Jack Benny's 10 Longest Laughs

[@hawkmaster381]

If I live to be a hundred, I’ll never understand why Jack never did a take on “A Christmas Carol”! He would have been a magnificently hilarious Scrooge with Fred Allen as a scolding Marley.

[@jubalcalif9100]

What a capital idea !!

[@jubalcalif9100]

This was priceless ! Thanks SO much for uploading these bodacious "blasts from the past" !! 🤓👍

[@jmdocs]

Thanks to all involved. This is fascinating and of course tremendous fun. Mary Livingstone was so underrated as a comedienne; the perfect deflator of any Jack Benny pompousness.

[@jubalcalif9100]

I certainly have a notion to second THAT emotion !!

[@joecaroselli5858]

Mike did a TREMENDOUS job with this. I am a drummer/singer/broadcaster who has done many productions myself. In fact I just recently did a short podcast tribute to Jack. I really love the way that Mike set up every segment here. You can tell that he is a thorough, keenly precise historian. His excellent setups here really added to the enjoyment of the various durations of the laughs! Superb job by Mike.

[@MikeH0714]

Thank you, Joe! Deeply appreciate your compliments. The presentation was truly a labor of love.

[@joecaroselli5858]

@@MikeH0714 As I said, Mike-- you did a fabulous job.

[@jubalcalif9100]

Mike indeed did a MARVELOUS job ! Kudos to him & his terrific talent !

[@ceebeeii6723]

THANK YOU for posting the #6 longest laugh! I've been searching for that bit since I first heard it about 15 years ago! 😀😀

[@kali3665]

Jack always knew how to play even the flubs. And he would play on them for MONTHS afterwards. I REALLY miss him....

[@jubalcalif9100]

As I do when I take off my hat, you make a good point !

[@cs_fl5048]

Indeed.. this was a wonderful trip down that proverbial memory lane.!!!

[@jubalcalif9100]

INDUBITABLY !!

[@joeoconnor5400]

Thank you so much Mike for the clips. I have only just discovered Jack Benny here in England and I have never laughed so much. I have listened to some of his radio shows on BBC 4 Extra and watched many of his TV shows on You Tube. They have cheered me up during our national lockdown. I admire Jack Benny in having a black comic actor Eddie Anderson, performing as his equal and not in a subservient role during a prime time show. You would not have had this situation in comedy or light entertainment shows on the BBC & ITV during Benny's time on radio & TV in the US.

[@BoopShooBee]

Jack Benny and Rochester reminds me of Berty Wooster and Jeeves.

[@julianhermanubis6800]

@@BoopShooBee I really agree with this analogy, and it's surprising how this was the case in the 1940s and 1950s. You essentially have a black Jeeves who's long-suffering of and often making ironic commentary about his white employer's personal follies.

[@julianhermanubis6800]

I've met several British fans of Benny over the years, and I think Neil Gaiman, of all people, is a big fan of Benny's humor. Serious question: do you think there's something about Benny's comedy that's more like British humor?

[@marywilliams9858]

I love your video. I miss these shows that I grew up with. Jack Benny was one of the greatest comics who ever lived. The writers were excellent. My dad write some scripts for Rich Little. Canadians are funny too.

[@lindagarcia8826]

Thank you for sharing this with me. The humor is fantastic, I loved it. I appreciate your time and afford in producing this thank you.

[@chrischeshire6528]

"That WAS great!"...thanks for laughs . Jack Benny always said in interviews that the "most famous laugh" was "I'm thinking it over" , which he said got all over the world by the next day. And Jack would also say the "biggest laugh" was Mary's 'oh shut up". And now we have the longest laughs which to me was what I believed came from Mel Blanc saying "How do you do?". I really thought that was the longest. it certainly was an explosion of laughter. I always liked Phil Harris and his messed up lines like "maybe Jack will take us to the Big Derby for dinner...or make it the Brown Derby...make it the Big Brown Derby" . And Bea Benaderet going around just before the show started, taking bets on who would mess up their lines first. Great laughs from the people who became family every Sunday night!

[@benjaminsinger6564]

Superb!

[@jubalcalif9100]

Indeed!

[@_PrimetimePranks]

"Drear Poosin" LOL

[@lelia660]

I love this!! Thank you for posting!

[@jubalcalif9100]

I heartily concur !

[@VicMartino]

Good work done Mike. This made for very enjoyable listening. Jack Benny shows are among the funniest shows ever.

[@jerrykail6650]

"Oh, shut up!" Just a perfect example of how Jack and his writers could play on his stage persona to create one of the funniest moments in radio history. (And Mary's delivery of the line was impeccable.)

[@jubalcalif9100]

You speak the truth, Kemo Sabe !!

[@QHMCQ]

This was such a fun listen. Thank you!

[@joychris154]

loved this and thank you so much!

[@appledoreman]

Thank you so much for this. Although too young to remember the show (which wasn't broadcast in UK, anyway), I'm enjoying catching up with it, via KZbin. If ever you decide to do a TV equivalent, you might consider the segment where Jack stops at the FREE stall in 'Jack at the supermarket,' the laughter from which I timed at 32 secs.

[@rickcrane5089]

Great job, Mike. This is the funniest video on KZbin! I have collected audios of the Jack Benny radio shows for the past 14 years, and you have hit the nail on the head with this compilation. Many thanks!

[@Ma_Pooh]

I love Jack Benny!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@jubalcalif9100]

Me too! My all time favorite comedian!

[@judithrivera7857]

What about the Chisswiss flub by Mary Livingston?

[@fieryweasel]

I was surprised this one didn't make it too.

[@MikeH0714]

That one doesn't appear on Laura's list. A couple of other Mary fluffs did, including "Your darn one last near made it." jackbenny.org/biography/other/longest_laugh.htm

[@julianhermanubis6800]

Benny went off the air before I was even born, but, thanks to electronic media, I've become a huge fan of his style of humor.

[@regisbabytisay63]

Watching from Philippines

[@chrischeshire6528]

The reason Jack didnt want ad-libs was one time very early in his radio programs, around 1935, people ad-libed and caused the program to run 18 minutes over schedule due to the audience laughter. So if you were listening at home that Sunday you just heard about half the show.

[@sandrasanders706]

And this Ladies and Gentlemen is: COMEDY!!!!

[@jubalcalif9100]

That's for sure !!

[@quickchris10]

I would like to hear a recording of his laugh.

[@RobertWPaine]

Your money or your life. I’M THINKING IT OVER! (I didn’t know it was the first.) It’s the first joke that comes to mind when I think of Jack Benny.

[@kali3665]

I always thought the longest laugh with Jack wasn't on his show but on Fred Allen's - the infamous King for a Day skit, when Fred rattled off all the prizes that Jack "won," then brought in a pressing machine and started having Jack's clothes taken off - in real time! The laughter never STOPPED! Jack: Now, wait a minute, Allen! Fred: Keep your shirt on, King! Jack: You bet I'll keep my shirt on! Fred: We're a little late, folks! Tune again next time! Jack: Oh come on, Allen! Give me my pants! Fred: Benny! For 15 years I've been waiting to catch you like this! Jack: Allen! You haven't seen the end of me! Fred: IT WON'T BE LONG NOW!!

[@jubalcalif9100]

Yes ! That's my all time favorite skit from Fred Allen's program. A parody of the popular "Queen for a Day" program (on Allen's series, it was called "King for a Day").

[@robertmcarthur8628]

Frank Nelson was awesome. My favorite character(s) on the show.

[@fifty9forty3]

I think one of the longest Benny laughs was while over seas he asked a salesman the price of a necktie he was interested in. The price was given and the Benny reaction was a steady unbroken Benny stare with accompanying laughter that must have lasted close to a full minute.

[@jaypharmon]

Is Mary’s “Shut up Jack” in here?

[@MikeH0714]

It's "Oh, shut up!" and it's #10.

[@jbvideos6605]

20:58 The first ever Jack Benny Program I ever listened to

[@mortalclown3812]

Great to hear an Anderson joke that's not too racist. It's really hard to hear some of these. Great laughs at Jack's expense. :-)

[@Zelator1000]

Was there a bit about a thief in a basement? Ed McMahon said it was the longest laugh in radio.

[@jeffthevideoguy23]

Bea Benedart never got her due.

[@jubalcalif9100]

True. She was wonderfully talented.

[@walshydpo]

As a Tony Hancock fan, I can see his influences.

[@deadyrockspin]

Hey! I really appreciate this stuff. Is there a community where you guys discuss this sort of thing?

[@MikeH0714]

Yes. The Metro Washington Old-Time Radio Club meets via Zoom every month. Each meeting includes a discussion on an OTR topic. Website is here: mwotrc.com/

[@deadyrockspin]

@@MikeH0714 thank you very much I'll check this out!

[@dennisbarton8004]

I’d like to be in on the next zoom presentation!

[@MikeH0714]

mwotrc.com/

[@mortalclown3812]

Benita said, "Manchester" instead of Rochester. Oy.

[@dennisburby8585]

#4 the chicken fat one was my favourite.

[@marywilliams9858]

What is your name dear presenter?

[@MikeH0714]

Michael J. Hayde. Thank you for the kind words, Mary.

[@arthurfunk3104]

1.You have the scripts! So if Mary had said the right line, "How could you hit his car when it was up on the grease rack", what would have been Jack's answer? 2. It was not the first time the sound effects got a big laugh. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jZmUiKhna5hloK8 lasts for 20 seconds

[@georgebonanza3221]

This is probably a stupid question but in #6, Mel Blanc’s jackass impression is of Jack Benny, right?

[@MikeH0714]

I don't think so, because if it was supposed to be Benny, Mel would've said, "Hello again, folks."

[@markmmcaulay]

STOP BLOWING YOUR NOSE ITS DISGUSTING!!

[@Johnny35130]

bore

[@markwhitman9542]

The commentary is pedantic & atrocious...

[@MikeH0714]

Thank you for your feedback, Mark. Bear in mind this was presented over Zoom, for an audience of about 75 old-time radio fans, of which only 4 or 5 had any deep knowledge of the show's history. The rest were fans who knew nothing more than Benny and his cast are funny people. Some of the attendees were doing so via telephone, so I had to speak slowly and clearly. I'm curious: what would you have done differently? Would you have simply played the clips without providing context? Would you have tried to make the narration funny as well? (I'm no comedian, just an author.) The target audience audibly enjoyed it all, so I'm satisfied with that. I'm sorry you weren't.

[@marywilliams9858]

What a Nast comment after all your hard work.

[@UFOBobTV]

I think you did a fine job; you gave sufficient context and background information, without being obtrusive. I grew watching the Jack Benny TV show, and your video put a smile on my face. Thanks.