The Star Company Jack Benny Kept

Gary Cooper Visits Jack's 1958 Program

The first "Lost Episode" of Jack Benny I went for in the new DVD set was one from 1958 with guest Gary Cooper. I'd seen the barest clip before of Coop singing Bird Dog, but craved the whole recital, plus whatever else he'd do by way of byplay with Jack. It's emphasized that the two are friends among the Beverly Hills set, dinner at each other's home and that sort of thing. Judging by what a nice guy Benny was said to be in real life, I don't doubt he had friends who made an exception to policy against TV appearing to do just that on JB's program. These had included Humphrey Bogart and Marilyn Monroe for starters (did Jack have them over for meals?). The Benny format had ways of making guests look good, his writers a best in the trade for playing biggest names against Jack's wide-known and loved persona. Was it Benny's social standing that made them say yes? Cooper is here partly to plug Man Of The West, a grimmer western than spoofing would indicate; he tells Jack, "we think it's a good one," and so indeed do modern auteurists who follow director Anthony Mann's every 50's move, but Man Of The West wouldn't perform so well for United Artists that year, and Cooper had to wonder in hindsight if maybe his cow-poking days were spent.

In banter with Jack, ol' Coop looks well on in years thanks to unforgiving Kinescope, his a run-through of expected howdys and nopes relied upon any time Gary Cooper appeared as Gary Cooper. The highlight, of course, is GC rocking out with Benny's quartet, The Sportsmen, in rendition of the Everly Brothers hit of late, Bird Dog, amusing '58 watchers all the more because it was so unexpected. Who'd figure Cooper to do television at all, let alone performing a number like this? Unlike guests who limit participation to five-six minutes and the curtain, GC trails along for a whole show, the lengthiest skit a proposed "sequel" to Man Of The West with Jack auditioning as Coop's twin brother. This might have worked still better had they shot on film rather than live-captured by kinescope. We get the act unpolished, some funny stuff  happening places other than where cameras aim, a hazard of live television. Another nicety is Mrs. Cooper and daughter Maria taking bows from the audience per Jack request. It's here we're satisfied the group really were pals off-camera and that Gary Cooper didn't have to be asked twice to come on Benny's show.