Showing posts with label Bea Benederet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bea Benederet. Show all posts

Friday, November 12, 2010

OTR Friday with Vic & Sade and Jack Benny Too


OTR Friday is here again and I share with you another hour of comedy from radio's golden age.

On "Vic & Sade" we're winding down the surviving shows of 1939 and clean up the folder with a couple of episodes without specific dates. Both of these shows are frought with the kind of dialogue and characterization infused by creator Paul Rhymer that makes this show such an evergreen...do yourself a favor and give a listen.

This first show is from sometime in December of 1939. Young Rush Gook played by Billy Idelson is feeling himself get on in years. A teenager with an age complex, he's resigned to settle down his younger ways to a lifestyle more fitting his tired old bones.

Just for laughs, here's a brief looksee at Idelson as he aged in real life.

Idelson circa late 1930's...about the time of this episode:


Idelson as a young man in the early 1960's during his run on "The Dick Van Dyke" TV show, where he played the recurring role of Herman Glomscher, Sally Rodgers' boyfriend:


Idelson inthe early 1970's where he was a going comedy writer, director and creative consultant for shows like "Love American Style" and "The Bob Newhart Show":


And an older Idelson, content in retirement after a decades-long career on some very top-notch comedy shows in radio and television:


This is the kind of show I'm sure Idelson looked back on in later years with an even bigger smile than we get. Listen in...



This second show is from a few I have in a batch of undated 1939 shows. This highlights the characters and personalities of all three main speaking characters and the sharp acting and comic time of cast members, Art Van Havey, Bernadette Flynn and Idelson. Sade is prompting Vic to write a letter to her brother-in-law Walter and Rush is no help at all.




In "Speaking of Radio: The Jack Benny Program" part 10 of 12, we hear more proof of the faith and pride Jack put in his cast members. Never the vain star he portrayed, Jack spotlighted those around him to a degree I don't think any star of any show has ever done, before or since.
Betwixt the interviews, we hear a portion of a show all centering around the life of announcer Don Wilson...


...with the whole cast playing all their parts to a tee. The great Mel Blanc not only plays the stork that brought Don, we also get a cameo by Porky Pig competing for Don's announcer job...


...if course Frank Nelson chimes in to grate Jack...


...Bea Benederet takes a turn as Don's Mother...


...Dennis Day shows his voice acting chops playing Don' elder father...


...as contrast to Bob Crosby's portrayal of the younger Don Wilson, Sr. Bob took over the bandleading chores on Jack's show after Phil Harris moved on and retained the role after the shows move to television.


Contemprary to the "Speaking of Radio" special, Don Wilson even gives a little lowdown about "The Sportsmen Quartet", who provided the musical commercials on the program.


All in all a fact and fun filled show that you're sure to enjoy...



Talk to you soon.

Friday, September 10, 2010

OTR Friday with Vic & Sade and Jack Benny's Writers and Cast

Jell-O, it's time to smile again with two of the richest and funniest shows of all time...and I ain't just counting radio...stage, screen and television have nothing on these folks.




First a visit with radio's "Home Folks" from May 11, 1939. Rush finds himself in a tight spot, as Sade is off on a car trip to Carbury and Vic having spent the evening at the lodge (The Drowsy Venus chapter of The Sacred Stars of the Milky Way), he gets corralled into offering boarding to a good piece of the Davis familyw without his parents permission.

My favorite Vic-ism from this episode. While Rooster, Rotten and Roper Davis slumber upstairs and Vic is told the news he has been displaced, "The Midnight bells will chime in a few minutes and here I stand in my brilliantly lighted Livin' Room."

The news nearly has Vic swallowing his shoes and screaming like a panther...aw heck, let Rooster, Rotten and Roper sleep their heads off...




From June 1, 1939 is an example of an every summer running gag that shows Paul Rhymer's intricate knowledge of the workings of mid-western life, one that would never have occured to any other writer that wasn't steeped in the culture themselves. The perrenial holiday happening of friends, family and neighbors selling mail order Christmas cards in the balmy days of June, July and August.

That in itself is all the vein Rhymer needs for his rich mining of character comic gold. Just listen in on Grandpa Snyder's sly selling technique and Rush's reading of the Christmas card slogans...true earmarks of the genius of Rhymer's words.




Moving on to that blue-eyed man from Waukegan...



Jack Benny (maybe more than anyone) knew the power of his writers and supporting cast.

Someone once asked him why he didn't get more of the punchlines for himself. His answer was, "It doesn't matter who gets the laughs, Monday morning people still talk about 'The Jack Benny Program'!"

Here in "Speaking of Radio: The Jack Benny Program" part 2, the spotlight falls first on Jack's core writer's Sam Perrin, Milt Josefsberg, John Tackaberry and George Balzer (pictured top to bottom below), as well as...


...two marvelous character actors, Sarah Berner and Bea Benederet (below) who played the switchboard operators on the program.

The true secret to Jack's longevity is, he held these contributers talents high above the value of his own.

And I don't believe any of it was lip service.

Jack Benny was the biggest fan of comedy there was. Enjoy!

Talk to you soon!

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