Jack Benny vs. Groucho 1955

On his TV show, Jack Benny plays a contestant on Groucho's "You Bet Your Life" Program. That's Irene Tedrow in between the two masters. This is just a treasure I have to share.

[@Starrman69]

Wow! Jack was 61 in 1955....I recognized Irene Tedrow right off....I grew up watching her in many programs...and Groucho...What a guy...and they're all gone...

[@walterpalmer2749]

No entertainer/comedian today can fill the void of these comedians long passed. Classic fun and comedy !!

[@shootersteve]

One of the greatest sketches of all time. Groucho is timeless.

[@KeithE4]

So is Benny. This is an all-time classic.

[@bikersoncall]

''that's not what you said in rehearsal'' 🤣

[@SaxonC]

Two comedic geniuses at their best! They knew how to make people laugh!

[@Cubbiefann23]

The end of that Jack Benny Show is missing... Jack asks Groucho to come out and thanks him for being on the show... Groucho:"When do I get paid?"... Jack Benny: "You can pick up a check on your way out"''' Groucho: "I prefer cash"... Jack Benny: "Is there something wrong with me giving you a check?"''' Groucho: "Sure, I can tell a phony, too"...

[@letsgobrandon6281]

I absolutely remember that. I was hoping it was there .

[@yaronkl]

LOL

[@lindagarcia8826]

Hi Cubbiefann, Thank you so much for sharing your comment. I laughed so so hard. These writers were masters of comedy. God bless

[@brittanydeane9826]

Yes that was the best! That ending ❤😂

[@Tmanaz480]

Ha! Making Jack choose between his vanity and his cheapness. Classic.

[@Boskov01]

Just make sure not to confused the caricature that Jack Benny plays of himself with Jack as he really was. By many accounts, Benny was one of the most selfless and charitable people in show business at the time. He would only play a vain cheapskate for comedy's sake.

[@RichardBonomo]

@@Boskov01 He was also a pretty good violinist in reality.

[@mrjagriff]

This format suited Groucho so much , I’m glad he agreed to do this show

[@jamesjfisk4968]

When I was a kid, my older brother wrote to Groucho asking for an autograph. Groucho signed a picture and sent it to him. Since Groucho had written a note with his picture, my brother wrote again. And so did Groucho. And they kept exchanging letters for something like a year. Groucho was really nice and gave all kinds of good advice.

[@MrEsMysteriesMagicks]

I hope your brother saved all of those letters. Absolute treasures for sure.

[@hyliadreamer]

Oh, I'm envious. I was born a few years after he passed, so no such luck for me. :-/

[@BOBINDUN]

I'm fifteen and this is epic, I wish more people in my generation could enjoy this.

[@mja91352]

the good ons can

[@artdecotimes2942]

@@mja91352 sad to say that was 7 years ago... Teenagers today make it their certainty to make older people feel horrible each and every day.

[@colejohnsondrums]

Im fifteen as well man, and I love this

[@BOBINDUN]

@@colejohnsondrums lol dude I can't believe this comment is 8 years old. I can't even fathom this

[@rtususian]

HILARIOUS! I love it when Jack starts naming all the different objects you find in a house in order to win the money.

[@topangapan]

Irene Tedrow was a graduate of Carnegie Tech. I did a commercial with her in the eighties. She was a very sweet and friendly woman who died of a stroke at age 87 in 1995.

[@032319581]

Irene was on the Addams Family as Miss Thud. Absolutely wonderful!

[@MySpace662]

This is like opening a time capsule! Two great talents coming together.

[@avantisprod]

Making eye contact with an audience is one of the most difficult tasks a performer must overcome. Jack Benny is a master of making eye contact, as you can see in this tape. Eye contact is 60 percent of the success of his style. His eyes roam around the entire studio. No other performer makes eye contact like this!

[@allang.2338]

Never was aware of this. Thank you.

[@MichaelSimmons.]

"Ronald huh, It was Rodney in rehersal." Classic Groucho. I wish he and Jack Benny had worked more together. They have great chemistry.

[@Rib26M]

Venom101002 you’re

[@jfan4reva]

The great thing about Groucho, was that even when he was doing a rehearsed skit, he could come up with an unexpected adlib so smoothly, you'd think it was planned.

[@therrienmichael08]

I looked up Jack Benny's wiki. He was good friends with Zeppo Marx.

[@abrahmanharun2154]

Groucho Marx and Jack Benny are both Jews. The Jews are fantastic comedians.

[@therrienmichael08]

@@abrahmanharun2154 They were on the same vaudeville stage.

[@No1JohnWayneFan]

It doesn't matter how many times I watch this or any of Jack's other clips/shows, I always crack up. He never gets old.

[@timrobinson7373]

That was such a great skit and to see the expressions on Groucho and Jack when Groucho asked how old Jack Benny really was is priceless

[@mehboobkm3728]

Don't you know it was staged??

[@osallent]

There's more of us than you realize. I'm 26 and I have been listening to Old Time Radio since I was 20 years old. I have listened to the radio versions of the Jack Benny Show and "You Bet Your Life" in their entirety, as well as dozens of other old time radio shows. I have two other friends around my age that are also very familiar with old time radio, and know who Jack Benny and Groucho were.

[@Locktwiste72]

I was born in 1972 and grew up with 70's and 80's comedy. And yet, I find myself coming back to these old videos of comedy from the 50's and 60's, and I enjoy them alot more than the crap we have today. I also prefer music from the mid-to-late 1960's far better than modern music. Why? Because there was more class in the world back then and people didn't get so offended at the drop of a hat, that's why. My parents were so lucky to have come of age during this era of entertainment.

[@donnapuckett4992]

Same here. I love watching the old crime shows, the variety shows and so forth. Everything today, I have 0 knowledge of and I am quite fine by that!

[@lookup5200]

Same here! And the past comedies and great shows from 'our' time isnt honored enough. Ask a 20-30 yr old today about this era and they know nothing, pitiful and shameful

[@TS-qq7vr]

Wait, I thought you were 39.

[@TS-qq7vr]

I shudder to think as people get older they become less wise and stop understanding matter of opinion.

[@mrjagriff]

T S yeh ,or even what somebody’s on about

[@palehorse864]

"Hey, a flattened penny! Did you lay that on the railroad tracks?" "No, i handed it to Jack Benny and this is how hard he pinched it."

[@macetatchell6635]

Stretches ot

[@eddiewillers1442]

"Your money or your life" "Well?" "I'm thinking, I'm thinking".

[@dsdave07]

I'm THINKING IT OVER!"

[@willoneil1456]

Legendary I miss this kind of comedy shows 🤣😂. Both are Legendary.

[@slackerdc]

The Rodney during rehearsal line was an adlib and damn near made Jack laugh.

[@roamer61]

I could watch this over and over again.

[@jimdavenport8020]

Tears in my eyes from laughing so hard. I grew up with these two genius comedians on TV every week.

[@joechiro]

Not only one of the longest running shows EVER, which transcended from radio to tv and back, but possibly the BEST. And totally about people talking to one man.

[@buckfan1969]

Two absolute masters of their craft. Hilarious without a single vulgar comment or lewd reference. A privilege to see these greats so long after they've left us. Thanks for posting!

[@PatricioBridges]

Even after all these years Jack Benny still cracks me up, he was one of the best comedians ever.

[@mgvasquez38]

"You sound like the type who's never been a customer." this is a great line, very understated--JB's main skits in his show were about his being a customer in department stores,etc., then getting in all sorts of conflicts with the salespeople. Love this clip!

[@ertznay]

Two of the titans of comedy. What a great post. Comedy today bores me, but I could listen to the old radio programs of Benny, Marx, Fibber McGee, Fred Allen all day.

[@dandelatorre1870]

This is what’s called comedy, not what allegedly passes for it today. I’ve watched this over a dozen times and I laugh each time.

[@ronharris6084]

The difference between the great comedians back then and today is that back then they had the time and patience and skill to develop their "characters," not just depend on one-line zingers. The image of Jack Benny being cheap was reinforced time and time again (he actually was an extremely kind and generous man). Today's comedians do material that most often is totally interchangeable between them; you couldn't take a Jack Benny Show script and have it work as effectively with any other comedian. Which brings me to the writing. While Jack would contribute ideas and comments, and had final say, the scripts were written by some of the most talented and funny writers in the industry. Benny's radio show had pretty much the same four to six writers every week for many, many years, usually two or three to a "team." One team would write the first half of the radio show; the other would do the second half. Then together they'd iron out the continuity, at which point Jack would come in for what we now call a "table read." Jack wanted his character to be the "shlub" - the butt of the jokes. He didn't care if he didn't have a punch line on a sketch, which was very different from others in his and later eras. Things happened AROUND and TO Jack, which was all a part of the character he portrayed. That consistency, and the lack of an ego, made the "Jack Benny" we heard and, later, saw, a personality we could identify with, and, importantly, make us COMFORTABLE with our "old friend." That's much like the way McDonald's, for example, provides consistent experiences; when you go into a McDonald's, you already know what's on the menu, what it will taste like, etc. You don't have to study the menu, wonder what the food will taste like, and so on. (Holiday Inns built on that same idea for years.) Jack was born on Valentine's Day in 1894. He was in many ways America's "Valentine," beloved by millions. During a visit to Chicago, I drove up to Waukegan and walked around a little. There were plaques, statues and memorials throughout...even a Jack Benny High School! I later visited his grave at the Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary in Culver City, CA, and spent a moment silently thanking him for the comedy, the laughs and most of all, the LOVE he gave to the world. The era of the comedic greats who built their characters from the ground up, and who stayed consistent throughout their careers, is long past us. We don't want to "get to know" these people; we want instant gratification without having to think about it. THAT is a real shame. So, THANK YOU, Jack, for everything you gave us...it couldn't have come from a nicer or a more loving man.

[@amylumet8365]

So interesting- thank you! Loved this sketch.

[@rickmontgomery3037]

Very, very well said.

[@jtandme-ot9cl]

Wow, inciteful commentary & well written.

[@mwilliams1330]

So many nuances in JB's character development. Over the years his hair piece was mentioned time and again, yet he never ever wore on his entire life. Some of the bits repeated over and over, yet the audience still screamed, knowing what was coming. Simple, yet constantly entertaining and effective comedy.

[@TS-qq7vr]

Groucho was all about one-liners. Bob Hope. Jimmy Durante. W.C. Fields.

[@IcemanE52]

As Groucho once said, " If you have to be dirty to be funny, then you aren't funny'.

[@ladycrim]

A pair of geniuses at work! "Your name's Ronald? It was Rodney in rehearsal." Brilliant!

[@Ekkie101]

Two of the greats together. Priceless.

[@lampang3]

What a difference from all the flashy crap of todays T.V offerings! Miss the greats Thanks for the post!

[@nobodyaskedbut]

Two of the half dozen or so true comic geniuses. They both progressed thru big changes in media and neither missed a beat.

[@gmaureen]

If you like Benny and Groucho, you, and your friends, obviously know genius when you hear it. :)

[@delpullen730]

Holy Sh!t! Both of these geniuses are both still hilarious!

[@LazlosPlane]

So silly. So simple. So brilliant.

[@MisterMagicMark]

LazlosPlane Absolutely wonderful.

[@brucemcgee2281]

Irene Tedrow was no slouch in comedy herself. This is a great clip.

[@rosaenriquez7155]

This was made b4 I was born and I'm old. I LOVE the old shows!!

[@aatragon]

She was great! In this piece, though, she speaks volumes with just her eyes.

[@jond5830]

The instant Groucho initiates the eyebrows you KNOW it's on. Groucho for the win.

[@michaeldoery680]

Financial crisis

[@maryannsaia9094]

My family an d I always enjoyed Groucho 's shows.

[@TS-qq7vr]

Benny always does well just pausing.

[@hyliadreamer]

I love how his smile got so HUGE when he asked Jack's age. Jack should have seen it coming--they've known each other since vaudeville. :D

[@Thomasgene]

Groucho and Jack, it does'nt get much better!

[@aatragon]

This shows two comic geniuses at their peak. The timing and the comedic nuances could hardly be better. Irene Tedrow adds to the humor by understatement. I honestly pity those folks who have given this video a "thumbs down", and shudder to think what they must find funny.

[@bebeysmael1.]

I wouldn't stress too much on those who thumb down, they have no clue what good comedy is or where good comedians originated from.

[@DementedCaver]

Gary Peterson It's a great skit, what can I say. ;)

[@ronaldstephenson6106]

+Gary Peterson You hit the nail on the head. Absolutely brilliant.

[@Mdriver1981]

+Gary Peterson , not everyone finds these kind of jokes funny.

[@Mdriver1981]

hwoods01 , I said nothing about this clip not having enough farts and dick jokes. I was just commenting that people have different types of humor, based on personal chemistry, experiences, circumstances, ect.

[@mfb3042]

So perfect!

[@lindaeasley5606]

This is hilarious even today 😆 The mark of a talented comedian

[@dumpty008]

Frickin' hilarious!!! Two of the best comedians of all time.

[@roadking0073]

I've been a fan of both Groucho and Jack for as long as I can remember and Man, when Groucho got that devious grin on his face I knew what was coming...my house fairly rang with me yelling, "NO, NO, NO!" Cos' I just knew what Groucho was gonna ask! I laughed so hard at Jack's facial reaction. Boy, I needed to laugh like that!

[@matthewmcsheffrey2522]

It doesn’t get much better than this🌹🌹🌹R.I.P.

[@chem100]

Love Benny's fake, affected "laugh" at 0:31! I'll have to use that at a party with someone I don't like. This is a great clip. Thanks so much for posting it!

[@TS-qq7vr]

That was perfect as a genuine laugh for a second, made the dismissal more effective.

[@veronicats100]

It makes me feel great to be as old as i am just to know what this clip is all about. Two masters indeed, and Irene fit in perfectly. Loved it, thank you.

[@zaygezunt]

I love the look of tragedy of Jack's face before he says "39". Wonderful stuff from the masters of humor, thanks for sharing

[@jamesfeldman4234]

We will always miss Groucho . . . . and Rodney.

[@arnoldirwin9416]

Amen to that !!

[@ronsmith8193]

James Feldma and

[@rays2794]

Unbelievably hilarious! Two giants of comedy being as funny as anyone has ever been! Thanks for sharing this clip!

[@RichardKoenigsberg]

Jack Benny stands up after all these years.

[@alilacherruse]

Absolutely agree. Even if I had been born elsewhere than Waukegan. He is GREAT here!

[@americandreamer6092]

@monokhem It was was funny as heck. You suck!!! LMAO

[@pmacko]

I still listen to his radio shows on podcast

[@tubular618]

@Richard Koenigsberg Well, Benny was a great stand up comedian

[@Boospoochie]

@@alilacherruse ~ he was GREAT anywhere!

[@Mickeyray7]

Loved it when "Rodney" reached down the Duck's throat "Hey is there any more down there??!!"......Groucho:"Nahhh, duck just flew in from Vegas."

[@CARDUELIS999]

Just the way Jack Benny stood there was funny.

[@rehobothwell]

I needed a good laugh, when I came across this video of two masters of comedy. Thank you

[@harast52]

I was only 3 in 1955 so I don't remember this specific clip but Groucho and Jack Benny were on T.V. for many years, and became 2 of my all time favorites growing up.Thanks for posting this. And no mrrk, Jack was not gay. It's what they called "Schtick" in those days.

[@RonWylie-gk5lc]

Oh what a treat, this is the second wonderful little piece I watched tonight. Love you tube, it gives many younger people a chance to watch fantastic talent like this

[@joe-vz6hx]

wow a great clip, I wish we had more "clash of the titans" clips like this - and I've never seen Groucho do the classic eyebrow raise in his later years or on his show, great stuff!

[@chessdad182]

There will never be another Jack Benny and Groucho Marx. Two classics.

[@st51kmg365]

Her name was Irene Tedrow. I knew I wouldnt be able to get to sleep without looking that up. I cant name any show she was on but she was on everything I can remember.

[@vicmclaglen1631]

I do love this man, and times have in fact seriously changed.

[@therealcoolbert]

Incredible. Thanks for posting this.

[@LiveActiveCultures]

You’re welcome!

[@AdamAntiumtv]

I think you actually have to know something about comedy to appreciate this bit. While there is something for everyone, there are at least 3 running Jack Benny gags that are addressed. His reputation as a cheapskate, his love of violins, and his reluctance to ever discuss his real age. This stuff is gold, Jerry, gold!

[@Thomas05091942]

I enjoyed listening to Jack Benny on the radio when I was a young boy, and watching him on television. When I celebrated my 39th birthday, while shaving that morning, I got the joke! It hit me over the head! :)

[@stapelgek100]

It was nice to come across something I'd never seen before. I like how the differences between the humor of Groucho and Benny played off each other. Thanks

[@astolatpere11]

That's comedy gold ... thanks.

[@lastrada52]

The woman standing beside Jack Benny is actress Irene Tedrow (BA Degree in Drama -- Carnegie Institute of Technology) -- who when she wasn't made up to look like an old spinster or cranky neighbor is actually a very attractive slender lady. A great character actress who had a long 60-year career. She was nominated twice for Emmy Awards in 1976 & 1979. Her daughter Enid is a former TV actress who had been in several TV episodes and looks almost identical to her mother.

[@hank1519]

Thanks for the info!

[@TeachESL]

I grew up watching these two - they were hilarious!

[@briant7265]

One of the greatest things about live comedy, watching them try to stifle their own laughter.

[@kingneutron1]

That's one of the things that made the Carol Burnett show well worth watching!

[@ced1106]

Groucho as the straight man! Thanks for the videos!!! 📻📻📻

[@Superbaldyboy]

Irene Tedrow Since the 1940's to the 1980's she's been in everything from Burns and Allen to Dragnet To Bonanza to Magnum P.I. Check her credits in IMDB. She deserves a star on the Walk of Fame just for being around so long. :-)

[@MySpace662]

You can bet your life, you will never see two great talents like this again..

[@gordonadams5891]

Irene Tedrow is superb just standing there.

[@michaelalfano1712]

Fishing for the secret word was the best.

[@michaelchamberlain5216]

What can I say, I love this stuff. There's never an expiration date. Funny is funny.

[@paulie4m]

Have seen this numerous times, just as funny the last time as the first time.

[@Zeriouslly]

These old comedians beat todays lot hands down.

[@pipeandslippersman]

both of them - absolute killers. batting the laughs back and forth like nadal and federer! they made comics differently back then, that's for sure...

[@dogfishrulez]

In my opinion, this is the single greatest moment in comedy history.

[@BlueSky...]

Bravo! This is terrific.

[@Foxx_33]

Bennys face as he enters is just... already funny. I miss class-acts like these!

[@SwarthySkinnedOne]

'bout one of the best 5 min scene I've seen from classic TV archives. Esp. Talk about a three thousand dollar dilemma! Leave it to Groucho to spring something wicked like that on Jack! Must have been agonizing hell for Benny to decide over. This whole outtake is almost too much as watching the two legendary Jews inventing copper wire fighting over a penny.

[@blainesamuelson450]

Thank you, Gary..This is priceless!!

[@markhatfield5621]

Thank you, thank you, however found and posted this.

[@jjgrey1488]

Groucho and Jack...Priceless

[@robertmizek3315]

Benny’s rug looked great!

[@Bendito2006]

Irene Tedrow was a great actress! I always liked her in everything I saw her in!

[@sauquoit13456]

On this day in 1950 {October 28th} "The Jack Benny Show" debut on the CBS-TV network... The show ran from 1950 to 1965 with a total of 254 episodes... It won 7 Primetime Emmy Awards... Mr. Benny's radio show aired from 1932 to 1955 with a total of 931 episodes... Jack Benny passed away on December 26th, 1974 at the age of 80... R.I.P. Mr. Benny {aka Benny Kubelsky}...

[@TheUnofficialRockandRoll-is8uq]

So missed, thank you!

[@brentonpahe8762]

i have to this man thank you for your courage for diving into the unknown. hero, a true pioneer

[@MrClingclong]

I never tire of comedians of that era. Tremendous talent.

[@LenHealsU]

Thanks so much for sharing this hysterical video clip. I watch it over & over and laugh each time till I'm in stiches. I passed it on to others so tehy could enjoy it as well.

[@stephenguppy3466]

Better than anything you get today.......

[@jimmbo13]

Two STRAIGHT masters of the dry comedy style, How great

[@dlsofsetx]

I read about this sketch in one of Groucho's books.He & Jack Benny are two of my favorites,thanks for posting it.

[@halbie71]

Wow no swearing & it is still hilarious, imagine that. Most of today's comedians have no class. Thanks for posting this!!!