Jack Benny (Billy Rose Theatre Collection: NYPL)

Name: JACK BENNY (1894-1966)

Born: BENJAMIN KUBELSKY, CHICAGO, ILLINIOIS (of Polish and Lithuanian descent)

Occupation: COMEDIEN, VAUDEVILLE PERFORMER, RADIO, TV, AND FILM ACTOR

Starting off as a street and vaudeville violin player making $7.50 a week, Jack Benny was known for his comic timing, single-syllably expressions, like his famous “Well!”, and pregnant pauses that catapulted audiences into laughter. As the son of a Jewish saloon owner, Benny struggled with his parents to perform.  When he was given the opportunity to tour with the Marx Brothers when he was 17, his parents refused to let him go.  After playing violin for troops in WWI, Benny returned to America to do a one-man show called “Ben K. Benny: Fiddle Funology”, which brought him his stardom. On the radio, he created the Jack Benny Program starting in 1932.  He then moved onto the Chevrolet Program, all the while playing vain, cheap, and narcissistic characters. For television, he did a version of his Jack Benny Program starting in 1950.  His radio and television programs greatly influenced modern situation “sitcom” comedy drama. Benny was also known for his films, including The Hollywood Revue of 1929, Broadway Melody of 1936, George Washington Slept Here,  Charley’s Aunt ,To Be or Not to Be., Ed Sullivan’s Mr. Broadway (as himself). Benny also was caricatured in several Warner Brothers cartoons including Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur (as Casper the Caveman), I Love to Singa, Slap Happy Pappy, and Goofy Groceries.

Jack Benny and Mel Blanc in one of their classic routines from The Jack Benny Program.