Month: May 2013

Radio’s Most Essential People Countdown #2: Jack Benny

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2) Jack Benny

Jack BennyBenny’s radio program was one of its mainstay beginning in 1932 and ending in 1955 and continuing in reruns several years thereafter, while his television career lasted another decade.

Benny was an Americann icon who set the pace for other comedians. His signature gags such as his fudging on his age (always said to be 39), playing the violin, his ego, and more than anything else, his cheapness. made for great comic fodder. Of course, in many ways, Benny’s radio persona was contrary to actual nature. His willingness to play himself as a cheap egotist actually made room for many others to play off of him, and the nature of Benny’s program allowed fellow performers such as Dennis Day, Eddie “Rochester” Anderson, Phil Harris, and Don Wilson to shine and become nationally known figures in their own right.

Benny’s gags were fodder for other comics, particularly his stinginess   In late 30s and early 40s, many radio comics were trying to add it to their own repertoire, but progressed nearly working a joke about Benny being cheap when they could.  Benny was often quite generous with guest appearance and would give life to his “cheap” characterization  with an in-performance. Benny also carried on a memorable on-air feud with fellow comedian Fred Allen for years that also became one of his hallmarks.

Benny’s influence over radio was telling in that his jump from NBC to CBS spurred other performers including his long time friends George Burns and Gracie Allen to make the jump as it became known as a talent raid. At CBS, Benny was the man their line up was built around, at NBC, the focus was on finding some way to compete for ratings with Benny. No other radio entertainer could define the strategies of two networks so well.

Benny was beloved by millions and truly respected by his own industry colleagues.  The idea of the golden age of radio without Jack Benny is almost unthinkable and clearly he belongs near the top of our list.

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EP0938: The Line Up: The Mad Bomber

William Johnstone
Someone is using high explosives to local political leaders and Ben Guthrie has to find out why

Original Air Date: June 26, 1951

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Book Review: His Last Bow

His Last Bow was once again intended to be the last Sherlock Holmes Collection by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. However, it didn’t quite turn out that way. Although he did get Holmes retired, there’d be many more adventures written of previously unchronicled cases.

This book has the fewest stories in it it of all the Holmes collections: seven in British version and eight  if you read the U.S. version. Mostly, it’s a strong collection: “The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge,” “The Red Circle,” “The Adventure of the Bruce Partington Plans,” and “The Adventure of the Devil’s Foot” are as good as any Holmes story out there. The best of these is Wisteria Lodge, there are so many great features in there: a great mystery, international intrigue  and perhaps the most clever official detective introduced in the Holmes Canon.

“The Disappearance of Lady Frances Fairfax,” and “The Adventure of the Dying Detective” are good not great stories and “His Last Bow” is one that’s enjoyable for its sentiment and patriotism far more than its cleverness or any sort of suspense.

The somewhat controversial story “Adventure of the Cardboard Box” was left out of American editions of The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes because it dealt with marital infidelities. It’s not for this reason that I didn’t enjoy the story . Holmes himself asked not to have his name mentioned in association with it because it was so simple. And perhaps, Watson (or Doyle) would have done better heed it. The problem with the story is that Holmes doesn’t do much and the focus instead becomes on a sensation and sordid crime rather than a mind of great detectives. The results are mediocre at best.

Overall, the book holds up pretty well and shows that Doyle was just as adept at writing great mysteries in the early 1910s as he had been in the 1880s and 1890s which is why he’d find himself writing several more Holmes adventures in the 1920s.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0

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EP0937: Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Alvin Summers Matter, Part 5 and Call For a Columnist

Bob Bailey
In Call for a Columnist, Part Three: Johnny Lane naps for three days thanks to his “bodyguard’s” efforts and finds himself in even more danger when he returns to civilization.

Air Date: 1958

One false move and Johnny Dollar dies.

Original Air Date: October 28, 1955

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EP0936: Sherlock Holmes: The Norwood Builder

John Gielgud

A young lawyer meets a wealthy man who asks him draft willing leaving him everything. The next day, the lawyer finds himself accused of murder and turns to Sherlock Holmes.

Original Air Date: February 20, 1955

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EP0935: Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Alvin Summers Matters, Part Three and Four

Bob Bailey

The murder of a bellhop escalates the case as Johnny has doubts about the beautiful woman who has been seeking his attention.

Original Air Dates: October 26 and 27, 1955

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