Maxwell man: the funny tastes of Mr. Jack Benny

• 

Four legends in one frame: here we see comedian and radio and television personality Jack Benny (left) and sidekick Eddie Anderson in the rôle of his valet Rochester (right) with Frank Sinatra behind them, but the real star is the car: Benny’s infamous Maxwell. At least, it's one of them. The picture is dated 1947 and this car is believed to be a 1916 Tourer, but there were more.

Benny famously began his radio career with the following statement: “Ladies and gentlemen, this is Jack Benny talking, and making my first appearance on the air professionally. By that I mean, I am finally getting paid, which of course will be a great relief to my creditors. I really don’t know why I am here. I’m supposed to be a sort of master of ceremonies and tell you all about the things that will happen, which would happen anyway. I must introduce the different artists, who could easily introduce themselves, and also talk about the Canada Dry made to order by the glass, which is a waste of time, as you know all about it. You drink it, like it, and don’t want to hear about it. So ladies and gentlemen, a master of ceremonies is really a fellow who is unemployed and gets paid for it.”

The show became a hit and Benny soon saw himself hiring a co-writer, Harry Conn, and it was Conn who gave him a Maxwell car, supposedly a 1923 model, “To match his image—something clearly outdated, worthless, and obsolete!" They were humourists, after all!

In the end, Benny loved the Maxwell and the car’s sounds would become a part of the show. One source mentions: “They did not have the equipment to play a phonograph record of an automobile motor. Mel Blanc (the show’s sound engineer) volunteered to do an imitation of Benny's old car coughing and sputtering. His rendition was so funny it became a regular feature.”

We’re not quite sure how many Maxwells were used by Benny and his companions. In October, 1942, he gave his first tourer away when he “Surrendered his ride to a junkyard to support the efforts of World War II, receiving $7.50 in war stamps for the steel body and parts.”

When the show switched from radio to television in 1950, the producers sourced a new Maxwell for use on-screen. They initially came up with a 1907 model and later a 1923 tourer. That was later joined by another tourer of 1916, and we think that’s the one seen here. Benny would also go on to make many public appearances in a Maxwell, “Most famously shaking the hand of U.S. President Harry S. Truman from the seat of a 1908 Maxwell roadster.”

Fact is that, thanks to Jack Benny and his companions, the Maxwell car is remembered to this day by at least some of the early radio listeners and television watchers. As a dilapidated, obsolete car, we admit, but nevertheless a lovable one...

Words: Jeroen Booij; picture: Gene Leste
 

Originally published on April 16, 2024

Make a comment, ask a question, give your opinion, share additional information or start a discussion by filling in the fields below.