New writers and new actors. That’s what greeting Jack Benny in the second half of 1943 when he returned from a USO tour of Europe and the Middle East.
Intriguing was a contract that Benny signed with Nat Hiken. But the future creator of The Phil Silvers Show on TV never wrote a syllable for Jack. The military grabbed him before the start of the radio season. Jack then hired five writers, the fifth when one of the other four unexpectedly left. Sam Perrin and Arthur Phillips had been hired in 1936 to write The Big Broadcast of 1937 for Benny, and Perrin was added to his radio show in the summer of 1938, left in 1941, then returned (Phillips eventually wrote The Flintstones).
Hiken had been writing for Fred Allen and did until he quit to work on the radio version of Texaco Star Theatre for Milton Berle (Allen was extremely unhappy about that). Two of Allen’s actors, John Brown and Minerva Pious, could be heard on Jack’s show in the 1943-44. The writers tried to push an “I’m not talking to you” catchphrase for Pious using her Mrs. Nussbaum voice. It was lame at best.
Jack also began shooting The Horn Blows at Midnight, though there was a brief interruption.
The stories below are from Variety, unless otherwise indicated. We have included several different wire reports on Jack’s return from overseas.
July 14, 1943
JACK BENNY STALLED
Vampin' Unit Until Uncle Sam Is Ready to Send Him Abroad
Jack Benny is vampin' 'till Uncle Sam is ready, although he's taken practically all the innoculations prior to his overseas trek for USO-Camp Shows. The radio and film star was to have left this past weekend, but is still, being delayed. Larry Adler, Wini Shaw and Anna Lee will be part of his troupe.
Meantime the entire Benny entourage is remaining east until Benny's departure. They comprise Mary Livingstone (Mrs. Benny), who is not accompanying her husband, and the Myrt Blums (Mary's sister).
So far as the loss of his radio scripters, Ed Morrow, and Bill Beloin [sic] are concerned, the star says, "At least my going overseas to entertain the boys will keep me from worrying about who will I get to write for our radio show in the fall. Somehow that'll take care of itself—I hope."
Minerva Pious, Brown Sign with Jack Benny.
Jack Benny has signed Minerva Pious and John Brown, of the Fred Allen troupe, for his radio program when it resumes on NBC in the fall for General Foods. He'll take them to the Coast with him at that time, but in the meanwhile they will accompany him on his forthcoming trip overseas to entertain the U. S. forces, on the various armed fronts. Allen will vacash from the air till mid-winter.Charley Cantor, another member of the Allen program, will not be a regular on the Benny show next season, but will be on the Coast, so will be available for appearances when needed. So will the remaining regular from the Allen show, Alan Reed, who is on the Coast on a Metro contract.
July 21, 1943
Jack Benny has signed writer Nat Hiken during his stay in New York. Hiken, like players Minerva Pious and John Brown, whom Benny signed previously, was with Fred Allen’s Texaco program.
The trio will work with Benny on the Coast this fall, and the understanding is that they will return with Allen whenever he elects to go back on the air.
July 28, 1943
Jack Benny Troupe Safe in Middle East
USO-Camp Shows, Inc., was notified yesterday afternoon (Tuesday) via the U. S. War Dept. that Jack Benny and his troupe have arrived in the Middle East.
Accompanying Benny on a three-month tour of off-shore bases to entertain the Yank fighters are Larry Alder, Anna Lee and Wini Shaw. They left N. Y. the latter part of last week.
Troupe may be the first to follow the Yank soldiers right into Sicily and despite the hazardous area which they’re circuiting for USO, embracing many remote areas of the Middle East, efforts may be made to shortwave the performances to the U. S. via a radio program.
August 4, 1943
African Barter
Yacht Club boys returned to N. Y. last week from their middle east USO-Camp Shows tour wearing neckties that Jack Benny took along with him. On the day they left Algiers for home, the Benny-Larry Adler-Wini Shaw-Anna Lee troupe arrived.
“Benny was dressed to kill,” says George Kelly. “We simply told him that where he was going he wouldn't need neckties.”
Cy Howard is back at his WBBM duties following a rest in Michigan. He assumes his new position as scripter for Jack Benny when Benny returns to the air this fall.
August 7, 1943
Rochester Pining to Go Abroad
HOLLYWOOD—(ANP) — Eddie (Rochester) Anderson wants to go to England to entertain the troops and most particularly one Royal Canadian Air Force bomber crew—the crew that voted to name their ship Rochester. Informed about his namesake in a letter he received from England, Rochester said he felt "deeply humble" about the honor. Jack Benny is already abroad with an all-white troupe.
When he completes his current role opposite Lena Horne in "Broadway Rhythm," he hopes that the powers who decide who goes overseas permit him to make the journey to England.
"I sure wish I had a chance to put on a show for that crew," Rochester said. "It would be the most wonderful thing that could happen to me."
August 10, 1943
Jack Benny, Players Now in Cairo for Tour
CAIRO, Aug. 10.—(AP)—Radio comedian Jack Benny and three other American entertainers, Larry Adler, Anna Lee and Winifred Shaw, arrived at the Cairo airport today for a three-week tour of the Middle East which may be followed by a visit to Britain.
The quartet flew a route taking in more than 13 United Nations outposts on the way.
"We are trying to go as many places where the boys are lonely and hungry for a show as we can," said Benny, who admitted that he left on the tour against his doctor's orders while recovering from an attack of pneumonia.
August 14, 1943
Newsreel Man in Sicily Asked to Cover Jack Benny
WITH THE AEF IN SICILY—(AP)—The battle of Troina was ranging. Cannon roared across the valleys. Machine guns and rifles spat death on the ridges and in the valleys. Irving Smith, Universal newsreel cameraman, was trying to get the record of this historic struggle on film when someone handed him a cable-gram which read:
“Cover Jack Benny show if appearing your vicinity.”
“I wonder,” Smith mused, “if they would like me to take some shots of Mary Livingstone on Mount Etna?” (Don Whitehead, Associated Press)
September 7, 1943
Round and Round Rides Jack Benny
TEHRAN, Iran, Sept. 7 (Delayed) (U.P.)—Jack Benny, comedian on a tour of American Army installations, arrived today in the midst of a dust storm and his plane was forced to circle the airport for hours.
His schedule calls for performances at isolated American bases where temperatures range as high as 160 degrees.
September 8, 1943
NEWSREELS
Par[amount] shows Jack Benny and Wini Shaw at a reception for troops in Egypt.
September 13, 1943
NBC, after an unsuccessful try on Aug. 31. finally succeeded Monday night (13) in making contact with Jack Benny and his USO-Camp Shows troupe in Cairo. The reception was far from ideal, but was good enough to convey to American listeners the terrific job the comedian is doing on behalf of Yank troops overseas. The half-hour shortwave broadcast of the Benny troupe's 1 a.m. (Egypt time) performance before several thousand boys in uniform was geared strictly for laughs. It was the tried and true Benny formula, ringing in the inevitable Fred Allen-Phil Harris cheapskate round of gags, but with some comical switches to fit into the Sphinx-Nile background.
Benny, Anna Lee and Larry Adler did a funny windup skit, 'Two Can Be as Cheap as One.' Adler's virtuosity on the harmonica was as boff as ever. With Wini Shaw's vocalizing of 'The Lady in Red,' it all added up to a punchy routine.
September 14, 1943
Benny’s New Scripters
Jack Benny is losing Nat Hiken to the Army, but has picked up four other scripters to make him forgot Bill Morrow and Ed Beloin. They are Cy Howard, 'Tack' Tackaberry, Milt Josefsberg and George Balzer. Benny opens the new season from N. Y. Oct. 10, one week later that [sic] originally scheduled due to his duties overseas entertaining the troops.
September 15, 1943
JOLSON AND BENNY PROBABLY TO ITALY
Al Jolson and Jack Benny, currently overseas entertaining Yank troops, will probably be the first to go into Italy for USO-Camp Shows. It's even considered likely that at least one of them has already set foot on Italian soil in ‘following through’ with the invasion forces.
Capitulation of Italy is expected to result in a vast expansion of Camp Shows overseas activities, with the CSI execs currently awaiting orders from the War Dept. in Washington or the routing of the offshore stars to take in Italian territory. The Bob Hope troupe, recently returned, performed in Sicily for three days, while the Miles Bell unit spent some time in Pantelleria.
Opening of the new territory will likewise tilt the CSI overseas budget costs, which is presently geared to $40,0000 [sic] a week, though may go far beyond that figure in the near future.
September 29, 1943
Jack Benny, Troupe First Civilians to Invade' Italy NEW YORK, Sept. 30. (INS) Jack Benny and his U.S.O.-camp shows troupe returned to New York Wednesday [29] with the distinction of being the first American civilians to invade Italy.
The Benny invasion, however, was unscheduled.
"We got into Sicily, then went north to a town named Lentini to entertain a certain group of boys," Benny said Wednesday. "We found they'd already gone to Italy. We asked for and got permission to follow them to Italy. But they didn't tell our officers in Italy we were coming.
"Our plane pulled in, and I got out," Benny said. "A major said bluntly, 'who are you?' 'I'm Jack Benny,' I replied. The major's reply is censored."
Wini Shaw, stage, screen and radio singer, got a warmer reception. She was the second person out of the plane and the soldiers sent up a shout: "An American girl."
Benny, Miss Shaw, Larry Adler, pianist Jack Snyder and motion picture actress Anna Lee played for the men in Italy and the troops left for the battle zone immediately after the show.
The troupe covered 30,000 miles by air, going to Central America, Arabia, the Middle East, the Persian gulf, the gold coast of Africa, Bengasi, Tripoli, Jerusalem, the Suez area, Persia, North Africa, Sicily and Italy. Their plane was named "Five Jerks to Cairo."
Jack Benny Back From 32,000-Mile Tour of Fronts
NEW YORK, Sept. 29. (U.P.)—Comedian Jack Benny returned today from a 32,000 mile tour of overseas troops and said it was the “greatest vacation I ever had—I put on 15 pounds.”
Traveling with a troupe of four, including harmonica player Larry Adler and singer Wini Shaw, Benny played more than 150 shows in Central Africa, North Africa, the Persian Gulf area, Sicily and spent one day in Italy.
“The boys’ morale is wonderful,” Benny said, “but if you want to help them along, quit wiring those blue letters. They’re worrying about the home front.”
Benny said he thought he owed his “15 new pounds” to the good food in the camps and added, “I never felt better in my life.”
Benny said the troupe was scheduled to play a town in Sicily one night, and when they arrived there, they found the troop had left for Italy.
“So we got a quick pass and followed them,” Benny reported. “When the plane landed I stepped out and said ‘I’m Jack Benny,’ and a major looked at me and said ‘And what the hell do you think you’re doing here?’”
* * *
NEW YORK, Sept. 29.—(U.P.)—When Jack Benny landed in Italy to entertain troops, he stepped from his plane and announced, "I'm Jack Benny."
A surprised major looked at him and asked: "What in the hell do you think you're doing here?"
Back from a 32,000-mile tour over-seas the comedian said at a press conference today that the one night stand in Italy wasn't on the schedule until he and Harmonica Player Larry Adler and Singer WinI Shaw arrived to find an audience in Sicily had moved ahead.
Benny found that Arabs, who frequently were in the audience at Algiers, were appreciative listeners. "They'll laugh at anything," he said.
He found good food in the camps and gained 15 pounds while playing 150 shows in central and north Africa, the Persian gulf area and Sicily.
JACK BENNY RETURNS FROM FOREIGN TOUR
NEW YORK, Sept. 29.—Entertaining American fighting men just an hour before they went into battle—some of them to die—was the recent experience of Comedian Jack Benny.
That was when the Benny U. S. O. camp show played a one-day stand in Italy. The entertainers have just returned to the United States.
“They were a wonderful audience; no one would have thought they were going into battle,” Benny said today.
“I want to pay tribute to the doctors and nurses,” he said. They are doing a great and amazing job—and they all want to get to the front.”
In their airplane the Five Jerks to Cairo, Benny, Larry Adler, harmonica player; Winni Shaw [sic], singer; Anna Lee, film actress, and Jack Snyder, pianist, flew more than 32,000 miles to perform more than 150 times for fighting men.
“The rations the men get are wonderful,” Benny said, adding he gained 15 pounds on them.
* * *
NEW YORK, Sept. 30 (AP)—Comedian Jack Benny is home after a 10-week air tour of American army camps in Italy, Africa and the Middle East and his only complaint is that newer motion pictures haven't been sent to the fighting men. "In Iran, according to current films, Shirley Temple hadn't been born yet, and Francis X. Bushman had just won the popularity contest," he remarked yesterday in an interview.
Benny's troupe of entertainers, who toured under the auspices of the USO Camp Shows, was the first to follow the Allied army from Sicily into Italy's "toe."
In addition to Benny, Larry Adler, harmonic player, Wini Shaw, singer, and Anna Lee, film, actress, and Jack Snyder, pianist, made the 32,000-mile trip in the airplane, "Five Jerks to Cairo."
LETTER FROM ADLER
Larry Adler, the harmonica virtuoso who appears at the Eastman Oct.8 with dancer Paul Draper, recently wrote from Persia to Leonard Lyons about his overseas trip entertaining service men with Jack Benny and others: "I'm writing this in a tent by wretched illumination. Outside, the troops are waiting to see our show, sitting on tin cans and lorries. The trip across was not too easy. We flew continuously, day and night, through the Egyptian Sudan, the Gold Coast, Nigeria, Arabia. At one African base, Jack Benny and the rest of us were greeted with signs ‘Down with Fred Allen’ and ‘Waukegan Airport.’ The general in command liked our show and as a result we now have our own plane, with two pilots and a flight surgeon. Jack and I saw the Sphinx. Its expression remained inscrutable. (Howard C. Hosmer, Rochester Times-Union)
October 6, 1943
Jolson, Benny Ask Switch in Staffs' Routing to Reach Boys in Foxholes
Out of the new and exciting chapter in the heroic saga of 'show business at war' written into the USO-Camp Shows record by Al Jolson and Jack Benny, just back from tours of the global fighting fronts, will come important recommendations on future channeling of entertainers into Yank bases overseas. Checking in at Camp Shows headquarters in N. Y. last week, the two top-ranking stars sat down with CSI prexy Abe Lastvogel and submitted data for improved operation of the overseas program based on their own experiences, which will be, incorporated in a detailed report to the War Dept.
Benny, back from a 12-week swing of the ‘War Front Circuit’ where he, Larry Adler, Wini Shaw, Anna Lee and accompanist Jack Snyder, comprising the 'Five Jerks in a Jeep' troupe—as they term it—brought cheer to hundreds of thousands of the fighting boys, cites the need for switches in routing and the concentration of stars in single areas for a greater period of time instead of spreading them over a large part of the globe. Under the latter arrangement, Benny points out, only a small segment of the boys at each base can be reached. The remainder, looking forward with eagerness to a star's visit only to find themselves left out in the cold, are doubly disappointed.
That's because of the far-flung routing schedule which only permits for short engagements before shoving off another 500 or 1,000 miles to the next spot. Naturally, it's pointed out, with only temporary facilities available, the Yank troop personnel at any one base, can't possibly be taken care of. Thus, having the celebrities so near and yet so far inevitably creates a letdown feeling and discontent.
Jack Benny spent a couple of days in his home town, Waukegan, Ill., last week, combining visit with home folks and participation in War Loan drives.
October 10, 1943
JACK BENNY
With Mary Livingstone, Dennis Day, Rochester, Phil Harris, Don Wilson
Director: Walter Bunker
Writers: Milton Josefsberg, George Balzcr, John Tackerberg [sic], Si Howard [sic]
Comedy, Songs, Band
GRAPENUTS
30 Mins.; Sun., 7 p.m.
WEAF-NBC, New York
(Young & Rubicam)
No returned program to the networks this season has stirred so much post-initial broadcast comment in the trade as Jack Benny’s. The show (10) had the cognoscenti shaking their heads over the comic's ability to sit down with an entirely new corps of writers and within the space of 10 days whip together, a production that sounded about as explosively entertaining as anything turned out in the heydey of Ed Beloin and Bill Morrow, Benny's whilom scripting team. The innate showmanship will out, regardless of the combination of reversed or changing circumstances, and Benny underscored the adage with plenty of stuff. The crossfire centered completely around the comic's recent tour of U. S. service camps in Africa, Sicily and the Middle East, and the decorum, taste and fine sense of comedy values with which Benny treated this background might well serve as a model for his confreres, in the medium, The reunion of Benny with his troupe was replete with the old, skilled touches of fast jibe and barb. The material was fresh, crisp and scintillating. Benny's regular line-flinging henchfolk were all alertly on the mark. The special complement of bit contributors added much to the laugh, din and Dennis Day was in exceptionally fine voice. In brief, it was grade AA Benny radio fare.
The Benny format itself is not altered in the slightest. The same applies to the characteristics and quirks of the No. 1 man and his menage, which, like the past several seasons, consists of Mary Livingstone, Rochester (Eddie Anderson), Don Wilson and Day. The production was tip-top.Odec
October 12, 1943
Hollywood—Raoul Walsh draws the director assignment on the next Jack Benny starrer at Warners, a comedy titled “The Horn Blows At Midnight.”
Picture is slated to start Nov. 10 with a heavy budget.
Wini Shaw Backs Benny On Overseas Pix Beef
Springfield, Mass.—Jack Benny’s comments on the age and condition of the films being shown to American soldiers overseas are “100% correct,” Wini Shaw told interviewers here this week. First American girl to enter the Italian mainland and to perform for the service men there, the songstress said that some of the pictures were in disgraceful condition.
About Benny himself and the way he trouped she had high praise. “He never pulled his rank on us,” she commented. “The boys loved him. The pity is that more of them couldn’t have seen him. That’s why more performers have got to get over there and keep those boys entertained.”
October 13, 1943
Professional Pique
While boys at overseas bases are getting recordings of top radio programs, there aren’t enough to go around, Jack Benny told 75 radio newspapermen and others from the radio trade at a luncheon tossed by NBC at the 21 Club, N. Y., last week (13). Benny says it’s one phase of entertainment that requires looking into if the boys’ morale is to be kept up.
Judging from recordings he heard, Benny averred, “you’d think there’s only one comedian in America, Ferd Allen. Morning, noon and night they get recordings of Allen, which kept me in a Palermo hospital five days instead of three.”
October 20, 1943
Benny’s End As an Actor and Switch To Exec Chores Will Come With Peace
By GEORGE ROSEN
Comes the peace and Jack Benny plans to give up his career as a film and radio comedian and channel his energies into some other equally creative phase of the film industry. That, says Benny, would, probably embrace assuming either production or directorial reins or stepping into, some administrative-executive post, where, he feels, he could do as effective a job and derive the same measure of satisfaction as being one of the top stars in the world of entertainment. But before he chucks acting, Benny is anxious to get a crack at a play on Broadway. He's cherished the ambition for a long time; he wants the feel of a live audience that's been lacking since his hey-day in vaudeville, and as such has a furtive eye cast in search of the right script. His bow on Broadway in legiter, says Benny, will probably be his swan song as an actor.
His own film production unit, which Benny has been contemplating seriously for the past year, now appears off for the duration. Because of the manifold uncertainties while there’s a war on, Benny feels that setting up his own production outfit at this time would be unwise.
The trip abroad for USO-Camp Shows entertaining Yank, British and Aussie troops on the battlefronts convinced the comedian that he could serve best by continuing his radio program and pictures for the duration. You can't appreciate, avers Benny, just how important those transcriptions of radio comedy shows are in the overall morale picture on the scattered war fronts. There’s nothing vain, he maintains, in acknowledging that a Benny show shipped to the boys via recording serves as a tremendous hypo. He himself didn’t realize this its true value until, accompanied by Larry Adler, Wini Shaw and Anna Lee, he showed up in person. That’s why Benny, since his return, has been putting such emphasis on the importance of the other comedians going over.
That trip, Benny made it perfectly clear, proved as beneficial to him as it did to the fighting boys, since it’s helped to change his entire perspective. Traditionally a worrisome guy who constantly carried on his shoulders the ominous weight of next Sunday’s broadcast, Benny has now relegated to the background those personal problems since they stack up as picayune in comparison to what’s going on over there. Not that Benny still isn’t interested in having click programs, but somehow it doesn’t loom so momentous now.
October 27, 1943
Hollywood—Jack Benny was indicated into the WACs as “honorary recruiting officer” in appreciation of his recent tour of entertainment overseas.
November 1, 1943
Benny Won’t Be Caught With His Gags Down
Jack Benny’s radio writers checked in with the comedian at Warner Bros. over the weekend to remain until he completes his acting chore in “The Horn Blows at Midnight.” Writers take up half of Benny’s dressing room. Hollywood Reporter
November 2, 1943
Lew Lehr and others of the switch-masters will work on the gags sent in by Jack Benny during WJZ’s “Awake the Switch,” Tuesday evening [2] at 7:05. (Note: Jack was also advertised as appearing on Burns and Allen that evening).
November 3, 1943
ELGIN'S THANKSGIVING TALENT TO COST 30G
Elgin will spend around $30,000 in talent for its two-hour show on CBS Thanksgiving afternoon (4-6). The cast to date consists of Robert Young, m.c.; Jack Benny, Dinah Shore, Jack Douglas, Edgar Bergen, Alvino Rey, Lena Horne, Jose Iturbi, Danny O'Neill, Burns and Allen, Jimmy Newell, the Pied Pipers and Don Wilson.
The program will probably be short waved to men in the armed services through arrangement made with the War Department.
November 10, 1943
GF WON'T LET BENNY DO THANKSGIVING SHOW
General Foods has refused to grant Jack Benny permission to appear on Elgin Watch's two-hour Thanksgiving Day show over CBS. As the result of this snag, the J. Walter Thompson agency has switched Ed Gardner from Elgin’s Christmas Day lineup to the Nov. 25 event.
Another change due to the Benny turndown is that of the Thanksgiving. Day announcer. Don Wilson has been replaced by Ken Carpenter.
'Soldiers in Greasepaint' Airer on Turkey Day Adds Many Big Names
Al Jolson, Jane Froman, Judith Anderson, Ray Bolger, Little Jack Little, Jascha Heifetz, Pat O'Brien, Adolphe Menjou, John Garfield and Jinx Falkenburg have been added to the special' 'Soldiers in Greasepaint' 45-minute program to be broadcast domestically and shortwaved by NBC Thanksgiving Day (25) as tribute to performers who have toured U. S. bases. Jack Benny and Bob Hope had been previously set as m.c.s of the show, sponsored jointly by NBC and USO Camp Shows, Inc.
Plus the originations from Hollywood. New York and Washington, program will pick up such overseas points as London, Honolulu, North Africa and Panama, where American performers will be entertaining U.S. servicemen on that dale.
Others scheduled to broadcast are Andy Devine, Jim Burke, Kay Francis, Carole Landis, Martha Raye and Frances Langford.
November 9, 1943
Don Lee Lands Benny Repeat
Hollywood—Jack Benny's Sunday shows are now being rebroadcast over the Don Lee network via transcription. Lewis Allen Weiss, boss of the chain, completed the negotiations, after Young & Rubicam had effected a clearance for the music with James Petrillo, prez of American Federation of Musicians. Blue, net carried the waxed repeat last year until Petrillo stepped in and ordered all canned music off the networks.
Under the arrangement with AFM, agency agreed to a payment of $36 per man and double pay for the leader (Phil Harris). Members of American Federation of Radio Artists, aside, from the principals, are paid $26 for the repeat, on which they spin but do not toil.
Blue made a strong pitch to retrieve the program, but the earliest night time they could clear along the Coast was 9:30, which was held to be too late. Don Lee's offer of 8:30 to 9 was acceptable to all parties and a deal was struck. Last year Benny rated a 27 Crossley on the Blue rebroadcast, approaching his 4 p.m. audience on the Coast.
Another plan to put the full Benny half-hour transcriptions, on the Keystone Broadcasting System is in the works. Object is to reach the hinterlands not covered by networks. Keystone is now carrying a series of one-minute spots for G. F. featuring Benny and Rochester for Grape Nuts; plus minute spots for Wheat-Meal and Grape-Nuts Flakes through Young & Rubicam, and minute spots for Bran Flakes through Benton & Bowles.
NBC Opposed Idea
NBC's efforts to keep the off-the-line recordings, from going to the Blue or Don Lee caused much bitterness within the Young & Rubicam agency. NBC went over the head of the agency to General Foods and offered to place, the recordings on individual NBC Coast outlets for repeat purposes, but the agency held but for the use of a second regional link and it's recommendation was upheld by the account.
November 10, 1943
Jack Benny, in describing his recent tour of Africa and Sicily, referred to the speed at which travel now is possible. “I had breakfast in Accra, dinner in Cairo and dysentery in Palestine—all in one day.” (Leonard Lyons column)
November 21, 1943
FORMER CAMPUS student actor and playwright, Cy Howard, a script writer for Jack Benny, will play one of the lead roles in Maxwell Anderson’s “Storm Operations.” Anderson went overseas to obtain material for the play, named after the code word used to designate operations of the Sicilian invasion. Howard will continue to write for Benny on a part-time basis (Stirling Sorenson, Capital Times). Note: Howard never wrote for Benny again.
November 16, 1943
Agencies Watch Don Lee Repeat
Hollywood—Agencies, especially those with shows airing in early evening from here for the east, are keeping close tabs on the Jack Benny transcribed repeat over the Don Lee network at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday nights. Several shows are reported ready to follow the lead of General Foods in rebroadcasting via wax despite earlier coverage of the Coast.
Crossley ratings attained on the Don Lee net by Benny will be closely scanned and will serve as a barometer for the others interested, in such, a move. Reason for the General Foods repeat is that the earlier Crossley failed to approximate halt of the eastern rating. Breakdown of an average Crossley for Benny last season was 40 for the east and midwest, against 18 for the Coast on the 4 p.m. time. Before James C. Petrillo stepped in and called a halt to canned music on the chains, Benny hit a high Crossley of 27 on the Coast Blue with the late night repeat, averaging off with a 22.
It was not without a fight that 'Lewis Allen Weiss, head of the Don Lee network, grabbed, off one of the most sought-after shows in radio-Blue network made a strong pitch, but lost out because it couldn't clear the network before 9:30 p.m. NBC also tried to hold the repeat on its skein through the process of having each. Coast affiliate take the program off the line at 4 p.m. and play it back later at night. Inability to clear Portland and make available an early time than 9:30 killed off NBC's chances. CBS showed no interest in the proceedings.
Odd angle to the waxed rebroadcast, first under the new ruling by American Federation of Musicians, is that members of Phil Harris' band are paid $36 per man for the recording, whereas they would be paid only $12 per man for a live repeat. Actors are paid $26 for the rebroadcast.
November 17, 1943
Hollywood.—Sam Perrin back writing for Jack Benny after nine years. He moved in when Cy Howard moved out to play a comedy part in Maxwell Anderson’s “Storm Operations” on Broadway.
November 21, 1943
Hollywood—Ed Beloin shook himself loose from his picture writing chores to do the Mr. Billingsley character on the Jack Benny show last Sunday [21]. Beloin quit Benny when Bill Morrow was drawn into the Army.
November 23, 1943
NEW FOLIO RELEASED FOR SOLDIER SHOWS
Washington—Latest folio (No. 9) issued by the Entertainment Section of the Army Special Services, for the use of men overseas and in training camps in the U. S., includes five specially written scripts. They are ‘First Cousins,' by Corp. Kurt Kasznar; a triple bill of three short sketches including 'A La Carte," by Max Liebman; 'Havoc on the Assembly Line,' by Fred Allen, and 'The Strange Face of Tom Hickory,’ by Arthur Pierson; and "Horses," by William K. Wells.
Other material in the folio includes scripts from the 'Fibber McGee and Molly," Kay Kyser, “What's My Name," Jack Benny, “Duffy’s” and Fred Allen programs, and Thanksgiving and Christmas shows. The material was collected by the Committee on Scripts for Soldier and Sailor Shows of the Writers War Board, for approval and distribution by the Army Special Services.
November 24, 1943
Allen Unable to Line Up Air Talent for Coast Start, So Film Delayed
Although skedded to go into production next month, the Fred Allen picture, under his one-film deal with Jack Skirball, is off until next summer. As a result, Allen's radio show for Texaco, which starts Dec. 12; will originate from New York instead of from the Coast as originally planned.
Inability of Allen to line up all of his radio show talent on the Coast prompted the decision to move it to N. Y. and put off the picture, until next July. Meanwhile, the question whether Minerva Pious returns to the Allen program or continues with the Jack Benny show is still to be settled.
Allen gels into N. Y. this week from the Coast with Skirball due in next week. Through the winter they'll complete work on the film script, with Allen returning to the Coast when his air show winds up in June for a vacation.
November 29, 1943
Warner Bros. has exercised its option on Dolores Moran, blonde young beauty who makes her acting bow with Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins in “Old Acquaintance.” She starts work with Jack Benny and Alexis Smith this week in “The Horn Blows at Midnight.” (Bergen Evening Herald)
November 30, 1943
Allen's Alley Loses Three of Its Tenants
Hollywood—Fred Allen will be shy three of his 'Allen's Alley' characters when he resumes Dec. 12 for Texaco from New York. Minerva Pious and John Brown have been smitten by the California sunshine and are remaining on the Jack Benny program. Charlie Cantor also is continuing with 'Duffy's' Tavern' and won't be east until Dec. 28. (Note: the Alley that evening included Everett Sloan as Mr. Hollister, Betty Walker as the replacement for Mrs. Nussbaum, 1930’s cast member Jack Smart as Samson Souse, and Alan Reed as
December 1, 1943
A & C Now Among Top 10 Shows
Abbott and Costello, who returned to the air several weeks ago for Camel cigaret, joined the top 10 programs in popularity, with a Cooperative Analysis of Broadcasting rating of 26.0. The CAB report, the second of the 1943-44 winter season, was the first since the comedy team had resumed its series for the tobacco account.
The top-ranking show, according to the CAB survey, is “Fibber McGee and Molly," with a rating of 39.9. Following, in order of popularity, are Bob Hope, Lux “Theatre,” Edgar Bergen, Jack Benny, Fanny Brice-Frank Morgan, “Aldrich Family,” Red Skelton, Joan Davis-Jack Haley, Abbott and Costello. The list at this time last year was “Fibber” (with a rating of 40.8), Benny, Bergen, Hope, Lux, Aldrich, Bing Crosby, Brice-Morgan, Kay Kyser, Skelton.
December 8, 1943
Jack Benny has written series of 32 articles, sort of letters to families of American soldiers in the Medittereanean [sic] area. King Features is releasing.
December 5, 1943
Christmas flavoring to commercial and sustaining air shows on all stations throughout the country next week will be climaxed as usual with special religious, servicemen's and feature, programs on major networks Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Sunday (26). . . .
Another CBS holiday offering will be the Xmas afternoon Elgin variety show (4 to 6) with Bing Crosby, Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Judy Garland, Lena Horne and other Stars; Henry Busse's orch and Robert Young, m.c, also will be heard.
December 14, 1943
Hollywood.—Epidemic of flu, laryngitis and kindred ailments during the last week cost Hollywood plenty in delayed production, not counting the numerous hospital bills. In some cases the casualties were so numerous that shooting stopped completely. . . .Jack Benny’s laryngitis and Dolores Moran’s influenza cost two days on “The Horn Blows at Midnight.”
December 21, 1943
Hollywood—Film personalities who have entertained troops in the North African sector are collaborating on a ‘Command Performance’ transcription to be sent overseas soon at the request of Gen. Dwight Eisenhower through the Hollywood Victory Committee.
On the waxed program are Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Frances Langford, Tony Romano, Ann Lee, Kay Francis, Martha Raye, Carol Landis and Mitzi Mayfair.
December 22, 1943
Hope Now First In Hooper Ratings
The Fibber McGee program maintained its 32.4 rating in the Dec. 15 Hooper analysis, but dropped into second place as Bob Hope marked up 33.1 to lead the commercial parade. Hope's last rating was 31.2. Jack Benny jumped from sixth to fourth place in the current listing, climbing over “Lux Radio Theatre” and the “Aldrich Family,” who topped him in the previous chart. The Edgar Bergen-Charlie McCarthy show remained in the third spot with a 29.5 rate as against a November figure of 29.2.
Hooper ratings revealed a figure of 31.7 for “sets in use,” representing an increase of almost 5% over the Nov. 20 figure. Average rating is up 3% from last report. The first 10 shows for the period, Dec. 1 to 7, were:
Bob Hope 33.1
Fibber McGee 32.4
Charlie McCarthy 29.5
Jack Benny 26.7
Radio Theatre 26.2
Aldrich Family 24.1
Mr. D. A 23.7
Morgan-Brice 23.2
*Eddie Cantor 22.2
*Winchell 22.2
Bing Crosby 21.7
*—tied for 9th.
Franz Waxman writing an original score for 'The Horn Blows at Midnight," Jack Benny picture at Warners.
Now, a bonus. Below, you can hear the USO show in Cairo rebroadcast in the U.S. The NBC announcer at the start and finish sounds like Ed Herlihy.
