tv 1954

Season 4, Episode 7 – Aired: 1/17/1954
Liberace Show
After a show, Jack tries to return a call to Liberace but the two operators, Gertrude and Mabel, are too busy gossiping. Jack drops by Liberace's home and finds the place filled with candelabras and servants, all in tuxedos--even the gardener. Liberace asks Jack to fill in for his brother George in a concert he's giving that evening.
In the theater lobby during intermission at the concert, Don Wilson does a Lucky Strike commercial. Liberace performs a solo, then the two play "September Song" with Jack on his violin.

Stars
Eddie Anderson - Rochester Van Jones
Jack Benny - Himself
Don Wilson - Himself

Guest Cast
Rex Evans - Geoffrey the Butler / Sara Berner - Mabel the Phone Operator / Rolfe Sedan Pierre - the Chef / Liberace - Himself
Lane Nakano - Yamaguchi, the Gardner / Ronald Keith - Guest Star / Bea Benaderet - Gertrude the Phone Operator / Lois Corber - Lois Wilson

Ralph Levy - Director
Writers: John Tackaberry, Milt Josefsberg, George Balzer, Sam Perrin

Season 4, Episode 8 – Aired: 2/7/1954
Jack Dreams He's Married To Mary
Rochester writes in his diary about the day's events: Mary rushes over to discuss something important and Jack thinks she's going to accept one of his numerous marriage proposals. Instead, she lectures him on being so cheap. Jack dozes on the couch and dreams about their wedding ceremony, with justice of the peace Don Wilson turning it into a Lucky commercial. Then it's on to their 21st anniversary; he's a failed radio actor/house husband and she's the breadwinner, still working at the May Company. Eventually, "dream Mary" also launches into him for being a cheapskate. In the epilogue, Jack brings out both Mary and Joanie for bows.

Stars
Jack Benny - Himself
Don Wilson - Himself/Hon. Don Wilson, Esq.
Eddie Anderson - Rochester Van Jones

Guest Cast
Joan Benny - Herself / Ann Wilner - Mrs. Krausemeyer / Leon Tyler - Calvin / Barbara Pepper - Emily

Recurring Roles
Mary Livingstone - Herself / Mel Blanc - Voice of Polly the Parrot

Mahlon Merrick - Musical Direction
Philip Tannura - Director of Photography
Stanley Frazen - Film Editor
Richard C. Meyer - Film Editor
Robert Tyler Lee - Art Director
Joseph DePew - Assistant Director

George Foster - Sound Supervisor

Season 4, Episode 9 – Aired: 2/28/1954
Helen Hayes Show
Jack travels to New York and stays at the fleabag Acme Plaza Hotel; the furniture falls apart when you blow on it. Benny wants to perform in legitimate theater and seeks out Helen Hayes to teach him to be a dramatic actor. He gets his big break when one of Miss Hayes' acting students becomes ill and cannot play in the class performance that night. Jack jumps at the chance to fill in. It turns out that the class is for children and Benny's role has him hopping around in a large bunny suit.

Stars
Don Wilson - Himself
Bill Days - Sportsmen Quartet
Jay Meyer - Sportsmen Quartet (1951-1954)
Gurney Bell - Sportsmen Quartet
Martin Sperzel - Sportsmen Quartet (1950-1957)
Mary Livingstone - Herself
Dennis Day - Himself
Eddie Anderson - Rochester Van Jones
Jack Benny - Himself

Guest Cast
Jack Lipke - Guest Star / Helen Hayes - Herself / Beverly Lundsdon - Guest Star

Ralph Levy - Director
Writers: John Tackaberry, Milt Josefsberg, Sam Perrin, George Balzer

Season 4, Episode 10 – Aired: 3/21/1954
Goldie, Fields And Glide
Jack is lounging in his back yard in a rocking hammock being powered by Rochester, who's peddling a modified sewing machine, and churning butter, and fanning, and cranking an ice cream maker.
Jack tells Don he wants George Burns and Bing Crosby to recreate their old vaudeville routines on his show. As a song and dance act (Goldie, Fields and Glide), they entertained Scranton, Pennsylvania with flat vocals and out-of-synch choreography.
Burns drops by with Crosby, who sings "Gypsy in My Soul". Bing says he'll do the show, but his $10,000 fee is more than Jack can handle. Bing gets thrown into in a tree where he finds Bob Hope, another star who made the mistake of asking for too much money.

Stars
Don Wilson - Himself
Eddie Anderson - Rochester Van Jones
Jack Benny - Himself/Glide

Guest Cast

George Burns - Himself/Fields / Bing Crosby - Himself/Goldie

Mahlon Merrick - Musical Director
Philip Tannura - Director of Photography
Richard Fisher - Associate Producer
Robert Tyler Lee - Art Director
Stanley Frazen - Editorial Supervisor
Guy Scarpitta - Film Editor
Al Simon - Producer for McCadden Corp.
Hilliard Marks - Producer
Herbert W. Browar - Production Supervisor
Joseph DePew - Assistant Director

Season 4, Episode 11 – Aired: 4/11/1954
Burns And Allen Show
It's ten minutes before airtime and Gracie Allen is nowhere to be found. George Burns talks Jack into dressing in drag and passing himself off as Gracie. Makeup man Frank Nelson quickly works on Jack and Don Wilson contributes one of his girdles. The Sportsmen also crowd into the dressing room to do the Lucky commercial to the tune of "Black Ball Ferry Line".
A fetching Jack performs with George in one of their standard stand-up routines. Easily-confused Gracie finally arrives, doesn't realize George's partner was Jack, and thinks her husband's been fooling around with another woman--namely Tallulah Bankhead. Benny decides he's pretty good looking as a gal.

Stars
Jack Benny - Himself
Don Wilson - Himself
Sportsmen Quartet: Jay Meyer(1951-1954), Gurney Bell, Martin Sperzel (1950-1957), Bill Days
Mary Livingstone - Herself
Dennis Day - Himself
Eddie Anderson - Rochester Van Jones

Guest Cast
George Burns - Himself / Jan Arvan - Guest Star / Pierre Watkin - Guest Star / Gracie Allen - Herself / Bill Fletcher - Guest Star

Recurring Roles
Frank Nelson - Makeup Man

Ralph Levy - Director
Writers: John Tackaberry, Milt Josefsberg, George Balzer, Sam Perrin

Season 4, Episode 12 – Aired: 5/2/1954
David Niven Show
In Jack's monologue, he discusses doing filmed episodes of the series. He's interrupted by a photographer and reporter who fail miserably to take Jack's photo.
The Sportsmen Quartet set the mood for an English drawing room farce by singing "Mad Dogs and Englishmen." In the sketch, Jack plays Cecil Frothingham, the handsome British screen lover, who's having a secret affair with Lady Milbank. They break the news to Lord Milbank, but he seems more interested in his stamp collection. When Cecil finds out how valuable it is, he becomes more interested in stamps, too.

Stars
Jack Benny - Himself
Don Wilson - Himself

Guest Cast
Joe Besser - Photographer #2 / David Niven - Himself / Lord Milbank / Margaret Hayes - Herself / Lady Milbank / Gavin Gordon - Guest Star
Rudy Lee - Guest Star

Recurring Roles
Mel Blanc - Photographer #1

Robert Tyler Lee - Art Director
Ralph Levy - Producer
Sportsmen Quartet: Robert Garsen (1954-1965), Gurney Bell, Bill Days , Martin Sperzel (1950-1957)
Ralph Levy - Director
Hilliard Marks - Associate Producer
Writers: John Tackaberry, Milt Josefsberg, George Balzer, Sam Perrin

Season 4, Episode 13 – Aired: 5/23/1954
Road to Nairobi
Jack is in his dressing room one minute before airtime and can't find his pants. Bob Hope opens with a monologue while holding Jack's slacks. He goes through his wallet, but his birthday has been erased from his driver's license. Jack storms on wearing Don's huge pants. They exchange jokes before Jack orders Don to come out; he's wearing Jack's tiny pants. The Sportsmen Quartet, in native costume, open the jungle sketch singing Digga Digga Doo. Jack and Bob play African explorers who are attacked by cannibals and thrown into a huge stew pot. After much ad-libbing by Hope and breaking up by Benny, the natives are unable to start the fire. Entering from the audience, with a match, are Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. In the close, Jack tells the audience they rehearsed that sketch eight times and Bob changed the jokes every time.

Stars
Jack Benny - Himself/Buck
Don Wilson - Himself
Eddie Anderson - Rochester Van Jones

Guest Cast
Bob Hope - Himself/Clyde / Jerry Lewis - Himself / Dean Martin - Himself

Recurring Roles
Mary Livingstone - Studio P.A. Announcer (voice only)
Sportsmen Quartet - Martin Sperzel (1950-1957), Gurney Bell, Jay Meyer (1951-1954), Bill Days

Season 5, Episode 1 – Aired: 10/3/1954
Entire Cast Show
Jack falls asleep during his monologue, forcing Don to come out and explain why. Jack has been nervous all day about this first show of the new season. Arriving at the studio, he learns his suit has a stain, and the curtain was ripped by a light that tell and destroyed a camera. Plus, the phone operator keeps singing "Three Coins in the Fountain" whenever he tries to make a call. With Jack in a full-tilt tizzy, Don calls in doctor Frank Nelson to calm Jack down. After telling Jack how lousy he was last season, Dr. Frank gives him an injection that will make him sleep--for ten hours.

Stars
Jack Benny - Himself
Don Wilson - Himself
Eddie Anderson - Rochester Van Jones

Guest Cast
Sara Berner - Mabel Flapsaddle / Gloria Gordon - Guest Star / Pierre Watkin - Guest Star / Maidie Norman - Guest Star / Billy Halop - Guest Star

Recurring Roles
Frank Nelson - Doctor / Joe Besser - Joe / Jesslyn Fax - Little Old Lady / Benny Rubin - Recurring Role / Bea Benaderet - Phone Operator
Sportsmen Quartet: Robert Garsen (1954-1965), Bill Days, Martin Sperzel (1950-1957), Gurney Bell

Ralph Levy - Director
Writers: Sam Perrin, John Tackaberry, Milt Josefsberg, George Balzer

Season 5, Episode 2 – Aired: 10/17/1954
Jam Session At Jack's
In Jack's monologue, he reads critics' reviews of his first show of the season; he skips those who hated him. Don balks at Jack's idea for the commercial but does it anyway: singing while skipping rope. Jack hurries home for the weekly jam session at his house. His pals filter in: Tony Martin (clarinet), Fred MacMurray (saxophone), Dick Powell (trumpet), Dan Dailey (drums), and Kirk Douglas (banjo). They avail themselves of the coin-operated vending machines hidden throughout Jack's living room. The group plays a ragged version of "Basin Street" while Kirk keeps breaking into "Bye Bye Blues", the only song he knows. In the epilogue, Jack has the audience applaud for its favorite musician. The winner gets $5 of Jack's own cash. Jack keeps his five.

Stars
Don Wilson - Himself
Eddie Anderson - Rochester Van Jones
Jack Benny Himself

Guest Cast

Dick Powell - Himself / Tony Martin - Himself / Fred MacMurray - Himself / Kirk Douglas - Himself / Dan Dailey - Himself / Billy Halop - Usher

Mahlon Merrick - Music Direction
Hilliard Marks - Producer
Ralph Levy - Director
Writers: John Tackaberry, Milt Josefsberg, George Balzer, Sam Perrin

Season 5, Episode 3 – Aired: 10/31/1954
How Jack Found Mary
A writer visits Jack at home and hears the story of how Jack found Mary Livingstone in the fall of 1932. In the flashback, a brash, young Jack goes into the May Company department store to buy a shirt when hosiery counter clerk Mary catches his eye. He flirts shamelessly with Mary while she and her co-worker, Sally, give him a hard time. Finally, she agrees to meet Jack that evening for dinner and the rest is history. While Jack is posing for photos with the writer, Don and the Sportsmen Quartet drop by. Rochester joins them for a song and dance number.

Stars
Jack Benny - Himself
Don Wilson - Himself
Eddie Anderson - Rochester Van Jones
Mary Livingstone - Herself

Guest Cast
Joseph Kearns - Mr. Kearns / Joyce Randolph - Sales Clerk / Frank Wilcox - Shirt Sales Clerk / Judy Kelly - Dancer, Mary's Customer (as Judy Kelley)
June Earle - Sales Clerk / Mildred Bruce - Sales Clerk / David Saber - Newsboy / Pauline Drake - Guest Star

Recurring Roles
Barbara Pepper - Sally, Mary's Co-worker / Bea Benaderet - Peggy, Mary's Co-worker / Sheldon Leonard - Shady Man at Elevator / Benny Rubin - Man at Information Desk
Roy Glenn - Roy
Sportsmen Quartet: Martin Sperzel (1950-1957), Robert Garsen (1954-1965), Bill Days

Robert Tyler Lee - Art Director / Stanley Frazen - Editorial Supervisor / Richard C. Meyer - Film Editor / Al Simon - Producer for McCadden Corp.
Hilliard Marks - Producer / Herbert W. Browar - Production Supervisor / Joseph DePew - Assistant Director

Season 5, Episode 4 – Aired: 11/14/1954
The Giant Mutiny
Benny stages a baseball version of The Caine Mutiny. It begins in the Giants' dugout during the fourth game of the World Series. Benny, as Alvin Dark, captain of the New York Giants, stands up to the tyrannical Leo Durocher and is court-martialed for his insolence. In the courtroom, the judges hearing the case are managers Fred Hanley and Chuck Dressen, umpire John "Beans" Reardon, and pitcher Bob Lemon. As the Captain Queeg character, Durocher nervously rubs together two baseballs.

Stars
Don Wilson - Himself
Jack Benny - Himself

Guest Cast
Leo Durocher - Himself / John "Beans" Reardon - Himself / Charles Dressen - Himself / Fred Haney - Himself / Bob Lemon - Himself
Will Wright - Commissioner / Paul Frees - Clerk / Johnny Jacobs - Baseball Announcer / Don Shelton - Yankee Player / Bernard Dorr - 1st Baseball Player
Mike Moore - 2nd Baseball Player / Brad Trumbell - Dusty Rhodes / Alphonzo Miller - Monty Irwin / Russ Whitney - Extra, as Orderly / Travers Devine - Extra, as Bat Boy

Ralph Levy - Director / Writers: Al Gordon, Hal Goldman, John Tackaberry, Milt Josefsberg, George Balzer, Sam Perrin
Robert Tyler Lee - Art Director / Mahlon Merrick - Musical Director

Season 5, Episode 5 – Aired: 11/28/1954
The Life of Jack Benny
Rochester is typing up the script for next week's show: Jack Benny's life story. The Sportsmen Quartet sing "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby." Jack begins auditioning actors for the various parts in his saga. He hires a gorgeous young woman to play his first love, and his real first girlfriend to be his mother. He passes on the first young man who's auditioning to play himself as a child, instead casting the pushy little boy who is acting as the kid's agent.

Stars
Jack Benny - Himself
Eddie Anderson Rochester Van Jones
Don Wilson - Himself

Guest Cast
Hallene Hill - Mildred Holmquist / Harry Shearer - Harry Shearer, Jimmy's Agent / Jean Willes - Miss Gordon, Jack's Secretary
Leigh Snowden - Sexy Actress / Dick Ryan - Kevin O'Hoollahan, Irish Actor / Jimmy Baird - Jimmy Baird, Young Actor

Recurring Roles
Mel Blanc - Herman, Western Union Man / Sportsmen Quartet: Robert Garsen (1954-1965), Gurney Bell, Martin Sperzel (1950-1957), Bill Days
Ralph Levy - Director / Writers: John Tackaberry, Milt Josefsberg, George Balzer, Sam Perrin
Ralph Levy - Director

Season 5, Episode 6 – Aired: 12/12/1954
Shopping Show
Thanks to winning a crooked card game, Rochester spends the day playing golf while Jack suffers at home doing the housework. After sticking Don with the chores, Jack goes to the supermarket to do holiday grocery shopping. Naturally, helpless Jack encounters nothing but trouble. A surly fruit vendor takes a bite out of one of his apples, the racetrack tout tells him to buy rabbit, Mr. Kitzel is working the butcher counter, and surly Frank Nelson is an insulting clerk. After having had enough of Jack's inability to find anything, Nelson throws him into a shopping cart and pushes him around the store.

Stars
Jack Benny - Himself
Eddie Anderson - Rochester Van Jones
Don Wilson - Himself

Guest Cast
Nancy Duke - Extra / Ann Doran - Mother / Marjorie Bennett - Elderly Woman / Don Durant - Extra / David De Haven - Extra / Hans Moebus - Extra / Frank McClure - Extra

Leota Lorraine - Extra / June Earle - Cookie Girl / Danny Richards - Jr. Little Child / Beverly Washburn - Older Child

Recurring Roles
Frank Nelson - Store Clerk / Artie Auerbach - Mr. Kitzel / Roy Glenn - Roy / Benny Rubin - Fruit Vendor / Sportsmen Quartet: Bill Days, Gurney Bell, Robert Garsen (1954-1965), Marty Sperzel
Sheldon Leonard - The Racetrack Tout

Season 5, Episode 7 – Aired: 12/26/1954
San Diego Naval Training Center Show
Jack and the gang put on a stage show telecast live from the Naval Training Center in San Diego, California. Jack does a monologue peppered with military jokes, and he and Don discuss having both been in the Navy. An officer comes out to take Jack's dinner order (beans), and a wave in an evening gown walks across several times to "recruit" future sailors. Sy (Mel Blanc), the Mexican guitarist, comes out to accompany the Sportsmen but breaks a string. Jack, with violin, introduces several band members who join him on stage for a number that features the vocals of Rochester.

Stars
Jack Benny - Himself / Don Wilson - Himself / Eddie Anderson - Rochester Van Jones

Guest Cast
Leigh Snowden - Wave / Hy Averback - Chief Petty Officer Jones

Recurring Roles
Mel Blanc - Sy, Mexican Guitarist / Benny Rubin - Ancient Sailor / Joe Besser - Cameraman / Wayne Songer - Himself, Musician (Clarinet) / Sammy Weiss - Himself, Musician (Drummer)
Frank Remley - Himself, Musician (Guitar) / Don Rice - Himself, Musician (Bass) / Charles Bagby - Himself, Musician (Accordion)
Sportsmen Quartet: Robert Garsen (1954-1965), Gurney Bell, Bill Days, Martin Sperzel (1950-1957)
Ralph Levy - Director / Hilliard Marks - Producer