Web Site: Research

RESEARCH

"The Jack Benny Show" original broadcast tapes 1932-1952

NBC Program Analysis sheets, courtesy of the Library of Congress. Special thanks to Samuel Brylawski of the Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division (one of the NBC program analysis cards is pictured below).

The Jack Benny personal papers collection at the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming. Special thanks to Emmett D. Chisum, Research Historian for his help in my research in 1989 and 1990, and also big thanks to Shannon Bowen Maier for her help in 2009.

The Jack Benny Papers (collection134), Department of Special Collections, Charles E Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles (Manuscripts Division).

Hickerson, Jay. "The Jack Benny Program 1932-1955", privately published

Josefsberg, Milt." The Jack Benny Show:The Life and Times of America's Best Loved Entertainer", Arlington House, 1977

Benny, Mary Livingstone and Hilliard Marks, with Marcia Borie. "Jack Benny: A Biography". with Marcia Borie. Doubleday, 1978

Fein, Irving A. "Jack Benny: An Intimate Biography", G.P. Putnam and Sons, 1976

Dunning, John ."Tune In Yesterday: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Old Time Radio: 1925-1976", Prentice Hall, 1976

Harmon, Jim. "The Great Radio Comedians", Doubleday & Co, 1970

Benny, Jack and Joan Benny. "Sunday Nights at Seven: The Jack Benny Story" . Warner Books, 1990

Jack Benny Program Scripts, 1932-1943 from the Jack Benny Papers, and from 1944-1950, as maintained by the American Tobacco Company.

The Museum of Television and Radio, "Jack Benny: The Radio and Television Work", Harper Perennial, 1991.

The drawing of Jack Benny on the main page of this site is by Rene Bouche.

A NOTE ABOUT THE QUOTATIONS: With the exception of Don Wilson's introductions, direct quotes from The Jack Benny Program appear in italics. The quotations come directly from both the original broadcasts and the original program scripts. For cases in which the broadcast and the script differ, I have quoted from the broadcast. Stage directions, special effects, etc are as written in the scripts. In many cases in the scripts, when lines are spoken by others than the main cast, the script lists the name of the actor, rather than the character's name. For instance, when Ed The Vault Guard speaks the script credits "Kearn"; when Mabel and Gertrude speak the script credits "Bea" and "Sara". For ease of reference and clarity, in the episode logs I have credited the dialog to the character, rather than the actor.

((Below: one of the NBC Program Analysis Cards from the Library of Congress))

((For a list of our contributors, please see "Contributors" in the "Jack Benny in the 1940s Website" section"))