It started with Rochester singing “Blues in the Night,” and when he got to the line “From Memphis to St. Joe,” Jack Benny interrupted with a wistful comment about how they loved him there in the vaudeville days.
From that, Benny’s writers blew it up into a running gag. It was supposed to culminate with an appearance show in the Missouri city in March 1943 but Jack became seriously ill, postponed the trip and remained off the air for five weeks to recover.
Some people in St. Joseph said the planned trip was all a hoax, but the local paper put them in their place on December 26, 1944 by revealing Benny would be coming, doing a number of shows and taking part in community events.
It’s only appropriate on Jack Benny’s latest 39th birthday that we re-live some of that trip to the city where they loved him. It was front page news for several days—the News Press was a big Benny booster. This is the main story from February 17, 1945; the Benny gang had arrived two days earlier. Among a number of things, the city celebrated his birthday. Unfortunately, we cannot post the paper’s photos.
Benny Luncheon Hilarious With Star in Fine Fettle
By RUTH BELL
"In my whole career in the show business, including my home town of Waukegan and shows for the men overseas, I've never had a reception as great as the one St. Joseph has given me and all of my troupe," said Jack (They Love Me in St. Joe) Benny, radio and screen star, at the Chamber of Commerce luncheon in honour of him and his company yesterday in the Crystal room of the Hotel Robidoux.
He said it seriously and sincerely.
For the most part, the luncheon program was an hilarious one, with wisecracks cropping here and there, but there was an underlying sincerity of fellowship and friendliness between guests and hosts, A good time was had by all.
Entire Troupe Here.
Jane Wyman, Hollywood motion picture star, whom St. Joseph claims as its own, and who is to be a guest on the Benny broadcast from the Municipal Auditorium tomorrow night, was one of the honored guests at the luncheon.
The whole Benny troupe was there, including Mary Livingstone, Jack's wife; Rochester (Eddie Anderson); Phil Harris, orchestra leader; Larry Stevens, soloist; Don Wilson, announcer, and Mrs. Anderson, who gets Rochester to broadcasts on time. Also at the speakers' table were David W. Hopkins, toastmaster; Mayor Phil J. Welch; Russell E. Wales, president of the Chamber of Commerce; Miss Pearl McClurg, president of the women's division of the Chamber of Commerce; Henry D. Bradley, E. A. Prinz and Sheriff Gus Hillix.
St Joseph presented its own "Oscar" to Jack Benny, a miniature bronze statue of the Pony Express monument, bearing an inscription naming Jack as the city’s choice for the No. 1 spot in radio, stage and screen roles.
Gift to Miss Wyman.
A memento of the occasion to Jane Wyman from St. Joseph was a silver engraving of Lover's Lane, on which there is a portion of the famous poem by Eugene Field. In a brief acceptance speech, Miss Wyman thanked St. Joseph for its overwhelming reception, and spoke of her remark at a club meeting Thursday about the beautiful sun the Chamber of Commerce had produced for her arrival.
“But what I want to know is,” she asked, “what happened to it?" As the orchestra played “Let Me Call You Sweetheart,” drapes and screens were pulled aside on the stage, immediately in back of the speakers' table, revealing a huge six-tiered birthday cake, bearing the lettering, "Happy Birthday Jack Benny, We Love You in St Joe."
That Question of Age.
"Some people think Feb. 14 is Valentine's day," said Mr. Hopkins. "But others know what the day really is. It's Jack Benny's birthday, but we're celebrating it two days late."
"Hope there aren't too many candles." cracked Jack, who insisted on his nation-wide broadcast last Sunday that he was only 36.
Jack took off his horn rimmed glasses (which he maintains he wears only because they look smart), stuck his finger on the icing and licked it. Mary Livingstone did the same. Because she's Jack's wife she got by with it.
Messages were read from several persons who were unable to be in St. Joseph for the luncheon. From Vice-President Harry S. Truman came the message, "Tell Jack it's too bad he can't have his Washington accompanist for the broadcast, but maybe Harris can mix things up just as well." (The Benny troupe had been in Washington for the President's birthday.)
There were welcome to Missouri messages from Governor Phil M. Donnelly, and from Senator Frank Briggs, and one from Walter Winchell saying, "Don't ask Benny for blood, but maybe one of those pints will do him good."
A message was read from the chairman of the American Red Cross, expressing the deep appreciation of the organization to the people of St. Joseph and nearby territory in donating to the blood bank this week and previous times. Jack himself was a donor yesterday, and tickets for the two shows Sunday night at the Auditorium have been given to blood donors.
Can't Forget Allen.
The huge gold key to the city of St. Joseph was given to Jack by Mayor Phil J. Welch, who said: "I've lived here all my life, and only one other time has there been such an occasion as this, that was in 1918, the year Fred Allen came to town.
To extend the welcome from outside the city limit, and give Jack further authority, Sheriff Gus Hillix pinned a deputy sheriff's badge on him.
“Gosh,” quipped Jack, “I ought to be able to turn all these things in for a little cash!”
Following his formal introduction by Mr. Hopkins, Jack had his say:
“Ladies and gentlemen, and all the folks who love me here in St. Joe. I was very happy to hear the mayor say a few words a while ago. You know we're planning on using him on our broadcast Sunday night, and I wanted to hear his speaking voice.
“I can understand the governor of Missouri not being here, and Vice-President Truman's absence but why President Roosevelt is not here is inexcusable. We're having a wonderful stay. Even the food is good, which is unusual at a banquet. I've excused them for not having Lucky Strikes, but for Old times' sake, I do think they could have had Jell-O for dessert!
Things In Common.
“If the people or Waukegan knew about this big reception they'd be sore. Oh, Waukegan is like St Jo. St. Jo is Waukegan with people. We have many things in Waukegan like St Joseph. We have lover's lanes, but of course, they're called by different names. We haven't a Jesse James—but I have an uncle. It costs a quarter to see his house. Of course he's still living.
"I can remember this old Rob-your-dough, I mean Robidoux Hotel. I looked through the register. I've seen lots of hotel registers with 'John Smith and wife,' but this is the first place I ever have seen 'John Smith and Pocahontas.'
"Reminiscing about a visit here 30 years ago, when he played either at the Electric or the Crystal, he's still not sure which, Jack said: "I was a violinist in those days, and a good one, too. I lived here at this hotel at that time. Yes, 30 years ago. Let's see, 30 from 36—well, I was a child prodigy!"
President Is Finicky.
The Benny troupe is on its last lap of a March of Dimes and service camp tour. The trip to Washington, to appear for the President's birthday celebration was sudden. Jack said, and he'd sent his clothes on to New York.
“So when I was in Chicago, I bought Montgomery, Roosevelt & Ward,” he said. “I used that gag in Washington and the President said, ‘No, it’s Roosevelt Montgomery Ward.’ I tried to get a room in Washington and pleaded and pleaded for one. ‘Look, I'm Jack Benny, I have to have a room,’ I told the desk clerk at one of the hotels. ‘I don't care if you're Rochester, we're loaded,’ he told me. I told him I was doing a show for the President. Finally he let me sign the register. And instead of a key to my room—I hate to tell you—but he gave me a nickel! Why I wouldn't sleep on a streetcar for a million dollars!"
Jack spoke of the time it takes to prepare their 17-minute program on the air each Sunday night, and introduced all of the group and his staff of writers. The luncheon party, attended by more than 200 persons, broke up jovially as girls from the high schools and Junior College, dressed in jeans and bright shirts, ran through the crowd calling "Extra, Extra" and passing out eopies of The Benny Bugle.
Many Are Disappointed.
Many persons in St. Joseph, including every school child in the city, were disappointed when the parade scheduled for noon yesterday was called off because of the snow. Public schools were to have been dismissed in time for the parade, but those plans were canceled at 9 o'clock in the morning. Jack was just as disappointed as the "kids" and said, "I wanted to see everyone, meet everyone and let them know that while I have said they love me in St. Joe, I love them even more."
BENNY BITS
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The Benny troupe will leave St. Joseph earlier Monday than had at first been anticipated. The plan is to leave at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Because of the earlier departure, a dinner scheduled by the Chamber of Commerce for Monday evening has been changed to luncheon at noon at Hotel Robidoux.
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Rochester and his wife are to make an appearance Monday morning at the Bartlett High School.
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Larry Stevens, soloist, is to sing at the Sunday morning service at Francis Street Methodist Church Mary Livingstone "discovered" him at a gas filling station. He has been honorably discharged from the Army air forces.
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Jack and Mary have been married for 18 years.
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Don Wilson has been announcer with the Jack Benny program for 11 years.
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Jack says Phil Harris doesn't know anything about leading an orchestra, he just wields the baton. And when the orchestra stops playing, he quits too. The reason he is an orchestra leader, Jack explains, is because he used to be a drummer but lost one stick.
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Rochester has put away that lovely miniature electric train set you may have seen in a technicolor "short" he made. It's put away until after the war because he can't get equipment he said. No priority.
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The 6 o'clock broadcast of the Jack Benny show, will be picked up by radio and rebroadcast from the stage of the Missouri Theater tomorrow, Irwin Dubinsky, manager of the theater, said yesterday. In order to carry the Benny show, the theater schedule has been rearranged and doors will be opened at 12:30 o'clock, half an hour earlier than usual.
We’ll have a post-script next week.
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