Audio interview with Frank Nelson

Frank Nelson, great character actor and famous for being the man who bothered Jack Benny so often and who's catchphrase was, "Yessssssss?" did an interview with John Dunning in the 1970's.

(((HEAR)))

Rare Jack Benny Show rehearsal

Here's a rare Jack Benny Show rehearsal from 1955 with guest star, Bob Hope.  Enjoy!

Download/Hear

Strange photo of the day~groundhog

The 21st Precinct vs. Dragnet

I happen to enjoy both the 21st Precinct and Dragnet.  Both shows are in my top 10 favorites, for sure.  Dragnet lasted a lot longer than the 21st Precinct did and eventually wound up on television.  To my knowledge, the 21st Precinct never made it to the screen.

Both are police shows; Dragnet was the West Coast variety, the 21st Precinct was East Coast.  Dragnet was hard-hitting, (realistic but) monotone and somewhat violent.  The 21st Precinct was much more realistic because you always saw yourself at the same places when you listened.  The Dragnet detectives were in a different department every week.  At the 21st Precinct, you were in the muster room, the Captain's office or upstairs with the detectives.  Sure, you were on location too - and those locations are where Dragnet really gets beat.  The 21st Precinct had many foot traffic officers on the streets of New York City and much of the time while listening to the show, that's where you were.  Dragnet used no call boxes - but in almost every episode of the 21st Precinct, someone would use a call box.

Almost every crime (episode) in Dragnet is about something important.  I suppose the same can be said about the 21st Precinct.  However, take an episode where a little girl is missing in each.  The Dragnet episode is bloody and brutal while the 21st Precinct episode is much more suspenseful and the girl winds up being found, unharmed.  Yes, brutal murders do occur but in the case of the little girl, don't you "pull" for the girl to be found unharmed?

I really enjoyed the career of Jack Webb and there's something to be said about his matter-of-fact style, especially when it came to radio/TV police work.  But the actors on the 21st Precinct were not at all like their robot-like counterparts; they were realistic and human.  They showed emotions (other than anger) and they seemed to care for the welfare of the people involved.

This is truly a case of two very similar shows being very, very different.  If you listen to both shows, drop a comment and tell me how you feel.

Strange photo of the day~horns

Wow I haven't posted one of these in ages.  Maybe I can find some more - they are so much fun!

Quiz Kids didn't just feature Benny and Allen

In the surviving Quiz Kids episodes we have, there are a couple with guest Jack Benny and another with Fred Allen.  Even on that show, the "feud" was flying.

It looks like the Quiz Kids had other big stars as guests as well.  Below is a photo of Bob Hope doing a guest appearance on the show:

Gene Krupa - one of the best drummers ever

NBC News ad featuring WWII

One of the most popular shows - Blondie! (1946)

Bob Crosby!