Product Details

• Actors: Jack Benny
• Format: Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 5
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: PASSPORT VIDEO
• DVD Release Date: February 24, 2004
• Run Time: 300 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00012FX04
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #29,069 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  Movies & TV > Television > TV Series By Letter > J > The Jack Benny Program

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Well! It’s about time somebody put together a fabulous five-DVD pack that brings you the best of The Jack Benny Show, with Jack and his merry troupe, including Mary Livingston, Don Wilson, and of course, Rochester – plus great guest stars!

In addition to "The Medicine Man," a rare 1930 melodrama starring Jack as a traveling con artist, The Jack Benny Collection contains memorable episodes of The Jack Benny Program with such legendary guest stars as Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Liberace, Danny Thomas, Ed Sullivan, and the McGuire Sisters, as well as dependable Benny cast members Mary Livingston, Dennis Day, Mel Blanc, and Benny Rubin.

No one whoever enjoyed the affable artistry of Jack Benny should be without this delightful collection.

JACK BENNY COLLECTION

Disc One THE MEDICINE MAN - In this rarely seen 1930 comedy/drama, Jack (in his first starring role) plays a shady hawker of health tonics - good for whatever ails you. Along the way, he cons gullible men out of their money and romances the ladies. Directed by Scott Pembroke, who directed another comedy great - Stan Laurel - in a number of silent shorts.

Disc Two LIBERACE SHOW - In this music-filled episode of The Jack Benny Program, which originally aired in January of 1954, Liberace asks Jack to grab his violin and share the stage with him for a special concert. After Liberace's piano solo, the two perform a duet on "September Song." (00:29:30)

GOLDIE, FIELDS & GLIDE - Jack tries to persuade the great Bing Crosby to appear on his program along with comedian George Burns, but Der Bingle wants too much money. Even Bob Hope gets into the act in this star-filled episode, which first aired in March of 1954. (00:28:37)

Disc Three

Jack Benny and Humphrey Bogart - Humphrey Bogart made his live television debut in this memorable episode, featuring a parody of the Dragnet television series in which Jack plays a tough-talking, no-nonsense detective who has to give the third degree to "Baby Face" Bogart. First aired in October of 1953. (00:27:43)

ED SULLIVAN/GENEVIEVE SHOW - Famed Broadway columnist and television host Ed Sullivan guest stars as a defense attorney (!) representing Parisian singer Genevieve for a murder rap. Jack plays the persistent prosecutor. This offbeat episode of The Jack Benny Program was first telecast in April of 1959. (00:24:00)

Disc Four CHRISTMAS SHOPPING SHOW - Benny favorites Mel Blanc, Frank Nelson, and Benny Rubin guest star in this holiday episode, which finds Jack in a department store, trying to get some Christmas shopping done. As if that wasn't stressful enough, Jack winds up in the middle of a robbery! Originally aired in December (when else) of 1957. (00:25:00)

NEW YEAR'S EVE - In another holiday-themed show, Jack reminisces about the previous New Year's Eve. Dennis Day sings "An Irishman Will Steal Your Heart Away." Originally telecast on New Year's Eve of 1961. (00:26:00)

Disc Five DANNY THOMAS/McGUIRE SISTERS SHOW - In this sixty-minute episode of The Jack Benny Hour, which originally aired in November of 1959, Danny Thomas heckles Jack from the audience and the McGuire Sisters sing. Also appearing are the remarkable Marquis Chimps and, in one hilarious sketch, Raymond Burr as Perry Mason! (00:58:56)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

108 of 110 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not too bad, but a mixed bag and could have included more, March 2, 2004

By	woolrich2 "woolrich2" (VA. United States) - See all my reviews

For reference, here's a breakdown of the contents of this set:

Disk 1: THE MEDICINE MAN (1930; film)

Disk 2: THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM (1/1954): w./ Liberace

THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM (3/1954): "Goldie, Fields, and Glide" (Bing Crosby, George Burns, & Bob Hope guest)

Disk 3: THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM (2/1958): "Jack at the Races"

THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM (4/1959): w./ Ed Sullivan & "Genevieve"

Disk 4: THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM (12/1957): "The Christmas Shopping Show"

THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM (1/1961): "New Year's Eve"

Disk 5: THE JACK BENNY HOUR (11/1959): w./ Danny Thomas, Raymond Burr, and the McGuire Sisters

As a long-time Jack Benny fan (who first discovered him during the 1980's in reruns on cable), I really found this to be a mixed set: sweets and bitters. There are some true Benny classics mixed in, especially on disk 4, which may have the funniest Benny TV program ever--"The Christmas Shopping Show." In this episode, Benny and Rochester try to go Christmas shopping for the gang, only to have a tangle with both Dennis Day, and, most notably, Mel Blanc, as an endlessly harrassed sales clerk. Best Mel line, said aside so Benny can hear, "Why did the governor have to pardon me?" The ending's rather shocking for its day--jet-black humor--but utterly hilarious. Also on DVD #4, is a very unusual late Benny program (early 1960's), in which his date with a bimbo waitress falls through, and he winds up spending New Year's with Rochester. It's actually somewhat bittersweet at moments, but it worked, and I really enjoyed watching it.

The other highlight in this set's located on DVD #3, "Jack at the Races," and it's unusual in having been filmed off location (not at the CBS studios) and starring Mary Livingston and Dennis Day opposite Benny. For good measure, Sheldon Leonard ("Hey, bub!") and Joe Besser (the least of the Three Stooges) show up and stay in excellent form. Benny heads out to the horse track for the day, where he runs afoul of his show's sponsor (whom he convinces to bet on a losing horse) and Joe Besser in a restaurant (where Sheldon Leonard offers Jack tips on the "best tables"). Wait until you see how Joe clears Jack and Mary's table!

I wasn't as fond of the rest of the Benny shows on the other disks (although "Goldie, Fields, and Glide" and "Liberace" *definitely* have their funny moments), due to the "variety show" syndrome creeping in ever more steadily. To my mind, what made Benny great were his recurring character actors (Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Phil Harris--on radio, Dennis Day, Mel Blanc, and others) and once you see Jack opposite performing chimps or in a bad "Carol Burnett" style courtroom skit with Ed Sullivan, the show suffers badly. All of the running jokes we love so much ("Yes?") get tossed out the window also. It may have helped ratings along in the late 1950's and early 1960's, but it was a bad artistic mistake in retrospect.

You will either find THE MEDICINE MAN intensely interesting or hate it and find it dull. I fell in the first camp. However, Benny as actor in the film's nothing like his later "Jack" character, who wouldn't really come along until the radio show hit its stride in 1936 or 1937.

In general, the DVD menus are fun, but there are no extras. The print quality's O.K. for what are obviously public domain shows. Visually, they looked better than the DVD's released by either Alpha Video or Diamond Entertainment. I'm tempted to say you should support this set, as there's very little Benny available on DVD and perhaps the contents will be a bit more generous in future releases if the sales for this set warrant future ones. Unfortunately, MGM's sitting on the original shows hidden away in its vaults, so we can probably only expect P.D. shows for the foreseeable future. As much as I love Benny's show, I must admit that he's not as commercially bankable as he once was, as not as many people are familiar with his work now.

Good night folks, be seeing you soon.

57 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Only 5 hours TOTAL running time! A ripoff at the price., January 27, 2005

By	AfroAmericanHeritage (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

I wish I had read the negative reviews more carefully before ordering this product.

Most singled-sided DVDs of TV programs contain about 4 hours of material, so I thought this 5-disc "collection" would contain about 20 hours of material. Yet each disc contains barely an hour of material.

And they're not even complete programs! No doubt in an effort to squeeze a few more dimes out of us, they didn't bother to secure the music rights, so all the musical numbers have been chopped out.

This "collection" is at most 2 discs worth of material. BTW, DVD#3 is supposed to contain "Jack at the Races." Both the box and the DVD itself are labelled as such, yet that episode is missing and in it's place is a detective sketch with Humphrey Bogart.

I bought a disc called "The Jack Benny Show" at the grocery store for $4.99. It has 5 programs, 2 of which are also in this collection, and a total running time of 2.5 hours.

I give 5 Stars for Jack Benny, but 0 Stars for this ripoff collection. Don't waste your money...if you really want to see these programs, purchase a used copy or borrow it from the library.

85 of 90 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A MISLEADING, TOTAL DISAPPOINTMENT, March 2, 2004

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

Don't even think about purchasing this collection.

From its minimal description - or lack of - I expected 5 discs of episodes from the Jack Benny tv show. Wrong.

This is a compilation of films and other shows, wastefully spread out over 5 discs - nothing to do with the beloved series with Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson. All that is included, here, could have been put on 2 discs.

Precisely like the disappointing GEORGE BURNS & GRACIE ALLEN COLLECTION - this is misleading and irresponsible.