Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:35 — 10.3MB)
Audio is buzzy in spots, and intrudes on the interview. Joan begins by telling how her mom, Mary Livingston got her stage name, and remembering being told, ‘Goodnight Joanie’ at the end of some of the 1930’s episodes. Also about being adopted, and the close relationship between the Bennys and George Burns family. Mary was the family disciplinarian, and Jack the pushover.
Joan compares the radio parties at Jack’s home to ones he actually had through the year. Parties at home often included showing movies at home with a hired projectionist. Joan talks about celebrity guests to the Benny home, particularly long time friend, Frank Sinatra, and real life next door neighbors. The next door neighbors were actually Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez. In real life, the Colemans lived several blocks away. Station break.
Joan talks about knowing the cast members, mostly only seeing them at the studio on Sundays. Mel Blanc often made visits, and the two families went on outings together. Joan tried to get him to do cartoon voices. Did Jack bring work home with him? Only in every room of the house. Writers were frequent visitors, and from the sidelines, Joan watched them work.
Callers phone in memorable moments of the show and its guests. Joan tells how she archived scripts of the shows at UCLA to make sure they were preserved and archived. Did Jack own a Maxwell for real? Joan tells about the first car she remembers, and life in her neighborhood. Dealing with tour busses, and more. In responce to a caller, Joan verifies where Jack and Mary were married, but isn’t sure of who the best man might have been.
She tells a bit about her life after growing up, marrying, starting a family, and the things that keep her busy now. Joan hints at an upcoming book project, which eventually did happen. Is it a burden to live in the shadow of Jack Benny? She claims to be comfortable in her own identity, and in being known as Jack’s daughter.
