Old Time Radio Show of the Week

The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny
March 21st 1948
  It's the first day of Spring, and Jack visits the Beverly Hills Beavers to lecture on the subject of "thrift and in a funny segment its talked about Ronald Colman winning an Oscar." 

Ronald Colman won his only Academy Award for Best Actor for the role of Anthony John in 1947's "A Double Life" 

Old Time Radio Show of the Week - Jack Benny

The Lucky Strike Program Starring Jack Benny. 
November 16th 1947
Jack goes to renew his driver's license. Don't miss the eye chart and the puppy. 
The Sportsmen sing the middle commercial to the tune of, "I Believe." 
A woman tries to commit suicide by throwing herself in front of Don Wilson. 
Jack cuddles a little puppy. It turns out to be his toupee. 

Old Time Radio Show of the Week

This week's show is probably my favorite old time radio show not called Gunsmoke,
"The Jack Benny Program" which starred of course, Jack Benny.  Jack was a comedy and radio legend and transitioned to television with no problem and deftly took his show with him and became a tv legend.
Jack along with his famous cast saw little change in lineup from his debut in 1932 to the final radio show in 1955.   He made household names out of his wife Mary Livingstone, announcer Don Wilson, singer Dennis Day and band leader Phil Harris.  In the early 1950s Phil Harris left Jack's show and was smoothly replaced by Bob Crosby (brother of Bing Crosby) and it was seamless.   Jack himself said that his role was to have a funny show and it didnt matter who got the laughs because it was always The Jack Benny Program the people remembered.

October 24th 1954

"The Drive In Movie"

CBS Radio

(Jack, Don and Dennis have a night out at the movies)

A Jack Benny Christmas

A few classic Christmas episodes from The Jack Benny Show on radio.  Some years Jack had 2 "Christmas episodes" I have included both from 1943.

Thank you to OTR Halloweenholidaze on Youtube and Buck Benny and his podcast

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Radio Season (Last show of the Season)

We wrap up the 1952-53 season for The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny.

thank you again to my friend Buck Benny and his tremendous Jack Benny podcast.  Please follow him to hear these great Jack Benny shows and other greats from the golden age of radio.

click here to visit his page

The Lucky Strike Program Starring Jack Benny

"Gondola in Venice"

06/07/1953

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Radio Season

This episode of The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny ends with Jack trying to tune in the radio broadcast of the 1953 Indianapolis 500.

The 1953 Indy 500 was called "The Hottest 500" due to the track temperature exceeding 130 degrees.  This led to many drivers needing relief drivers but the winner, Bill Vukovich, did not.
 Bill Vuckovich had led 150 laps of the 200 in the 1952 Indy 500 but in 1953 he proved even more dominant.   He led 195 of the 200 and was the winner going away from the field.
This was the first of 2 consecutive wins for Vukovich and he was leading the 1955 race (which would have been his 3rd straight win), but was involved in a horrific accident that led to his car tumbling over the backstretch wall and landing upside down and killing him instantly.

Thanks to Buck Benny and his wonderful OTR podcast that features Jack and the Gang.

The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny

"Jack Listens to the Indy 500"

05/31/1953

Great color newsreel about the month of May in Indianapolis 1953.  

This covers time trials and race day.  Great film footage.

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Radio Season

From May 24th 1953, The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny.  This season Jack would be the #2 show behind a resurgent Amon N' Andy who followed Jack on Sunday nights at 730pm.

thanks tremedously to Buck Benny and his wonderful podcast for allowing me to post this season of shows.
Please follow Buck for all the great OTR all summer long.

The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny

May 24th 1953

Insurance Medical Exam

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Radio Season

This week Jack tries his hand at science fiction.

Thanks to Buck Benny and his podcast.  Please follow him and donate to help keep this podcast up and running with all the great OTR shows we love.

The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny

I Flew To Mars

05/17/1953

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Radio Season

This week as part of Buck Benny's podcast he talks about the survey done by Those Were The Days, asking for listeners favorite Radio Show.   He includes results from 1986, 1999 and 2012.

This week Jack is still in San Diego and welcomes then California Lt Gov Goodwin Knight.  Mr. Knight would then become Governor later in the year when Earl Warren resigns as Governor to become Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court.

The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny

From San Francisco

Air date - 05/10/1953

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Radio Season

Tonight is the first appearance of  Jack Benny favorite/regular on the tv show, Gisele Mackenzie

The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny

Live from San Francisco  with guest Gisele Mackenzie

aired 05/03/1953

(thanks again to Buck Benny and his Podcast)

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Radio Season

Here is another great episode from the Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny from the 1952-53 radio season.
This is a bittersweet episode in that we get to here Fred Allen with Jack once again but sadly this would be the last time the two would be together on radio.
Attached to this is also the first time Jack and Fred appeared together on radio on the Fred Allen Show in 1936.

Thanks to Buck Benny and his great podcast for old time radio, please check out his show by clicking this link.

Here is the link to this episode to see Jack and Fred together on Jack's television show.

The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny

From San Francisco

04/26/1953

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Radio Season

The Lucky Strike Program for the 1952-53 radio season was the #2 show of the season.

thanks to Buck Benny for these episodes and his stellar podcast that also includes, Suspense, Bing Crosby, Fred Allen, Escape and Gunsmoke.  Please click this link and check him out and enjoy the great old time radio from the golden age.

The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny

04/19/1953

Bob Crosby Borrows $500 from Jack

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Season

Thanks to Buck Benny and his stellar Jack Benny podcast for these great episodes.  This podcast also has some great information regarding upcoming shows with Rose Marie and the soon to be released "Lost Episodes" of The Jack Benny Show tv program from The Shout! Factory.


The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny
04/12/1953
"Missing Heir"
CBS Radio

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Radio Season

The Easter episode from Jack and the gang for the 1952-53 season.

(thanks to Buck Benny and his podcast for all of these great episodes)

The Lucky Strike Program Starring Jack Benny
Easter Parade
Aired 04/05/1953
CBS Radio

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Radio Season

Tonight Jack and the gang parody Tyrone Power and his latest film "The Mississippi Gambler" which was released in January of 1953.

(thanks again to Buck Benny and his Jack Benny Podcast for bringing us this great show)

The Lucky Strike Progran starring Jack Benny

Mississippi Gambler

Aired - March 29th 1953

CBS Radio

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Season

For the 1952-53 season, The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny was the #2 show in radio.  They were behind the show that followed them on Sunday nights, Amos N' Andy, which made a stirring run as the #1 show in the last years of the Golden Age of Radio.

Thanks to Buck Benny and his Jack Benny Podcast!

The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny
03/22/1953
"A Walk Through Beverly Hills"
CBS Radio

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Season

Continuing our journey through the 1952-53 season of The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny.  This was the #2 rated radio show in the US for the season.

Thanks to Buck Benny and his podcast for allowing me to bring you this show every week.


The Snows of Kilimanjaro
Jack and the gang do their version of the 1952 movie starring Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner
originally aired 03/08/1953
CBS Radio

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Radio Season

This week Jack is off to New York city on the Super Chief train.  

He is headed to the Friars celebration for Bob Hope.

(courtesy of Buck Benny OTR Podcast)

Off To New York City by Train

03/01/1953

CBS Radio

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Season

Tonight we continue in the 1952-53 radio season of The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny.
(courtesy of Buck Benny's OTR Podcast)


This episode has the legendary crooner Bing Crosby as the guest.


The Life of Bing Crosby
originally aired 02/15/1953
CBS Radio

The Jack Benny Show 1952-53 Season

Here we are again for the next episode in the 1952-53 season of the Jack Benny radio show (The Lucky Strike Program).   This season Jack was the #2 show on radio behind Amos N' Andy (which followed Jack on Sunday nights on CBS).

Thanks to Buck Benny and his Jack Benny podcast.  Please check it out for some great old time radio shows like Jack Benny, Fred Allen, Phil Harris, Suspense, Jimmy Durante, Escape and Gunsmoke.  He also has some great surprises each week.

Buck Benny's Jack Benny Podcast (click here)


The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny
Steak Ride 
(Mel Blanc's english horse)
originally aired 02/18/1953
CBS radio
(also included is Jack and Mel on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson talking about the english horse)
click here to see most of the interview with Johnny and see Jack's just double over laughing at Mel.
stick around after the show and listen to an interview of Mel Blanc by Dr. Demento from 1979.