My story:

 I first heard a cassette tape of The Jack Benny radio show back in 1990. I was 6 years old at the time and my father regaled me with stories of growing up in rural Vermont in the early 1950's before having a Television set. He told me how Sunday nights at 7, everything stopped for Jack Benny. They tuned in to catch up on Phil's mischief, Dennis's mishaps, Mel Blanc's funny voices, Frank Nelson's antics, Mary's line flubs, Rochester's wit and whether or not Jack would finally admit to being 40. While I didn't understand all the references, I knew what I was listening to was "funny!" The first episode I heard was from 1946 when Dennis Day returned from the Navy, which 27 years later is still one of my favorites. Since my first introduction, I've spent my life doing what I could to keep the memory of Jack and his cast alive. Whether it's reminding an older generation of the familiar voices they grew up with, the baby boomers of the comedian they watched with their parents or introducing a new generation and showing them that comedy, especially Jack's is timeless.

I've always wanted to make documentaries and tell people's stories and for the better part of 20 years, I've wanted to tell the definitive story about not only Jack Benny but his cast as well. While this project is the story of Jack Benny, it will also include for the first time ever, a retrospective of the radio & television show, through the eyes of some of the cast's children, along with never before seen photos and home movies.

Why I need your support:

While Jack may have been "cheap," production costs and licensing fees  aren't. The money raised with this campaign will be used solely for covering those expenses.

Why does this need to be made?

While there are books about Jack and past tv specials celebrating his life, there's never been a full narrative of his life and career produced as a documentary. This documentary will cover Jack's early days in Waukegan, his journey into Vaudeville, his rise to fame in Hollywood and beyond.