What Kind Of Man Was Jack Benny?

While trying to buy a Christmas present for Jack, a clerk asks Rochester what kind of a man Jack Benny is.
Several episodes of The Jack Benny Show are available at HoughsVideos.50Megs.Com

[@gmaureen]

Eddie Anderson was a brilliant comedian, and this clip confirms it.

[@max2grant]

He absolutely is Him, Edward Everett Horton, and William Powell were the three best double take artists of classic cinemas

[@gbphilster2004]

Jack is without a doubt one of the greatest entertainers during the 20th century, I wish we had his style and class with most of today's entertainers. I love the jack benny program.

[@donspect4]

Mel Blanc was doing voice-over for me for a Western Airlines "the only way to fly" cartoon commercial and I asked him if Jack was as nice as he seemed to be. Mel replied, "No, he wasn't." I was stunned but after a perfectly pregnant pause Mel continued, "He was even nicer."

[@trollking99]

Great story!

[@abnowacky]

Was Rochester as nice as he seemed to be?

[@akarpowicz]

How can a man saying "No" several times be so funny?! Genius!

[@dougbrowne9890]

Gotta know Jack Benny. If you do, it is easy to laugh.

[@travis7310]

"I'm afraid there isn't very much left." "That's him!" :D

[@ThirdOfJune4444]

Usually, these old sitcoms are predictable and you can tell what the insults & punchlines are going to be. This one completely caught me by surprise and had me laughing for minutes!

[@BenAliGtor]

My favorite gag was the announcing of the train. On one show, the loudspeaker (Mel Blanc) somberly entoned, "Train now leaving on Track Five..for Anaheim, Azuza..and Cuc..." Dead silence. The dialogue of the show then went on for at least 4 more minutes until you hear.. "..amunga...."

[@JamesBaldwinIsGod]

Beautiful. His frog-like voice was so easy and so funny to listen to. He gave such a brilliant, hysterrical delivery in his response to Benny being "the playboy type," the best part of this clip.

[@ilenemartin5330]

Rochester was hilarious 😂!

[@teengenerate08]

I think the thing I like so much about this character is how the role high lights Eddie Anderson'stalent as an actor and his genius in delivering lines. And TBH he doesn't play Rochester as a fool, quite the opposite, he almost always one ups Jack Benny in the show. They were apparently very close friends in real life as well, Anderson and Benny. Thanks for posting this!

[@WSenator1]

I knew that Mel Blanc appeared on Jack Benny's radio and TV shows, but it took YT for me to see how integral Blanc was to those shows. With his full body of work, Mel must have worked the equivalent of more than the two careers (along with his cartoon work) he is famous for. What an artist!

[@wilmetteentwistle9242]

Rochester is brilliant, everyone loved him.

[@condensedclassics]

Is it only our generation that thinks these comedians were the funniest or is their comedy timeless??? I think it's timeless!

[@usatran]

I read Jack's biography written by his daughter-he really was that kind of a man. He stood up in the face of racial bigotry (as did Frank Sinatra early in his carreer) when ever he need to.

[@PepperWilliams_songcovers]

I'll always love Jack Benny. He treated all people equally. Back in those days, whites wouldn't even have Blacks in the same dressing room with them. Jack stood up for Blacks. He was a good man through and through.....and he was one of the top ten funny man of all time!!!

[@Ken4Pyro]

One of the many reasons I loved Jack Benny, and the cast around him, was that Jack was indeed the target of almost all of the jokes. Cheap, 39 years old, lousy violin...he directed all of that at himself.

[@waldolydecker8118]

Self-deprecation, Its one of the fundamentals of successful comedy - as opposed to self-defecation, which may also be funny, but standup audiences usually prefer to hear your act, not smell it.

[@BTLemming]

Jack Benny had the same writers for almost his entire career, so they knew the characters well. It was like minimalist humor. Rochester saying "no," and Mel Blanc as a Mexican who only says "si" and Jack himself saying nothing at all got the biggest laughs! It's brilliance itself.

[@osallent]

Why are all these ignorant people claiming that Jack Benny was racist? I've listened to every single episode of his radio show (I like vintage radio) and he never said a single racist thing. Jack Benny was friends with Anderson, and treated him with deep respect and affection. Stop trying to create racial tension where there is none to be found, and listen to Jack Benny's radio show for yourself and you'll see just how wrong you are.

[@cleopatrabonz]

Your absolutely right, as a matter of fact when traveling for shows if the hotel refused to let Rochester stay than Jack Benny would refused to stay there too. Jack Benny was subjected to racism as well him being Jewish and all.

[@detectivefiction3701]

Totally agree, and thanks for saying this. My parents were little kids when the TV show was on, and I grew up listening to the radio show on WAMU out of Washington, DC. People forget that not EVERYONE during a certain period was one way or another; I'm sure even many whites in the southern states then were not personally racist though they had to comply with racist laws.

[@chrischeshire6528]

In Joan Benny's book about her father Jack she said there was only two times when Jack was mad at someone in public. Once when Mary fainted after a radio show and was mobbed by autograph seekers Jack was helping Mary to her feet when a woman shoved her autograph book in Jack's face and wanted an autograph. And the other was when Jack was entertaining troops in North Africa and was trying to sleep in a tent when it was 95 degrees. He got up and went to the mess tent and got a coke. He sat down and the army troop who was starting breakfast wanted to sit with him and talk. The troop said something about Rochester not being there and Jack said I don't think if Rochester was here you wouldn't be setting at the same table as he is. Jack picked up on the guys Southern accent and knew things might get worse. Back in Harlem when Jack's new movie would premiere he and Rochester would appear at a theater and let everyone in for free.

[@jayraskin]

"What happened to the Gas Man?" This is my favorite Rochester line. In 1942, there were a series of hilarious interchanges between Rochester and Benny starting with Rochester calling Benny on his radio show and telling him there was a problem with his polar bear, Carmichael. Benny says that's impossible because Carmichael was in the basement hibernating for three more weeks. Rochester tells him that true, but a gas man went into the basement to read the meter. Benny says, "Rochester, what happened to the gas man?" Rochester answered, "I don't what happened to the gas man, but you shouldn't be expecting a gas bill next month." For the next few months, whenever Benny would ask Rochester to do something ridiculous or dangerous, Rochester would ask, "What happened to the Gas Man?"

[@kaisenji]

Wow. I knew Benny wasn't as harsh as most but that kind of protest is almost unheard of back in the day. My level of repect for the man just went up many more notches.

[@KDoyle4]

Rochester was wonderful, and that's the famous character actor Rolfe Sedan behind the counter.

[@gmaureen]

Timeless material because it's based on human nature, which never really changes. Somehow Benny (and crew) tapped into that fact and, thankfully, we're the lucky recipients of it.

[@passqualecaiazza7728]

I always enjoyed Rochester. This whole episode though was funny. Specially with Mel Blanc

[@bus114]

It takes a good comedian to get so many laughs just by saying the word "no" several times.

[@voicegirl555]

Happy Birthday Jack! You and Eddie were so funny!

[@MarkAnthonylv]

Loved his short part in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World"

[@dubby46]

Ah when comedy was well written.this programe could still work today.pure genious.

[@TheSpinner41]

The sales clerk is being played by Rolfe Sedan, a character actor seen in numerous movies and television shows including 'The Jack Benny Program' from which this clip is taken.

[@akarpowicz]

There's no one like Rochester van Jones. thanks for posting.

[@songanddanceman100]

The fact that they have Rochester by himself in an "all white" department store is breathtakingly forward-looking and honest, yet to show it on TV of that era is bold.

[@jamespfitz]

What makes it an "all white" department store?

[@fats3342]

@@jamespfitz The fact that it was made in the 40’s. That’s just how things were. This would be mind blowing to the people watching if it happened in real life.

[@jec1ny]

@@fats3342 This was from the 1950s. But yeah, your point is solid. Blacks by and large did not shop in respectable/higher end stores back then.

[@travis7310]

"Is the playboy type?" "oh, no, no, no!" LOL>

[@dharmaseed]

@brewcityjr True. There was a coat check girl at a club that Jack was visiting one night. When Jack handed her a tip (he was a big tipper in real life) she politely handed it back to him and said: "Please Mister Benny, I need to have some illusions".

[@forrestcalkins93]

this was my favorite scene from the episode I laughed the hardest at is he the playboy type

[@markmayfield2228]

I love the radio program sketch where Rochester goes to buy a tie for Jack. Jack and Mary are in the background listening in. Mary asks if Rochester is the type who would buy a $1.50 for him. "I'll fire the guy!"

[@lebellerachael]

Don't make em like they used to, that's for sure!!!

[@manodogs]

Yes, it was! In fact, the script from that single radio episode made its way into at least two TV episodes. Most of the spots were played by the same people who did them on radio. Thanks for this!

[@kyokogodai-ir6hy]

ROTFL!!! THAT"S HIM! Rochester was great!

[@donlebo6824]

If this comedy is old fashion or just "old" to these brats who dig SNL or Will Ferrell, I'll go with the golden oldies ANYTIME.

[@jamesd2128]

Funny is funny, no matter what era, good comedy will never die.

[@zyxquark]

Not only were these guys hilarious, they did it while being G rated which, whether you think it cool or not, is much MUCH harder to do. That's why rodchester is ten times funnier than chris rock (who inherited his voice).

[@luftwaffercommand09]

Doesn't seem to get the credit he deserves as a "pioneer" the way Cosby does.

[@HarrisonInstruments]

The way Cosby "did."

[@waldolydecker8118]

Bull. You're like that country music singer; you've been looking for "credit" in all the wrong places. Anderson's accomplishments are well documented and indelible. Stop referencing incompetent sources and your problem will be solved.

[@waldolydecker8118]

@@HarrisonInstruments - "did" your ass. What was done was done. Truth is empirical; unrelated subsequent events that were overturned are irrelevant to an earlier truth. Nice try though, lol.

[@arthurharrison1345]

@@waldolydecker8118 I used to like Cosby. I don't anymore. Simple as that. You're entitled to your opinion, and I am entitled to mine. You seem to be the ass, here. Waldo.

[@waldolydecker8118]

@@arthurharrison1345 - Neither Cosby nor I give a rat's ass who you like or use to like, capiche? Both are irrelevant to the record of past accomplishment. If you graduated Harvard with a 4.0 and 40 years later was convicted of rape, your conviction would do NOTHING to erase what you accomplished at Harvard, as they are two separate, unrelated events. Many people may no longer "like" you, but that still has nothing to do with what you accomplished at Harvard. Same applies to Cosby - who has NO convictions of anything. His accomplishments 40-50 years ago are a matter or record and are unrelated and indelible to subsequent accusations. Yes, it is your Constitutional right to now choose to dislike Cosby, and you get my full support in doing so - but your dislike has no impact on changing past record of accomplishment. Many are misinformed that their dislike is supreme enough to change past record of accomplishment. Nope, sorry. Cheers.

[@eagle45147]

Eddie was great and so was Jack for standing up for him. Bo Jangles got better treatment when he was on broadway then in the movies in Hollywood. Jack so much higher in treating people as equalies regardless.

[@nidurnevets]

I read the same biography that usatran read. It is a great book, and really gives an insight into this wonderful man. He helped many others in their careers. And he loved music, and was friends with several of the great violinists of his era.

[@fromthesidelines]

There was a similar exchange in one of the radio "Christmas Shopping" shows between "Rochester" and a sales clerk: he's trying to determine how old Jack is, so Rochester can choose the ideal gift- CLERK: "What kind of man is your boss? Is he young?" ROCHESTER: "No.." CLERK: "Is he middle-aged?" ROCHESTER: "No..." CLERK: "Is he elderly?" ROCHESTER: "WRAP IT UP!"

[@BTLemming]

YES! That show, and a lot of other radio shows, wouldn't have been the same without Mel Blanc. He and Jack Benny adored each other. If you can find Mel Blanc's autobiography, it's worth reading just the chapter he wrote about Jack.

[@dwlopez57]

Rochester and Dennis Day, I thought were the funniest parts of the radio show, which is pretty good considering all the rest were pretty darn funny. Haven't seen much of the tv show but it was doubtless just as good

[@JamesBaldwinIsGod]

Thanks, hillbillyburcham. I just saw your answer a second ago. My friend actually just told me what it was yesterday. Thanks again.

[@jeannettebrown8460]

Thank you so much. I think I have seen 3 episodes of the Jack Benny Show so far. It is very funny. Rochester Anderson was just as funny in The Topper Returns with Roland Young.

[@OrganCat]

Jack was a genius- he knew enough to give all the funniest lines to the other cast members and allow himself to be the butt of all the jokes. That's what makes Gene Simmons' show successful too. Show vulnerability.

[@annettewalker9639]

Jack Benny was the inventor of the sitcom.

[@brewcityjr]

more than that...in Palm Springs, when Eddie Anderson was refused a room, Benny said 'if he doesn't stay here, then neither do I'..and slept with him in the car in the parking lot. (and not because he was cheap, and SHUT UP! lol)

[@BenVarkentine]

A real black guy; Eddie Anderson was his real name. He and Jack Benny were the first of the many black/white comic pairings that have come since.

[@tranurse]

@kingod615 no, rochester usually got the best of jack benny. and jack benny was never a racist. he would get angry if the writers wrote scenes where rochester looked ignorant. and yes there were ignorant portrayals of women and minorities back then. and how come there weren't any black people in mayberry? but, this was one of the few shows that wasn't like this.

[@cleopatrabonz]

Your right cause Jack Benny's best friend never had blacks in his show..George Burns.

[@max2grant]

I wish that Eddie Rochester Anderson got more credit as a genius comedian. Because his most famous role was as a man servant to a white man, modern sensibilities have prevented a reappraisal of what is clearly a genius comic performance. It bugs me that he has seemed to be lumped in there with obviously insensitive African American roles. While the people making that assertion conveniently overlook the fact that his humor does not extend from, nor have anything to do with the fact that he is black. His blackness is not played for humorous effect, nor as a point of ridicule. He is hilarious because he is hilarious. That is the crucial difference between him, and Amos and Andy, in my opinion

[@marlineharrold1937]

Really enjoyed watching it. :)

[@NatashaY94]

Yes, it dates back to 1939 - and it IS still funny!

[@marklamphear7531]

Hell i thought it was what's my line? Lmaooooo

[@russellmakar579]

Classic !!!

[@ricj7517]

Jack refused to work if Eddie wasn't hired..Jack won 😊

[@VeryUselessPerson]

This ain't funny, it's absolutely hilarious!

[@STP43FAN1]

@brewcityjr I understand fully why Benny slept with Anderson in the car - for the same reason Lombardi refused to stay in certain hotels that would not cater to ALL of his players.

[@MichaelSHartman]

According to close friend George Burns, if you told Jack a joke he would stand there analyzing it, but if a name unexpectedly caught him as funny he would laugh so hard it was embarrassing.

[@Blackjesus3]

wow this is niceee :) eddie was cool

[@akarpowicz]

@SuperFromatoz Sheesh, the apron is a joke. Jack Benny wore the same apron himself - for laughs. He had buck eyes, because that's the way he was made. If you actually watch the Jack Benny shows on TV, listen to the radio shows or see their movies, you will see that Rochester always one ups Jack Benny. Not many people can say NO over and over and be very very funny.

[@Nickcat5]

@SuperFromatoz If you live to be 1000 years old you will NEVER get it!!! How DARE you even mention those others in the same block as Jack Benny & Eddie'Rochester' Anderson ,who in fact were close personal friends!

[@skyler0248]

funny

[@JamesBaldwinIsGod]

Does anyone know what Rochester was just yelling, perhaps to himself, at the very beginning of the clip, as he walks over to the clerk? Was he yelling to someone at the end of a conversation from earlier in the scene, or just mumbling to himself, albeit out loud? If he was yelling about something or to someone prior to this clip, does anyone know what the scene entailed? Either way, it was so hysterical and so random, felt like Rochester in his own little world. Anyway, please let me know.

[@twittykins]

Rochester was singing 'Rudolf, the Red-nosed Reindeer' as he walks in.

[@wiisalute]

If you're african american, do you find this or Amos and Andy racist?

[@frau4bzna]

that was funny and strangely not offensive.

[@fromthesidelines]

That's veteran character actor Rolfe Sedan as the sales clerk; he often appeared as "Mr. Beasley" (the postman) in filmed episodes of "THE GEORGE BURNS AND GRACIE ALLEN SHOW"....