Don Wilson settled in for a long run as Jack Benny’s announcer in 1934, but there were a few shows when someone else filled in.
There was the unique occasion on April 26, 1936 when Benny and his writer Harry Conn parted company for good while Benny was on the road. Jack had to hastily put together a broadcast in Boston. At the same time, Wilson had to rush back to California for a family emergency. Young & Rubicam sent in Pat Weaver to announce; I suspect he helped write the show, too. He had written comedy at KHJ, was the agency’s man with the Fred Allen show and announced Isham Jones’ programme at the time. Weaver went on to become the president of NBC.
There were times when the shows were set in Chicago but actually done in Los Angeles. Since Don Wilson was “in Chicago,” the shows used the canard of an announcer in Los Angeles “switching” to Chicago. One was Ken Carpenter, who was a protégé of Wilson’s (March 23, 1937, the debut of Rochester). Another was Mel Ruick (December 18, 1938).
Then there were times that Benny and his troupe went on the road but Wilson had other announcing commitments and couldn’t go. Harry Von Zell (March 27, 1938), Kenny Delmar (May 18, 1947) and Rochester (May 25, 1947) announced programmes out of New York. Von Zell and Delmar were announcing Fred Allen’s show at the time so their hiring was a natural. Veteran Bob Brown (in the picture above) announced for Benny from Chicago on January 20, 1935.
Then there was the occasion of May 11, 1947 where Benny was playing for a week in Chicago. It was decided to hire an announcer for the evening. So Norman Barry became Jack Benny’s announcer for one night. He, Jack and Mary Livingstone actually had a routine in the first act of the show, so Benny must have had great confidence in him.
My favourite Barry story was reported by Variety when he got fired from the Chicago CBS station, WBBM, in 1934. Barry told listeners they were tuned to WIBO. Barry had been a soda jerk, taxi driver and finally an accountant when friends urged him to get into radio and he got a job in 1930 at WIBO as an announcer on radio and the station’s experimental TV broadcasts. He was gone before the FCC ordered the station off the air in 1933. After being canned at WBBM he soon settled into a long career at NBC’s WMAQ. Barry was also active for many years on the local executive of AFRA.
Barry talked about his Benny experience in 1994 in a lovely interview with historian/announcer Chuck Schaden. Barry didn’t reveal if he had to pass an audition with other WMAQ announcers (among them in those days were Dave Garroway and Hugh Downs). But he did tell about how his boss at WMAQ, Jules Herbuveaux, got annoyed with what he saw as a silly request from New York (from someone who was later the head of NBC-TV) and decided to send out a flurry of ridiculous telegrams in response. The network was worried about Barry being in a commercial conflict if he did the Benny show.
Norm: This was a telegram from some guy named Walter Scott, network sales in New York, saying “Foote, Cone and Belding would like to know if Norm Barry has done any cigarette commercials in the last five years. Appreciate a prompt reply.”
Well, Jules wrote back: “Norm Barry has not done any cigarette commercials during the last five years. He’s supposed to be on one, on the Benny show for Foote, Cone and Belding. Do you think this will keep him out of any cigarette accounts for the next five years? Shall I sign him to an exclusive contract? Regards, Jules.”
Then, another, the same day: “Add material on Barry. Barry failed a Raleigh spot announcement audition some time ago. Couldn’t say ‘Wishhh.’ Signed, Jules Herbuveaux.”
(Tralfaz note: In 1947, Raleigh's radio campaign pushed the new "moisterized" 903 cigarette. An announcer kept making a "Wishhh" sound three or four times in every commercial representing a "jet of fresh, pure moisture." The idea was worthy of ridicule.)
Norm: The next one said: “Suggest client take advantage of 13-week after-rebates. Do you want me to sign Barry to a 65-year contract? Signed, Jules Herbuveaux.”
Next one said: “Barry a fancy dresser. Wears tuxedo and will go any place.” The next one said: “Barry initiated today in Cigarette Smokers Anonymous.” Next one said: “Cigarette smokers love Barry.”
Finally, this guy Walter Scott wrote back: “Your complete and continual attention to our request deeply appreciated by American Tobacco, Foote, Cone and Belding and first person singular. What if they decide to bring Don Wilson in after all? American doesn’t think they can keep Barry in Chicago for 65 years, so how about a one-time only?” They got to thinking “That Herbuveaux must be a nut out there.”
Norm: It was just ahead of the Phil Harris show and we did them both over the 8th Street Theatre.
It was an experience, really, because the fun part of it ... was that the rehearsals were done up in Benny’s suite of rooms in the Ambassador, and we just sat around. The way they put that show together was that whoever wanted to contribute could contribute and it would be accepted if it was funny, you know. It wasn’t gospel. It was whatever came up.
And so the writers were sitting around there, Mary was there, and Phil was there, and the girl who was the, the little blonde girl who in a movie with Bing Crosby at that time, she was...
Chuck: Marjorie Reynolds.
Norm: Marjorie Reynolds was in it. And it was more amusing to sit there and listen to them kick this thing around than it was to do the show itself. Everybody has a great sense of humor. Great writers he had. And, of course, he had a great sense of humor himself.
But, the thing is I agreed to do ... he agreed to pay me so much money for the show—I would have done it for nothing I think—but when I got my money it was twice what he agreed to pay me. Which kind of beat down the suggestion that he was a cheapskate.
Barry didn’t announce The Fitch Bandwagon that followed. The local fill-in announcer was not identified but had very precise diction in what is a real stinker of a show. Jack Benny has a cameo in a situation where, for reasons never disclosed, he pays less to sleep in a bed on a train if it’s folded up.
Barry had some other career highlights. He went on the NBC TV network to announce golf matches from Chicago. A low-light may have been a 1949 TV game show called RFD America which brought live animals into the 19th floor of the Merchandise Mart. Pigs chomped on TV cables. Other animals, Barry said, were saved from embarrassing situations by deft camera work. It was quite a difference from intoning “Now, the Story of Mary Marlin!”
He died around Christmas time, 1997.
The only other radio broadcast when Wilson was absent was on May 27, 1951 when Bob Stevenson opened and closed the show; he had been used as an endorsement voice by American Tobacco, including one spot as Maurice Evans. No reason was given for Wilson’s absence and Stevenson didn’t interact with anyone.
You can hear the Barry show below.
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