No Watergate For Benny

If you listen to Jack Benny’s radio show, there’ll be reference to current political events on occasion. But they were the same kind of jokes everyone else was doing—the Republicans celebrating Thanksgiving on a different day than the Democrats, Alabama having two governors, Thomas Dewey unexpectedly losing to Harry Truman in the presidential race, the Marshall Plan for Britain, Al Smith unable to say “radio,” that sort of thing.

But it was all in good fun.

Watergate wasn’t.

It divided a nation and Jack Benny stayed away from it. Nor would you hear him joke about current affairs in the ‘60s. He stuck to the favourites of audiences for years and years, namely Benny making fun of himself.

Five months before he passed away, he stopped in Spokane, Washington to perform at Expo. He was greeted by the usual pack of reporters and at least one came away with a positive story. This is from the Spokesman-Review of July 26, 1974. Even he talked about his radio show, a subject he kept telling reporters was part of the past, and done, and to talk to him about what was ahead.

WIDE-RANGING INTERVIEW
39 or 80 – Benny Sharp as Ever
By ELEANOR RUTHERFORD
Spokesman-Review Staff Writer
Jack Benny, the ageless comedian who has entertained three generations of enthusiastic fans, proved at least two things at a press conference Thursday.
He really does have those baby blue eyes that he often brags about, and he dosen't [sic] need a bank of writers to provide laugh lines for him.
Asked if a book was going to be written about him which would be made into a movie, he grinned and said:
"What's there to say about me? I've been married to the same woman for 48 years. You people would rather read about someone with eight divorces.
"Today's audiences are much more sophisicated [sic] than those of a few decades ago, but you still all laugh at the same things."
He said he would probably open his show here with the same jokes he uses in London, Singapore or Tel Aviv, but would use some jokes relating to Expo and Spokane before the end of the show. He will open at 8 p.m. at Expo's Opera House today and will give two performances Saturday, one at 7 p.m. and one at 10 p.m. His final show will be at 8 p.m. Sunday.
"I generally stay away from Watergate and other problems in Washington. In the first place, they are not always funny, and I think I should know a lot more about it before making comments.[”]



Benny, who built a career on kidding about his stinginess, his constant age of 39 years and his old Maxwell, doesn't look even near his real age, 80 years. "I don't feel my age," he said, and added a quick aside. "There are moments, of course."
"I think the secret of staying young is to keep working until you can't.
"Bob Hope works even harder than I do. He claims that I am the biggest ham, but he never stops working. Actually, most engagements are like vacations for me. I just finished one in Colorado Springs, Colo., the other day. I had a show at night, but spent the days in the Broadmoor Hotel swimming pool end its excellent golf course."
Reminiscing about his lengthy radio career, the comedian said the biggest laugh ever garnered on his shows would have to be credited to Mary Livingston [sic], his real wife, who was also his maid and television wife. [!]
It involved a segment in which opera singer Dorothy Kirsten was discussing opera, a field supposedly alien to the comedian.
"After about an eight-minute build-up, I opened my mouth obviously to comment on opera, and said, ‘Well, I think . . .’
“With that patronizing look Mary did so well and in her dry delivery, she said, 'Oh, shut, up'."
Benny maintained that was the classic of all time as far as he was concerned.
Making light of the media asking him about the $300,000 he lost in the recent, highly publicized Home-Stake Co. oil swindle, Benney [sic] said he didn't mind that type of question and then defended Frank Sinatra, who seems to be constanlty [sic] in hot water with the press.
"Frank is one of my three closest friends. For every fault he has, he has hundreds of good qualities. Nobody does as much for people as he does, and he does it anonymously, without fanfare.
"How can you not like a guy like that?" he asked.
Benny also praised the chic and pretty Kaye Hart, the strawberry-blonde songstress, who will appear with him at the Opera House.
"Tell them you think I'm great," he kidded her.
"I really do," was her quick answer. "You could have heard me scream from Chicago across the nation when he hired me."
Yes, Benny will play the violin at his Expo appearances. "I would rather play with a symphony orchestra anytime than just be a comedian. I do lots of concerts and maybe I can do one for you in Spokane someday.
"It had better be quick, though," he quipped.
Adding a nostalgic touch, Benny spoke briefly about the famous cast of his radio shows.
"I see Phil Harris regularly in Las Vegas, Dennis Day is around every once in awhile, and Rochester, well, he spends his time at the races, but our paths do cross now and then. Don Wilson, the rotund announcer with me for so many years, is involved in a Palm Springs television company," he said.