Mill Creeks's "Best of Jack Benny" details (1 Viewer)

[docdoowop]

Some duplication of the 5-disc "Jack Benny Collection" from Madacy. Coming September 25th.

36 half-hour Jack Benny Shows

10-4-51 B The Jack Benny Show - The Hillbilly Show
11-30-52 B The Jack Benny Show - Post Thanksgiving Show
1953 B The Jack Benny Show - How Jack Found Mary
1953 B 25 The Jack Benny Show - Rochester Gets the Bird
2-6-53 B The Jack Benny Show - Jack Rents His House
4-13-53 B 30 The Jack Benny Show - Fred Allen, Eddie Cantor
10-11-53 B 26 The Jack Benny Show - 3 A.M. (10-11-53)
Fred MacMurray, Tony Martin, Dick Powell,
Dan Dailey, Kirk Douglas in jazz jam session
10-25-53 B 30 The Jack Benny Show - (10-25-53) Humphrey Bogart
11-8-53 B The Jack Benny Show - Jack's Hong Kong Suit
11-15-53 B 30 The Jack Benny Show - Johnnie Ray, Danny Thomas
11-22-53 B 30 The Jack Benny Show - Ronald Reagan
12-6-53 B 30 The Jack Benny Show - Irene Dunne. Vincent Price
12-27-53 B The Jack Benny Show - New Year's Eve
1954 B 26 The Jack Benny Show - Bob Hope, Martin & Lewis
1-17-54 B 30 The Jack Benny Show - Liberace
2-7-54 B The Jack Benny Show - Jack Dreams He is Married to Mary
12-28-54 B 30 The Jack Benny Show - New Year's Eve
1955 B 25 The Jack Benny Show - Jack Goes to the Carnival
10-23-55 B 30 The Jack Benny Show - Peggy King, Art Linkletter
12-18-55 B 30 The Jack Benny Show - Christmas Show Edgar Bergen
1-1-56 B 26 The Jack Benny Show - College Coaches (UCLA/Michigan State)
11-18-56 B 30 The Jack Benny Show - Jack's Maxwell is Stolen
12-22-56 B 26 The Jack Benny Show - Christmas Shopping (Mel Blanc)
1957 B 25 The Jack Benny Show - $64,000 Spoof Hal Marc
1-6-57 B 30 The Jack Benny Show - Jayne Mansfield aka Talent Show
1958 B 26 The Jack Benny Show (1958) Audrey Meadows 41086-2
1958 B 30 The Jack Benny Show - Ernie Kovacs
1958 B 25 The Jack Benny Show - James Stewart
4-23-59 B 26 The Jack Benny Show - Gisele MacKenzie
B The Jack Benny Show - Don Wilson's 27th Anniversary
B The Jack Benny Show - Dorothy Shay
B The Jack Benny Show - Ed Sullivan, Genevieve
B The Jack Benny Show - 4 O'Clock in the Morning Show
B The Jack Benny Show - Goldie, Fields and Glide (Bing Crosby, George
Burns, B Hope)
B The Jack Benny Show - Jack Casting for a TV Special
B The Jack Benny Show - The Lunch Counter Murder

7 Additional half-hour shows with Jack as a guest:
Burns & Allen Show: JACK BENNY STEALS GEORGE'S JOKE (4/24/52). B 26
1-3-1954 B 30 TV - Bing Crosby Show for General Electric -- with Jack
Benny and Sheree North
1951 B 30 min. TV - You Can Change the World -- Christophers Show
4-28-55 B 25 TV - Four Star Playhouse - The House Always Wins
May 1943 B 18 The March of Time - Show Business at War
1958 B 30 Easter Seal Teleparade of Stars (1958)

 

[Sumnernor]

As I am a big Jack Benny fan (TV AND radio) - is there a link about this - I wasn't able to find it on Amazon: Would appreciate more info.

 

[docdoowop]

The information I provided was directly from Ian Warfield, who is President & COO of Mill Creek. I found the release date and sketchy information at Navarre's website:

http://www.navarre.com/prodhome.aspx?ItemNumber=2227355

Sorry I can't be of more help, Sumnernor. I am a big fan as well.

 

[DavidJ]

I can't tell you how excited I was to see Jack Benny on the active posts page (I love the active page because I often find interesting threads I would normally miss). I too would like more info on how to buy.

 

[Ivan G]

Sounds like a set I'm going to have to have...thanks for the info, doc.

 

[docdoowop]

Mill Creek has released the artwork and information on the Benny set. You'll note the box art lists 41 episodes while the news release states 40.

http://206.191.17.254/images/350/683904505927.jpg

Best of Jack Benny - 40 Episodes
Item ID MV50592
Content Video
Language English
Category TV
Genre Television (TV)
Format 4 DVD
Run Time 21 Hours
Rating NR - Not Rated


Order Date Available Now!
Street Date Tuesday, September 25, 2007
MSRP 14.98
UPC Code 683904505927
Carton Qty 30

Synopsis: Star of Vaudeville, Radio and the Big Screen, Jack Benny brought his highly-successful radio program to the small screen in 1950 and the show ran until 1965. Along for the ride were his famous cast of co-stars including Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Don Wilson, Dennis Day and Mary Livingstone, who all shared in the fun and misadventures of their famous boss. Whether dealing with his love of money, his perpetual age of 39 or his beloved Maxwell automobile, Jack Benny and his gang entertained one and all!

Episode List:

Guest Star: Fred Allen & Eddie Cantor
Honolulu Trip
Guest Star: Humphrey Bogart
Guest Star: Johnny Ray
Guest Stars: Irene Dunne & Vincent Price
Guest Star: Liberace
Jack Dreams He's Married to Mary
Goldie, Fields and Glide
Guest Stars: Bob Hope and Martin & Lewis
Jam Session
How Jack Found Mary
Christmas Shopping
4 O'clock in the Morning
Talent Show
Guest Star: Audrey Meadows
Guest Star: Ernie Kovacs
Jack's Hong Kong Suit
The Lunch Counter Murders
Jack Casting for a Television Special
Don Wilson's 27th Anniversary
Jack Rents His House
$64,000 Spoof featuring Hal March
Guest Stars: Bob Hope & The Beach Boys
The Cactus Kid featuring Giselle MacKenzie
Christmas Show featuring Edgar Bergen
College Coaches
Easter Seals Teleparade of Stars
New Year's Eve 1953
Jack's Maxwell is Stolen
Guest Star: Jimmy Stewart
March of Time
New Year's Eve 1954
Guest Stars: Peggy King & Art Linkletter
Post Thanksgiving Show
Rochester Gets the Bird
The Hillbilly Show
General Electric Theatre - The Face is Familiar
General Electric Theatre - The Honest Man
You Can Change the World
The Bing Crosby G.E. Show featuring Jack Benny & Sheree North

 

[Elena S]

Thanks for the info. I wish I could get the episode with The Lettermen.

 

[JM Productions]

There are a few titles in there I haven't seen before, such as those with guests Audrey Meadows and Ernie Kovacs. But are these remastered or the same public domain titles that have been circulating?

With all of the extras (Jack's guest appearances on other shows), it would seem that this is a packed set...and are probably not remastered because the retail price is only $15.

Just a few notes: The "4 O' Clock in the Morning" episode first aired on February, 6 1955 as the 10th show of the season. It was the 5th year on TV , and was also Benny's last season after 23 years on the radio. One film print circulating of that episode now has the 1959-60 season theme, which is completely different than the original theme and also features an animated montage of musical notes and a drawing of a violin on a chair. The episode incorrectly lists 1960 as the copyright, yet Mary Livingstone retired from show business around the time the 1957 season ended. Another giveaway is that the filmmaking style of the show noteably improved by the late 1950s. That happened after Irving Fein became Executive Producer around 1956 or 57, replacing both Hilliard Marks (Mary's brother) and Ralph Levy.

Of the many episodes that have long been kept out of syndication, I'd be interested to see the 1958 show with ex-Benny radio regular Phil Harris in a rare TV appearance and one from 1959 with former President Harry Truman! This set will not give us that chance. :frowning:

After Jack's weekly show was cancelled in 1965, he made his first post-series special. If that's included in this set (the one with Bob Hope & The Beach Boys entitled The Jack Benny Hour), that was originally produced on color videotape as were all of Benny's specials during the last 9 years of his life. Unfortunately, only an awful looking black & white kinescope film copy remains but it's a funny show.

 

[Hank Dearborn]

One of the many projects that UCLA is looking to work on is a definitive release of the entire catalog of the Jack Benny Show, which they have copies of throw the Benny estate. So while that may be in the future, a set like this will have to do.

 

[David Rain]

The entire Jack Benny Program ? In my lifetime ? Oh, Don !

 

[docdoowop]

Not to lead the thread astray, but it's a shame that people who were funny for 50 years in film and television are treated so shabbily. Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Burns & Allen....

 

[John_S]

Amazon does have it up for pre-order now at this URL.

 

[David Von Pein]

You can. It's in this THIS 3-VHS SET. Available second-hand via Amazon. Not a DVD, true. But still a good Benny entry indeed.

That VHS set also has one of the very best Benny shows (IMO) -- "Jack Goes To A Concert" (12/11/60). That one has Jimmy & Gloria Stewart in the same roles as the Ronald Colmans in the radio version from years earlier, with Jimmy & Gloria trying to avoid Jack at the theater.

"I think the peanut shower's over, Gloria. I just got hit with the bag."

 

[David Von Pein]

Yes. I especially like the vintage commercials for Eastern Airlines (included on the copies I have). Puts you right back there in 1965, complete with DC-8s that belch smoke on every takeoff. ~cough~

"Mr. Benny, as your Eastern Captain, if you even FEEL the plane land, just tell me and I'll do the whole thing over again."

 

[Jon Martin]

To revive this old thread, did anyone pick this up? I finally ordered a copy.

 

[DeWilson]

This is an impresive collection! Jack Benny is one of the funniest comedy stars of all time - of any era!

Hopefully Mill Creek will put together a "Burns and Allen" companion volume!

 

[DavidJ]

I have been enjoying this set immensely. Obviously the picture is not great, but the content is wonderful.

 

[Bob Hug]

UCLA's Jack Benny collection is most impressive; they have access to a huge amount of supplemental material above and beyond the 220+ television episodes in the collection.

http://www.cinema.ucla.edu/collectio...les/benny.html

 

[Jon Martin]

While this is a fun set, and for the price, I'm very happy with it.

BUT, I just did a comparison between an episode of the Mill Creek set and a copy I found in a dollar store (by a company called Treasure Box, in a cardboard sleeve for 99 cents, or 2 for a dollar, I don't remember which).

It was the "Jack Benny Hour" episode, with Bob Hope.

The Mill Creek isn't the greatest transfer, with video lines through parts of it. Watchable though.

But, the Treasure Box one, not only is it a better transfer, but it is an even more complete episode. It even has the old Eastern Airlines commercials in it.

I'm used to Mill Creek being one of the best of the PD companies. In this case though, don't throw out those budget DVDs if you still have them.

 

[Tim Tucker]

I saw this set at Big Lots yesterday for $6.

I didn't pick it up, because I was surprised that the copies they had had different covers. Some had "39 Episodes" on the front, while others had "40 Episodes". From the listing on the back, the "39 Episodes" ones were missing one of the General Electric Theater episodes. Did this have to be pulled from the set, or was it never on there to begin with?