The Jack Benny Show

Comment: If you ask anyone who knows me, they will tell you that I am a huge Jack Benny fan. And ya know what? I am! Jack Benny, hands down, is indeed a star of stage, screen, and radio. For me though, his radio shows are the best. Nothing can compare. That is why I think I am a little disappointed with the television show. Taking an image created in the mind and making it substantive, tends to lose some of its magic along the way.

Don't get me wrong, this DVD isn't bad, but it just isn't what Jack Benny fans have come to expect from their icon. This DVD contains 4 episodes of The Jack Benny Show. The commercials have been cut out, compared to the VHS versions, which may still be available, where the commercials have been left in. The run time is nearly 2 hours and the quality is pretty good considering the newness of the media (television). Most of the cast and crew are here and we can actually see what they look like, Don Wilson, Bob Crosby, Rochester, Mel Blanc, and Mary Livingston.

For Jack Benny fans these episodes are a must see. And considering the price of the video, it is a good deal. Just don't expect to see a show as polished as say I Love Lucy or Dick Van Dyke.

Comment: It was okay. I thought it would be stand up but it is skits from his show.
real slow but nice to have anyway.

Comment: THE BEST OF THE JACK BENNY SHOW, Vol. 1 & 2 is probably the best collection currently available of Benny material. In addition to the usual public domain episodes of THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM, this set also features the much rarer JACK BENNY HOUR. Jack also guest stars on THE GENERAL ELECTRIC THEATER. hosted by Ronald Reagan.

The list that follows offers details such as viewer ratings (based on a 1 to 10 scale), episode numbers, program titles, airdates and guest stars.

PROGRAM CONTENT--
VOLUME ONE--
(8.0) (#21) Humphrey Bogart Show (10/25/53) (Bogie as "Babyface")
(9.9) (#31) The Road to Nairobi (5/23/54) - Bob Hope/Martin & Lewis (spoof of Hope's "Road" movies)
(10.) (#43) Jack Takes the Beavers to the Fair (3/6/55) - Harry Shearer (as a child)
(???) (#33) Jam Session At Jack's (10/17/54) - Dan Dailey, Kirk Douglas, Fred MacMurray, Tony Martin and Dick Powell make music
(???) The Art Linkletter Show (10/23/55) - Peggy King (vocalist)
(???) THE GENERAL ELECTRIC THEATER ("The Face Is Familiar") (11/21/54) - Ronald Reagan (host)/Jack Benny/Otto Kruger/Benny Rubin/Jesse White
(7.8) (#25) The Liberace Show (1/17/54) - (Jack visits Lee's house)
(???) (#23) The Irene Dunne Show (12/6/53) - Vincent Price
(???) (#26) Jack Dream's He's Married to Mary (2/7/54) - Joan Benny (Jack's daughter)

VOLUME TWO--
(8.0) (???) THE JACK BENNY HOUR (11/3/65) - Beach Boys, Bob Hope, Walt Disney, Elke Sommer/John Ireland (various skits)
(9.0) (#134) Jack Casting for Television Special (1/1/61) - (Jack reminisces on "The Life Of Jack Benny")
(???) (#17) The Fred Allen Show (4/19/53) - (Allen tries to get Jack's sponsor to hire him instead)
(???) (#69) Talent Show (12/30/56) - Jayne Mansfield (cameo)
(6.0) (#41) Four O'Clock in the Morning Show (2/6/55) (Jack has insomnia)
(???) (#80) The Hal March Show (10/20/57) - Frances Bavier (host of "The $64,000 Question" gets to experience Jack's version of the game show)
(9.4) (#34) How Jack Met Mary (10/31/54) - Joyce Randolph/Frank Wilcox/Sheldon Leonard
(10.) (#39) Burglar Tries To Break Into The Vault (1/9/55) - Mel Blanc/Benny Rubin

Comment: What a cast. What characters. Jack himself, the violin- playing skinflint, who was Rochester's 'Boss',Jack's either wife or girl- friend sensible Mary,announcer Don Wilson, wacky Irishman with the beautiful tenor voice, Dennis, the wonderful Yiddishy violent Mr.Kitzel, and of course that mad salesman ,'How are yooooo Mister Benny?".
One of the greatest and most loveable of radio- and then- television series.
And the most famous joke of all, when miser Benny is confronted by robbers who tell him 'Your money or your life'- at which ensues the longest silence in the history of radio, followed by Jack Benny's "I'm thinking. I'm thinking'.

Comment: The last reviewer I am afraid has missed the point completely of what this DVD release is supposed to be. A public domain company like GoodTimes does *not* release episodes of the Benny show from the more commonly seen filmed episodes that aired for years afterwards in syndication. These are kinescopes of *live* Benny shows broadcast in the early 1950s, and as a result they come from source elements that will NEVER look as good as the filmed shows. That's just the nature of the beast one deals with if one wants to see these live shows from the 1950s again, whether they're Jack Benny or Burns And Allen. So it's not fair to dismiss this set just because one is seeing kinescopes instead of filmed programs.

Secondly, this set is of all the Benny sets put out by public domain companies is the BEST one available and should be picked up over all others that market the same episodes with some variations. The reason why Good Times is the one to get is because they are the only company I know of that leaves the episodes uncut, which means leaving the original commercials for Lucky Strike cigarettes alone. Other companies hack these out in an annoying fashion, but here the show plays uncut just as it first aired and on the Benny shows this is a must, because his commercials were always integrated into the program itself.

Don't dismiss this set based on the first reviewer's lack of understanding of the source elements and the kinds of programs that end up on the PD releases. This is the one to get if you want to see vintage live TV as it should be experienced.