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October 29, 1950
to
September 10, 1965
CBS & NBC Comedy Series
343 Episodes
The format of the show, and
the personality of its star, so well honed in two decades on radio, made
the transition to television almost intact. Jack's stinginess, vanity
about his supposed age of 39, basement vault where he kept all his money,
ancient Maxwell automobile, and feigned ineptness at playing the violin
were all part of the act. Added to Jack's famous pregnant pause and
exasperated "Well!" were a rather mincing walk, an affected hand to the cheek, and a
painted look of disbelief when confronted by life's little tragedies.
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An antique 1923 Maxwell automobile owned by
Jack Benny, the "Cheapest Man in the World" was used as a running gag on
both radio (first appeared in 1937) and later on his TV comedy series THE
JACK BENNY SHOW/CBS/1950-64. Jack insisted that he could always get a few
more miles out of his beat up jalopy. But for all of his tinkering, the
car usually drove for about 15 minutes at which time the radiator boiled
over, forcing Jack to wait for the engine to cool down before moving
along. Jack bought the car second-hand from a dealer called the Smiling
Pilgrim. Once Jack saw his servant Rochester (Eddie Anderson) daintily
sponging down the car. "For Heaven sake, Jack yelled "Why don't you use
the garden hose on it?" Rochester answered, "Don't you remember the last
time I used the hose on it, Boss? The fender fell off!" When the car's
engine started on radio, the listening audience heard the rich asthmatic,
wheezing and clinking mechanical sounds of an ancient automobile engine
that was reluctant to start. Mel Blanc, (a.k.a. "the Man with a Thousand
Voices"). first supplied the engine noises when the sound technician's
machine failed on the air. Blanc's "P-tui, p-tui, b-lit, b-lit, p-tui"
sputtering and chattering saved the skit. Jack Benny loved his
impersonation of a rattletrap, coughing engine so much that he replaced
the sound technicians with the talents of Mel Blanc. The black 1923
Maxwell convertible spoken of in Jack Benny's act is now on display at the
Harrah National Auto Museum located at 10 Lake Street South in Reno,
Nevada. License numbers seen through the years included 4X-88-61 (from a
Feb. 1938 publicity photo), 269523, PU8054 and 12S9523. Mel Blanc
resurrected the sounds of his sputtering Maxwell auto when he performed
the voice of a remote-control vehicle that talked to three adventurous
teenagers on the animated cartoon SPEED BUGGY for CBS(1973-74).
-http://www.tvacres.com/
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