Nostalgia & History > Jack Benny Show - The Railroad Station episode

A few nights ago I was rummaging around for something to watch and came across old episodes of the Jack Benny Show on what my Verizon FiOS log lists as "Antenna TV". It regularly shows old TV episodes from the "antenna" days.

What I found interesting about this one was that it appeared they mocked up a portion of LA Union Station - at least the Information Desk and nearby walls & doors. Did a pretty good job too. And even more impressive was that there was a train announcement made that was roughly "Train 17, the Super Chief, departing on Track Number Four". How's that for accuracy!
Oh, and yes it was Mel Blanc doing the train station announcing. He also played a character "Chuck the Plumber" in this episode.

I just did a search on a website dedicated to the show and found this summary - and also found out I was just shy of 2 months old when it originally aired.

Season 8, Episode 14 – Aired: 3/23/1958
Railroad Station Show
Jack, Don and Rochester are heading to New York by train to meet with the show's sponsor. They can't go until Chuck the plumber finishes working on Jack's pipes, but Chuck keeps getting calls from his girlfriend making elopement plans. At Union Station, Jack runs into Mr. Kitzel who's heading to Chicago. Jack becomes irritated by the public address announcer and the clueless Information Desk clerk. Learning that there's already someone in his compartment, he goes to the ticket window and encounters surly Frank Nelson, who's given the compartment to his chubby daughter. Then Nelson hands Jack a live turkey he just won in the train station raffle. On the train, Nelson's daughter and boyfriend Chuck are married with Jack playing the violin and the turkey gobbling.

There was a reference to Mel Blanc's "Anaheim, Azusa, and Cuc - amonga" in LAMTA Jay's thread about Cucamonga below, so I thought I'd add this bit along with it.

Richard



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/03/15 21:48 by atsffan.

Yep, I watched it as well a few days ago!!

Except Train No. 17 would have been westbound INTO Los Angeles. But, it's TV!

My favorite was when Rochester found Jack' s letter to Santa asking for a new train......and then realizing the letter was NOT addressed to Santa Clause....

...but Santa Fe!

Good stuff.

Thomas G.

I recall walking down the street in Madera, CA in the early 1940s on summer Sunday afternoons as a kid and being able to hear the Jack Benny Show, followed by he Phil Harris Show without missing a word because everyone had it on their radios, with their windows and doors open because no one had coolers or A/C! Same thing happened listening to the Sons of the Pioneers on KMJ in Fresno while walking home from Madera Elementary for lunch in those days...

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

Don't forget airing also was the Lone Ranger and only the Shadow Knows.

Al - in - Stockton