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JACK BENNY PROGRAM, THE - Jack Goes to the Races

Air Date/Released Sunday, February 9, 1958
Station/Studio CBS / J&M Productions
Featuring Joe Besser (Solo)

Jack Benny adapted his long-running 1930s - 1950s radio show to television in 1950, with the characters and characterizations that made his show a Sunday night favorite for decades. As the TV show progressed thru the 1950s, some of the regular cast retired, e.g., Jack's real-life wife Mary 'Livingstone' Benny, and the show focused more on Jack's "on-air variety show" adventures with guest stars. Regardless, Benny's vain and cheap characterization never changed, and radio cast members Mary, Dennis Day, Phil Harris, Bob Crosby, Artie Auerbach, Sheldon Leonard and The Sportsmen Quartet continued to make guest and cameo appearances. Don Wilson, Mel Blanc and Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson were supporting mainstays throughout its run, and Jack's television program remained a quality, comedy classic until it ended in 1965.

Jack and Mary plan a trip to the Santa Anita Racetrack, with tag-along Dennis, and meet up with Jack's sponsor.

Adapting one of Benny's funniest radio shows, Joe Besser steps into a role originally played by Frank Nelson, a man who despises Jack and expresses his feeling with a series of hilarious wisecracks and insults.


Filmed May 16, 1957.

Guest star Pierre Watkin played 'Perry White' in the two Columbia Pictures SUPERMAN serials of 1948 and 1950.

Cast: Jack Benny (Himself), Mary Benny (Mary Livingstone), Eddie Anderson (Rochester Van Jones), Dennis Day (Himself), Sheldon Leonard (The Tout), Mel Blanc (Racetrack announcer), Joe Besser (Restaurant waiter), Pierre Watkin (Mr. Lewis), Andre Baruch (Commercial announcer), Grace Brown (Woman in commercial), Russ Norris (Man in commercial)

Crew: Don Weis (Director), Hilliard Marks (Producer), Sam Perrin, George Balzer, Al Gordon, Hal Goldman (Writers), Mahlon Merrick (Musical Conductor)
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