Jack Benny
Jack Benny (February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American comedian, vaudevillian, and actor for radio, television, and film. Widely recognized as one of the leading American entertainers of the 20th century, Benny played the role of the comic penny-pinching miser, insisting on remaining 39 years old on stage despite his actual age, and often playing the violin badly. Benny was known for his comic timing and his ability to get laughs with either a pregnant pause or a single expression, such as his signature exasperated "Well!" His radio and television programs, tremendously popular from the 1930s to the 1960s, were a foundational influence on the situation comedy genre. Dean Martin, on the celebrity roast for Johnny Carson in November 1973, introduced Benny as "the Satchel Paige of the world of comedy." Description above from the Wikipedia article Jack Benny, licensed under CC-BY-SA,full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Mike Jones's Video Boneyard archive currently preserves 31 physical recordings spanning 2 productions featuring Jack Benny.
Archival Holdings in The Video Boneyard
The following 2 canonical motion pictures and broadcast master recordings featuring Jack Benny are preserved in the studio archives:
| Year | Production Title | Character / Role | Director / Studio | The Video Boneyard | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | The Jack Benny Program 30 Copies | Leading Role | Unknown / Archive | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1962 | Gypsy | Featured Cast | Mervyn LeRoy / Warner Bros. Entertainment | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
Complete Career & Landmark Filmography
Major theatrical features, landmark television appearances, and key credited roles across Jack Benny's historic screen career:
| Year | Production Title | Character / Role | Department / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | Bright Moments | Actor | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1929 | The Hollywood Revue of 1929 | Self - Master of Ceremonies | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1929 | The Song Writers' Revue | Himself | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1930 | Chasing Rainbows | Eddie Rock | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1930 | Children of Pleasure | Radio Performer Jack (uncredited) | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1930 | Lord Byron of Broadway | Voice on Radio | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1930 | The Medicine Man | Dr. John H. Harvey | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1930 | The Rounder | Mr. Bartlett | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1930 | The Voice of Hollywood No. 13 | Self | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1931 | A Broadway Romeo | Jack | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1931 | Taxi Tangle | Man in taxi | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1933 | Mr. Broadway | Jack Benny | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1934 | Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round | Chad Denby | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1935 | Broadway Melody of 1936 | Bert Keeler | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1935 | It's in the Air | Calvin Churchill | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1936 | College Holiday | J. Davis Bowster | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1936 | The Big Broadcast of 1937 | Jack Carson | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1937 | Artists & Models | Mac Brewster | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1938 | Artists and Models Abroad | Buck Boswell | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1938 | Hollywood Goes to Town | Self | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1938 | Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 6 | Self | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1939 | Man About Town | Bob Temple | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1940 | Buck Benny Rides Again | Jack Benny | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1940 | Love Thy Neighbor | Jack Benny | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1941 | Charley's Aunt | Babbs Babberley | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1941 | Three Of A Kind | Himself | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1942 | George Washington Slept Here | Bill Fuller | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1942 | To Be or Not to Be | Joseph Tura | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1943 | Show-Business at War | Self | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1943 | The Meanest Man in the World | Richard Clarke | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1944 | Hollywood Canteen | Self | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1945 | It's in the Bag! | Jack Benny | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1945 | The Horn Blows at Midnight | Athanael | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1946 | Without Reservations | Jack Benny (uncredited) | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1947 | Is Everybody Listening? | Jack Benny - Jack Benny Radio Program | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1948 | The Ed Sullivan Show | Self | Actor (Television) |
| 1949 | The Great Lover | Jack Benny (uncredited) | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1949 | The Lucky Stiff | Producer | Producer (Feature Film) |
| 1950 | The Bob Hope Show | Self | Actor (Television) |
| 1950 | The Colgate Comedy Hour | Self | Actor (Television) |