CTVA US Comedy - "The Jack Benny Program" (J&M/Revue/CBS) Season 5 (1954-55)

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Starring Jack Benny
Season 5 (CBS) (1954-55)
Episode Guide compiled by The Classic TV Archive
with contributions by:  Steve Jensen
references:
TV Guide /   Library of Congress (telnet://locis.loc.gov)
Internet Movie Database (https://us.imdb.com)
UCLA Film and Television Archive


########### The Jack Benny Program ###########
############# season 5 1954-55 ##############
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CBS Sundays 7:30 pm Eastern (Fortnightly) (20 episodes)
Alternated with -
Private Secretary a.k.a. Susie (1953-57) starring Ann Sothern  (season 3)
all possibly live ?

Season 5, Episode 1: Entire Cast Show
Original Air Date—3 October 1954

Season 5, Episode 2: The Jam Session Show
Original Air Date—17 October 1954

5.3 [--] The Jack Benny Program: HOW JACK FOUND MARY
31-Oct-1954 CBS
 A reporter asks Jack how he found Mary, and Jack remembers himself as a straw-hatted
Hollywood boulevardier, twirling a cane, singing "Just a Gigolo " - lured into a May Co.
store by a sale on $ 1.99 guaranteed shirts. 22 years later as he's being interviewed,
Jack's still wearing the garish shirt. Underwhelmed by Jack's charms, saleswoman Mary
Livingstone cracks wise with Jack, while her female co-workers both slice him up and
encourage Mary. Episode also features Rochester singing and scat-dancing with The
Sportsmen Quartet on "I Get So Lonely."

Season 5, Episode 4: The Giant Mutiny
Original Air Date—14 November 1954

Season 5, Episode 5: The Life of Jack Benny
Original Air Date—28 November 1954

5.6  [--] The Jack Benny Program: JACK DOES CHRISTMAS SHOPPING
12- Dec-1954 CBS Sun
 Guest Star: Mel Blanc (as Salesman)
 Synopsis:
This is one of the very best episodes from this now seldom seen popular long-running series, which has a tremendous
ongoing routine throughout with Jack and Mel Blanc, who is at his superlative best here. In addition, Frank Nelson
makes his usual funny appearance along with some other very good character actors of that period. This is definitely
one to look for.
Synopsis:
Jack decides that Rochester lacks the proper knack for shopping for Christmas delicacies.
Mr. Benny himself will make the annual expedition to the supermarket. [JB]

Season 5, Episode 7: San Diego Naval Training Center Show
Original Air Date—26 December 1954
 

5.8 [--] The Jack Benny Program: BEDROOM BURGLAR SHOW
9-January-1955 CBS Sunday


Synopsis:
This show is very similar to show # 3.3. Jack opens the show with taking the bus to the studio and that his
carrying a tomato sandwich is not a good idea on the bus. The sandwich is for weight control which leads to
a story by Jack about a last meal eaten by a guy. To Jack's house, Rochester is cleaning and accidentally
sucks Polly the parrot into the vacuum cleaner. Polly retaliates by telling Jack to count the fruit in the bowl
as Rochester took a banana. Jack has trouble sleeping due to a leaking faucet and this story is nearly identical
to a season 3 show. Mel Blanc returns as a burglar with a new partner played by Benny Rubin. Jack is wearing
strange pajamas again, silver ash tray is nailed down, seltzer bottles return as does a tiger but this time is a
tiger cub. The burglars have to feed a coin return in order to escape from the house. The Beverly Hills Police
Department has an unlisted phone number. [SJ]

5.9 [--] The Jack Benny Program: JACK AND GISELE MACKENZIE'S VIOLIN DUET
23- Jan-1955 CBS
w: Sam Perrin & George Balzer & Milt Josefsberg & John Tackaberry
d: Ralph Levy
 Guest Star: Gisele MacKenzie (as Herself)
With: Tom D'Andrea, Lois Corbet, Dale White


Season 5, Episode 10: Four O'Clock in the Morning Show
Original Air Date—6 February 1955
After being awakened at 4:00 a.m. by a phone call from "Hank, The All Night Radio DJ",
Jack finds that he can't get back to sleep. Later that day, exhausted from lack of sleep,
he and Mary go to a clothing store to buy him a new suit, but it turns into much more of
an ordeal than he ever thought it would be.

5.11 [--] The Jack Benny Program: JACK'S LUNCH COUNTER
20Feb55 CBS Sun
Guests:
George Raft, Dennis Day
George Raft and Dennis Day appear as gunmen who invade a lunchroom owned by Jack Benny in tonight's satire on the typical
gangster melodrama. The optimists think they can find out where moneyman Benny hides the loot! [JB]


5.12 [--] The Jack Benny Program: JACK TAKES THE BEAVERS TO THE FAIR
Original Air Date—6 March 1955


Season 5, Episode 13: Gary Crosby Show Original Air Date—20 March 1955

5.14 [45] The Jack Benny Program: JACK IS A CONTESTANT
 03-Apr-1955  CBS
w: Sam Perrin & George Balzer & Milt Josefsberg & John Tackaberry
d: Ralph Levy
 Guest Star: Groucho Marx (as Himself)
With: Jean Mahoney, Don Durand, Irene Tedrow
Synopsis:
Jack's in a terrible dilemma. He has to decide whether to go to a fancy-dress ball or try to appear on
the Groucho Marx quiz show "You Bet Your Life". He's heard that the jackpot is worth 3000 dollars. And
who'll be there to give it out? None other than 'that's me—Groucho Marx,' in person.

Season 5, Episode 15: Leaving for New York City
Original Air Date—17 April 1955
Jack is preparing for a show in New York City. Audience members want Jack's picture; Jack
turns off the electricity and gas for his sublets; the Pasadena brings going away gifts.

Season 5, Episode 16: Jackie Gleason Show
Original Air Date—1 May 1955

########### The Jack Benny Program ###########
############## end of season 5 ###############
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