Rochester became a key cog in the Jack Benny radio machine, but there was one problem that Jack had with Eddie Anderson. “In real life,” he wrote in his memoirs, “Rochester often worried me because he was rarely on time for line readings, rehearsals and the broadcast itself.”
Jack and Irving Fein both told a story about one broadcast. Their versions are different and neither was altogether accurate in their reminiscences. Here’s Jack’s version:
Rochester came so late to the Saturday rehearsal that he missed it. He started giving me his excuse but I refused to listen. I was so mad that I told Sam Perrin, who was now my head writer, that I must punish Rochester. “I want you to write him out of the show this week,”’ I said.
The four writers set up a hue and cry. It would mean rewriting the entire show. There wasn’t time enough. Rochester was punished enough already. He promised never to do it again. We would never get a show as good as this one if we wrote him out of it. They begged me to change my mind. I consented.
On Sunday, we began our first rehearsal at 12:30. The call was for noon. Rochester was not there at noon and he was not there at 12:30 and he had not telephoned to explain. At his home, Rochester’s butler (he had his own butler) explained that the master had left for the NBC studio long ago. At 12:45 we began rehearsing without Rochester. His character didn’t make his entrance until about ten minutes after the show’s opening. I hoped he would arrive in the nick of time. He did not arrive.
Well, I lost my temper completely. I blew my stack. I stomped over to the control room. I opened the heavy door. I threw a look of withering scorn on my four writers, who were now huddled in a frightened heap. ‘‘Well, I have you four idiots to thank for this!” Then I departed and slammed the door shut violently.
However, the door was so heavy that its closing was controlled by an air-pressure valve which released the air slowly. Not only could I not exit on a vicious door slam—but the door closed so slowly that it let out a long razz noise like a Bronx cheer. Even the door was against me.
But I cracked up just the same. And then the writers felt it was safe to laugh. And we all laughed. And Rochester finally showed up, accompanied by two policemen in uniform.
It seems he had been driving along the Hollywood Freeway and right in front of him a five-car smashup had taken place. He had been trapped for over an hour until the traffic started moving. Knowing that 1 would not believe this obviously trumped-up story, Rochester had persuaded these two Los Angeles policemen to come to the studio and testify that once again Rochester had a legitimate alibi for being so late.
Laura Leibowitz’s 39 Forever Vols. 1 and 2 go into depth about each radio show and would be able to possibly answer which broadcast is being discussed. My copies had to be trashed due to bedbugs deciding to turn them into a litter box. However, I spotted a script for the show of April 27, 1952 where Rochester’s part has been deleted.
There was nothing in any of the entertainment columns the following days about Eddie Anderson being sick or unavailable. The show was recorded two days before broadcast.
Both Jack and Mr. Fein refer to a show with the Colmans appearing, but the guest on this broadcast was Jimmy Stewart. Perhaps Ronnie was busy in the library. Laura has graciously (and rather expensively) sent me replacement books, but as this is the last Benny post for the forseeable future, I won’t be able to follow up other broadcasts where he’s missing.
The American Tobacco scripts on-line show plenty of other cuts, likely for time in many cases as the closing PSA is crossed out.
Here’s an example from the April 20, 1952 show (recorded on March 31). A page of Dennis Day’s routine is deleted, and so is part of Phil Harris’ spot involving drummer Sammy Weiss.
Sammy appeared both on mike and on camera with Jack in the later ‘50s. You can read a bit a bout him here. I like Sammy, but he’s no Rochester. No one was.
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