This just in from Laura Leff of the International Jack Benny Fan Club.
Hello again,
Thanks to everyone for your patience as I sorted out some questions with the new shows. As I suspected, a few of them have vertical alignment issues, but are still viewable. I am working with the American Heritage Center to see if we can get better copies that don't have these issues. But in the meantime, I'll make what we have available to everyone for your enjoyment.
This is pretty darned exciting, because a number of these shows are 1st generation transfers from the 16mm copies in Jack's own collection, and have not previously been in circulation. So get those video orders ready, and I'll keep my DVD burner warm for you!
Additionally, there are a number of other donations from various members that expand our holdings, upgrade from shows that were previously only excerpts, and upgrades to shows that had to be ordered separately. Many thanks to everyone for their generosity in continually improving the IJBFC library!
So here we go...here are the newbies:
New, previously uncirculated shows from Jack's collection:
12/12/54 - Cleaning and grocery shopping - NOTE: Vertical alignment issues
12/26/54 - San Diego Naval Base - NOTE: Vertical alignment issues
2/20/55 - Death Across the Lunch Counter with George Raft - NOTE: Vertical alignment issues
3/20/55 - Gary Crosby - NOTE: Vertical alignment issues, which resolve during early part of show
4/17/55 - Going to Union Station, Mel Blanc is crying cab driver
5/1/55 - Guest Jackie Gleason [LL: This is my favorite of the bunch...WONDERFUL!!!]
9/25/55 - Everyone drives Jack nuts before the first show of the season
1/29/56 - Guest Sarah Churchill
2/12/56 - Guests Frances Bergen and William Holden
3/25/56 - Guest Dore Schary
4/22/56 - Jack gets a passport
6/17/56 - Rerun of 3/21/54 with additional original material - NOTE: Vertical alignment issues
New copies from Jack's collection:
10/23/55 - Art Linkletter, Peggy King
11/20/55 - Johnny Carson
12/18/55 - Edgar Bergen
New shows donated by members:
4/9/53 - Guest Fred Allen
5/23/54 - Guest Bob Hope, The Road to Nairobi
2/23/58 - Guest Gisele MacKenzie
4/20/58 - Kitzel visits
11/15/59 - Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Stewart Anniversary
2/12/61 - Mamie Van Doren, death row sketch
3/5/61 - Detective story with Frankie Fontaine
New movies and other material:
It's in the Air (1935) - 90 minutes
Artists and Models (1937) - 100 minutes
The Horn Blows at Midnight (1945) - 90 minutes - new, clean transfer from laser disc
11/1/56 Shower of Stars - Guests Nanette Fabray, Johnnie Ray, Rory Calhoun - 60 mi nutes
6/7/60 The George Burns Show - Guests Bobby Darin, Betty Grable, Polly Bergen - IN COLOR! - 60 minutes
3/9/62 The Milton Berle Show - Guests Lena Horne, Laurence Harvey, Janis Paige - 60 minutes
11/29/62 The Bob Hope Show - Guests Bobby Darin, Ethel Merman - 60 minutes
Go to www.jackbenny.org and click on Programs, then Video Library for full ordering information. High five and good viewing!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Himan Brown of CBS Radio Mystery Theater passes away
HIMAN BROWN
BROWN--Himan, 99, died peacefully at his home in Manhattan on Friday June 4th 2010 at 8:13pm. He was Father to Barry Kenneth Brown of California and Hilda Joan Brown of Arizona. Grandfather to Melina Celeste Brown and Barrie Kristen Brown. Beloved great-grandfather "Papa Hymie" to William Samuel Brown, Zoe Judith Mildred Sansted, Zachary Dakota Aloysius Sansted and Zia Eva Dora Sansted, all of Connecticut, he was also father-in-law to Judith Ann Brown of Manhattan. He was the Widow of Mildred Brown and Shirley Goodman. He was preceded in death by his parents Samuel Brown and Dora Arkis Brown who were immigrants from Odessa, Russia, His brothers Mende Brown and Nathan Brown. He also leaves behind his beloved caretaker Zulfiya Ziyakhodjaev, who gave structure, meaning, and love to his final years, his great friend and doctor Cameron Hernandez of Mt Sinai Visiting Doctors, who he admired as a doctor and loved as a friend, a neighborhood full of people who loved him, and a bustling building full of devoted staff who were more than just that to him; they looked out for him, listened to him and enabled him to remain the independent guy that he was until the very end. He was a member of the community of North Stamford, CT, where he spent every weekend and most summers for his entire life, and he leaves behind a group of friends there who have been a tremendous foundation, providing a retreat to a very intense and creative mind. He also leaves a wonderful, talented, and devoted group of actors who he has worked with for years and who have remained his loyal friends and creative inspiration throughout more years than any may want to admit. He surely joins those who left this earth before him at some heavenly table-reading, throwing a cue, joking with Zero, and listening to Mercy growl out a laugh. He grew up in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, fluent in Yiddish, and only learned English upon his entry into public school. Steeped in music and great classics, he played violin, and excelled intellectually, while attending Boy's High School with the likes of Bugsy Seigel and The Amboy Dukes. He attended Brooklyn College and Brooklyn Law School graduating as valedictorian with a law degree in 1931, but acting was his great passion, and he already was producing and performing in live theater, Catskills revues, and on the fast growing medium of radio. Legendary creator, producer, director of radio drama, beginning in 1927 with the Hi Brow Readings, he was a one man show, often seen riding a horse in Central Park or walking the country roads of his Stamford, CT retreat while editing scripts with a red pencil, he was a mysterious figure to many but a regular guy to those that knew him. Some of his notable series include The Rise of the Goldbergs, Dick Tracy, Adventures of the Thin Man, Inner Sanctum Mysteries, Grand central Station, and the Peabody Winning CBS Radio Mystery Theater. In the 1950s he bought Players Studios at 221 West 26th Street, now Chelsea Studios, to produce his shows. He was a Founding Member of the Director's Guild of America, proud AFTRA member, a philanthropist and founder of The Radio Drama Network to propagate the spoken word, and was devoted to health care causes and the issues facing people over 50. He was a proud liberal, intellectual, art collector, and legendarily frugal. A member of the Radio Hall of Fame, Brown is the recipient of the American Broadcast Pioneer and the Peabody Award. Brown has taught audio drama at Brooklyn College and the School of Visual Arts. He has lived at the same apartment on Central Park West since 1938. He was awarded a doctorate of Humane Letters by Brooklyn College in 2003. Services will be private, The family urges that in Lieu of flowers donations be sent to the Visiting Doctors of Mt Sinai, Attn: Dr Cameron Hernandez, 5 East 102nd Street, New York, NY 10029.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Paul Herlinger 1929-2010
Paul Herlinger was born in New York City on May 1, 1929. He passed away peacefully at his home in Tacoma on February 2, 2010.
Paul Herlinger's greatest loves were his wife and family, classical music, theater, his career as a radio-TV producer and actor, and the Pacific Northwest where he was truly "at home" since moving here in 1956.
Paul knew he would be a broadcaster from the time he was a high school student at New York's Stuyvesant High School. Chosen to attend an all-city radio workshop, Paul soon discovered he not only had a talent for radio-TV producing, but he was also blessed with a golden voice which he would use throughout his career as an actor in radio dramas and as a narrator for scores of documentaries and commercials.
But New York City couldn't keep Paul. After two years at New York University he left to serve in the U. S. Marine Corps. and then attended the University of Michigan to finish his radio-TV schooling, earning a Master of Arts degree. There, he also met and fell in love with Ilona Planken, whom he married on September 1, 1956. Rather than returning east, he and his new bride drove an old grey Plymouth to Seattle and started a life in a land that he knew would be a refreshing alternative to the Big Apple.
Settling in Tacoma, he indulged his love for the great outdoors. While working for KTNT-TV (1956-67) and KCPQ-TV (1967-1980), he pursued skiing, hiking, and mountain climbing (twice scaling Mt. Rainier), and even fused his passion for the environment with his work, producing documentaries on such important regional topics as whether the Nisqually Delta should be preserved as a wildlife refuge or become a supertanker port, and the controversy surrounding the old Tacoma smelter.
Paul and his wife traveled extensively in Europe and the two teamed up to produce several seasons of TV travelogues called "Blue Horizons," broadcast locally on KTNT-TV (1965-72).
Paul's voice gave him special distinction. He was called upon to narrate regional and national documentaries, had numerous commercial clients, appeared in radio dramas, and for more than 10 years, until recently, played the leading role of John Avery Whittaker in the radio drama series "Adventures in Odyssey", earning him fans worldwide.
Most importantly, Paul Herlinger is remembered by his family as a man of peace and humility who genuinely believed in the goodness of the human spirit, who always had a listening ear and a word of encouragement, and who truly lived the words he taught his three children: to treat others the way you would want them to treat you.
Paul Herlinger is survived by his loving wife, Ilona of 53 years; children, Mark, Teresa, and Glenn; and five grandchildren.
At the family's request, there will be no services. A celebration of Paul's life is planned for a later date. Memorial donations may be directed to Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care, PO Box 1502, Tacoma WA 98401, the National Wildlife Federation, or Nature Conservancy. Please sign our online guestbook at
Paul Herlinger's greatest loves were his wife and family, classical music, theater, his career as a radio-TV producer and actor, and the Pacific Northwest where he was truly "at home" since moving here in 1956.
Paul knew he would be a broadcaster from the time he was a high school student at New York's Stuyvesant High School. Chosen to attend an all-city radio workshop, Paul soon discovered he not only had a talent for radio-TV producing, but he was also blessed with a golden voice which he would use throughout his career as an actor in radio dramas and as a narrator for scores of documentaries and commercials.
But New York City couldn't keep Paul. After two years at New York University he left to serve in the U. S. Marine Corps. and then attended the University of Michigan to finish his radio-TV schooling, earning a Master of Arts degree. There, he also met and fell in love with Ilona Planken, whom he married on September 1, 1956. Rather than returning east, he and his new bride drove an old grey Plymouth to Seattle and started a life in a land that he knew would be a refreshing alternative to the Big Apple.
Settling in Tacoma, he indulged his love for the great outdoors. While working for KTNT-TV (1956-67) and KCPQ-TV (1967-1980), he pursued skiing, hiking, and mountain climbing (twice scaling Mt. Rainier), and even fused his passion for the environment with his work, producing documentaries on such important regional topics as whether the Nisqually Delta should be preserved as a wildlife refuge or become a supertanker port, and the controversy surrounding the old Tacoma smelter.
Paul and his wife traveled extensively in Europe and the two teamed up to produce several seasons of TV travelogues called "Blue Horizons," broadcast locally on KTNT-TV (1965-72).
Paul's voice gave him special distinction. He was called upon to narrate regional and national documentaries, had numerous commercial clients, appeared in radio dramas, and for more than 10 years, until recently, played the leading role of John Avery Whittaker in the radio drama series "Adventures in Odyssey", earning him fans worldwide.
Most importantly, Paul Herlinger is remembered by his family as a man of peace and humility who genuinely believed in the goodness of the human spirit, who always had a listening ear and a word of encouragement, and who truly lived the words he taught his three children: to treat others the way you would want them to treat you.
Paul Herlinger is survived by his loving wife, Ilona of 53 years; children, Mark, Teresa, and Glenn; and five grandchildren.
At the family's request, there will be no services. A celebration of Paul's life is planned for a later date. Memorial donations may be directed to Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care, PO Box 1502, Tacoma WA 98401, the National Wildlife Federation, or Nature Conservancy. Please sign our online guestbook at
Friday, January 8, 2010
Talked to Leonard Smith
I talked with Leonard Smith the other day. Leonard Smith played Stretch Snodgrass on Our Miss Brooks. Leonard is a very nice man and lives with his wife in the San Diego area. My hope is that Leonard will be available to appear at the REPS Showcase this June. He seems interested in the idea.
I will keep you informed.
Walden Hughes
Your Esso Reporter.
I will keep you informed.
Walden Hughes
Your Esso Reporter.
Access to Jack Benny TV Show sealed
This just in from Laura Leff, president of the Jack Benny fan club.
"In December 2008 when I was at CBS overseeing the color specials transfer, I was told that CBS had the Benny television program masters. I was breathless!
I got a listing of their holdings, and selected about 25 shows that are currently uncirculated and in the public domain. I sent the request for us to digitally preserve these shows, at the IJBFC's cost, to Lorra-Lea Bartlett, the Manager of the CBS Contracts Rights and Clearances department.
This was followed by about nine months of waiting for the CBS New York legal department to respond to the request. On September 7th, I was asked to provide a letter from the Benny Estate requesting that the programs be released, and "that should get this unstuck." The Estate happily provided the letter to CBS. I continued to follow up weekly for status.
Today I was informed by Peter Murray, Lorra-Lea's assistant, that she had talked with CBS' Vice President of Business Affairs, and "there are so many issues with those shows, that even if we took the time to figure it out, we still almost certainly wouldn't do the deal." So that's it. Access to the Jack Benny television masters is sealed.
In 1964, James Aubrey told Jack Benny that his weekly television series was terminated with the words, "YOU'RE THROUGH, OLD MAN!" Sadly, 46 years later, CBS has repeated the sentiment by condemning these shows to permanent silence.
Laura leff"
"In December 2008 when I was at CBS overseeing the color specials transfer, I was told that CBS had the Benny television program masters. I was breathless!
I got a listing of their holdings, and selected about 25 shows that are currently uncirculated and in the public domain. I sent the request for us to digitally preserve these shows, at the IJBFC's cost, to Lorra-Lea Bartlett, the Manager of the CBS Contracts Rights and Clearances department.
This was followed by about nine months of waiting for the CBS New York legal department to respond to the request. On September 7th, I was asked to provide a letter from the Benny Estate requesting that the programs be released, and "that should get this unstuck." The Estate happily provided the letter to CBS. I continued to follow up weekly for status.
Today I was informed by Peter Murray, Lorra-Lea's assistant, that she had talked with CBS' Vice President of Business Affairs, and "there are so many issues with those shows, that even if we took the time to figure it out, we still almost certainly wouldn't do the deal." So that's it. Access to the Jack Benny television masters is sealed.
In 1964, James Aubrey told Jack Benny that his weekly television series was terminated with the words, "YOU'RE THROUGH, OLD MAN!" Sadly, 46 years later, CBS has repeated the sentiment by condemning these shows to permanent silence.
Laura leff"
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