Jack Benny
Jack Benny (Benjamin Kubelsky) was born on February 14th, 1894. Jack passed away December 26th, 1974 at 80 years old. Jack Benny was born in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Jack Benny was an American entertainer known for his atypical comedic techniques and expert timing, resulting in legendary status in U.S. television and radio, where he spent more than three decades. He evolved from simply playing the violin in vaudeville to becoming an iconic entertainer of the era.
Benny spent much of his childhood in a small city north of Chicago named Waukegan, where his father owned a dry goods store and a saloon. As a teen, he used to work with his father in the family business, even as he played the violin during his downtime. By the time he was in high school, he had become very good with the violin.
He played his violin in vaudeville and when he finally joined the Navy, he was given light duties specifically in entertainment. It was there that he realized he was also a very funny person. As such, while he remained very good with his violin it soon turned into nothing more than a prop, which he often used to achieve comic effect.
Following the First World War, Jack Benny went back to working as a comedian at vaudeville. In 1927, he got his first role in a motion picture, and over about fifteen years he did at least eighteen more. His career went into the stratosphere in 1932 when he changed gears to become a radio personality and achieved a massive following.
Benny had a very different type of humor as he had a languid and subtle style at a time when much of comedy was all about rapid delivery and broad jokes. Over the years, Jack and his crew developed Benny’s persona into a stingy and vain man who is known for his acute sense of timing and verbal inflection.
Sunday Nights at Seven is a memoir that Jack Benny penned halfway before his death. When his daughter found some of the pages she decided to combine these with her memory and published the book in 1990. Making use of her memories and her father’s diary, the work covers the comedian’s childhood, even though much of the work is about his radio career.
While the story does cover his childhood, it is the stories about his radio career that dominate the book. Even though Joan does include her memories, she allows her father Jack to tell his story in his way.
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- Stephen King, author of The Dark Tower Series.
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- Linwood Barclay, author of the novel: Elevator Pitch.
- Michael Connelly, author of the Harry Bosch Series.
Jack Benny: F.A.Q
When was Jack Benny Born?
Jack Benny was born on February 14th, 1894.
When did Jack Benny die?
Jack Benny died on December 26th, 1974 at 80 years old.
Where was Jack Benny Born?
Jack Benny was born in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
What was the first book Jack Benny wrote?
The first book written by Jack Benny was Sunday Nights at Seven, published in 1990.
What was the most recent book Jack Benny wrote?
His most recently released work was Sunday Nights at Seven on January 1st, 1990.
How many books has Jack Benny written?
Jack Benny has written 1 book. All of his books are Non-Fiction Books.