Benny, of course, was the unofficial head writer as he sat in on sessions and yea’d or nay’d every word.
A columnist with the Ogden Standard-Examiner decided to find out more about Benny’s writers and the way they put the show together, and wrote a feature story that appeared May 4, 1941. She also interviewed Jack’s business secretary, Harry Baldwin, who took shorthand notes of what was brought up at the sessions. Baldwin, it would seem, unexpectedly inspired a joke on one broadcast.
The war and ambition ended Beloin and Morrow’s regular pay cheques with Benny in 1943. Jack replaced the two with four writers—George Balzer, Milt Josefsberg, John Tackaberry and Cy Howard (Howard soon left and Sam Perrin came in). After a ratings drop, the new writers rallied and came up with additional secondary characters, new situations and running gags (and Mel Blanc became a regular cast member in everything but the opening credits). Benny was soon back up top. Baldwin, for reasons I don’t know, never returned to Jack after the war.
Jack's Fun Factory Works On All Four Gag Cylinders
By MAY MANN
Standard-Examiner Staff
HOLLYWOOD, May 3 — Two heads are better than one— but it takes four heads to figure out gags and jokes — so Jack Benny, Hollywood star, can be so funny.
One of the four experts in the Benny humor factory is Mr. Benny's own, of course. Bill Morrow, who in five years with Benny has become the highest paid gag writer in the industry; Ed Beloin, humor writer, and Harry Baldwin, Mr Benny's secretary, are part of the good humor quartet. But please don't think of ice cream— on that last — for it wouldn't be fair to the Benny sponsors — and besides we have three tickets in the front row for the NBC Benny show.
Jack, as you know, is a Waukegan, Ill., lad who was born on St Valentine's day and as he puts it — turned into a comic valentine. During vacations Jack worked in his father's haberdashery business. He bought a fiddle and formed a small orchestra and later played for school dances. That's how showmanship — got into his bolod [sic].
He Tours in Vaudeville
After fiddling in an orchestra he teamed with a piano player and toured in vaudeville. Then came the World war— and Jack was placed as an entertainer in the navy. He kept right on when he came out.
Bill Morrow was writing jokes and gags in Chicago and selling them to humor magazines at five bucks a throw — and doing a bit of press agenting for a band — five years ago. In Miami, Fla., he met Mary Livingston — who is Mrs. Jack Benny. Bill mentioned that he had several gags that would fit into Jack's vaudeville act. Mary suggested that he come to Detroit and she’d introduce him to Jack.
At the same time Mr. Beloin was also offering his services as a gagster — to Mr. Benny.
Both humor writers met Benny and later accepted his offer to come to California for the summer and give it a fling. They did— and now they're on a $2500 a week salary— the highest paid in the business of gag-writing.
Here's What Goes On
And what do you suppose goes on inside of the Jack Benny joke shop?
We tried following the qaurtet [sic] around for the day.
Promptly at seven a. m. every morning— they never miss one — unless it's a blue Monday and raining — the two gag writers meet with Jack's secretary. "We always do our best writing early in the morning," Mr. Morrow explained. "We sit around and gag up situations. For example — once a year Jack always gets a cold. So what do we do— but enlarge on it a bit— and put it on the radio— with doctors and nurses. One year we were in the mood to put on the "cold" act— only Benny didn't get one. Then all at once he did — and it was so bad he didn't go on the air at all — and neither did we. We had to fill in with music instead.
"But like today when Jack's making a picture (he just began "Charley's Aunt" for 20th Century Fox) we work for three hours early — come down here to the studio for breakfast and read Jack what we've written.
"Jack goes over and suggests what he thinks would be better.
“Or if he's not working we meet at his home for 'free breakfast'— Pips too— ham and eggs and waffles—well just platters and platters of food— and sit around in his game room and talk. Or we might swim while we talk— or sit about the pool.
Works on Original Idea
"Every day we keep working on our original idea— and send the typewritten copy each morning over to Jack— before we meet with him.
"We follow right up to Saturday —when we have just one reading with the cast. That is our only rehearsal. But we time it for laugh—and if we don't get enough certain laughs from our own company—then we keep changing it— until we do. We polish each gag— up to within 30 minutes before going on the air. And we make changes between the first radio broadcast which hits the East and Canada— to the second one for the west, Honolulu and South America.
“We like to introduce characters and situations that will keep running for weeks and tie in with the next week's program.
"We conceived the idea of Rochester — when we were on a train returning from Chicago. Usually we center our situations around whatever we are doing. Well, we wanted a colored porter. We asked the colored boot black at the studio if he'd like the role— but he wanted a fortune to play the part— just because he was to be in a Benny show. So we scouted around for colored actors and found Rochester. We gave him that name — and didn't dream he would click so big —until the mail began pouring in for Rochester. Now we treat his parts— with the same exacting care and timing we give Benny’s.
"It seems like every day is Sunday," Mr. Morrow continued. "Writing a 20-page script each week is comparable to writing one complete act in a play. We have to keep it at the common level — with the standing high— the jokes and gags must be obvious — but not too obvious — else they lose their sparkle.
"The radio is a more common denominator of reaching the people than the movies. We have to try to please everyone.
All Sorts of Skits
"Besides the radio program every week," Mr. Baldwin, the secretary said, "we have skits to write for Mr. Benny for benefits, shorts, newsreels, trailers, all sorts of war reliefs and for speeches at chamber of commerce banquets and many civic occasions— all funny too —for everyone expects Jack Benny to say new and funny things.
"Some folks think Jack should always be laughing and be funny off-screen," Mr. Baldwin continued, "But Jack's different than most comedians. Some folks think he's glum. He becomes so absorbed by his thoughts — that he'll walk along the street and his own wife can pass him by and he won't see her.
"But he loves to laugh and he's excellent company. It's when he's thinking up gags and details for his acts— that he becomes self-absorbed in thought."
Jack and his gag-experts live within a radius of a mile of one another. They spend part of each day together — thinking up jokes. Sometimes they telephone each other in the middle of the night— if they’ve hit upon something particularly good.
"We never even read any jokes that people mail in to us," Mr. Morrow said. "We have a form letter that states 'Returned— Unopened — unread.' We don't want to take any chances of being sued for using anyone’s brain-children — because they have similarity to some of our own. Besides we believe that no one will think up anything that we won’t eventually hit upon anyway.Jack Benny came walking in. He was smiling and said the boys would have to confer with him during lunch — for he had special scenes that afternoon.
At lunch one of the boys mentioned he was going on a diet — whereon Jack said, "The worst pests in the world are people with diets and electric razors. They always try to force both of 'em on you. Never saw a man who didn't insist you try his electric razor. Misery loves company so dieters want you to diet with them."
The men began talking amongst themselves. They howled with laughter at their own jokes. To anyone else— they were having a good time — without a care in the world. Actually all this joke cracking and repartee of the day's happenings was serious work — out of which would evolve a new radio show.
When asked what they considered their funniest joke — Jack replied a recent one where Jack has a boarder, Mr. Billingsly, who is a lunatic. Mr. Billingsly has a turban wrapped on his head. "Is that a turban wound around your head?" Jack asks him. "No," replies Mr. Billingsly. "This is a bed sheet. I slept like a top last night!"
Joke originated when Mr Baldwin slept in a bed with too short sheets — and woke up with the sheet wound around his shoulders. When Jack asked him how he'd slept that night he said "like a top" — and that was the birth of a new gag!
Jack is generous — even to a fault with his family and his friends. He has a large number of relatives on his pay rolls. One day when someone saw Jack walking alone across the Paramount lot — they said, "Hummmh! There goes Jack Benny without any members of his family. He must be out on bail."
Believing that his gag-men and his faithful secretary should share his success — Jack Benny takes them with him wherever he goes. They had just returned from three weeks at Palm Springs. Before the war — he gave them a trip to Europe. They have valuable watches and rings and other handsome gifts— which show his generosity and appreciation.
People Need Laughs
"People need laughs now more than ever before," Mr. Morrow concluded. "It takes crazy people like us to keep thinking up new ones each week. We have to figure out some 200 laughs a week. That's why we're bald-headed — doing it. "But one thing Jack's shows are always clean. We think up gags — all week. If we ever come to a tight spot— then we just disband— relax— and come back together again — and have a lot of fun."
Jack Benny says, "Our jokes are in character — our own peculiar brand and style. With me, I'm the star on the program. I have to take it— be belittled. That is the secret of our brand of humor. You know, it all goes back to the boy with the snowball and the fellow with the high hat. It would be no fun at all if the fellow wore a cap— but to knock off a silk hat— Ah, there's the secret in fun."
Jack Benny's laughs— on radio and movies combined gross almost a million dollars a year. Humor not only stays— but it pays.
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