Jack Benny Buys A Watch

[MindSweep43]

Truly funny to the core.

[1Legendsrule]

I'm 16, and my parents and other family members were lucky enough to raise me on good music and shows like this!

[twoslices]

Back in the day when comedians were funny.unlike "alternative" so called comedians that rely on profanity and sex to get cheap laughs.

[gokinsmen]

Jack Benny was Larry David before Larry David. With a few tweaks, this scene could be right out of Curb.

[Judge554]

love the way jack opts for a $12 cheapo instead of a $140 watch

[unbridledenthusiasm]

You're breathing on my carnation

[jairoller4life]

1:07 is what youre looking for

[rocksoliddude1]

every time he says yes the audience laugh before he finishes saying it

[azden64]

Jack Benny was comedy at it's finest. The old radio shows are supreme. Even my 15 year old daughter has them loaded on her IPOD.

[singhdaddyF]

You know,, Jack Benny can also not say anything at all and just show that face of his,,, it would be still hilarious,,,,, and Frank Nelson's trademark,,, YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS,­,,,,,, good God how funny it is,,, so much genius....

[Antagoinist89]

I'm pretty lucky to know who these people are. It's a good thing my stepfather recorded classic sitcoms with Frank Nelson, Bob Hope, Luillce Ball, and Bing Crosby. Ah. But you know it's true kids nowaday should understand that today's show had some influence from shows like this. Why do you think Family Guy had sooo many references and also the Simpsons ( The Yes Guy).

[superdavid002]

I mention Benny in the Celebrity Song.

[giberish9]

I gotta go to Forest Park more often.

[KDevine53]

was that ann morgan guilbert?

[mdumas43073]

The gag of Jack breaking the "unbreakable" watch with the hammer was used in a radio episode, too. For some reason it's much funnier that way, when you can't see it.

[noqualms1960]

Happy 39th Birthday, Mr. Benny! Still miss you after all these years!

[thebassetthound]

Ah Frank Nelson....Yeeeessssss!!!!

[789trebor]

@dabble778

Good point about Seinfeld!

[789trebor]

It's amazing how Jack Benny, the star of the show gave most of the funniest lines to the rest of the cast. I don't think any comedian today would ever do that!

[kyokogodai]

Yep, Jack always played the "straight" man. The best one, EVER!

[dabble778]

@789trebor

Seinfeld did, but I think that was before he became a decent actor and the funniest stuff was better done by Jason, Julia & Michael, but yes Jack was generous, you are right :-)

[dale1966gto]

benny used the part of the ''straight man'' as his comedy. he was the perfect straight man.

and that silent look he would give the audience as he looked over his shoulder. classic.

[icydecafe]

It's a darn shame that you can ask most people "have you ever heard of Jack Benny" and their reply will most often be "no". His radio show was two and a half decades of comedy genius. Easily the best comedy show of all time. His television show wasn't half bad either, but then again, television as a medium is inferior to radio anyway (when it comes to comedy). Fred Allen said it best "Television is a medium because anything well done is rare."

But anyway, Jack has the best material ever.

[Astraldragon1]

@icydecafe Your right most people today most likely never heared of Jack Benny, or Lucille Ball , Bob Hope, Geroge Burns ect ect....but they were all great in their day...but any one born with in the last 20 yrs or so probably hasn't heared of them. Since all those legends have since passed away.

[NucoRose]

@Astraldragon1 There are still some (very few) of us (born 1992) who recognize the legends of the 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s and 90s. The 21st century is nothing - bad hip hop music, no talent actors, and comedians who think that awkward moments are hilarious no matter the deliver (with a few exceptions). But you have a point because when I mentioned Jerry Lewis to a group of about 8 friends, only one had simply heard of that name

[freebird3581]

I'm pretty certain that the woman working counter is the voice of Rocky the Flying Squirrel from "The Bullwinkle Show"

[bobbybluz1]

her name was June Foray

[RRaquello]

but this isn't June Foray.

[dabble778]

Hilarious :-) And the "Yessss" guy (Frank Nelson) was the model for the guy on the SImpsons, right?

[BTLemming]

Yes, indeed. I've loved Jack Benny since I was a kid, and the first time they did the Frank Nelson thing on The Simpsons, I was the only guy in the room who laughed.

[dabble778]

And I am guessing the Little Britain character with the same catch phrase was borrowed from Frank Nelson's :-)

[palehorse864]

@dabble778

A-yeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssssss­ssssss!

[dabble778]

@palehorse864

Thanks. This clip cheered me up no end. BTW I think Kevin Spacey could play Jack Benny in a movie about the great comedian. Might try to Twitter him now :-)

[hillbilly0737]

my favorite Frank nelson sene is on sanford and son.he is a pilot going to hawaii,fred taps him on the shoulder and he ses aayeeees!"how long does it take to get to hawaii;"i dont know weve never made it"

[cjjaxxon]

Yep! I was about to mention I used to see him on Sanford and Son. I think Redd Foxx and Clemont Little may have tried not to laugh on a show before when he appeared.

[ziggytim]

i'm going to start calling people lotus blossom and admonish them for breathing on my carnation now.

[aikitochan]

Haha! "You're breathing on my carnation!"

[ElfDude2112]

Frank Nelson!!! Yeeesssss?

[fromthesidelines]

Jack started out in radio fronting a variety program, 'bill'. Over the years, it evolved into a hybrid of comedy/variety and a "backstage" tier that featured a "fictional" version of Jack and his cast trying to stage a variety show, occasionally spotlighting Jack's "home life". The beauty of Jack's program was that he and his writers could weave BOTH elements into the same program, and could switch back and forth whenever they wanted to. Most of his filmed TV shows did have a "sitcom" flavor.

[billpeterson5150]

these ones to me are i think what are the pre-cursor to Seinfeld-there were 2 types of Jack Benny Shows,one type was the comedy/variety type, and one type was the 30 minute sitcom,where Jack played a fictionalized character of himself, which is exactly what Jerry Seinfeld did-these were my favorites, the sitcom-type ones,with him and Mary and Dennis and Don and Rochester-remember they had dinner with Robert Montgomery I think it was all the time? the running jokes, Mary at the May company

[fromthesidelines]

That's Maxine Semon as a sales clerk. She made occasional appearances on TV over the years...

[DAVIDINTEL]

Thanks, I love knowing who the other people are in scenes. Back then even small parts featured characters that had wonderful talent!