Original Air Date—15 October 1961
Season 12, Episode 2: Waukegan Show
Original Air Date—22 October 1961
12.3 [152] The Jack Benny Program: JACK ON TRIAL FOR MURDER
5-Nov-1961 CBS Sun
Guest Star: Raymond Burr (as Perry Mason)
Synopsis:
Jack goes on trial for murder, defended by superstar lawyer Perry Mason (Raymond Burr). The women in the courtroom
swoon over Perry, but his defense of Jack is feeble. When Jack asks how Perry always wins on his own show,
Perry Mason sneers "because my writers are better than yours !"
Season 12, Episode 4: Jack Takes the Stewarts to a Play
Original Air Date—12 November 1961
Season 12, Episode 5: Tennessee Ernie Ford Show
Original Air Date—19 November 1961
Season 12, Episode 6: Golf Show
Original Air Date—26 November 1961
Season 12, Episode 7: Jack Followed Home
Original Air Date—3 December 1961
Season 12, Episode 8: Jack Goes to Cafeteria
Original Air Date—10 December 1961
Jack tries to wow guest songstress Jane Morgan by taking her to - a cafeteria? That's bad enough,
but for Jack it's a war zone, with hostile attendants & personalized land mines at each counter
awaiting their pickiest, least favorite diner. Will the hashlingers go easier on finicky Jack because
he's with beautiful, blonde Jane ?
Season 12, Episode 9: Jack Writes Song
Original Air Date—17 December 1961
Season 12, Episode 10: Christmas Party
Original Air Date—24 December 1961
Season 12, Episode 11: New Year's Eve
Original Air Date—31 December 1961
12.12 [161] The Jack Benny Program: JACK DOES OPERA
7-Jan-1962 CBS Sun
Guest Cast:
Roberta Peters (Herself), Herb Vigran, John Harmon
Synopsis:
Opera star Roberta Peters is coming to visit. Jack is excited at the prospect---and insists the boys in the band put
their shoes on for this performance. Miss Peters sings "The Shadow Song" from "Dinorah" by Meyerbeer. [JB]
Season 12, Episode 13: Dennis' Surprise Birthday
Original Air Date—14 January 1962
Season 12, Episode 14: Jack Gets Passport
Original Air Date—21 January 1962
12.15 [164] The Jack Benny Program: HOW JACK MET ROCHESTER (II)
28-Jan-1962 CBS Sun
Guest Cast:
Dave Willock, Thomas Browne Henry, Bobby Johnson, Benny Rubin
Synopsis:
Jack recalls the early days when he moved to Hollywood from New York, and how Rochester came to join him. In a flashback,
we see him deep in thought as the train speeds west---trying to think of a way to pay less than full fare. [JB]
Synopsis:
Dennis sings 'It's a grand night for singing.' In the sketch, Jack reminisces to a reporter about how he met Rochester.
In flashback, Rochester is the porter on a train on which Jack is trying to smuggle Don and Dennis to New York without
paying their fares. Rochester is fired for not turning Jack in, and Jack hires him as his butler.
Note: This show is a remake of episode #6.9 from January 29, 1956.
Season 12, Episode 16: Police Station Show
Original Air Date—4 February 1962
12.17 [--] The Jack Benny Program: GHOST TOWN WESTERN SKETCH
11-Feb-1962 CBS Sun (Rerun 19May64 CBS Tues)
Written by Sam Perrin & George Balzer & Hal Goldman & Al Gordon
Directed by Fred De Cordova
Guest Star:
Gisele MacKenzie (Tess, the Saloon Girl)
Guest Cast:
Gerald Mohr (Tombstone), Will Wright (Old Man), Jim Flavin, Irene Tedrow, Glen Turnbull, Charles Bagby
Synopsis:
Jack and Gisele are returning from a show in Phoenix and get lost. They stumble into a café in what appears to be
a Western ghost town and ask directions. While they sup on peanut butter sandwiches, the owner spins a story from
the town's history, where a black-hearted villain called Tombstone Harry (Gerald Mohr) tries to force a beautiful saloon girl (Gisele) to
marry him, or he'll foreclose on her mortgage. A black-garbed hero, the Cactus Kid (Benny), attempts to stop the villain.
The sketch is very similar to the one done on #3.2 "Buck Benny Rides Again" 2-Nov-1952.
Don Wilson, Gisele and the Sportsmen Quartet do the State Farm commercial to the tune of "An old cowhand from the Rio Grande."
Season 12, Episode 18: Rock Hudson Show
Original Air Date—18 February 1962
12.19: [--] The Jack Benny Program: THE JULIE LONDON SHOW
Original Air Date—4 March 1962
Jack is upstaged by a 12-year-old violinist and has Julie London as his guest star.
12.20 [169] The Jack Benny Program: THE ALEXANDER HAMILTON STORY
prod. no. 525842 / 11-Mar-1962 CBS Sun
Synopsis:
Jack and the gang are rehearsing at Jack's home but the script is late in arriving. Jack has Dennis Day sing his song,
"April Showers". When the script arrives, it turns out to be a Lone Ranger script, not the right one. Jack send them
home and decides to read a book about "Famous Men in American History". Jack reads about Alexander Hamilton, the first
Secretary of the Treasury and Jack becomes Alexander Hamilton. His wife is Elizabeth. Alexander & Elizabeth end up
dancing the minuet. Rochester plays the part of Trenton, his servant and he ends up dancing the minuet with Jack.
Benjamin Franklin (Don Wilson) arrives to get his kite and key off of Hamilton's roof. While Franklin is on the roof,
Aaron Burr (Dennis Day) arrives, dances the minuet with Hamilton and ends up challenging Hamilton to a duel in the morning.
Meanwhile, Franklin comes down from the roof with his hair and clothes smoking and he explains that he doesn't know what
happened but it was raining and he saw a bright flash and as he brings out a giant light bulb, says if we get it in
this bottle, we can make a fortune. The duel is held and the second shot by Burr "wounds" Hamilton. His wife asks him
why he let Burr shoot him and Hamilton replies "If I had shot him, his face would have been on the ten dollar bill!" and Hamilton dies. [SJ]
Synopsis:
Jack falls asleep and dreams that he is Alexander Hamilton. Dennis Day plays Aaron Burr.
Synopsis:
Jack Benny impersonates another man prominently identified with a strong fiscal policy---Alexander Hamilton, first
Secretary of The Treasury of the United States. [JB]
