Funny Ronnie

Jack Benny was not a big name over here as far as I know and I have only vaguely been aware of him and his name as a comedian. I never heard or saw him in action until recently. He had his own comedy radio show in the 1940s which later became a TV show. While reading up on Ronald Colman’s life I also read about him and his wife Benita very succesully occasionally guest starrring on the Jack Benny show as Benny’s long-suffering neighbours in Beverly Hills.

The first radio episode Jack Benny made with the Colmans was an episode where Jack comes over to dinner. That same episode was later also filmed for the TV show and is up on YouTube. Jack Benny really was very funny and Ronald has great dry comedy timing, as does Benita.

I then also read that Ronald Colman winning his Oscar had been a theme on the Jack Benny radio show in the spring of 1948. I found the sound clips of that on YouTube as well. And they certainly make me laugh! I loved how Ronald spoofed his own career and spoofed the adoration of his Oscar and how very annoyed he gets with Jack Benny who even loses Colman’s Oscar! I edited out the Colman and his Oscar bits of the Jack Benny show (from two episodes) into one video. It’s a bit of a listen but if you need a laugh and don’t mind taking 28 minutes out of your day, I’d say it is well worth a listen! I made this video for my own personal use, then thought I’d try putting it up on YouTube and see if it is allowed. So far it’s up there without any restrictions…

I love the running gag of Jack stealing/’borrowing’ Ronnie’s things, I love how Ronald curmudgeonly reacts to Jack, I love how about 10 minutes into the video Ronald does some terrible acting in voicing a cowboy, I love how gleeful he gets in the second half of the video (at 19:50 minutes) at tricking Jack Benny and I love how he tries to get rid of him as quickly as possible.

I understand there are something like 20 Jack Benny shows that star Ronald and Benita. I will go in search of them as well, especially as I am confined to my room now for at least the next 24 hours. There is a real possibility that I too may finally have fallen victim to the Corona virus. Had the slightest of positives on an at home test earlier this afternoon and I have a PCR test appointment tomorrow morning.