Want to create an interactive transcript for this episode?
Podcast: Breaking Walls: The Podcast on the History of American Network Radio Broadcasting
Episode: BW - EP151—002: Jack Benny's Famous Slump—Early Problems With General Foods
Description: Mel Blanc joined the show on February 19th, 1939. Benny was adding a new touch to the miser theme: a polar bear, who would live in his basement and help protect his money. The bear was christened Carmichael, and in 1941, according to Rochester, he ate the gas man.
On Sunday December 7th, 1941 Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and Manila, thrusting the United States into World War II. That evening, The Jell-O Program signed on at 7PM eastern time. This is audio from that night.
Benny’s show peaked in 1941 with an average rating of 30.8. By 1942 Jack was beginning to get into disagreements wi...