For the millions (including me, actually) who never heard Jack Benny’s radio program when it was broadcast live….
JACK BENNY ENTERTAINS ON THE RADIO (“LIVE” VIDEO)
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Holy Smoke, Dan! I can remember listening to Jack Benny and all the rest of the Golden Era shows on radio as a kid. My mother would also take me downtown to be in the audience of Chicago’s big network radio shows in the 40s and 50s. I think that’s where I caught the radio bug.
My favorite bit of all time by himself. Robber says “Your money or yor lie”. Benny stres at him. Robber says “Didn’t you hear me, Yoiur money or your life!”. Benny puts his chin in hand and looks at crowd, back at robber. “I’m THINKING! I’M THINKING!”. Great post, Dan.
@Frank: Actually, it’s amazing how many people think that was Benny’s response.
What Benny actually said was, “I’m thinking!” But the pause that preceded it was so long and the line was delivered with such emphasis that, more often than not, people report it as you did: “I’m thinking! I’m thinking!”
I am an HUGE fan of Jack Benny. To me, there would be no Friends, if there had been no Jack Benny. Why? Character jokes. Jokes that are only funny because THAT character delivers the line. From what I’ve read, Jack Benny was the first to create that style of ’sit com’. And as I listen now, I can’t think of one show (and I’ve listened to a LOT) where I didn’t laugh my butt off.
That lesson, about character driven humor, is a good one for radio. I don’t believe we need to play people we’re not, but I know I’m hearing a good show when I laugh at a line and (because I’m a radio guy so I analyze it) I think, “If the host had said that, it wouldn’t have been funny.”
Know your role.
It also works with non-funny stuff…if I react to it, I often think, “Would I have felt the same way if XX had said it…would I have believed it?” Again, I do NOT believe in being someone you’re not…I think it sounds insincere and it’s too hard to remember all the details. But I do think it’s worth throwing stuff thru the ‘character filter’ to see if you would or wouldn’t say it is a good idea before you let it get out your mouth.