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The Great Jack Benny Trivia Quiz

This quiz is about the wonderful comedian, Jack Benny. He was very successful in radio, TV and enjoyed some success in movies also. He was great and I never saw anyone like him before or since.

A multiple-choice quiz by rrtallon. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
rrtallon

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
275,743

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
728

Awards
Top 20% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Jack was born in what city? Hint

Waukegan, Illinois

Joliet, Illinois

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Chicago, Illinois

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Question 2 of 10

2. Jack was known for his self effacing humor and perfect sense of timing. One of the running bits that he had was that he was much younger than his actually age (faking vanity). How old did he perpetually claim to be? Hint

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Question 3 of 10

3. What kind of a scholar was Jack in high school? Hint

He was a model student and made all A's.

He was a poor student and was kicked out of high school.

He was an average student.

He was a good student and a better athlete.

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Question 4 of 10

4. Jack went into the US Military service in World War I. Which branch of the service did he enter? Hint

Marines

Coast Guard

Army

Navy

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Question 5 of 10

5. Jack got into show business while in the service. He played his violin at shows for his fellow servicemen. How did his act become popular? Hint

He was the pet of and Admiral who made the other sailors listen to him play.

Jack played violin and sang the national anthem at official functions.

He and Rochester did a song and dance act at that time.

He was booed for his violin play. He handled the situation with humor and began his career in stand up comedy.

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Question 6 of 10

6. In 1911 Jack met the Marx Brothers in vaudeville. (Their name was "Marks" at that time). Which of them became a lifelong friend of his? Hint

Zeppo

Harpo

Groucho

Gummo

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Question 7 of 10

7. How did Jack come to take the name Jack Benny? Hint

He got mad with his parents and did not want to use their name.

To honor an uncle whose name was Benny.

To avoid discrimination because it sounded Jewish.

To avoid lawsuits from entertainers with names similar to his.

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Question 8 of 10

8. In 1922 he went to a Passover Seder with a friend, and met that friend's female cousin there. Jack fell for her and married her later. What was her name? Hint

Sadie Marx

Marilyn Marxstein

Mary Marx

Sadye Marks

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Question 9 of 10

9. Jack had a rotund announcer who was with him in radio and TV. What was his name? Hint

Fats Williams

Don Wilson

Bob Bunko

Gary Olson

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Question 10 of 10

10. In 1932 Jack's radio career began when he was invited on to a famous radio show. Whose show was that? Hint

Bob Hope

George Burns

Arthur Godfrey

Ed Sullivan

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Nov 30 2024 : Guest 104: 4/10
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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Jack was born in what city?

Answer: Chicago, Illinois

Jack was born in Chicago on Feb 14, 1894. His birth name was Benjamin Kubelsky. His father was a haberdasher.

Answer: 39

In the 1950s I bet 75 percent of Americans were aware of this, maybe more. Everyone knew Jack Benny in those days.

3. What kind of a scholar was Jack in high school?

Answer: He was a poor student and was kicked out of high school.

Jack could not focus on his studies and was kicked out of High School. He tried business school and did poorly at that, too. His father was a haberdasher. He tried his father's trade but also failed at that.

4. Jack went into the US Military service in World War I. Which branch of the service did he enter?

Answer: Navy

Jack enlisted in the Navy in 1917.

5. Jack got into show business while in the service. He played his violin at shows for his fellow servicemen. How did his act become popular?

Answer: He was booed for his violin play. He handled the situation with humor and began his career in stand up comedy.

Quite by accident, he deflected the boos with self-deprecating humor that later became his trademark. The humor made a big hit with the audience, more so than the music.

6. In 1911 Jack met the Marx Brothers in vaudeville. (Their name was "Marks" at that time). Which of them became a lifelong friend of his?

Answer: Zeppo

He and Zeppo were friends to the end of their lives. Zeppo's birth name had been Herbert.

7. How did Jack come to take the name Jack Benny?

Answer: To avoid lawsuits from entertainers with names similar to his.

He began as Benjamin Kubelsky. When he started performing he was using that name. There was a famous violinist name Jan Kubelik who felt that the young Kubelsky might damage his reputation. He threatened to sue unless he changed his name, so he chose "Ben K. Benny." Lo and behold, there was another entertainer at that time who was known as Ben Bernie.

He also threatened to sue, so Benny took the name "Jack Benny." The rest, as they say, is history.

8. In 1922 he went to a Passover Seder with a friend, and met that friend's female cousin there. Jack fell for her and married her later. What was her name?

Answer: Sadye Marks

Sadye Marks is correct. She and Jack married. She was often on his show and used the name Mary Livingston. On the show, she was his neighbor, not quite a girlfriend. She was nice and very classy, but often delivered mildly cutting lines about how cheap Jack was, getting big laughs. Mary was a big favorite on the show. Jack never cared who got the laughs as long as the show was funny.

9. Jack had a rotund announcer who was with him in radio and TV. What was his name?

Answer: Don Wilson

Don Wilson was a great announcer and often was in the skits that were part of the show. There were many funny lines about his being over-weight. Of course, he took at all good naturedly.

10. In 1932 Jack's radio career began when he was invited on to a famous radio show. Whose show was that?

Answer: Ed Sullivan

The Ed Sullivan show got him noticed and then he got his own radio show.

Source: Author rrtallon

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor JuniorTheJaws before going online.
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