CBS Apparently Doesn't Know Jack

Posted Wednesday, January 20, 2010, at 11:32 AM

Star of stage, screen & radio

CBS has 25 never-released prints of episodes of the Jack Benny Program. There they sit in the vault (not as secure as Benny's vault by any means!) doing nobody any good. These programs are in the public domain. While (in my opinion) Benny's greatest work was in radio, his contributions to early television are undoubted. These TV shows are valuable cultural artifacts, and bound to be entertaining.

The Jack Benny Fan Club offered to pay for the digitization of these films. The Benny Family enthusiastically approved the project. CBS said no.

As Jack would say, "...Well!!"

If you don't remember Jack Benny, or don't realize his importance to comedy in the 20th Century, or how far his legacy stretched out beyond his lifetime (Jerry Seinfeld and Kelsey Grammer, among others, both acknowledge the debt), you might take a look at http://www.jackbenny.org, the website of the Jack Benny Fan Club. See the news on the fistfight with CBS here.

Consider dropping CBS an email. Where do they get off holding out on us?

Comments
Showing comments in chronological order
[Show most recent comments first]

Jack Benny was the best there ever was.

He belongs to the world.

The world demands that CBS release those

25 Benny prints. They are in the public domain.

Fans have offered to pay to have the films

digitized. What is it that CBS wants? Why are

they holding back? Are they out to make a

killing at the expense of Jack's legacy; that being one of the most generous of souls ever to emerge from the entertainment industry.

Some people (read CBS) just have no class!!!

-- Posted by urbisoler on Thu, Jan 21, 2010, at 11:24 AM