Rochester, New York

Mo' Funny: Black Comedy in America (1993)

Actors: Redd Foxx (actor), Dick Gregory (actor), Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson (actor), Stepin Fetchit (actor), Bill Bellamy (actor), Steve Allen (actor), Jack Benny (actor), Jim Carrey (actor), Dick Cavett (actor), Willie Best (actor), Bill Cosby (actor), Tommy Davidson (actor), Charles S. Dutton (actor), Charles S. Dutton (actor), David Alan Grier (actor),

Genres: Documentary,

Jack Benny's New Look (1969)

Actors: George Burns (actor), Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson (actor), Gregory Peck (actor), Jack Benny (actor), Henny Youngman (actor), Morey Amsterdam (actor), Nancy Sinatra (actress), Irving Fein (producer), Hal Goldman (writer), Al Gordon (writer), Gary Puckett (actor), Tim Withem (actor), Paul Wheatbread (actor), Gary Puckett and The Union Gap (actor), Kerry Chater (actor),

Genres: Comedy, Music,

The Mouse That Jack Built (1959)

Actors: Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson (actor), Jack Benny (actor), Mel Blanc (actor), Mel Blanc (actor), Don Wilson (actor), Robert McKimson (director), Treg Brown (editor), Tedd Pierce (writer), Milt Franklyn (composer), John W. Burton (producer), Mary Livingstone (actress),

Plot: In this spoof of "The Jack Benny Program", a mouse with 'Jack Benny' (qv)'s personality and poor violin playing ability lives, along with a mouse version of Benny's valet, 'Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson' (qv), in a hole in a wall of Jack Benny's own home. Jack the rodent takes a mouse version of 'Mary Livingstone (I)' out to dinner, and the two unwittingly walk right into the disguised mouth of an orange cat!

Keywords: based-on-radio-show, cat-versus-mouse, character-name-in-title, merrie-melodies, part-live-action, surrealism
Genres: Animation, Comedy, Family, Short,

Quotes:

Jack: Who's this guy, Isaac Stern?

Jack: [singing] Oh, Rochester?::Rochester: [singing] Yes, Boss?::Jack: [singing] Where's my new white jacket?::Rochester: [singing] I'm wearing it.::Jack: Not any more, you're not.::Rochester: But boss, I rented it from you for a week for five bucks.::Jack: The week was up five minutes ago. Now bring it here.::Rochester: Oh, okay, Boss.::Jack: It's Miss Livingston's birthday, and I'm taking her out.::[Jack puts on the jacket and a blue bow tie]::Rochester: Mmm mmm! What that tie does for those baby blue eyes.::Jack: [Looking in a mirror] They are nice, aren't they?

The Maxwell: Halt! Who goes there?::Jack: It's me, Ed.::The Maxwell: Oh, hello, Mr. Benny. How are things on the outside? We win the war yet?::Jack: Oh, uh... yes. Yes, we did.::The Maxwell: That's good. What do you think they'll do with the Kaiser?

Don: If you're feeling mighty lucky...::Jack: Don.::Don: Bugs Bunnyish and Daffy Ducky...::Jack: Don.::Don: And thought you taw a puddy tat...::Jack: Don.::Don: There's just one thing to do for that...::Jack: Don!::Don: Oh, what is it, Jack?::Jack: Don, you're not supposed to do a commercial. This is a movie, and...::Don: A movie? Gosh, I've always wanted to be a movie actor. Ahem! What light in yon window breaks? It is the dawn...::Jack: No, Don. No.::Don: Oh, Jack. Can't I just...::Jack: No.::Don: Oh, gee whiz! You never let me do anything I want to! [Leaves]::Jack: Don's such a ham.

Jack: Help! Help!::[Jack Benny then woke up, from his dream]::Jack: Gee, what a crazy dream. Imagine, Mary and me, as two little mice, trapped inside a cat. And I was playing the violin.::[after waking up, he hears a bad violin rendition of Rock-A-Bye Baby, that came from inside his sleeping cat. Then, he sees the same two figures of mice, of Jack Benny and Mary Livingstone, that were in his dream, as they were crawling out, escaping from his sleeping cat. Benny then turned to the audience, with one of his most-popular trademark takes, as the cartoon concluded and closing credits begin]

Mary: Where's Mr. Benny?::Rochester: Down in the cheese vault, counting out his cheese.::Mary: Oh, no. Not again?

Mary: I just love cheese. Really I do.

You Can Change the World (1951)

Actors: Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson (actor), Jack Benny (actor), Irene Dunne (actress), Loretta Young (actress), William Perlberg (producer), Leo McCarey (director), Bing Crosby (actor), Paul Douglas (actor), William Holden (actor), Bob Hope (actor), Ann Blyth (actress), Jimmy Van Heusen (actor), Johnny Burke (actor), James G. Keller (actor),

Genres: Documentary, Short,

Screen Snapshots 2856: It Was Only Yesterday (1950)

Actors: Carole Landis (actress), Ralph Staub (producer), Ralph Staub (writer), Edgar Bergen (actor), Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson (actor), James Gleason (actor), Phil Harris (actor), Jack Benny (actor), Groucho Marx (actor), Alice Faye (actress), Ken Murray (actor), Roy Rogers (actor), Jerome Thoms (editor), Ralph Staub (actor), James Stewart (actor),

Plot: James Gleason drops by to visit Ralph Staub at the Columbia lot and Staub, as he was inclined to do, pulls out a few reels of World War II "Screen Snapshots", and he and Gleason reminisce about the footage, while the camera turns and, presto, yet another Screen Snapshots entry comprised of about 90% stock footage. This one shows movie-and-radio stars and names around Hollywood entertaining the troops at various California Army/Navy/Marine camps. Faces seen and voices heard (again) include Carole Landis, Groucho Marx and Jack Benny.

Keywords: 1940s, 1950s, actor, actress, american-flag, archive-footage, army-air-corps, army-base, broadcast, cigar-smoking
Genres: History, Short, War,

The Jack Benny Program (1949)

Actors: Jack Benny (actor), Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson (actor), Patty Andrews (actress), Maxene Andrews (actress), Isaac Stern (actor), Laverne Andrews (actress), Margaret Whiting (actress), The Andrews Sisters (actress), Chester Lauck (actor), Norris Goff (actor), Valerie Scott (actress),

Genres: Comedy,

Quotes:

Jack Benny: Ah so Jack Armstrong! You do speak Japanese!

What's Buzzin', Cousin? (1943)

Actors: Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson (actor), Jeff Donnell (actress), Jessie Arnold (actress), John Tyrrell (actor), Erville Alderson (actor), John Hubbard (actor), Eugene Jackson (actor), Eddie Fetherston (actor), Louis Mason (actor), Roy Gordon (actor), Bradley Page (actor), Walter Soderling (actor), Dub Taylor (actor), Harry Tyler (actor), Theresa Harris (actress),

Plot: Freddy Martin and his band go on a trailer vacation, taking along Rochester as a handy man. They run out of gas in a ghost town and have to spend the night in the deserted Palace Hotel. The next morning, Ann Crawford and her three friends, Josie, Billie and May, arrive as Ann has inherited the hotel and most of the surrounding property, and she and her friends have pooled their savings to pay off the debts and formed a company to run the hotel. Jimmie Ross, singer with the band, decides to help the girls and has the hotel done over at his expense. Rochester, digging in the Victory Garden he has started, finds a gold nugget and the rush is on. Gangster Pete Hartley and his henchmen move in with intentions of taking over. He succeeds, over Ann's protests, in buying the property from her friends. Jimmie returns and thinks Ann has double-crossed him and they quarrel and part. Jimmie discovers that Rochester's gold nugget was his own gold inlay. Later, back on the radio with Freddie's band, Jimmie sings a song especially to Ann, who he hopes is listening.

Keywords: big-band, gold, mining
Genres: Comedy, Musical,
Taglines: Triple Header for Joy ! ROCHESTER and his riotous revels ! Freddy MARTIN and his jivin' gentlemen playing sweet and hot! Ann MILLER dancing dynamo of rhythm!

Buck Benny Rides Again (1940)

Actors: Edgar Dearing (actor), Sayre Dearing (actor), Jean De Briac (actor), Eddie Acuff (actor), Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson (actor), Billy Bletcher (actor), Morris Ankrum (actor), Ward Bond (actor), George Bruggeman (actor), James Burke (actor), George Barrows (actor), Eddy Chandler (actor), Jack Benny (actor), Monte Collins (actor), Andy Devine (actor),

Plot: Radio star Jack Benny, intending to stay in New York for the summer, is forced by the needling of rival Fred Allen to prove his boasts about roughing it on his (fictitious) Nevada ranch. Meanwhile, singer Joan Cameron, whom Jack's fallen for and offended, is maneuvered by her sisters to the same Nevada town. Jack's losing battle to prove his manhood to Joan means broad slapstick burlesque of Western cliches.

Keywords: actor-shares-first-name-with-character, boast, bound-and-gagged, character-name-in-title, dude-ranch, nevada, new-york-city, rival, singer, sister-sister-relationship
Genres: Comedy, Musical, Western,
Taglines: SPRING'S NO. 1 LAUGH HIT...THE BEST OF THE BENNY'S! (original print ad - all caps) "Mr. Allen sho' do say funny things." - "Oh, shut up, Rochester." "Imagine that tenderfoot on a horse! If Benny ever gets on a jackass, you wouldn't know who's riding who!" Fred Allen's Voice.

Quotes:

[Jack is soaked]::Rochester: Is it rainin' outside?::Jack Benny: No, Rochester, I was eating a grapefruit and it got out of control.

Phil Harris: Going somewhere?::Jack Benny: Listen, Phil, there's a train leaving for the east tonight. I'm going to be on it if I have to sit on the engineer's lap.::Phil Harris: Well, we just got here. You know what Brenda said... this place grows on you.::Jack Benny: Well, it'll have to grow on somebody else!

[first lines]::Don Wilson: And now ladies and gentlemen, we bring you that rugged hero of the great outdoors, that strong silent sphynx of the prairie, that man among men where men are men... Jack Benny in Buck Benny Rides Again!

[last lines]::Rochester: Goodbye, Mr. Chips.

Man About Town (1939)

Actors: Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson (actor), Edward Arnold (actor), Wesley Barry (actor), Leon Belasco (actor), Wilson Benge (actor), Jack Benny (actor), E.E. Clive (actor), Charles Coleman (actor), Herbert Evans (actor), Charlie Hall (actor), Charlie Hall (actor), Phil Harris (actor), Charles Irwin (actor), Cecil Kellaway (actor), Norman Ainsley (actor),

Plot: Producer Bob Temple, who's brought an American show to London, loves his star Diana, but she won't take him seriously as a lover. To show her, he picks up stranger Lady Arlington, whose financier husband neglects her. On a weekend at the Arlington country house, Bob is used by both Lady A. and her friend to make their husbands jealous; this works all too well, and Bob is in danger from both husbands.

Keywords: comedian, infidelity, jealousy, london-england, revue
Genres: Comedy, Musical,

Quotes:

Bob Temple: Use a little imagination, Rochester. What would you order if you wanted to make an impression?::Rochester: How about fish and chips and a couple of bottles of gin?

Bob Temple: Rochester, you never ask a titled lady for her phone number. We just had lunch.::Rochester: Man, that's like readin' one page and throwin' away the book.

Ted Nash: Bob, you're shaking like a leaf.::Bob Temple: Shaking like a leaf! What's a leaf got to shake about?

You Can't Cheat an Honest Man (1939)

Actors: Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson (actor), Billy Engle (actor), Irving Bacon (actor), Edgar Bergen (actor), Ernie Adams (actor), Ralph Brooks (actor), Edward Brophy (actor), James Bush (actor), Eddy Chandler (actor), Jack Clifford (actor), Charles Coleman (actor), John Arledge (actor), Dick Dickinson (actor), Eddie Dunn (actor), W.C. Fields (actor),

Plot: Larson E. Whipsnade runs a seedy circus which is perpetually in debt. His performers give him nothing but trouble, especially Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy. Meanwhile, Whipsnade's son and daughter, Phineas and Vicky, attend a posh college. Vicky turns down her caddish but rich suitor Roger Bel-Goodie, but changes her mind when she learns of her father's financial troubles. Will Vicky marry for money or succumb to the ventriloqual charm of Edgar Bergen? Will Whipsnade's Circus Giganticus make it over the state line one jump ahead of the sheriff?

Keywords: blackface, circus, con-trick, elephant, greed, lion, racial-slur, screwball, sideshow, title-spoken-by-character
Genres: Comedy,

Quotes:

Whipsnade: I'm taking on the personality of a Mexican jumping bean. First the contortionist gets rheumatism. Then the sword-swallower gets tonsilitis. Hope nothing happens to that fan dancer... not 'til I get rid of this cold, anyway.

Whipsnade: You kids are disgusting! Standing around here all day, reeking of popcorn and lollipops.

Whipsnade: [sings in shower] I'd rather have two girls / At twenty-one each / Than one girl at forty-two!

Man: There's been a mistake in my change.::Whipsnade: Ah, at long last, an honest man. Want to return some money?::Man: No, I'm short!::Whipsnade: Don't brag about it. I'm only five-feet-eight myself.

Whipsnade: As my dear old grandfather Litvak said (just before they swung the trap), he said "You can't cheat an honest man. Never give a sucker an even break or smarten up a chump."

Charlie McCarthy: Are you eating a tomato or is that your nose?

Edgar Bergen: I've got a good mind to...::Charlie McCarthy: Why don't you use it?

Whipsnade: Never trust a ventriloquist or a barber.

Charlie McCarthy: Oop, I dropped something. Hope it didn't hit anybody. Except one.

Whipsnade: [to Charlie] I shall send over a couple of pet beavers to romp with you.