Jack Benny: A Tribute Trivia Quiz

Answer: He was threatened with a law suit by another entertainer.

Benjamin Kubelsky was born in Chicago, Illinois on February 14, 1894 to Meyer and Emma Kubelsky. Emma had dreamed of having a son who was a concert violinist even before Jack was born, and made him take violin lessons. Jack hated the practicing, so Emma finally gave up. In 1912, Jack teamed up with Cora Salisbury in a vaudeville act in which she played the piano and Jack the violin. They were billed as "Salisbury and Kubelsky". From Jack's book, "Sunday Nights At Seven: The Jack Benny Story", Jack writes:

"A few weeks after we were on the road I had quite a jolt. The concert violinist Jan Kubelik heard about me. His lawyer said that I would be sued unless I changed my name. I told them that Kubelsky was my real name, but they didn't believe me. So I became Ben Benny until another comedian named Ben Bernie also threatened to sue me, as my name was too close to his. So then I became Jack Benny."

Answer: Combination of violinist and telling jokes

Jack returned to vaudeville with a new act called, "Ben K. Benny: Fiddle Funology". It didn't go over too well with the audience, gaining only a few laughs at his feeble jokes. In 1921, he changed the act completely, only playing the violin at the close of the act.

He had developed his act to where he mostly did monologues and told jokes, but kept his violin with him to give him something to do with his hands. This was the start of Jack's keeping his arms crossed or one hand on his cheek which continued throughout the rest of his career.

Answer: Mary Kelly

Jack met Mary Kelly through Gracie Allen. Gracie, Rena Arnold and Mary were roommates, and all in vaudeville. Jack and Mary had a very rocky relationship because Mary was Catholic and Jack was Jewish. Mary fluctuated back and forth, breaking up with Jack and then begging him to take her back.

This went on and on, until Jack finally couldn't take the emotional upheaval any longer and ended the relationship permanently. Mary married someone else, but the marriage didn't work, and poor Mary ended up an alcoholic, which ultimately lead to her death in 1941.

Answer: Through Zeppo Marx

In 1921, Jack was invited to a Passover dinner by Zeppo Marks (as it was spelled then) at the home of Henry Marks, a distant relative. Henry asked Jack, as a violinist, to listen to his daughter Sadie play a piece by Bach. Jack wasn't interested and whispered to Zeppo to come up with an excuse for them to leave. Sadie overheard him, and to get her revenge, she showed up at the theater with three of her friends, and they made a point of keeping straight-faced through Jack's entire comedy routine. Jack met her again in 1926, but didn't realize that it was the same Sadie.

He fell in love with her on sight. She never told him that she was the same girl he snubbed until after they married! (Sadie Marks legally changed her name to Mary Livingstone when she teamed up with Jack in his radio program).

Answer: Mel Blanc did the sound effects

Jack's famous Maxwell car was only supposed to be in one episode. They tried to use an RCA Sound Effects record, but when "Rochester" was trying to start the car, the record player malfunctioned. Since the radio show was on live and mistakes could not be edited out, Mel Blanc, known as "The Man Of A Thousand Voices", quickly jumped in and created the sounds.

He was so effective and the audience laughed so hard that it was decided to keep the Maxwell in as a running joke and have Mel continue doing the sound effects.

Answer: Jack always laughed hysterically at the jokes.

Jack loved great comedians. George Burns, his closest friend, could make Jack literally fall to the floor laughing. Jack always enjoyed watching other comedians even more than doing comedy himself.

Answer: Yes

Sadly, Mary was very self-centered. She was desperate to "be somebody" and was extremely insecure, even becoming jealous of their daughter Joan's close relationship with Jack. She loved to spend Jack's money quite recklessly, and her favorite method of throwing her weight around would be to telephone the most exclusive places and inform them, "This is Mrs. Jack Benny--I want..." and the stores, theaters and restaurants jumped to comply because of Jack. That stopped after Jack passed away.

Mary called an exclusive dress shop in Beverly Hills and tried that "This is Mrs. Jack Benny" routine, but the sales clerk rudely answered, "So?" No more special treatment for Mary! She was so selfish, she occupied almost the entire second floor of their home for herself, leaving Jack with only two small rooms for himself. She was extremely jealous of Gracie Allen (who was supposed to be her best friend!) She claimed that the public liked Gracie better than they did her! Poor Jack never saw it. I guess love really is blind!

Answer: The Jack Benny Program

Jack started on television in 1950, and "The Jack Benny Program" ran weekly until he decided to retire in 1965. In his book, "Sunday Nights At Seven: The Jack Benny Story", Jack tells it best:

"In 1965 I had had a 15 year run in television. It was the ratings that did me in. It costs a sponsor $250,000 to put on a show, including the costs of the talent and air time. In order to make money, he has to sell a great deal of mouthwash or gelatin dessert to reach the millions of viewers. If it costs him, say, $2.80 for a viewer of Jack Benny, and only $1.98 for a viewer of "Hogan's Heroes", he will get a better bargain with "Hogan's Heroes" so that's the show he'll sponsor."

Answer: Issac Stern

Issac Stern was an American concert violinist who won fame world-wide. He was instrumental in saving Carnegie Hall from destruction, and was named as its president until his death. Issac became very good friends with Jack Benny, appearing on both his radio and television programs. (On Jack's programs, he pretended to hate Jack's violin playing!) From "Sunday Nights At Seven: The Jack Benny Story", Issac writes:

"Jack started too late in life to master the violin, but I truly admired his efforts. All in all, he was good, even though a lot of notes were a bit off. He could sight-read very well, and was able to handle some really tough pieces that would be nearly impossible for most people who did not start in youth to be a violinist. He never had trouble keeping up with the masters, either. I was very proud of him for his efforts."

Answer: 1974

Jack passed away on December 26, 1974, from pancreatic cancer. He was 80 years old. At his funeral, George Burns tried to give a eulogy, but broke down and was unable to continue. From "Sunday Nights At Seven: The Jack Benny Story", Bob Hope writes:

"For a man who was the undisputed master of comedy timing, you would have to say that this was the only time Jack Benny's timing was all wrong. He left us too soon. He only gave us eighty years. God keep him, enjoy him. We did for eighty years."