Quote: john tregorran @ 22nd August 2020, 7:13 AMThey mention Jack Benny.Lots of his radio shows on youtube.I'm not saying it's as good as Hancock but it comes quite close
He was good, but not a patch on Hancock and doesn't even come close imo.
I'm now reminded of this famous incident from the 1950 Royal Variety at the Palladium - the "too late money" I've heard in different anecdotes ranging from £25K (NOW nearly one million pounds!) to £75,000, where Max Miller was a bit miffed that Benny was allowed to overrun, but not Max who was at the top of his profession at that time.
And I quote:-
"In the eyes of many, this year's show will be remembered as the one in which Max Miller deliberately ran over his time. The problem stemmed indirectly from Jack Benny, who had been allocated longer on stage, not unreasonably as he had travelled all the way from the States where he was a huge box office draw. Max Miller knew that he was as big a box office draw on this side of the Atlantic, however, and, abandoning the routine he had gone through in rehearsal, he added several extra gags.
The audience loved it, but, being well over his allotted time, he was straining the accepted protocol of 'royal shows' that timing should be stuck to. Charles Henry was standing in the wings calling "Come off Max"
When Max eventually did quit the stage, Val Parnell, the Guv'nor of Moss Empires, told him in no uncertain terms, "You'll never work in one of my theatres again."
"You're twenty-five thousand pounds too late," Max is reported to have replied, besides which the impresario had already engaged him to play Nottingham soon afterwards. Indeed, it was only a relatively short time before box-office returns and a little reflection on all sides had him reinstated."