美国名人 电影喜剧演员 杰克·本尼.docx

美国名人电影喜剧演员杰克本尼JackBennyplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:31repeatByGeorgeGrow2005-5-21VOICEONE:mSarahLong.VOICETWO:AndI'mSteveEmberwiththeVOASpecialEnglishprogramPEOPLEINAMERICA.Today,wetellthestoryofJackBenny.HewasoneofAmerica'sbest-lovedfunnymenduringtheTwentiethCentury.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:JackBennywasoneofthemostfamousnamesinshowbusinessformorethanfiftyyears.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,Benjamin,orBennyashisfriendscalledhim,learnedtoplaytheviolin.Bennywassuchagoodviolinplayerthat,foratime,hewantedtobecomeamusician.VOICEONE:Whileinschool,BennygotajobasaviolinplayerwiththeBarrisonTheater,thelocalvaudevillehouse.VaudevillewasthemostpopularformofshowbusinessintheUnitedStatesintheearlyNineteenHundreds.Vaudevilleshowspresentedshortplays,singers,comedianswhomadepeoplelaughandotheracts.BennyworkedattheBarrisonTheater-sometimesduringschoolhours.Helefthighschoolbeforecompletinghisstudies.ThepianoplayerforthetheaterwasaformervaudevilleperformernamedCoraSalisbury.Forashorttime,sheandBennyformedtheirownperformingact.Later;heandanotherpianoplayerhadtheirownact.Atfirst,BennychangedhisnametoBenK.Benny.However,thatnamewassimilartoanotheractorwhoplayedaviolin.So,hechosethenameJackBenny.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:TheUnitedStatesenteredWorldWarOneinNineteenSeventeen.BennyjoinedtheNavyandreportedtotheGreatLakesNavalStation.Hecontinuedusinghisviolintoperformforsailorsatthenavalstation.Inoneshow,hewaschosenmoreforhisfunnyjokesthanforhisskillwiththeviolin.Thatexperiencemadehimbelievethathisfuturejobwasasacomedian,notinmusic.VOICEONE:AfterleavingtheNavy,Bennyreturnedtovaudeville.HisperformanceswonhimconsiderablepopularityduringtheNineteenTwenties.Hetraveledacrossthecountrywithotherwell-knownperformers,includingtheMarxBrothers.InNineteenTwenty-Seven,BennymarriedSadieMarks,asalesgirlfromtheMayCompanystoreinLosAngeles.MissusBennysoonbecamepartofthetravelingshow.SheusedthenameMaryLivingstone.JackBennyappearedinafewHollywoodfilms,butthenleftCaliforniaandmovedtoNewYork.HehadaleadingpartintheBroadwayshow,"Vanities."VOICETWO:BennymadehisfirstappearanceonradioinNineteenThirty-Two.HewasinvitedtoappearonaradioshowpresentedbynewspaperreporterEdSullivan.Bennyopenedwiththisannouncement:"Ladiesandgentlemen,thisisJackBennytalking.Therewillbeashortbreakwhileyousay,whocares?"However,manylistenersdidcare.Withinashortperiod,Bennyhadhisownradioshow.Itcontinuedfortwenty-threeyears.(JACKBENNYOPEN)ANNCRrnTheJackBennyProgram"(MUSIC)",starringJackBenn½withMaryLivingstone,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."<(laughter)ROBBER:"Look,bud.Isaidzyourmoneyoryourlife!"BENNY:'Tmthinkingitover."(laughtermusic)VOICETWO:Onhisshows,JackBennyoftenspokeofhisappearance,especiallyhisbabyblueeyes.Ashegrewolder,healwaysclaimedtobethirty-nineyearsold.Bennywasknownasacomedianwithgreattiming.Heseemedtoknowtheperfecttimetotellajokeandwhentoremainsilent.Thewayhelookedatotheractorsandhisuseofbodymovementswereworldfamous.Healsowasskilledatusinghisviolintomakepeoplelaugh.VOICEONE:JackBennywasoneofthefirstcomedianswhowaswillingtoletotherpeoplesharesomeofthelaughs.Herarelymadejokesthathurtotherpeople.Instead,hewouldlettheotheractorsontheshowtelljokesabouthim.ManyoftheactorsinBenny'sshowbecamealmostasfamousashewas.TheywouldcriticizeBenny'srefusaltoreplacehisancientautomobile.Theymadefunofthepaytelephonethatheaddedtohishouse.ThisisatelephonediscussionbetweenBennyandhistrustedemployee,Rochester.(JACKBENNYPROGRAM)BENNY:"Hello-"ROCHESTER:"Hello,MisterBenny.ThisisRochester-'"(applause)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."<(laughter)(JACKBENNYPROGRAM)BENNY:"Waitaminute,Rochester.Whyshouldtherebeanyquestionaboutmyage?"ROCHESTER:"Ohzitwasn'taquestion.Itwastheanswerwehadtroublewith."<(laughter)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.ItcontinueduntilNineteen-Sixty-Five.Bennyappearedinabouttwentyfilmsduringhislife.Afewbecamepopular.Butmostwerenot.InNineteenSixty-Three,BennyreturnedtoBroadwayforthefirsttimesinceNineteenThirty-One.Heperformedtolargecrowds.VOICEONE:JackBennyreceivedmanyawardsduringhislifetime.Thepublication"MotionPictureDaily"votedhimthecountry'sbestradiocomedianfourtimes.InNineteenFifty-Seven,hewonaspecialawardfromtheAcademyofTelevisionArtsandSciencesforthebestcontinuingperformance.HealsowontheAcademy'stelevisionawardforthebestcomedyseriesinNineteenFifty-Nine.PerhapstheonehonorthatpleasedhimmostwasthathishometownofWaukeegannamedaschoolforhim.Thisiswasspecialhonorforamanwhohadneverfinishedhighschool.VOICETWO:JackBennycontinuedtoperformandtodoafewtelevisionspecialsafterhisweeklyseriesended.HediedofcanceronDecembertwenty-sixth,NineteenSeventy-Four.Hisfriend,comedianBobHope,spokeatthefuneralaboutthelossfeltbyBenny'sfriendsandfans.Hesaid:"JackBennywasstingytotheend.Hegaveusonlyeightyyears."(MUSIC)VOICEONE:ThisSpecialEnglishprogramwaswrittenbyandproducedbyGeorgeGrow.mSarahLong.VOICETWO:AndI'mSteveEmber.JoinusagainnextweekforanotherPEOPLEINAMERICAprogramontheVoiceofAmerica.