Thursday, March 15, 2018

Sharing the stage with your boss: Jack Benny on Checkmate (1962)

We've documented that Jack Benny's production company co-produced CBS' Checkmate (1960-2) with Revue Studios, apparently part of a package deal that kept Benny's self-titled sitcom on CBS through the course of its run.

Anyway, Benny guest stars in this season 2 offering, "A Funny Thing Happened on my Way to The Game", the game in this case being the fictional Pioneer Bowl, an analogue for the Rose Bowl, what with the Pioneer Bowl Queen and her Court, under the direction of a pre-Gilligan's Island Tina Louise. Dick Wilson, better known for his many years shilling Charmin toilet paper as Mr. Whipple, also appears as a hotel desk clerk. I guess they couldn't get frequent Benny nemesis Frank Nelson for the gig.

Edit, 1/4/21: The video has been deleted. All that is left is this short sample clip:



Just thought I'd put this up as a public service for now.

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