Benny, Jack

Benny, Jack
(1894-1974)
   Comedian Jack Benny was born Benjamin Kubelsky to a Russian immigrant father and Lithuanian mother in Chicago. He began his career in vaudeville at the age of 18 as Ben K. Benny. During World War I, Benny served in the navy and perfected his comedy routine performing to naval audiences. After the war, he took the name Jack and presented himself as a “monologist.” In 1926 Benny performed on Broadway in the musical revue The Great Temptations, and his success led to a film contract with Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) film studios. After appearing in a number of films, including Hollywood Revue of 1929 (1929), Chasing Rainbows (1930), and The Medicine Man (1930), Benny returned to the stage to do a musical revue. This led to a radio performance and the beginning of a radio show that ran from 1932 until 1955. More than a series of jokes, Benny’s program involved a narrative of regular characters, most notably “Rochester,” played by Eddie Anderson. Benny continued to appear in movies, most famously To Be or Not to Be (1942). Others included George Washington Slept Here (1942), The Meanest Man in the World (1943), and The Horn Blows at Midnight (1945). In 1948, Benny switched from NBC to CBS, and his radio program ran on the CBS network until 1955 when it transferred to television. After a slow start, the television program established itself and ran until 1965. Benny continued to appear in nightclub shows and gave “musical” performances with his violin for charitable causes almost until his death.
   See also Cinema.

Historical Dictionary of the Roosevelt–Truman Era . . 2015.

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  • BENNY, JACK — (formerly Benny Kubelsky; 1894–1974), U.S. vaudeville, film, radio, and television entertainer. Benny won virtually every award in the entertainment industry, including an Emmy as television s outstanding comedian. Benny portrayed an unyielding… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Benny, Jack — orig. Benjamin Kubelsky born Feb. 14, 1894, Chicago, Ill., U.S. died Dec. 27, 1974, Beverly Hills, Calif. U.S. comedian. He took up the violin as a boy and played it in vaudeville from 1912. After discovering a talent for comedy while in the navy …   Universalium

  • Benny, Jack — orig. Benjamin Kubelsky (14 feb. 1894, Chicago, Ill., EE.UU.–27 dic. 1974, Beverly Hills, Cal.). Comediante estadounidense. Durante su infancia comenzó a estudiar el violín y, en 1912, se inició en el vodevil como instrumentista. Después de… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Benny,Jack — Ben·ny (bĕnʹē), Jack. Originally Benjamin Kubelsky. 1894 1974. American comedian known for his delayed comic delivery and for his shows on radio (1932 1955) and television (1950 1965), which featured sketches based on his fictitious miserliness,… …   Universalium

  • Benny, Jack (Kublesky, Benjamin) — (1894 1974)    American comedian. Born in Waukegan, Illinois, he studied violin and entered vaudeville. His first film appearance took place in 1929, but he gained success on radio and later on television …   Dictionary of Jewish Biography

  • Jack Benny — Jack Benny, 1958 Nombre real Benjamin Kubelsky Nacimiento 14 de febrero de 1894 …   Wikipedia Español

  • Jack y su gran show de música — es un programa de televisión para niños que está siendo emitido en la cadena de televisión Nick Jr. La serie se estrenó en la misma red (llamada Noggin) el 12 de septiembre de 2005. Jack y su gran show de música fue nominado para un Premio Emmy… …   Wikipedia Español

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  • Jack Benny — Infobox Radio Presenter name = Jack Benny imagesize = caption = 1942 portrait photograph of Jack Benny. birthname = Benjamin Kubelsky birthdate = birth date|1894|2|14|mf=y birthplace = Waukegan, Illinois deathdate = death date and age… …   Wikipedia

  • Jack Benny — Harry Truman et Jack Benny Jack Benny est un acteur, humoriste et producteur américain né le 14 février 1894 à Chicago, Illinois (États Unis), décédé le 26 décembre 1974 à Holmby Hills (Los Angeles) …   Wikipédia en Français

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