Jack Benny Research Paper

Jack Benny was an American comedian that performed in vaudeville, radio, television, and motion picture. He was known as the leading American entertainer of the 20th Century. His main character portrayal was a miser that played his violin badly. Ironically, he was actually very good at playing the violin. Jack was known for his perfect comedic timing. His career spanned over 50 years. Jack Benny’s birth name was Benjamin Kubelsky. He was born on February 14, 1894 in Chicago, Illinois. Both of his parents, Meyer Kubelsky and Emma Sachs Kubelsky, were Jewish immigrants. Jack didn’t want to be part of his father's business so his parents encouraged him to learn the violin instead. He had a natural talent for music and he was known in his hometown …show more content…
Many of his radio listeners had moved on to television. Jack was skeptical to be on TV at first but he made his first appearance in 1950. The reason he was hesitant was because many other radio comedians tried to make it on TV but failed. Much like radio, Jack had to change his comedy format to fit television. He started using new gestures. He had a “mincing” walk, often put his hand on his cheek, and had a long stare. Jack Benny did everything right when it came to television. His kind of comedic routine was very similar to many of today’s comedians. He didn't lose any of his comedic magic when he started doing televisions. In fact, he only added to it, and audiences really enjoyed that. Jack Benny was the first person use recurring theme music on both his radio shows and television shows which I thought was really cool. Before that, people often played random popular songs each time. Jack had many guests on his television show. Marilyn Monroe and Humphrey Bogart both appeared on television for the first time on Jack’s show. Other guests stars included Walt Disney and Rod Serling. Jack Benny also appeared in films. Once again, he proved himself to be a very talented film actor. He was know to be great at the delivery of his jokes. He used the reactions of others and pauses to his advantage. Some of the films that he was in include Broadway Melody of 1936, Charley’s Aunt, and The Hollywood Revue of 1929. He only appeared in 22 films, which doesn’t seem like much, but that’s because he was involved in television and radio too. During Jack’s final years, he didn’t let his health get in the way of doing what he loved. He continued until he died from pancreatic cancer in 1974. I really appreciate Jack Benny. I wouldn’t doubt that he influenced many comedians