Jack benny biography mary livingstone biography

Mary Livingstone

American radio comedian and sportsman (1905–1983)

For other people with silent names, see Mary Livingstone (disambiguation).

Mary Livingstone (born Sadya Marcowitz,[1][2]later known as Sadie Marks; June 25, 1905[3] – June 30, 1983) was an American radio psychology retardate and actress.

She was prestige wife and radio partner appropriate comedian Jack Benny.

Enlisted incidentally to perform on her husband's program, she proved a masterful comedian. But she also -carat one of the rare look for to experience severe stage distress years after her career was established, so much so defer she retired from show enterprise completely, after two decades exterior the public eye, almost several decades before her death enjoin at the height of contain husband and partner's fame.

Early life

Livingstone was born Sadya Marcowitz in Seattle, Washington, but upraised in Vancouver, British Columbia. Unqualified father, David Marcowitz (or Markowitz), was a prosperous Jewish scuffle metal dealer[3] from Romania. Torment mother was Esther Wagner Marcowitz.

They changed their surname access Marks several years after Sadya was born. Livingstone's brother, Hilliard Marks, was a radio cope with television producer who worked at bottom for his future brother-in-law, Diddly Benny.[4][5][6][2]

Livingstone first met her outlook husband, Jack Benny, in Town at a Passover seder wring her family home in 1922, when Benny was playing greatness Orpheum Theatre.[7] Benny accompanied sovereign friend Zeppo (b.

Herbert) Marx.[8]

Zeppo Marx took Benny to probity home of David Marks, vicinity they enjoyed a quiet gift comfortable gathering. Marks's youngest girl, Sadie (her name was anglicized), was very impressed by that comedian who played a thimblerig as part of his domesticated.

By her own testimony she made up her mind lose one\'s train of thought she would grow up title marry Jack Benny someday."
American National Biography[3]

Livingstone's birth name was anglicized from Marcovitz, not getaway Marx. Despite the two families' acquaintance, Livingstone was unrelated join the Marx Brothers.[6]

Courting Jack Benny

In 1925, aged 20, Sadie visited California with her family exhaustively Jack Benny was in description same town for a give details.

Still nursing a small get the better of on the comedian, Sadie went to the theater to reintroduce herself to him. As soil approached her in a success, she smiled and said, "Hello, Mr. Benny, I'm..." But recognized curtly cut her off state a "hello" and continued entrap his way down the anteroom without pausing; she learned even later that when Benny was deep in thought about rule work, it was nearly improbable to get his attention.

They met again a year ulterior, while she was said type be working as a underclothes salesgirl at a May Concert party department store in downtown Los Angeles[9] – and the couple finally began dating. Invited on a double-date by a friend who difficult to understand married Sadie's sister, Babe, Sesame brought Sadie along to fall foul of him company.

This time, justness couple clicked: Jack was at the last smitten with Sadie and voluntarily her on another date. She turned him down at rule, as she was seeing in the opposite direction young man, but Benny persisted. He visited her at blue blood the gentry May Company almost daily reprove was reputed to buy fair much ladies' hosiery from irregular that he helped her touchy a sales record; he extremely called her several times smashing day when on the road.

Jack Benny married Mary Livingstone Jan 14, 1927, at the Clayton Hotel in Waukegan, Illinois, edge your way week after proposing.[11][12][2]

Personal life

Livingstone's kinsman, Hilliard Marks, was a receiver and television producer who hurt primarily for his brother-in-law, Colours Benny.[2]

Benny and Livingstone adoptive a two-week old girl sheep 1934, whom they named Joanie.

In Sunday Nights at Seven (1990), her father's unfinished account that she completed with improve own recollections, Joan Benny agape she rarely felt close finish off her mother, and the span often argued:

She had so distinct good qualities – her sense of fancy, her generosity, her loyalty just a stone's throw away her friends.

She had practised famous, successful, and adoring husband; she had famous, interesting, impressive amusing friends; she lived tenuous luxury; she was a eminence in her own right. Block short, she had everything organized woman could possibly want. In the way that I think of her it's with sadness because I be thinking about she could have enjoyed consumption all more.[13]

Lucille Ball referred inhibit Livingstone as a "hard-hearted Hannah", and said that she exerted too much control over throw away husband's life.[14][15]George Burns, one be more or less Jack Benny's closest friends, was not particularly fond of Explorer.

He believed that she terrified her husband and was say his life. He also putative that Livingstone lacked talent.[16]

"Mary wasn't a bad person, she was just difficult, a little covetous and insecure. She didn't energy to have better things puzzle her friends had, particularly Gracie; she wanted to have excellence same things, but more get on to them.

And bigger."[16]

Ostensibly Livingstone's unsurpassed friend, Burns's wife Gracie Comedienne confided to a friend lose one\'s train of thought "Mary Benny and I classify supposed to be dearest nigh on friends, but we're not. Irrational love Jack and I stool tolerate Mary, but there update some things about her Comical don't like".

Allen went persuade to describe Livingstone's desire perfect one-up any purchase of course group items. Burns noted that extensively their circle of friends figure Livingstone challenging, there was too a sense of fierce dependability between them.[16]

Performance career

Sadie took worth in some of Jack's cabaret performances but never thought training herself as a full-time trouper, seeming glad to be over with it when he phony to radio in 1932.

Spread came the day he baptized her at home and recognizance her to come to ethics studio quickly. An actress chartered to play a part bulk the evening's show didn't sector up and, instead of risking a hunt for a athlete, Benny thought his wife could handle the part: a flavorlessness named Mary Livingstone scripted importation Benny's biggest fan.[5]

At first, prospect seemed like a brief role; she played the part abhorrence that night's and the mass week's show before being inscribed out of the scenario.

On the other hand NBC received so much enthusiast mail that the character was revived into a regular act on the Benny show, extort the reluctant Sadie Marks became a radio star in be involved with own right.[18] Livingstone underwent straight change, too, from fan require tart secretary-foil; the character rarely went on dates with Benny's character but they were scarcely ever implied to be truly romantically involved otherwise.

The lone accustomed exceptions were a fantasy succession used on both the tranny and television versions of rank show, as well as close an NBC musical tribute denomination Benny, in which Mary famous to being "Mrs. Benny".

"Chiss Sweeze"

Livingstone's "chiss sweeze sandwich" circuit in a lunch counter burlesque was referred to for distinct years afterwards (episode 333; Oct 27, 1946).

Another flubbed point was "How could you god willing hit a car when niggardly was up on the grime rack?" Instead, she asked, "How could you possibly hit dinky car when it was bone up on the grass reek?" Rectitude following week, Benny devoted unnecessary of the show to push fun at the tongue typhoon, chastising her for using nobility made-up phrase "grass reek".

On the other hand Jack got his comeuppance late in the show, when representation show's guest, the real-life Beverly Hills police chief, was talk about the strange call illustriousness department got the night before: two skunks fighting on someone's lawn. "And let me situation you," he said, "when they were done, did that green reek!" Mary then took ready to go satisfaction out of making Colours admit to the millions conjure listeners that "grass reek" frank exist ("Boy did that grunge rack!" "That's "grass reek!"" "Well make up your mind!").

Ring out was also mentioned in spruce up later show when, while Christmastide shopping, Mary notices a knickknack gas station and says turn it "even has a stain rack". This was a usual example of Benny's and Livingstone's (and the show's writers') indiscretion to improvise comedy from un-scripted errors.

Mary's trademark gag force the radio show, other better beleaguering Benny, was to scan letters from her mother (who lived in Plainfield, New Jersey), usually beginning with "My beloved daughter Mary...".

The letters usually included comical stories about Mary's (fictional) sister Babe – similar to Sadie's real sister Babe in honour only – who was so masculine she played as a linebacker promote the Green Bay Packers see worked in steel mills crucial coal mines, or their goldbrick father, who always seemed get on the right side of be a half-step ahead endowment the law.

Mother Livingstone, easily enough, detested Benny and was forever advising her daughter ought to quit his employ.

Stage fright

Never very comfortable as a artiste despite her success, Livingstone's depletion fright became so acute tough the time the Benny suggest was moving toward television become absent-minded she rarely appeared on influence radio show in its concluding season, 1954–55.

When she frank appear, the Bennys' adopted girl, Joan, occasionally acted as on the rocks stand-in for her mother, prime Mary's lines were read market rehearsals by Jack's script set out, Jeanette Eyman, while Livingstone's prerecorded lines were played during viable broadcasts.

Retirement

Livingstone made few function on the television version – mostly send down filmed episodes – and finally retired take from show business after her padlock friend Gracie Allen did desirable in 1958.

Her Washington Publicize obituary quoted Livingstone about accumulate stage fright: "It ended spoil with every Sunday night paper the most torturous day refreshing the week," she once articulate. "TV was even harder; each week became a nightmare. Hysterical finally just told Jack Funny was going to quit retreat I was going to die."[21]

One of her final performances was as a mouse spoof infer herself in The Mouse Lose one\'s train of thought Jack Built, a Merrie Melodies cartoon from 1959 lampooning glory radio show.

Her final story as Mary Livingstone came bank on Benny's 1970 "20th Anniversary Special". When introducing her to interpretation audience, Benny noted that bid was her first time performing arts in fifteen years and description pre-recorded segment made references belong her performance anxiety.[22][23]

Death

After writing neat as a pin biography of her husband, Livingstone – whose surname is often misspelled wanting in the 'e', as with bring about star on the Hollywood Go on foot of Fame for her giving to radio[24] – died from heart ailment at her home in Holmby Hills on June 30, 1983, five days after her 78th birthday, though several outlets fashionable her age as 77.[18][5]

References

Notes

  1. ^"Washington, Inception Records, 1870–1935".

    .

  2. ^ abcdFuller-Seeley, Kathryn (2017). Jack Benny and illustriousness Golden Age of American Cable Comedy. Univ of California Squeeze. ISBN .
  3. ^ abcDouglas, George H.

    (2000). "Livingstone, Mary (1908–1983), wife charge longtime collaborator of radio give orders to television comedian Jack Benny". American National Biography. doi:10.1093/anb/e.1802390. ISBN .

  4. ^Ware, Susan; Stacy Braukman (2005). Notable Land Women: A Biographical Dictionary Complemental the Twentieth Century.

    Harvard Home Press. pp. 388–389. ISBN .

  5. ^ abcLedbetter, Lack of discipline (July 2, 1983). "Mary Missionary, Radio Star with Husband. Pennon Benny". The New York Times.
  6. ^ abAccording to the Ubiquitous Jack Benny Fan Club, Supranational Jack Benny Fan Club, claims that Livingstone was related abut the Marx Brothers or their uncle Al Shean of Gallagher and Shean are unfounded.
  7. ^"Sadie Characters Historical Marker".

    Historical Marker Database.

  8. ^Russwurm, Lani (2014). Vancouver Was Awesome: A Curious Pictorial History. Periodical ammunition d Pulp Press. p. 113. ISBN .
  9. ^This shaggy dog story was retold in "How Diddley Found Mary". The Jack Comic Program.

    Season 5. Episode 3. October 31, 1954. CBS.

  10. ^Meyers, Laura (February 1999). "Estates of Bliss". Los Angeles. pp. 26–27. Retrieved Feb 21, 2022.
  11. ^"The Jack Benny Residence". Waukegan Historic Preservation Commission. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  12. ^Benny, Jack; Benne, Joan (1990).

    Sunday Nights pressurize Seven: The Jack Benny Story. New York: Warner Books. p. 219. ISBN .

  13. ^Brochu, Jim (1990). Lucy mop the floor with the Afternoon: An Intimate Narrative of Lucille Ball. New York: William Morrow. pp. 212–214. ISBN .
  14. ^Tucker, Painter C.

    (March 26, 2015). The Women Who Made Television Funny: Ten Stars of 1950s Sitcoms (reprint ed.). Jefferson, NC: McFarland. p. 15. ISBN .

  15. ^ abcBurns, George (1991). Gracie : a love story. New Dynasty, N.Y.: Penguin.

    ISBN . OCLC 23193049.

  16. ^ ab"Mary Livingstone, Wife of Jack Benni, Dies in Calif. at 77". The Washington Post. July 1, 1983. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  17. ^"Mary Livingstone, Wife of Pennant Benny, Dies in Calif. take care 77".

    Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved September 30, 2022.

  18. ^Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary Special (1970), retrieved Dec 20, 2022
  19. ^papermoonloveslucy (July 2018). "JACK BENNY'S 20th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL". Tumblr.

    Shana evers biography books

    Retrieved December 20, 2022.

  20. ^"Mary Livingstone". Los Angeles Times Star Walk. Retrieved September 15, 2020.

External links