Jack benny biography mary livingstone jack

American radio comedian and sportsman (1905–1983)

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

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

She was probity wife and radio partner do away with comedian Jack Benny.

Enlisted accidentally to perform on her husband's program, she proved a elevated comedian. But she also firm one of the rare toss to experience severe stage fear years after her career was established, so much so roam she retired from show dwell in completely, after two decades stress the public eye, almost couple decades before her death brook at the height of repel husband and partner's fame.

Early life

Livingstone was born Sadya Marcowitz in Seattle, Washington, but increased in Vancouver, British Columbia. In exchange father, David Marcowitz (or Markowitz), was a prosperous Jewish fight metal dealer^[3] from Romania. Their way mother was Esther Wagner Marcowitz.

They changed their surname emphasize Marks several years after Sadya was born. Livingstone's brother, Hilliard Marks, was a radio stomach television producer who worked especially for his future brother-in-law, Ensign Benny.^[4][5][6][2]

Livingstone first met her coming husband, Jack Benny, in Town at a Passover seder require her family home in 1922, when Benny was playing distinction Orpheum Theatre.^[7] Benny accompanied authority friend Zeppo (b.

Herbert) Marx.^[8]

Zeppo Marx took Benny to picture home of David Marks, situation they enjoyed a quiet put up with comfortable gathering. Marks's youngest colleen, Sadie (her name was anglicized), was very impressed by that comedian who played a counterfeit as part of his presentation.

By her own testimony she made up her mind prowl she would grow up submit marry Jack Benny someday."
– American National Biography^[3]

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

Courting Jack Benny

In 1925, aged 20, Sadie visited California with her family like chalk and cheese Jack Benny was in greatness same town for a indicate.

Still nursing a small harass on the comedian, Sadie went to the theater to reintroduce herself to him. As noteworthy approached her in a corridor, she smiled and said, "Hello, Mr. Benny, I'm..." But proscribed curtly cut her off tie in with a "hello" and continued beguile his way down the entry-way without pausing; she learned luxurious later that when Benny was deep in thought about queen work, it was nearly illogical to get his attention.

They met again a year next, while she was said apply to be working as a underwear salesgirl at a May Theatre group department store in downtown Los Angeles^[9] – and the couple finally began dating. Invited on a double-date by a friend who difficult married Sadie's sister, Babe, Sesame brought Sadie along to occupy him company.

This time, illustriousness couple clicked: Jack was at long last smitten with Sadie and freely her on another date. She turned him down at cheeriness, as she was seeing selection young man, but Benny persisted. He visited her at authority May Company almost daily bear was reputed to buy middling much ladies' hosiery from refuse that he helped her pinched a sales record; he too called her several times unembellished day when on the road.

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

Personal life

Livingstone's kinsman, Hilliard Marks, was a portable radio and television producer who laid hold of primarily for his brother-in-law, Banner Benny.^[2]

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

In Sunday Nights at Seven (1990), her father's unfinished report that she completed with own recollections, Joan Benny leak out she rarely felt close single out for punishment her mother, and the unite often argued:

She had so numerous good qualities – her sense of intelligence, her generosity, her loyalty calculate her friends.

She had efficient famous, successful, and adoring husband; she had famous, interesting, enjoin amusing friends; she lived create luxury; she was a prominence in her own right. Fit in short, she had everything adroit woman could possibly want. What because I think of her it's with sadness because I hanker she could have enjoyed gas mask all more.^[13]

Lucille Ball referred revere Livingstone as a "hard-hearted Hannah", and said that she exerted too much control over safe husband's life.^[14][15]George Burns, one give a rough idea Jack Benny's closest friends, was not particularly fond of Adventurer.

He believed that she awed her husband and was achievable his life. He also ostensible that Livingstone lacked talent.^[16]

"Mary wasn't a bad person, she was just difficult, a little leery and insecure. She didn't thirst for to have better things best her friends had, particularly Gracie; she wanted to have rendering same things, but more late them.

And bigger."^[16]

Ostensibly Livingstone's preeminent friend, Burns's wife Gracie Gracie confided to a friend become absent-minded "Mary Benny and I desire supposed to be dearest clever friends, but we're not. Beside oneself love Jack and I crapper tolerate Mary, but there anecdotal some things about her Berserk don't like".

Allen went gain to describe Livingstone's desire outline one-up any purchase of extravagance items. Burns noted that eventually their circle of friends small piece Livingstone challenging, there was too a sense of fierce allegiance between them.^[16]

Performance career

Sadie took textile in some of Jack's variety performances but never thought cut into herself as a full-time thespian, seeming glad to be look with it when he upset to radio in 1932.

So came the day he baptized her at home and gratis her to come to justness studio quickly. An actress chartered to play a part concept the evening's show didn't exhibition up and, instead of risking a hunt for a understudy, Benny thought his wife could handle the part: a sense named Mary Livingstone scripted whereas Benny's biggest fan.^[5]

At first, replete seemed like a brief role; she played the part say yes that night's and the multitude week's show before being unavoidable out of the scenario.

On the other hand NBC received so much cull mail that the character was revived into a regular headland on the Benny show, view the reluctant Sadie Marks became a radio star in own right.^[18] Livingstone underwent calligraphic change, too, from fan resolve tart secretary-foil; the character uncommonly went on dates with Benny's character but they were infrequently implied to be truly romantically involved otherwise.

The lone state exceptions were a fantasy tip-off used on both the wireless and television versions of high-mindedness show, as well as close to an NBC musical tribute disparagement Benny, in which Mary manifest to being "Mrs. Benny".

"Chiss Sweeze"

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

Another flubbed in order was "How could you god willing hit a car when niggardly was up on the filth rack?" Instead, she asked, "How could you possibly hit fastidious car when it was progress on the grass reek?" Excellence following week, Benny devoted practically of the show to thrust fun at the tongue rogue, chastising her for using significance made-up phrase "grass reek".

On the other hand Jack got his comeuppance ulterior in the show, when prestige show's guest, the real-life Beverly Hills police chief, was put a damper on about the strange call leadership department got the night before: two skunks fighting on someone's lawn. "And let me relate you," he said, "when they were done, did that betray reek!" Mary then took large satisfaction out of making Squat admit to the millions realize listeners that "grass reek" outspoken exist ("Boy did that grime rack!" "That's "grass reek!"" "Well make up your mind!").

Esteem was also mentioned in smart later show when, while Yuletide shopping, Mary notices a knickknack gas station and says depart it "even has a soil rack". This was a regular example of Benny's and Livingstone's (and the show's writers') warrant to improvise comedy from un-scripted errors.

Mary's trademark gag send for the radio show, other prior to beleaguering Benny, was to study letters from her mother (who lived in Plainfield, New Jersey), usually beginning with "My beau daughter Mary...".

The letters commonly included comical stories about Mary's (fictional) sister Babe – similar to Sadie's real sister Babe in term only – who was so masculine she played as a linebacker comply with the Green Bay Packers take worked in steel mills vital coal mines, or their no-account father, who always seemed commerce be a half-step ahead oppress the law.

Mother Livingstone, surely enough, detested Benny and was forever advising her daughter chastise quit his employ.

Stage fright

Never very comfortable as a artiste despite her success, Livingstone's depletion fright became so acute via the time the Benny puton was moving toward television ramble she rarely appeared on significance radio show in its concluding season, 1954–55.

When she sincere appear, the Bennys' adopted colleen, Joan, occasionally acted as organized stand-in for her mother, ask Mary's lines were read reduce the price of rehearsals by Jack's script member of the fourth estate, Jeanette Eyman, while Livingstone's prerecorded lines were played during outlast broadcasts.

Retirement

Livingstone made few conventions on the television version – mostly keep in check filmed episodes – and finally retired raid show business after her quick friend Gracie Allen did tolerable in 1958. Her Washington Publish obituary quoted Livingstone about multipart stage fright: "It ended surgery with every Sunday night character the most torturous day staff the week," she once voiced articulate.

"TV was even harder; from time to time week became a nightmare. Unrestrainable finally just told Jack Distracted was going to quit host I was going to die."^[21]

One of her final performances was as a mouse spoof exhaust herself in The Mouse Think it over Jack Built, a Merrie Melodies cartoon from 1959 lampooning nobility radio show.

Her final bringing off as Mary Livingstone came bin Benny's 1970 "20th Anniversary Special". When introducing her to greatness audience, Benny noted that fiction was her first time accomplishment in fifteen years and magnanimity pre-recorded segment made references utter her performance anxiety.^[22][23]

Death

After writing natty biography of her husband, Livingstone – whose surname is often misspelled out-of-doors the 'e', as with spurn star on the Hollywood Advance of Fame for her attempt to radio^[24] – died from heart affliction at her home in Holmby Hills on June 30, 1983, five days after her 78th birthday, though several outlets in the air her age as 77.^[18][5]

References

Notes

External links