Benny and Connie

Jack Benny’s treatment of guest stars on his television show got a ringing endorsement, but it shouldn’t have been much of a surprise.

Everyone in Hollywood certainly knew Jack was no baggy-pants comic squirting seltzer at anyone on stage with him or hogging all the lines. They knew from radio that he made himself the butt of the jokes, and showcased the people who appeared with him, such as Ronald and Benita Colman or Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Marilyn Monroe and her multitudinous handlers trusted Jack more than anyone for her to make her TV debut.

Harold Heffernan’s syndicated column for the North American Newspaper Alliance revealed another name, someone who appeared on Benny’s final season. CBS’ smiling cobra Jim Aubrey may not have liked Jack (who hightailed it to NBC in 1964) but a popular singer certainly did. This short piece was part of one of Heffernan’s columns around October 22, 1964.

High-Priced Coach
Hollywood, Cal. (NANA)—Guess who's turned into the highest-priced coach in show business? Jack Benny, that's who, and he won't take a dime for his services.
He has only one pupil, too, and she's a rich and famous one at that.
The student is Connie Francis, who makes her second appearance on the "Jack Benny Program" over CBS October 30.

"And Jack's the only comic with whom I'll appear," says the brunette singer whose record sales and bank account both run into the millions. "That's because Jack coaches me so beautifully on timing and how to read and put over lines in just the right way. I can't help but look good and let’s face it, I can't afford not to look good on such a popular show as his.
“One must consider, too, that I haven't had quite the years of experience playing comedy that Jack has, because I'm not 39 yet," she grinned impishly. Connie, like all top singing stars, is in great demand from variety shows reaching out for novelty pepper-uppers, but she’s turned down all but Benny. "Nobody else offers me free coaching and pays me big for singing just a couple of songs,” she explains.

Connie evidently changed her mind very quickly. Or maybe her agent changed it for her. Jack was the “only” comedian for another ten days. On November 9th, she appeared on The Jonathan Winters Show, a special on NBC.

As for Jack’s TV show, the 1964-65 season was the last and filled with sketches reminiscent of earlier days when they were done arguably better. The one Francis appeared in had been done twice on radio, except it had the benefit of Mary Livingstone, Dennis Day, Andy Devine, a live audience, and Mel Blanc getting a huge, long laugh from the audience by playing a jackass.

Despite this, Jack and Miss Francis worked well together. And they did appear together again. They performed in a benefit at the Riviera in Vegas in November 1966 for the St. Jude Ranch for Homeless Children.