美国名人 演员 制片人 杰克·本尼.docx

美国名人演员制片人杰克本尼JackBenny,1894-1974:HeWonHeartsMostlybyMakingFunofHimselfplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:36repeatByGeorgeGrow2009-10-10VOICEONE:mSarah1.ong.VOICETWO:AndI'mSteveEmberwiththeVOASpecialEnglishprogramPEOP1.EINAMERICA.Today,wetellthestoryofJackBenny.HewasoneofAmerica'sbest-lovedfunnymenduringthetwentiethcentury.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:JackBennyJackBennywasoneofthemostfamousnamesinshowbusinessformorethanfiftyyears.Hestartedasaseriousmusician,beforehediscoveredhecouldmakepeoplelaugh.JackBennybecamefamousnationwideinthenineteenthirtiesasaresultofhisweeklyradioprogram.HisprogramswereamongthemostpopularonAmericanradio,andlaterontelevision.JackBennywontheheartsofAmericansbymakingfunofhimself.Hewasknownnotassomeonewhosaidfunnythings,butassomeonewhosaidthingsinafunnyway.VOICETWO:JackBennywasborninChicago,Illinois,onFebruaryfourteenth,eighteenninety-four.Hisparents,MeyerandEmmaKubelsky,werereligiousJews.TheyhadmovedtotheUnitedStatesfromeasternEurope.TheynamedtheirfirstchildBenjamin.BenjaminKubelskyandhisfamilylivedinWaukeegan,Illinois.Benjaminwasaquietboy.Formuchofthetime,hisparentswerebusyworkinginhisfather'sstore.Asachild,BenjaminzorBennyashisfriendscalledhim,learnedtoplaytheviolin.Bennywassuchagoodviolinplayerthat,foratime,hewantedtobecomeamusician.VOICEONE:Whileinschool,BennygotajobasaviolinplayerwiththeBarrisonTheater,thelocalvaudevillehouse.VaudevillewasthemostpopularformofshowbusinessintheUnitedStatesintheearlynineteenhundreds.Vaudevilleshowspresentedshortplays,singers,comedianswhomadepeoplelaughandotheracts.BennyworkedattheBarrisonTheater-sometimesduringschoolhours.Helefthighschoolbeforecompletinghisstudies.ThepianoplayerforthetheaterwasaformervaudevilleperformernamedCoraSalisbury.Forashorttime,sheandBennyformedtheirownperformingact.1.ater;heandanotherpianoplayerhadtheirownact.Atfirst,BennychangedhisnametoBenK.Benny.However,thatnamewassimilartoanotheractorwhoplayedaviolin.So,hechosethenameJackBenny.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:TheUnitedStatesenteredWorldWarOneinnineteenseventeen.BennyjoinedtheNavyandreportedtotheGreat1.akesNavalStation.Hecontinuedusinghisviolintoperformforsailorsatthenavalstation.Inoneshow,hewaschosenmoreforhisfunnyjokesthanforhisskillwiththeviolin.Thatexperiencemadehimbelievethathisfuturejobwasasacomedian,notinmusic.VOICEONE:AfterleavingtheNavy,Bennyreturnedtovaudeville.Hisperformanceswonhimconsiderablepopularityduringthenineteentwenties.Hetraveledacrossthecountrywithotherwell-knownperformers,includingtheMarxBrothers.InNineteenTwenty-Seven,BennymarriedSadieMarks,asalesgirlfromtheMayCompanystorein1.osAngeles.MissusBennysoonbecamepartofthetravelingshow.SheusedthenameMary1.ivingstone.JackBennyappearedinafewHollywoodfilms,butthenleftCaliforniaandmovedtoNewYork.HehadaleadingpartintheBroadwayshow,"Vanities."VOICETWO:BennymadehisfirstappearanceonradioinNineteenThirty-Two.HewasinvitedtoappearonaradioshowpresentedbynewspaperreporterEdSullivan.Bennyopenedwiththisannouncement:"1.adiesandgentlemen,thisisJackBennytalking.Therewillbeashortbreakwhileyousa½whocares?"However,manylistenersdidcare.Withinashortperiod,Bennyhadhisownradioshow.Itcontinuedfortwenty-threeyears.ANNOUNCER:"TheJackBennyProgram,starringJackBenny,withMary1.ivingstone,PhilHarris,Rochester,DennisDay,andyourstruly,DonWilson."(MUSIC)VOICEONE:JackBennydevelopedashowbusinesspersonalitythathadallthequalitiespeopledislike.Hewasknownforbeingsostingyherefusedtospendanyofhismoney,unlessforcedtodoso.Healwayswasconcernedaboutmoney.Forexample,hewouldputonajeweler'sglasstoexaminethediamondonawealthywomanhehadjustmet.Inanotherexample,arobberpointsagunatBenny.(JACKBENNYPROGRAM)ROBBER:"Thisisastick-up."BENNY:"Mister,putdownthatgun."ROBBER:"Shutup.Isaidthisisastick-up.Now,comeon.Yourmoneyoryourlife."(1.AUGHTER)ROBBER:"1.ook,bud.Isaidzyourmoneyoryourlife!"BENNY:'Tmthinkingitover."(1.AUGHTER/MUSIC)VOICETWO:Onhisshows,JackBennyoftenspokeofhisappearance,especiallyhisbabyblueeyes.Ashegrewolder,healwaysclaimedtobethirty-nineyearsold.Bennywasknownasacomedianwithgreattiming.Heseemedtoknowtheperfecttimetotellajokeandwhentoremainsilent.Thewayhelookedatotheractorsandhisuseofbodymovementswereworldfamous.Healsowasskilledatusinghisviolintomakepeoplelaugh.VOICEONE:JackBennywasoneofthefirstcomedianswhowaswillingtoletotherpeoplesharesomeofthelaughs.Herarelymadejokesthathurtotherpeople.Instead,hewouldlettheotheractorsontheshowtelljokesabouthim.ManyoftheactorsinBenny'sshowbecamealmostasfamousashewas.TheywouldcriticizeBenny'srefusaltoreplacehisancientautomobile.Theymadefunofthepaytelephonethatheaddedtohishouse.ThisisatelephonediscussionbetweenBennyandhistrustedemployee,Rochester.BENNY:"Hello."ROCHESTER:"Hello,MisterBenny.ThisisRochester."(APP1.AUSE)BENNY:"Rochester,minthemiddleoftheprogram."ROCHESTER:"Iknow,boss,butthisisveryimportant.Themanfromthelifeinsurancecompanywashereaboutthatpolicyyou'retakingoutandheaskedmealotofquestions."BENNY:"Well,Ihopeyouansweredthemright."ROCHESTER:"Oh,Idid.Whenheaskedmeyourheight,Isaidfive-foot-ten."BENNY:"Uh,huh."ROCHESTER:"Yourweight,one-hundred-sixty-four."BENNY:"Uh,huh."ROCHESTER:"Yourage,thirty-nine."BENNY:"Uh,huh."ROCHESTER:"Wehadquitearoundtablediscussiononthatone."(1.AUGHTER)BENNY:"Waitaminute,Rochester.Whyshouldtherebeanyquestionaboutmyage?"ROCHESTER:"0hzitwasn'taquestion.Itwastheanswerwehadtroublewith."(1.AUGHTER)VOICETWO:JackBennysaid:"Theshowitselfistheimportantthing.Aslongaspeoplethinktheshowisfunnyzitdoesnotmatterwhotellsthejokes."Healsomadefunofthepaidannouncementsbroadcastduringhisradioshowthatweredesignedtosellproducts.Theyoftenprovidedsomeofthefunniestmomentsintheshow.Mostperformersneverwouldmakefunofthebusinessesthathelpedpayfortheshow.VOICEONE:Overtheyears,JackBennydidwellfinancially.Innineteenforty-eight,hemovedhisshowfromtheNationalBroadcastingCompanytotheColumbiaBroadcastingSystem.Aspartoftheagreement,CBSpaidmorethantwomilliondollarstoacompanyinwhichBennyhadacontrollinginterest.Muchlater;theMusicCorporationofAmericaboughtBenny'sproductioncompany.BennyreceivedalmostthreemilliondollarsinMCAstockshares.Inreallife,hewastheoppositeofthepersonheplayedinhisshow.Hewasknowntobeverygivingandsomeonepeoplelikedhavingastheiremployer.Healsocouldplaytheviolinverywell.VOICETWO:JackBennyenteredthenewmediumoftelevisioninnineteenfifty.Fiveyearslater;hedroppedhisradioprogramtospendmoretimedevelopinghistelevisionshow.Atfirst,hisappearancesontelevisionwererare.Bynineteensixty,theBennyshowwasaweeklytelevisionprogram.Itcontinueduntilnineteensixty-five.Bennyappearedinabouttwentyfilmsduringhislife.Afewbecamepopular.Butmostwerenot.Innineteensixty-three,BennyreturnedtoBroadwayforthefirsttimesincenineteenthirty-one.Heperformedtolargecrowds.VOICEONE:JackBennyreceivedmanyawardsduringhislifetime.Thepublication"MotionPictureDaily"votedhimthecountry'sbestradiocomedianfourtimes.Innineteenfifty-seven,hewonaspecialawardfromtheAcademyOfTeIevisionArtsandSciencesforthebestcontinuingperformance.HealsowontheAcademy'stelevisionawardforthebestcomedyseriesinnineteenfifty-nine.PerhapstheonehonorthatpleasedhimmostwasthathishometownofWaukeegannamedaschoolforhim.Thisiswasspecialhonorforamanwhohadneverfinishedhighschool.VOICETWO:JackBennycontinuedtoperformandtodoafewtelevisionspecialsafterhisweeklyseriesended.HeofcanceronDecembertwenty-sixth,nineteenseventy-four.Hisfriend,comedianBobHope,spokeatthefuneralaboutthelossfeltbyBenny'sfriendsandfans.Hesaid:"JackBennywasstingytotheend.Hegaveusonlyeightyyears."(MUSIC)VOICEONE:ThisSpecialEnglishprogramwaswrittenbyandproducedbyGeorgeGrow.I'mSarah1.ong.VOICETWO:AndI'mSteveEmber.JoinusagainnextweekforanotherPEOP1.EINAMERICAprogramontheVoiceofAmerica.