentary	Himself
Beatles Stories	2011	Documentary	Himself
Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America	2009	TV Series documentary	Himself
Warner at War	2008	TV Movie documentary
Mel Blanc: The Man of a Thousand Voices	2008	Video documentary	Himself
Mike Douglas: Moments & Memories	2008	Video	Himself
Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project	2007	Documentary	Himself (uncredited)
The Legendary Crooners	2007	Video documentary	Himself
The Kingston Trio: 50 Years of Havin' Fun	2006	Video documentary
The Best of the Royal Variety	2006	TV Series
Cavett Remembers the Comic Legends	2006	Video documentary short	Himself
Broadway: The American Musical	2004	TV Mini-Series documentary
Funny Already: A History of Jewish Comedy	2004	TV Movie documentary	Himself
Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust	2004	Documentary
100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time	2004	TV Mini-Series	Himself #28
Christmas in Tinseltown	2004	Video documentary short	Himself
Inside the Actors Studio	2003	TV Series	Himself
Bob Hope at 100	2003	TV Movie documentary	Himself (uncredited)
Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour	2002	TV Movie documentary	Himself
Bob Hope's Funniest Out-Takes	2002	TV Movie	Himself
The Nightclub Years	2001	TV Special documentary	Himself
The Beatles... Off the Record: Newsreel Footage 1964-1966	2001	TV Movie documentary	Himself
Biography	1996-2001	TV Series documentary	Himself
Hollywood Remembers	2000	TV Series documentary
Reputations	2000	TV Series documentary	Himself
Television: The First Fifty Years	1999	Video documentary	Himself
The Best of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts	1998	TV Movie documentary	Himself - Roastee
Hollywoodism: Jews, Movies and the American Dream	1998	TV Movie documentary	Himself
Beatles Diary	1996	Video documentary	Himself
Bob Hope: Hollywood's Brightest Star	1996	Video documentary	Himself
We Remember Marilyn	1996	Video documentary	Himself
Classic Stand-Up Comedy of Television	1996	TV Special documentary	Himself
Kelsey Grammer Salutes Jack Benny	1995	TV Movie documentary	Himself
Pioneers of Primetime	1995	TV Movie documentary	Himself
Television's Christmas Classics	1994	TV Special	Himself
Paul Merton's Palladium Story	1994	TV Series documentary	Himself
That's Entertainment! III	1994	Documentary	Performer in Clip from 'Hollywood Revue of 1929' (uncredited)
Kirk Douglas: Video Scrapbook	1994	Video documentary	Himself
Mo' Funny: Black Comedy in America	1993	TV Special documentary	Himself
The Unknown Marx Brothers	1993	TV Movie documentary	Himself
Bob Hope's Bag Full of Christmas Memories	1993	TV Special	Himself
Laugh-In Past Christmas Present	1993	TV Special	Himself
The First Annual Comedy Hall of Fame	1993	TV Special	Himself
Jack Benny: Comedy in Bloom	1992	TV Movie documentary	Himself
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson	1988-1992	TV Series	Himself
Legends of Comedy	1992	TV Movie documentary
The Very Best of the Ed Sullivan Show 2	1991	TV Special	Himself
Stars and Stripes	1990	Documentary	Himself
Frank Sinatra: The Voice of Our Time	1990	TV Movie documentary	Himself
Gary Cooper: American Life, American Legend	1989	Documentary	Himself
5th Annual TV Academy Hall of Fame	1989	TV Special	Himself - Inductee
The Moon Above, the Earth Below	1989	TV Movie documentary	Himself -Apollo 11 Launch Spectator

Won awards

Won awards

Year	Award	Ceremony	Nomination	Movie	Award shared with
1960	Star on the Walk of Fame	Walk of Fame	Motion Picture	On 8 February 1960. At 6650 Hollywood Blvd.
1960	Star on the Walk of Fame	Walk of Fame	Television	Awarded February 8, 1960 at 6370 Hollywood Blvd.
1960	Star on the Walk of Fame	Walk of Fame	Radio	Awarded February 8, 1960 at 1505 Vine Street
1959	Primetime Emmy	Primetime Emmy Awards	Best Actor in a Leading Role (Continuing Character) in a Comedy Series	The Jack Benny Program (1950)
1958	Golden Globe	Golden Globes, USA	Television Achievement
1958	Primetime Emmy	Primetime Emmy Awards	Best Continuing Performance (Male) in a Series by a Comedian, Singer, Host, Dancer, M.C., Announcer, Narrator, Panelist, or any Person who Essentially Plays Himself	The Jack Benny Program (1950)

Nominated awards

Nominated awards

Year	Award	Ceremony	Nomination	Movie	Award shared with
1970	Primetime Emmy	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Variety or Musical Program - Variety and Popular Music	The Kraft Music Hall (1967)	· Gary Smith (producer) · Dwight Hemion (producer)
1957	Primetime Emmy	Primetime Emmy Awards	Best Continuing Performance by a Comedian in a Series	The Jack Benny Program (1950)
1956	Primetime Emmy	Primetime Emmy Awards	Best Comedian



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#	Quote
1	[on how "Love in Bloom" became his theme song] Quite by accident. "Love in Bloom" is not a theme song I particularly like . . . It happened that I was fooling with that number 30 years ago, and before I could do anything about it . . . it was an avalanche, and it became my theme song.
2	[on Frank Fay] I used to like Frank Fay very much. I was never a very good friend of his--there weren't too many people that were friends of his--but on the stage I admired him.
3	I have always thought Ed Wynn was the world's greatest comedian, and I still think there is nobody that has ever been as funny, or will be, in my time as he was in his heyday.
4	[on what makes a good comedian] There has to be more than just getting laughs. Laughs are not everything. People can scream at a comedian and yet not remember anything afterwards to talk about. To become real successful, they [the audience] must like you very much . . . they must have a feeling like, "Gee, I wish he was a friend of mine. I wish he was a relative".
5	When you take a joke away from Milton Berle, it's not stealing, it's repossessing.
6	Age is strictly a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.
7	[to Rodney Dangerfield] I'm cheap and I'm thirty-nine, that's my image. But your "no respect", that's the soul of everybody. Everybody can identify with that.
8	Gags die, humor doesn't.
9	[Receiving a "joke" trophy for his performance in drag in Charley's Aunt (1941)] I'm caught with my gags down.. I've been waiting so long for an Oscar that I'm ready to accept anything from anybody.
10	[on Bob Hope] It's not enough just to get laughs. The audience has to love you, and Bob gets love as well as laughs from his audiences.
11	[on The Marx Brothers] If you ever eat at the Hillcrest Country Club and [Groucho Marx] is there, you'll find he'll make you laugh in the same way he does on screen, [Chico Marx], I would say, loved women and gambling, period. [Harpo Marx] was probably the sweetest man you would ever want to meet.
12	[on Al Jolson] When you talk about the world's greatest entertainer you have to say Al Jolson, because there was no one like him. Only Judy Garland and perhaps Frank Sinatra got anywhere near him!
13	I began my show business career playing violin in San Francisco at the corner of Market and Taylor. I understand that there is a theater there now.
14	[After being introduced by Ed Sullivan on his radio debut] This is Jack Benny talking. There will now be a slight pause while you say, "Who cares?"
15	[After being presented with an award] I don't deserve this, but I have arthritis and I don't deserve that, either.
16	[Commenting on the vocal talents of his radio show's co-star] There's only five real people in Hollywood. Everyone else is Mel Blanc.



#	Trademark
1	Master of the "Slow-Burn"
2	Never admitted to being older than 39
3	Image as penny-pincher
4	Theme song: "Love in Bloom"
5	His inept violin playing
6	Billed himself as "the Original 'Old Blue Eyes'"



Source: Celebrity Pictures & Images