Jack Benny & Rochester 1959 - The Mouse That Jack Built.mpg

[MXWest1]

2:53 Hello, Rochester, where's Mr. Benny?

[fromthesidelines]

TRUE, 'Olds'. However, Jack had not practiced his violin playing since he was a boy. When he decided to perform for charity at symphonic concerts in the mid-'50s, he had to take lessons [initially from Mahlon Merrick's first violinist, Larry Kurtdje (sic)] in order to prepare himself for the more difficult classical passages. Considerng his age (he was 65 at the time this was released!), he performed very well, despite a slight stiffness in his fingers...

[OldsVistaCruiser]

For those unfamiliar with "The Jack Benny Program," if your television market has Antenna TV (usually found on a subchannel of a broadcast channel, and also on your cable system as well, but not all markets have this channel), they air Jack Benny at 3:00 and 3:30 AM as of February 2012.

[Moonstone2732]

How come Rochester's voice is so scratchy?

[OldsVistaCruiser]

@Moonstone2732 - That's the voice Eddie "Rochester" Anderson (1905-1977) actually had! According to Wikipedia, Anderson's vocal cords were damaged when he was a kid selling newspapers, trying to yell as loud as he could to gain customers' attention.

[Moonstone2732]

@OldsVistaCruiser Really? Ouch, must have been a hard time working as a kid

[goldieboylover986]

4:26

WTF???????

[goldieboylover986]

he could go anywhere for penises????

[2441883]

i... i... just dont like mouses.

[MisterReta]

they looks like gay husbands

[MisterReta]

wait a minute.... that cat.... is the cat from Alice in wonderland!!!!!

[dolphinluv2413]

That cat reminded me of Lucifer from Cinderella!

[headphone355]

This used all the cast of the "Jack Benny Program"; Jack Benny, may Livingston, Don Wilson and Eddie "Rochester" Anderson using their voices, althogh Jack makes a guest appearace at the end. Wow, what a classic!

[AEMoreira81]

This station is Rochester---last call for Rochester...YES BOSS!

[iloveadmatth]

long live jack

[MrRETEROROB]

this cartoon turned me into a huge Jack Benny fan .can anyone tell me if this cartoon is available on a dvd ?

[RealCoolCowboy]

However, being older always you to really get everything in this clip. 

[RealCoolCowboy]

So, when I was younger, I loved this cartoon. Now that I'm older, I'm honestly, a little uncomfortable about the whole Rochester thing. I know I shouldn't because he is a comedian, but that's me...

[jillsome930]

One of my all-time faves. I loved watch Warner Brothers cartoons after school and on Saturday morning.

[chumshot1]

LOL Mary and Don are totally Spot on. Well they all are, but OMG!!!

[rchookie]

That's cute!

[ACcountryFan]

After Robert McKimson, the director, had made an earlier one featuring animal caricatures of the Honeymooners cast (called The Honeymousers) the story goes that Jack Benny was in a theater and saw that particular cartoon. He then contacted Jack Warner. Jack Benny wanted a cartoon about his program and so McKimson and his unit came up with "The Mouse That Jack Built". Warner Brothers voice legend, Mel Blanc, had long been a recurring cast-member of Jack's radio and TV show.

[Dietpepsiahh]

Rochester just slays me, O love his voice!

[Gnillob802]

Cartoonists didn't need motion capture to get realistic movements, they used talent instead.

[dharmaseed]

Wow, they nailed Jack's deadpan stare! 'What do you think they'll do with the Kaiser?' LOLOL

[rzombi666]

Classic! My alltime favorite Looney Toons. Can't eat cheeses without thinking of this classic toon.

[melbea03]

one of the few times we see jack benny's vault on video

[undeadsinatra]

'Down in the cheese vault, counting out his cheese" is an earworm that I never have been ever to get rid of. TO this day, whenever I hear some one say "Where is XXX", that is what runs through my head.

[Fujiarmu]

Holy crap, this is WEIRD. Keep in mind I've heard Jack Benny's shows since I was a kid (because my father old radio shows) and this is my first time seeing this cartoon. It all seems so very surreal.

[chumshot1]

@Fujiarmu lol I started getting into the show and the radio show a couple of months ago and this is indeed WIERD but any animal versions of people are hilarious xD

[MsPandaRosa]

Cat does look rather pleased with itself, be it cartoon or real.

[WestVirginiaRebel]

"What do you think they'll do with the Kaiser?"

[LEIMALOCCA]

that was cuuuuteee!!!!!! 

[tmlinmi]

There was a dancing sequence with Jerry mouse and Frank Sinatra?

[fromthesidelines]

Originally released in April 1959. Even though Tedd Pierce wrote this, Jack scrutinized it to make sure it adhered to his radio/TV character, as well as his supporting cast. "Isaac Stern" was a famous concert violinist, who occasionally appeared on Jack's radio and TV shows, and in concert at numerous benefits with him. "Ed" (played on radio by Joseph Kearns) was the underground guard of Jack's vault who's been there for YEARS, losing all track of time {"Kaiser Wilhelm", World War I}.

[AshburnStadium]

@fromthesidelines - Great Scott! Joseph Kearns was also known for playing George Wilson in "Dennis the Menace" until his 1962 death.

[OldsVistaCruiser]

@fromthesidelines - Isaac Stern was also a good friend of Jack Benny. Benny may have been portrayed as a bad violin player, but in real life, he was actually a good violinist. The bad playing was part of the act!

[Blackjesus3]

this is such a good cartoon

[LandondeeL]

Jack and Mary asked WB only for a print of the film as payment or their services.

[hyrail73]

Glad you all enjoyed it, I had been looking for it too and found it somewhere else and had to share

[chumshot1]

LOLOLOLZ!! Omg thanx alot I've been searching for this all over the place as well!!

[skrapdiggy]

As a kid I loved that exchange about the jacket between Benny and Rochester. That and the line "down in the cheese vault counting out his cheese".

[maureenavena33]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for posting this!! i have been looking everywhere u are great!!!!

[tattoodlady71]

whoever u r THANK U FOR POSTING THIS!!! Ive been lookin for it for YEARS!! U ROCK

[bigred997]

thanks. great.



[randysinatra]

Brilliant if you're familiar with his radio & TV family. I believe this is the only time Warner Bros. used live footage in a color cartoon. Hadn't seen this for years.

[OldsVistaCruiser]

@randysinatra - No, "Rebel Rabbit" had footage of the U.S. Army coming after Bugs.

[OldsVistaCruiser]

@randysinatra - Also, I forgot "Hare Trigger" (which has two Western scenes in the club car) and "Rabbit Every Monday," where it shows Sam jumping into a hot wood-burning oven, but they show a New Year's Eve party inside!