40th Birthday Shower

Jack Benny turned 40. He didn’t like the idea but, in the end, it made no difference.

It was just like the Maxwell. The car, in the Benny radio plot-line, was donated for scrap during World War Two. After the war, it was back. No one cared. Jack kept doing Maxwell jokes and people laughed.

Jack was convinced to turn 40 on the air in 1958. So he had a 40th birthday party on the Shower of Stars show on CBS-TV. Jack then simply went back to doing ‘39’ jokes and people laughed until the day he died.

1958 was some 26 years after he began his radio show. And he kept right on going. One veteran columnist who analysed Jack’s continuing popularity was Ben Gross of the New York Daily News. Like pretty well all the New York critics, Gross enjoyed the Benny on-air high jinks. In promoting the Shower of Stars show, he explained the reasons Benny continued to appeal to viewers after years in the entertainment business. In this story, Gross latches onto the canard that Benny never appeared on radio before his guest shot with Ed Sullivan in 1932. Gross was reviewing radio before then, and opened his February 20, 1929 column praising Jack's emceeing on the RKO radio series on the NBC Red Network.

Stars Hail Jack Benny On His '40th' Birthday
Out in CBS-TV City, Hollywood, the boys and girls readying themselves for one of the biggest parties of recent years last night. Jack Benny was slated to announce that he is now 40 years old, during the Shower of Stars program, 8:30 to 9:30.
This, the evening before St. Valentine's Day, which is his actual birthday. The Waukegan Fiddler, now really 64, has finally decided to abandon the legend that he is still only 39, an event worthy of the notice of every comedy lover in America.
As the program listings have already informed you, a lengthy roll of stars who were once or still are features, of the Benny show had been lined up for the event. Mary Livingstone, Van Johnson, Paul Douglas, Dennis Day, Bob Crosby, Frank Parker, Don Bestor, Mel Blanc, Andy Devine, and the Sportsmen Quartet were among the names mentioned. And, of course, there could be many more.
In this connection, some of the publicity released about the event said that Benny "got his start in broadcasting on the radio program of George Olsen, the orchestra leader back in 1932.” It's true that Jack appeared on George’s show at that time.
But to set the record straight, I must point out that Benny's first appearance on the air took place via Ed Sullivan's program that year. It was the comedian's debut on radio.
Four Lifetimes
That was 36 years ago—three or four lifetimes as far as broadcasting is concerned. And one may well ask: "Why has Jack Benny lasted so long? Why is he one of the few radio comedians—Milton Berle, Burns and Allen, Red Skelton and Ed Wynn are among the others—who have been able to survive in television?"
The first and most obvious answer that comes to mind is that Jack Benny is a great comedian. In the opinion of many including this column he is unequalled by any other current funmaker in poise, timing and the art of the double-take. But there have been and still are others almost as good and yet they have failed to on uninterrupted year after year with like success.
I think you will find the key to Benny's phenomenal survival, despite the countless vogues in comedy that have come and gone, in a statement he made to me many years ago while he was starring here at the Roxy Theatre. He said, "Above all, I'm a good editor."
Cuts Ruthlessly
What he meant by this is that he not only works closely with his veteran writers and has an almost unerring understanding of the material, the types of scripts that are best for him. He cuts ruthlessly lines that are out of key with the Benny character, even though these might win big laughs. He uses only dialogues and scenes that bolster his comedy personality.
And this comedy personality, it should be emphasized, is a true bit of character creation. It may be obvious or simple; but nevertheless it's a living, breathing character.
Benny, in the minds of millions of radio and TV fans all through these years, has been a lovable, violin-playing penny pincher who always manages to come out on the short end of any deal. No matter whom he meets or what happens, that is the image that remains. He's likeable, laughable—and human.
This basically, is his secret. And it undoubtedly explains why through the years of depressions and booms, wars, revolutions and so-called peace, the Waukegan Fiddler has managed to stay on top. May he do so for a long time to come!

The 40th birthday show is an odd one. It’s mostly nostalgic than comedic. There is a parade of people Jack worked with and few of them are given anything to do. Van Johnson seems so out of place as he was no more a regular on Benny’s show than Sarah Churchill. Kenny Baker was noticeable by his absence. George Olsen turned down an invitation to appear. Eddie Anderson collapsed in rehearsal and his routines had to be re-worked). And I’m afraid I’m not big on singing/dancing tribute numbers. The best part came near the end when Phil Harris ad-libbed a zinger at Jack who collapsed in laughter; it shows you how much Phil was missed when he left the show.

If you haven't seen it, the show should be embedded below if it hasn't been taken down. It opens with Art Gilmour speaking.