Here’s audio from the teaser and opening credits for “Jack Benny’s Bag,” an NBC special from 1968:
I originally planned to end this initial set of Audio Vault posts last week. However, someone asked if I could share audio from the opening to “Jack Benny’s Bag” and I’m happy to oblige. Beginning next week, Audio Vault will feature complete commercial breaks from the late 1960s and early 1970s.
“Jack Benny’s Bag” ran on NBC from 10-11PM ET on Saturday, November 16th, 1968. Sponsored by Texaco, it included a lengthy spoof of The Graduate. Joining Benny were Phyllis Diller, Lou Rawls, Dick Clark, Eddie “Rochester” Anderson, and Eddie Fisher.
The teaser lasts about two minutes and consists of a telephone conversation between Rochester and Jack Benny. Then the opening credits begin. They’re cut off before the sponsor (Texaco) is named.
This audio comes from a collection of reel-to-reel audio tapes used to record network and local TV programs between 1967 and 1972.
About This Recording
Source: Reel-to-reel audio tape
Date: Saturday, November 16th, 1968
Network: NBC
Station: WWJ-TV (Channel 4, Detroit)
Funny thing about this comment: I have vague childhood memories of Phyllis Diller playing Mrs. Robinson, but I somehow thought it was with Bob Hope. Finding out it was Jack Benny cleared up my mind.
The entire special is on YouTube. You should have explained what Rochester did after he hung up the phone. He was in the middle of a poker game with Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon, an obvious reference to “The Odd Couple”. Looking forward to the commercials next week. I hope you include “Won’t You Fill Up, Jack Benny?”
Bizarre timing. Someone uploaded the special to YouTube on Monday and I posted the audio yesterday.
Thanks so much for posting this for me. This website does a great job preserving tv history. I’ll have to check out the YouTube video for this special.