Audiobooks narrated by Jack Benny

"Born in Chicago, February 14, 1894, Benjamin Kubelsky would later become known as Jack Benny. As a boy, he was encouraged by his Jewish immigrant parents from Poland to become a concert violinist. He learned to play quite well and hit the vaudeville stage, where he played popular songs and honed a suave-but-fragile personality, telling self-deprecating jokes. Benny guested on Ed Sullivan’s radio show March 19, 1932 and was an instant success. Canada Dry signed him to a contract that same year and soon Jack Benny was broadcasting each week on CBS. His career included several seasons on NBC and then a return to CBS through his final radio days. His all-star supporting cast included his wife Mary Livingstone, Eddie “Rochester” Anderson, Dennis Day, Phil Harris, Mel Blanc, Frank Nelson, and announcer Don Wilson. As Jerry Seinfeld would emulate years later on Seinfeld, Benny’s cast received the best jokes—many pointed at the show’s star. Expertly-crafted scripts constantly reminded listeners of Benny’s portrayal of himself as a lovable, vain, miser, concerned about his receding hairline and insistence that he was no older than thirty-nine. His sponsors over the years included Canada Dry, General Tire, General Foods, and the American Tobacco Company. The Jack Benny Program made a successful transition to television with his entire supporting cast in tow. Benny’s radio and television shows entertained audiences for more than three decades and is generally regarded as the high-water mark in twentieth century American comedy. 2/20/49 - “The Horn Blows at Midnight w/ Fletcher Markle and Jack Warner”9/11/49 - “Bus Tour Introduces the Cast”9/18/49 - “Edward My Son”10/16/49 - “Recovering from a Cold”10/23/49 - “Jack is Recovering from Nose Surgery”11/20/49 - “Jack Goes to Rehearsal w/ Ed Wynn”12/11/49 - “Texas Benefit w/ Frank Leahy”1/8/50 - “Drear Pooson Fluff w/ Rosalind Russell, Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly”3/5/50 - “Buck Benny Rides Again w/ Sarah Churchill”3/19/50 - “The Champion”3/26/50 - “From Palm Springs w/ Bob Hope”4/2/50 - “From Palm Springs w/ Al Jolson”4/16/50 - “Jack Gets the House Pained w/ Frank Fontaine”5/7/50 - “Jack Buys a New Suit”11/26/50 - “Tries to Buy Tickets to the USC-UCLA Game”12/10/50 - “Murder at the Racket Club”"

Hollywood 360 (Author), Jack Benny, a full cast (Narrator)

Audiobook

Nostalgia Radio’s All-Time Favorites, Vol. 1

"Nostalgia radio had incredible comedy, mystery, detective, western, sci-fi, musical, and drama shows that kept Americans glued to their radio sets. Families gathered around their living room radios to hear their favorite Hollywood stars in fully-dramatized broadcasts that entertained millions. In this collection of sixteen episodes, you’ll hear “Richard Diamond, Private Detective” with Dick Powell, “Suspense,” starring Herbert Marshall, “The Charlie McCarthy Show” with Edgar Bergan and Don Ameche, “Duffy’s Tavern” with Ed Gardner, “Your Hit Parade” with Frank Sinatra, “The Jack Benny Program” with Jack Benny and all his gang, “Information Please” with Boris Karloff, “The Philco Radio Time” with Bing Crosby and Jimmy Durante, “You Bet Your Life” with Groucho Marx, and many more! Fibber McGee & Molly 6/9/42 Fibber and the Pot Roast w/ Jim and Marian Jordan Duffy’s Tavern 1/18/44 Archie’s Song w/ guest Lauritz Melchoir Your Hit Parade 9/2/44 w/ Top Songs Frank Sinatra The Sealed Book 4/15/45 Escape By Death w/ Phillip Clarke The Silver Theater 7/29/45 Gilded Pheasant w/ Marguerite Chapman The Charlie McCarthy Show 1/14/45 Tribute to Benjamin Franklin w/ guest, Louis Bromfield Information Please 12/24/45 w/ guest, Boris Karloff The Philco Radio Time 12/4/46 w/ Bing Crosby and guest, Jimmy Durante The Jack Benny Program 10/3/48 Jack Hears an Echo w/ Jack Benny and all his gang Famous Jury Trials 1950s #13 The State Vs. Vernon Craig Counterspy 6/20/50 The Case of the Psychic’s Secrets w/ Don MacLaughlin Inner Sanctum Mystery 5/28/51 The Unforgiving Corpse w/ Luis van Rooten Richard Diamond, Private Detective 7/26/53 The Mona Lisa Murder w/ Dick Powell Suspense 2/9/58 The Longshot w/ Herbert Marshall You Bet Your Life 1959 #384 Secret word: Smile w/ Groucho Marx Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar 9/25/60 The Five Down Matter w/ Bob Bailey"

CBS Radio (Author), Bing Crosby, Boris Karloff, Charlie McCarthy, Dick Powell, Edgar Bergen, Frank Sinatra, Groucho Marx, Herbert Marshall, Jack Benny, Jimmy Durante, John Dehner, a full cast (Narrator)

Audiobook

Classic Radio Spotlight: Jack Benny, Vol. 2

"Enjoy eight hours of classic radio episodes starring the incomparable Jack Benny, including several episodes from his regular radio series The Jack Benny Program. For over half a century, Jack Benny was one of the great comics of stage, screen, radio, and television. On his long-running radio and television programs, Benny was depicted as a miser who hoarded every penny he made. Year after year he denied he was older than thirty-nine while honing his persona of a vain and devious penny-pincher in stark contrast to the warm and generous human being he was in real life. Benny knew he could be funny by following one simple rule: let others deliver the punch lines. He discovered early that it didn’t matter who got the laughs on The Jack Benny Program as long as people were talking about how funny it was. A staple on NBC radio for sixteen years, Jack Benny made headlines when he signed an unprecedented contract with rival network CBS. In late 1948, CBS hoped to dominate the broadcasting industry by successfully luring Jack Benny away from his long-term NBC contract. They later convinced him to appear on CBS television and by 1953, The Jack Benny Program was a weekly TV fan-favorite."

Black Eye Entertainment (Author), Jack Benny, a full cast (Narrator)

Audiobook

Hollywood Stage - Seven Keys to Baldpate

"Hollywood is indelibly printed in our minds as the 'go-to' place for entertainment and has been for decades. When there really did seem to be more stars in Hollywood than in Heaven Hollywood Stage had them performing films as radio plays - on the sponsors dime of course. Classic films now become audiobooks with many featuring the original stars from way back when. Here's Seven Keys to Baldpate starring Jack Benny & Mary Livingstone."

Hollywood Stage Productions (Author), Jack Benny, Mary Livingstone (Narrator)

Audiobook