Title supplied by cataloger.; Photograph was edited for publication purposes. Jack Benny was born Benjamin Kubelsky on February 14, 1894 in Chicago, Illinois. He worked in vaudeville, radio and television, becoming one of the most popular comedians of his time. Benny served in the Navy during World War I and began entertaining fellow sailors playing the violin, but soon moved into standup comedy. He signed with MGM in 1929 but was let go after a few films. In 1932 he appeared on the Ed Sullivan radio show and parlayed that into a show of his own. From 1932 to 1965 The Jack Benny Program was one of the most popular shows in the country. First on radio and then television, Benny would entertain America with his character's trademark stinginess, pettiness, bad violin playing, vanity and unwillingness to age past 39 years. By all accounts, these traits were the opposite of Benny in real-life. He was an accomplished violin player, a generous boss, and a philanthropist. In 1927 he married Sadie Marks. Using the stage name Mary Livingstone, she worked with Benny on his radio and television shows. They adopted one child. After the end of his television program Benny performed stand-up comedy and appeared in TV shows and specials. He was active almost until his death, of pancreatic cancer, on December 26, 1974.; George Burns was born Nathan Birnbaum on January 20, 1896 in New York City. He worked in vaudeville, radio and television, becoming one of the most popular comedians of his time. He met Grace Allen in 1923 and they launched a comedic act that would span vaudeville, radio and television. Burns was the straight man to Allen's scatterbrained object of his affections. The show was later changed to mirror the stars' married life and in 1950 they moved to television. The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show aired from 1950 to 1958, ending when Allen chose to retire. The couple adopted two children, Sandra and Ronald, both of whom worked with their parents at various times. Burns starred in The Sunshine Boys with Walter Matthau, winning the 1975 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, the oldest actor to win an Oscar at the time. His career revived, he went on to star or appear in several other films and television programs. Burns died on March 9, 1996. Photograph caption dated January 28, 1973 reads "Comedians Jack Benny, left, and George Burns arrive Sunday for funeral services for actor Edward G. Robinson at Temple Israel, Hollywood."
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;26 x 21 cm. Photographic prints
Benny, Jack,--1894-1974 Burns, George,--1896-1996 Robinson, Edward G.,--1893-1973--Death and burial Temple Israel of Hollywood Comedians--United States Actors--United States Radio personalities--United States Violinists--United States Men--California--Los Angeles Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.) Los Angeles Herald-Examiner photographs Herald-Examiner Collection photographs
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
