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. Photograph caption dated September 25, 1972 reads "Why is this man laughing? Jack Benny 'falls over laughing' as George Burns tells 'Benny' jokes at the National Conference of Christians and Jews dinner honoring Benny at the Century Plaza Hotel Monday night." Benny is shown sitting at a table, laughing, holding a thin cigar. He is sitting next to an unidentified woman.
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;21 x 26 cm. Photographic prints
Benny, Jack,--1894-1974 National Conference of Christians and Jews Century Plaza Hotel (Century City, Los Angeles, Calif.) Comedians--United States Actors--United States Radio personalities--United States Violinists--United States Men--California--Los Angeles Women--California--Los Angeles Cigars--California--Los Angeles Hotels--California--Century City (Los Angeles) Eating & drinking--California--Los Angeles Century City (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.
