Sunday Nights at Seven: The Jack Benny Story

Rating:
Summary: a Sunday night ritual
Review: i think that this book was written to highlight the memoirs of Jack Benny that were discovered. Joan added her own lifestory growing up as a child of a celebrity and how proper she had to behave in public. it's not right for me to say that Joan doesn't have a right to judge Mary based on HER experiences with her...afterall, Joan knew both her parents better than anyone outside of George Burns (that's the truth! no joke!). Joan's commentary or anecdotes in the early chapters aren't a problem. It's the later chapters where to me it seems that it becomes a problem. One reviewer on here made mention to the fact that Joan recounts her prom and her miserable marriage. i found nothing wrong with Joan interjecting stories about her child-hood and the "paternal" side of Jack...but when she starts to talk about HER personal life away from her father, it sticks out like a piece of watermelon on a steak sirloin because HER personal life isn't suppose to be a part of the book...it's suppose to be about Jack Benny first and if Joan makes commentary it should revolve around Jack {not her marriage or child-hood peer pressure}. Her opinions of Mary...like i said earlier...might be true because she knew Mary behind the scenes and we didn't. however, her opinions of Mary, coupled with her own personal man troubles are somewhat distractive to a "Jack Benny book" and that's why i give it 4 stars.

Rating:
Summary: 4 1/2* Benny Rides Again
Review: Jack Benny is the father of modern comedy, popularizing (and perhaps originating) the self-referential and self-conscious comedy practiced in the last 20 years by comedians such as Andy Kaufman, Steve Martin, and Bill Murray. He may have also begun the modern media-related "show within a show" concept, exemplified to some extent by "Seinfeld," and in the past by the shows of George Burns, Danny Thomas, and Lucy and Desi. Perhaps it is more accurate to describe him as the father of post-modern comedy, where every occurrence, sound effect, and the idea of comedy itself is the object of Benny's gentle yet piercingly funny humor. But enough intellectualizing, above all perhaps, he was an extraordinarily talented, funny, and well-loved man.

Mr. Benny's daughter found this unfinished biographical material and we are grateful for the insights to his character, his humor (beginning with his days in vaudeville), and his wide-ranging, generally liberal thoughts on celebrity, comedy, and race. These sections of the book justify its purchase and are the primary source of its enjoyment.

As others have noted, Joan's sections of the book can drag and one eagerly waits for the bolded font which is her father's own words. I do think she provides some valuable insights into Mr. Benny's domestic life and routine, as well as some humorous and interesting glimpse into growing up as the daughter of one of our most popular and well-respected entertainers. Unfortunately, some of this seems fairly generic to that culture, especially her early years. Her criticisms of her mother, however well founded, seem discordant with the prevailing tone of the book. The book would have been better with more pruning of Joan's autobiographical comments.

Still, the other material is a treasure for his millions of fans, and I recommend the book to fans. Joan's part does not detract from her father's; after all, the book was never finished and gives an incomplete picture anyway. Mr. Benny seems a modest man and I believe his biographies would complement the wonderful material here. If you're new to the subject, perhaps you should begin with the biographies and then proceed here, if you're a confirmed fan, the order won't matter, and you will want this in your collection.

Rating:
Summary: Jack Benny is his own Words. That's great.
Review: Jack Benny's unpublished memoirs finally have a book to nest in. In his own words, things flow, they mean something, they're warm, witty, and genuine like the man was himself. Jack Benny holds a very special place in my heart as a comedian with brilliant and unique timing; and as a true gentlemen. All this comes through in how own words.
His daughter's contribution is not as great, which is what keeps me from adding the fifth star to this rating. She's ok, but not essential to this book. She's obviously filled with great admiration, respect, and love for her father and his place in the world of comedy; but she is kind of intrusive. She gets in the way of Jack Benny's own words, that prove to be far more interesting and enjoyable than her's. You should read it just the same, because it's well worth it.