I watched Jack Benny: Comedy in Bloom on PBS last night. It was a documentary about comedian Jack Benny's career.I enjoyed Jack Benny's television show when I was a kid and I also enjoyed listening to recordings of his radio shows.
Benny had feminine mannerisms and some people claim that he was gay. I dunno about that (I have feminine mannerisms and I am not gay), but I do know that Benny crossdressed on occasion.
He crossdressed in the film Charley's Aunt, which is billed "He's funny enough in pants! In skirts he's terrific!"
I never saw Charley's Aunt and I don't believe it was mentioned in the documentary I watched last night. However, they did show a clip of Benny crossdressing on television, in which he played the Gracie Allen role with George Burns.
His femulation was perfect! Benny was dressed to pass and not for laughs, although he received laughs anyway. And I loved his retro-1950s outfit!
Anyone who knew of Jack's exploits with women when not onstage during the Vaudeville era knows the gay stuff is just crap. He was a midwesterner with all of the genuineness and complexities that title entails. And he was the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be. Only Johnny Carson cameclose to his genius.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous --- I loved Jack Benny, but I never cared for Johnny Carson.
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