Benny, Jack (1894–1974)
| US comedian. He had perfect timing and a lugubrious manner. Benny appeared on the stage, in films, and on radio and television. His radio programme, The Jack Benny Show from 1932, made him a national institution; it was produced for television in the 1950s. |
| Born in Waukegan, Illinois, he began a musical career in local theater orchestras (playing the violin) and joined a vaudeville troupe. During the 1920s, he turned to comedy, taking the stage name ‘Jack Benny’ and developing his familiar miserly, yet harmless character. |
| His film appearances, mostly in the 1930s and 1940s, included To Be or Not to Be (1942). He also played in Charley's Aunt (1941), It's in the Bag (1945), and A Guide for the Married Man (1967). |
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