Jack Benny Biography (1894-1974)

Born Benjamin Kubelsky, February 14, 1894, in Waukegan, IL; died of pancreatic cancer, December 26, 1974, in Beverly Hills, CA; son of Meyer and Emma (Sachs) Kubelsky; married Mary Livingstone (an actress; original name, Sadie Marks), January 25, 1927; children: Joan Naomi (a writer).

Nationality: American
Gender: Male
Birth Details: February 14, 1894; Waukegan, Illinois, United States
Death Details: December 26, 1974; Beverly Hills, California, United States

Famous Works

Credits; Radio Appearances
The Jack Benny Program, NBC, 1932-48, then CBS, 1948-55.
Truth or Consequences, NBC, 1947-48.
Credits; Television Appearances; Series
The Jack Benny Program (also known as The Jack Benny Show), CBS, 1950-64,then NBC, 1964-65.
Credits; Television Appearances; Specials
The General Foods Anniversary Show, 1954.
The Jack Benny Hour, CBS, 1959.
Jack Benny with Guest Stars, CBS, 1959.
The Jack Benny Hour, CBS, 1960.
Chicken Farnsworth, The Slowest Gun in the West, CBS, 1960.
The Jack Benny Hour, CBS, 1963.
The Jack Benny Special, NBC, 1965.
The Jack Benny Special, NBC, 1968.
Jack Benny's Birthday Special, NBC, 1969.
Jack Benny's New Look, NBC, 1969.
"The Friars Club 'Roasts' Jack Benny," The Kraft Music Hall, NBC, 1969.
The Bob Hope Show, NBC, 1970.
Host, Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary TV Special, NBC, 1970.
City vs. Country, 1971.
The Bob Hope Show, NBC, 1971.
Host, Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Jack Benny and Were Afraid to Ask, NBC, 1971.
How to Handle a Woman, NBC, 1972.
A Show Business Salute to Milton Berle, NBC, 1973.
The Bob Hope Show, NBC, 1973.
Host, Jack Benny's First Farewell Show, NBC, 1973.
Annie and the Hoods, ABC, 1974.
Host, Jack Benny's Second Farewell Show, NBC, 1974.
Performer in archival footage, Swing Out, Sweet Land, NBC, 1976.
Performer in archival footage, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: 23rd Anniversary, NBC, 1985.
Performer in archival footage, Entertaining the Troops, PBS, 1988.
Performer in archival footage, Going Hollywood: The War Years, 1988.
Performer in archival footage, The Television Academy Hall of Fame (alsoknown as The 5th Annual Television Academy Hall of Fame), Fox, 1989.
Performer in archival footage, More of the Best of the Hollywood Palace,ABC, 1993.
Performer in archival footage, The Unknown Marx Brothers (documentary), 1993.
Performer in archival footage, Kelsey Grammer Salutes Jack Benny, NBC, 1995.
Also hosted The Academy Awards.
Credits; Television Appearances; Episodic
The Burns and Allen Show (also known as The George Burns and Gracie AllenShow), CBS, 1950.
"Gracie Not Married to George?," The Burns and Allen Show (also known asThe George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, CBS, 1953.
Private Secretary, CBS, 1953.
"The Horn Blows at Midnight," Omnibus, CBS, 1953.
"The Face Is Familiar," General Electric Theater (also known as G.E. Theater), CBS, 1954.
"Burlesque," Shower of Stars, CBS, 1955.
"The House Always Wins," Four Star Playhouse, CBS, 1955.
"Time Out for Ginger," Shower of Stars, CBS, 1955.
"Ronnie Gets an Agent," The Burns and Allen Show (also known as The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show), CBS, 1956.

"The Honest Man," General Electric Theater (also known as G.E. Theater),CBS, 1956.
"The Louella Parsons Story," Climax, CBS, 1956.
"The Flattering Word," Shower of Stars, CBS, 1956.
"The Fenton Touch," General Electric Theater (also known as G.E. Theater), CBS, 1957.
"The Home Graduation," The Burns and Allen Show (also known as The GeorgeBurns and Gracie Allen Show), CBS, 1957.
"Lose Me in Las Vegas," The Danny Thomas Show, CBS, 1957.
"Bentley the Homemaker," Bachelor Father, CBS, 1958.
"Jack Benny Takes Danny's Job," The Danny Thomas Show, CBS, 1958.
"That Old Devil, Jack Benny," The Danny Thomas Show, CBS, 1960.
"A Funny Thing Happened to Me on the Way to the Game," Checkmate, CBS, 1962.
"Lucy and the Plumber," The Lucy Show, CBS, 1964.
"Have Girls--Will Travel," Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theater, NBC, 1964.
"Lucy Gets Jack Benny's Account," The Lucy Show, CBS, 1967.
"Lucy Visits Jack Benny," Here's Lucy, CBS, 1968.
"Lucy and Jack Benny's Biography," Here's Lucy, CBS, 1970.
"Lucy the Crusader," Here's Lucy, CBS, 1971.
"Lucy and the Celebrities," Here's Lucy, CBS, 1971.
Also appeared in The Kraft Music Hall (also known as The Milton Berle Show), NBC.
Credits; Film Appearances
Himself, The Song Writers' Revue, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1929.
Emcee, The Hollywood Revue of 1929 (also known as Hollywood Revue), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1929.
Eddie, Chasing Rainbows (also known as Road Show), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1930.
Dr. John Harvey, The Medicine Man, Tiffany, 1930.
Himself, Mr. Broadway, Broadway-Holiday Productions, 1933.
Chad Denby, Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round, United Artists, 1934.
Calvin Churchill, It's in the Air, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1935.
Berk Keeler, Broadway Melody of 1936 (also known as Broadway Melody of 1935), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1935.
Jack Carson, The Big Broadcast of 1937, Paramount, 1936.
J. Davis Bowster, College Holiday, Paramount, 1936.
Mac Brewster, Artists and Models, Paramount, 1937.
Buck Boswell, Artists and Models Abroad (also known as Stranded in Paris), Paramount, 1938.
Bob Temple, Man about Town, Paramount, 1939.
Himself, Love Thy Neighbor, Paramount, 1940.
Buck Benny, Buck Benny Rides Again, Paramount, 1940.
Babbs Babberly and Lord Fancourt, Charley's Aunt (also known as Charley'sAmerican Aunt), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1941.
Josef Tura, To Be or Not to Be, United Artists, 1942.
Bill Fuller, George Washington Slept Here, Warner Bros., 1942.
Richard Clark, The Meanest Man in the World, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1943.
Hollywood Canteen, Warner Bros., 1944.
Himself, It's in the Bag! (also known as The Fifth Chair), United Artists, 1945.
Athanael, The Horn Blows at Midnight, Warner Bros., 1945.
Himself, Without Reservations (also known as Thanks God, I'll Take It from Here), RKO, 1946.
Himself, The Great Lover, Paramount, 1949.
Himself, Somebody Loves Me, Paramount, 1952.
Himself, Susan Slept Here, RKO, 1954.
Himself, Beau James, Paramount, 1957.
Himself, Gypsy, Warner Bros., 1962.
Man on road, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, United Artists, 1963.
A Guide for the Married Man, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1967.
Himself, The Man, Paramount, 1972.
Performer in archival footage and performer of song "Singing in the Rain," That's Entertainment! Part III (also known as That's Entertainment! III), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1994.
Credits; Film Appearances; Short Films
Himself, Taxi Tangle, Paramount, 1931.
Himself, Cab Waiting, Paramount, 1931.
Himself, A Broadway Romeo, Paramount, 1931.
Himself, Show Business at War (documentary; also known as The March of Time, Volume IX, Issue 10), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1943.
Voice characterization, The Mouse that Jack Built (animated), Warner Bros., 1959.
Credits; Film Work
Producer, The Lucky Stiff, United Artists, 1949.
Technical advisor, A Guide for the Married Man, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1967.
Credits; Stage Appearances
Jack Benny, London Palladium, London, England, 1948.
Jack Benny, Ziegfeld Theatre, New York City, 1963.
Also appeared in other productions, including The Great Temptations, Palace Theatre, New York City; also worked a violinist in vaudeville productions.
Credits; Videos
The Jack Benny Collection, MCA/Universal Home Video, 1994.
Writings;Nonfiction
(With Joan Benny) Sunday Nights at Seven: The Jack Benny Story, Warner Books (New York City), 1990.

Further Reference

Periodicals:

Billboard, May 14, 1994, p. 78.
Entertainment Weekly, May 13, 1994, p. 62.
History Today, September, 1996, pp. 46-52.
Variety, December 16, 1996, p. 52.

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