Win With a Wife!

The Miami News – Mar 30, 1941

Win With a Wife!

America’s Ace Radio Comedians Find Success Was Aided by Their Mates

IF YOU want to succeed in radio get a wife.

That is the advice of Jack Benny, George Burns, Jim Jordan (Fibber McGee) and a score of other top radio stars whose acts on the air wouldn’t be possible without their “ever loving” wives.

Imagine, if you can, Jack without his constant heckler. Mary: George without Gracie’s stupidities: or McGee with no Molly to admonish him with, “T’aint funny, McGee,” and you begin to see what marriage means to the comics. Many a radio funny man has taken a woman unto himself and thereby reaped a fortune.

No happier or more profitable union in radio exists than that of Jack Benny and Mary Livingstone.The antics of this celebrated couple send laughter rolling from coast to coast and brings dollars rolling into their pockets. But it wasn’t always that way.

Jack’s first clear impression of his acid tongued mate was not very pleasant. He was a struggling comic at the time, playing vaudeville in Mary’s home town, and going with her older sister. Jack had unwisely given the kid sister the brush-off instead of a quarter to get rid of her the evening before his show opened.

The night of the show, Mary, who was just 12, herded her little friends into the first few rows of the theater. Jack began his act but no laughs cut the stillness of the theater. He looked down at the front seats. Mary was even. She had bribed her pals to maintain a stony silence all during Jack’s act.

From that rather hostile beginning their relationship improved steadily until Mary grew up and Jack became a recognized vaudeville star. They were married while Jack was starring in “The Great Temptation,” on tour. The young bride, fresh from May’s department store in Los Angeles, joined the comic and they set out across the country playing every tank town over 1,000. At first, Mary just traveled along, standing backstage while Jack went through his paces. One night when they were in New York the girl who generally played opposite Jack fell ill, and Mary stepped into her role. She almost flopped from fright, but Jack kept her in and she improved.

When Jack started in the air he worked alone until one night when his script ran short. He remembered his old partner and brought Mary in for an “ad lib” routine which proved the hit of the evening. Letters poured in from pleased listeners and Mary joined the act. She’s been in it ever since putting in her 2e worth whenever Jack needs taking down a peg.

THERE’S plenty of dividends in badgering your mate, if you do it over a national network. George Burns and his distracting partner. Gracie, have made marriage pay for 15 years, first on the vaudeville stage, later on the radio.

Both George and Gracie went on the stage as children, Gracie at 3 and George when he was 12. They met in 1916 and they’ve been together ever since. They got their radio start in England in 1930 when they were called in to do the act they were called in to do the act they were touring with on the air for the British Broadcasting Corp. Next came a guest appearance with Eddie Cantor in 1931. They’ve been capitalizing on their special brand of goofiness ever since.

Both Goodman and Jane were born and grew up in the capital of average America, Kansas City, Mo. They went to the same high school, but as a young swain, Goodman couldn’t get a date with the beautiful and popular Jane. He tried everything from insulting her to trying to make her jealous by taking out the kid sister.

Finally, one balmy, moonlit June evening, Jane was standing on the porch waiting for Goodman to say good night. He was on the verge of giving her the air one final, eloquent speech. He started to talk suddenly the moon moved out from behind a cloud and melted his resolve. He proposed instead. Much to Goodman’s surprise, Jane accepted!

Thus began a partnership that has taken then to the top of the entertainment world. “Goodie” as Jane calls him, was doing a column of Hollywood gossip on Kansas City station when they were married. One night while his bride waited outside the studio for him, he found himself running out of script. Frantically he beckoned Jane before the mike. They began to hash over the bridge game of the night before. After the show, phone calls began flooding the station’s switchboard. They were a hit!                                                          and the American institution, “Easy Aces” was born.

FRANK CRUMIT and Julia Sanderson, long a happily married couple, successfully exploited the marriage angle by launching “The Battle of the Sexes” on which they pit men against women in a quiz battle.

One of the oldest couples on radio are Peter De Rose and May Singhi Breen, who, as “The Sweethearts of the Air” sang and played their way into the affections of America a decade ago. Remember the Ukulele Lady? That was May Singhi Breen Remember the old favorites, “Muddy Waters,” “When Your Hair Is Turned to Silver,” “Wagon Wheels,” “Rain,” “Deep Purple.” Those were the compositions of Peter De Rose, her husband.

Few have mixed marriage and the microphone with greater success than Fred Allen and his wife, pert PortlandHoffa. Fred and Portie met while both were in Broadway shows. They began acting together soon afterward, and as a result America is the richer for another marital comedy team.

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For great listening, see also: Comedy Couples Collection