Tue, Jan 7, 1964
Jack and his long-time best friend George Burns play golf, but Jack quickly storms back to his office, crying foul to his secretary. George strolls in next, smoking a victory cigar, causing Jack to flee again. So, George makes himself at home at Jack's desk, and relates to Jack's secretary Ms. Gordon, how he met Jack 40 years before, in a cheap Chicago rooming house.
Tue, Jan 14, 1964
Jack Benny's guests, the folk group Peter, Paul & Mary, illustrate how folk songs develop with a tune about Jack, whose lyrics include "A silver dollar was his teething ring." Jack insists that the group cancel their flight out of town to come to his house, to discuss an important matter, at length.
Tue, Jan 21, 1964
Jack intros guest Nat 'King' Cole as the best friend a song ever had, in Nat's final TV performance before his death. Nat banters with Jack, plus croons "When I Fall in Love" and "Day In, Day Out." Nat reluctantly consents to sit in on piano for Jack on "Sweet Sue." At their rehearsal Jack's sax player injures his drummer's arm in a fight, so always-cool Nat calls in a 5 year old (James Bradley Jr., later played with Anita Baker and Chuck Mangione) on the skins.
Tue, Feb 11, 1964
Dennis Day's lugging his own scenery on stage for his song, leads an irate Jack to relate how he picked Dennis to be his show's singer, passing over an agent's offers of Sinatra (too skinny) and Bing Crosby (too bu-bu-ba-boo). Jack tracks the unknown Irish tenor from a fish market and ice cream store (Dennis is fired from both), to a Chinese restaurant.
Tue, Feb 18, 1964
In desperation, a psychiatrist phones Jack for his help with a distraught patient. An amnesiac with a violin has been found on the street, and he's bitterly muttering Jack's name - over and over. Jack identifies him as his long-time, long-suffering violin teacher, Professor LeBlanc, who reveals he couldn't lose his hearing, so he lost his mind.
Tue, Mar 31, 1964
Jack's guests, the pop singing group The Lettermen, provoke surprisingly strong reactions from Jack Benny and his regular singer Dennis Day. They bump Dennis from singing on the show at all, so he skulks behind the scenery as the Phantom of the Comedy. Jack, The Waukegan Wizard, claims he earned a high school letter as a cheerleader, but regrets he didn't attend college, so the World's Oldest Freshman enrolls with The Lettermen.
Tue, Apr 21, 1964
Jack Benny enlists his long-time radio and TV cast members Charlie Cantor and Mel Blanc, to playfully demonstrate how radio programs created suspense and atmosphere. Includes a parody of "The Whistler" with Jack as the diabolical Fiddler, who spins the tale of oblivious husband Griffith Park (Dennis Day), targeted for murder by his wife and her lover.
Fri, Sep 25, 1964
To begin his 15th year on television, Jack (still 39) returns to the network where he began on radio 32 years ago. Tonight: Jack visits his new bosses, the NBC vice presidents; sits in on a "panel show" with the Marquis Chimps; and is visited by singer Dennis Day, who brings along his wife Peggy. Don Wilson is the announcer.
Fri, Oct 9, 1964
Jack's guest is laid-back singer Andy Williams, which prompts a visit from Jack's Pasadena Fan Club President (Madge Blake, Aunt Harriett on "Batman"), who can't believe Really Old Blue Eyes would book another blue-eyed guest. Jack lectures Andy to work harder to promote his career, so Andy changes from a sweater to a tux to join Jack at a premiere - which turns out to be a meat market opening. When a customer (Lee Meriwether, Catwoman in the Batman: The Movie (1966) movie) gushes over Andy's crooning, he's too embarrassed to admit who he is.
Fri, Oct 23, 1964
Jack proposes recording a lucrative comedy album with Bob Hope, upon finding out how worthless his investments are: as chief stockholder of a harpoon company, Jack gets dubbed Schnook of the South. Fretting that he won't be able to counter Hope's hilarious ad libs, Jack orders his writers to give him all the laughs, but Old Ski Nose is too slick to fall for that.