Johnny Carson used to employ the same technique ... he may have even learned it from his early years working with Jack Benny ... but he could rarely keep from smirking ... Jack was the best at it!
In the UK, we only used to see stars like Jack Benny if they came over here to do the Royal Variety Show or to do some guest spots on tv and radio. All these Jack Benny shows are great.
The way he looked after that guy in a kind of disbelief when he walked off stage is so freaking funny. Way funnier than it should be. I even knew the gag ahead of time because I've seen him do different versions of it later. However, this one made me laugh out loud anyway.
You know, he never swore once, nor mentioned sex, didn't even talk that much, yet it's as funny today as when he first did it. Although, I understand that George Washington wasn't laughing, but then he had wooden teeth.
Jack did the concept again on the "Paul Revere" episode that guest starred Lucille Ball. That time, the interruption came from the boom-mike operator (Arte Johnson, a few years before "Laugh In").
@@desklamp1175 Seinfeld's show or Andy Kaufman, took a lot from Benny but nothing as good as Benny. 73 years later, it is still fresh. George Gobel, Dick and Tom Smothers, and Carson always spoke highly of him. His stuff doesn't appear sophisticated but it really is. It works on so level. TY for the reply I looked at it again, it is just great. (Look at the Peter, Paul, and Mary video with him. )
Jack Benny is my favorite, he was sooo HILARIOUS, and his non-reaction to the interruption of Bob Crosby's singing that song in the middle of his joke is PRICELESS!!! LOLOL!!! Bob Crosby sounded a lot like his brother Bing, but Bing had it nailed, and Bob didn't really come close!!! LOL!!!
I will always remember Jack Benny and The Jack Benny Program. He died in 1974. He died almost as soon as I was born. He was such a narcissist. He always acted like such a greedy, impatient person. That's what made him so funny to me. He was always 39 years old. He never did age.
It's all personal taste. Morecambe and Wise tried to do their work (which I admittedly enjoy) on our Ed Sullivan Show, and they fell flat without a snicker from the audience, while Monty Python, Marty Feldman, Benny Hill, and Peter Sellers did well over here.
Jack Benny's spent DECADES building his character in front of his audience. His jokes were funny because of that background -- along with some absurdist humor (like selling sandwiches to buses filled with tourists from his home), some self-deprecations AND aggrandizement, and some that just came from doing a live show every week. His biggest laugh ever came from "I'm thinking it over!" in response to "Your money or your life!" His character and its associations were so familiar to audiences that even a decade after he was off TV and radio, he made an appearance in a movie where the entire joke was him in an antique car saying "Well I never!" I didn't "get" Jack Benny until I spent a few years of commutes listening to his show on satellite radio. After that, I understood his fame AND consider him one of the top comedians of the 20th century. BTW -- Benny Hill took the first name of his stage name from Jack Benny.
Stephen Colbert isn't a narcissist, as far as I can tell. Not super funny imho, but seems like a decent human being so far (we probably won't be able to know for sure until long after he's dead, he still has plenty of time to fuck everything up). Also you don't think Benny had writers Shannon? Lol. He was legit funny and had perfect timing, but it's silly to think that anyone that regularly goes onstage for network television doesn't have writers, editors, censors, etc., especially in the 50's, before open mics existed to test material.
Colbert is angry and mean-spirited and says bad things about people to try to get a laugh. That is the complete opposite of everything that Jack Benny was.
Talk about courage. Jack Benny sure trusted his audience.
It sure is a funky/off-the-wall bit. Something I could see Carson later doing.
We never got stuff like Jack Benny on British TV, hence I'm playing catch up now I'm 67. He just nails it....
Master of the deadpan pause.
Johnny Carson used to employ the same technique ... he may have even learned it from his early years working with Jack Benny ... but he could rarely keep from smirking ... Jack was the best at it!
that was such subtle, clever comedy.
Those long pauses crack me up. I'm wheezing with laughter.
Could be cancer
Who else but Jack Benny could get sustained laughter by merely remaining motionless.
He absolutely knew how to milk a laugh.
In the UK, we only used to see stars like Jack Benny if they came over here to do the Royal Variety Show or to do some guest spots on tv and radio. All these Jack Benny shows are great.
I don't know how he didn't crack up after all that. It's amazing, he's funny just by standing there.
RIP Jack Benny (February 14, 1894 - December 26, 1974), aged 80
You will be remembered as a legend.
The way he looked after that guy in a kind of disbelief when he walked off stage is so freaking funny. Way funnier than it should be. I even knew the gag ahead of time because I've seen him do different versions of it later. However, this one made me laugh out loud anyway.
I love deadpan humor. Now I know who influenced my favorite, Mr. Bob Newhart.
Jack Benny was typically the target of the humor on his show. The master at self-deprecating humor.
Such a simple concept and so hilarious....
Master of comic timing
He was brilliant!
“Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” brought me here.
Bill hader on Conan brought me here.
A direct search brought me here.
@@ThePretzelHead Same
You know, he never swore once, nor mentioned sex, didn't even talk that much, yet it's as funny today as when he first did it. Although, I understand that George Washington wasn't laughing, but then he had wooden teeth.
So far this is my favorite clip of his tv show.
Jack did the concept again on the "Paul Revere" episode that guest starred Lucille Ball.
That time, the interruption came from the boom-mike operator (Arte Johnson, a few years before "Laugh In").
Love Bob Crosby's version of this Eddy Arnold tune with a different approach.
There was nothing on all and every Saturday Night Live that could top that or be as sophisticated. Perfection.
SNL never was or will be funny.
It's makes SNL a kids show.
@@desklamp1175 Seinfeld's show or Andy Kaufman, took a lot from Benny but nothing as good as Benny. 73 years later, it is still fresh. George Gobel, Dick and Tom Smothers, and Carson always spoke highly of him. His stuff doesn't appear sophisticated but it really is. It works on so level. TY for the reply I looked at it again, it is just great. (Look at the Peter, Paul, and Mary video with him. )
Great post. Love his version of the Eddy Arnold hit Bouquet of Roses. Bravo to Jack and Bob.
It's boo kay not bow kay
Phil Hartman always reminds me of Jack Benny. I think that's why people also liked him so much.
I agree!
Jack Benny is my favorite, he was sooo HILARIOUS, and his non-reaction to the interruption of Bob Crosby's singing that song in the middle of his joke is PRICELESS!!! LOLOL!!! Bob Crosby sounded a lot like his brother Bing, but Bing had it nailed, and Bob didn't really come close!!! LOL!!!
Bob Crosby is Bing's son ...
@@anneroy4560 No, Bob is Bing's younger brother
Bob had much less ego than Bing and he knew that his song was part of the joke so he didn't want to make his song bigger than the skit.
@@anneroy4560 Bob Crosby was Bing's BROTHER, not his son!
It’s a masterpiece!
I love how Jack looks around in bewilderment as if he’s thinking, “When did I lose control of my own show?”. 😂😂😂
Jack had the deadest pan of all.
Really miss Benny.
Comedic timing at it’s finest…
Bob Crosby, bings brother. Love him on his own.
Bing was a degenerate
he was not Bing's brother but one of his sons from his first marriage to Dixie Lee ...
ahaha master of timing ahahah
I will always remember Jack Benny and The Jack Benny Program. He died in 1974. He died almost as soon as I was born. He was such a narcissist. He always acted like such a greedy, impatient person. That's what made him so funny to me. He was always 39 years old. He never did age.
Maybe on screen he was but off screen he was a great philanthropist and a very good violin player
@@YeOldeGeezer much like Don Rickles, he was the king of insults but apparently he was the kindest sweetest man you would want to meet.
Brian. You're talking about his screen persona. Thsts acting genuis.
@@johnlorenzen4633 Yes, I think that's probably what Brian meant, his screen character was a narcissist.
Funny as a road accident
I thought the punchline was going to be, "This week nobody died."
Too much Bravo!!!
Benny hill brought me here.
,,,,, Legend !
Beautiful. A hilarious joke built on a completely unfunny joke.
Jack Benny was trying to do a bit but didn't get no respect
Sundays Ed Sullivan’s toast of the town on the CBS Television Network.
Alan Young from Mr Ed?
Jokus interuptus
😂😂😂😂
It’s Squidward!
jack and benny
well....
Heh. Good stuff
Well..
...and the "joke" wasn't even funny.
Hilarious.
Four dead and its supposed to be a joke? Hmmmmm
Well yeah, it killed.
@@donaldendsley6199 certainly killed the mood
Ikr dead people don't get me in the mood
That might be the most forced joke I've ever seen. I shouldn't be waiting for your joke to end.
that's the whole point of it
You're joking, right? How old are you, if you don't mind me asking?
@@johndalton3180 My age is irrelevant. But to date me, I grew up on Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Bob Hope, and Johnny Carson.
@@Riley_Mundt I apologise. The joke here is that poor, hapless Jack gets interrupted, and the "joke" he's trying to tell gets ruined.
@@johndalton3180 I understand the joke fine, I just didn't find it to be funny.
Jack Benny is not funny at all i can not understand american. Humour at all I am from the UK 🇬🇧 we have the bestest comedy greats in the world
Ok thanks for that
Well, bub... the UK is a shit hole, see?
It's all personal taste. Morecambe and Wise tried to do their work (which I admittedly enjoy) on our Ed Sullivan Show, and they fell flat without a snicker from the audience, while Monty Python, Marty Feldman, Benny Hill, and Peter Sellers did well over here.
Jack Benny's spent DECADES building his character in front of his audience. His jokes were funny because of that background -- along with some absurdist humor (like selling sandwiches to buses filled with tourists from his home), some self-deprecations AND aggrandizement, and some that just came from doing a live show every week. His biggest laugh ever came from "I'm thinking it over!" in response to "Your money or your life!" His character and its associations were so familiar to audiences that even a decade after he was off TV and radio, he made an appearance in a movie where the entire joke was him in an antique car saying "Well I never!"
I didn't "get" Jack Benny until I spent a few years of commutes listening to his show on satellite radio. After that, I understood his fame AND consider him one of the top comedians of the 20th century.
BTW -- Benny Hill took the first name of his stage name from Jack Benny.
Steven Colbert is the closest thing we have today
No, just no.
Benny had class, and was funny without needing writers.
Lmao
Stephen Colbert isn't a narcissist, as far as I can tell. Not super funny imho, but seems like a decent human being so far (we probably won't be able to know for sure until long after he's dead, he still has plenty of time to fuck everything up).
Also you don't think Benny had writers Shannon? Lol. He was legit funny and had perfect timing, but it's silly to think that anyone that regularly goes onstage for network television doesn't have writers, editors, censors, etc., especially in the 50's, before open mics existed to test material.
I was thinking Benny is more like Conan O'Brien with the self-deprecating humor.
Colbert is angry and mean-spirited and says bad things about people to try to get a laugh. That is the complete opposite of everything that Jack Benny was.