Jack Benny or Fred Allen?

[Katt in Hat]

I was born in '38 and was told that "RADIO" was my 1st word.

I heard all kinds of programmes in 'real time'.

Bing in the afternoon. Soap operas, upon which the maid doted. Jack and Fred, Burns&Allen, The Great Gildersleave, mysteries, The Big Story, Gang Busters, kids afternoon stuff, Superman, Bobby Benson& The B Bar B, Gene Shepard in late mid '40S and on and on. Had no TV 'till '52...

Age has its rewards. :drum: :arated: :drum:

.......I'm thinking... I'M THINKING!!!

FRED!!!

 

[Tomasso]

Jack or Fred, two comedians who spent nearly twenty years involved in a wonderfully entertaining fake show-biz feud.

 

[moustache]

Both!!

I have quite a few radio shows from both. Really like Burns and Allen as well.
The cleaned up recordings available now are a delight.

JD

 

[Tomasso]

Press

 

[aliados]

Thank you, thank you, thank you, VivianRegan, for that link!
I was a huge Jack Benny fan (TV, not radio) as a kid, and recently got XM Radio, motivated, in large part, by Jack Brenny and the Shadow.

Anyhow, to sort of return the favor, here's link (although not related to the radio, but to the era).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4Bg6I6N-Ng

Charlie

 

[Tomasso]

Allen & Benny

 

[InspectorMorse]

Jack Benny is more timeless- as Fred allen was a bit more into comedy centered around what was happening at that time. Benny was amazing!

 

[CharlieH.]

They're both a scream, but I gotta admit I like ole man Kubelsky better.

Just today I was reading this little post about the feud:

http://greenbriarpictureshows.blogspot.com/2006/11/recalling-fueds-of-long-ago-there-was.html

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

[/QUOTE]

I love this episode!

I like them both, without the other, they just aren't the same.

 

[Parallel Guy]

Actually, I would have like to have heard a half-hour version of Fred Allen. I think the extra time allow him to get a little too sloppy and slow. In places he was funnier than Benny but Benny was consistent and had tremendous longevity.

 

[Shimmy Sally]

Jack Benny had "Rochester" and played violin (sort of), so I guess he'll get my vote.

 

[Rafter]

I am not familiar with either of their radio work. But I've seen Benny on many
Lucy Shows and Bob Hope Specials.

I remember his ongoing gag....regarding his violin playing. He was a gifted violinist, though he pretended not to be....I believe his signature song was "Love In The Afternoon".....and he usually played it somewhat off key!!...."Well", way off key!!

'Well", Benny had flawless comic timing and an ability to get laughs with either a fraught pause or a single expression, such as his signature exasperated "Well!".

I've heard about the Benny-Allen long-running "feud". It was one of the greatest running gags in comedy history.....and Allen kicked the "feud" off on his own show, after a child violinist gave a performance credible enough that Allen wisecracked about "a certain alleged violinist" who should by comparison be ashamed of himself. Benny — who either listened to the Allen show or was told about the crack — answered in kind on his own show, and the two comedians (who were actually good friends in real life) were off.

 

[Tomasso]

the "Mighty Allen Art Players" could be hysterical. Johnny Carson was never shy about copying other comedians and his "Mighty Carson Art Players" were a tepid echo of Fred Allen's creativity but a sort of unintended tribute to a better comedian and commentator than Carson ever was.

Johnny idolized Fred and Jack, praising them often on his show. The Mighty Carson Art Players were a homage to Fred. And, he often imitated Jack on his show. He was good freinds with both men, especially Jack.

Check out this clip.

 

[Shimmy Sally]

Even when he was being serious, Benny was no Niculescu.

The whole Burns/Allen/Benny vaudeville artists turned radio turned television thing was pretty interesting. Besides the feigned fighting, there was some infighting with the writers in reality.
My favorite dynamic was the butler who was superior to his boss. That was unheard of at that time. Rochester started out a bit part, but was so loved, that they made a charactor who could actually be in the house.

 

[HadleyH]

Jack Benny I think, he was good!

 

[LizzieMaine]

For all you Benny fans, I might strongly recommend the International Jack Benny Fan Club, founded by my good friend Laura Leff (when she was 10 years old!). It's a nonprofit group fully authorized by the Benny estate as the official source for all things Jack, and Laura has written several very authoritative guides to the various Benny programs. Check out their site at http://www.jackbenny.org, and tell 'em Lizzie sent you! (They even allow Fred Allen fans to join...)

 

[Hondo]

For all you Benny fans, I might strongly recommend the International Jack Benny Fan Club, founded by my good friend Laura Leff (when she was 10 years old!). It's a nonprofit group fully authorized by the Benny estate as the official source for all things Jack, and Laura has written several very authoritative guides to the various Benny programs. Check out their site at http://www.jackbenny.org, and tell 'em Lizzie sent you! (They even allow Fred Allen fans to join...)

Thank You Lizzie, I pick Jack Benny as well, you couldn't have known, see a nice guy than Jack, he is greatly missed.

Jack: Oh Rochester!!!

Rochester: Yes!!!! Mr. Benny!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I pick Jack Allen ... or Fred Benny.

.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Who's Jack Benny?

Who's Fred Allen?

For that matter, who the hell is Benny Allen?

bk

 

[jamespowers]

Has to be Jack Benny and Rochester:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5vZzoBixAU

Regards,

J