Joan Benny June 17, 1934 - June 10, 2021

Sketchy details. I was F/W'ed this news originating with Laura Liebowitz, president of IJBFC/The International Jack Benny Fan Club.

www.jackbenny.org

In 1990, Warner Books published."Sunday Nights at Seven: The Jack Benny Story," credited to both Jack Benny and Joan Benny. It seems that sometime after Jack's 1974 death, Joan discovered a manuscript for her father's uncompleted autobiography ... and completed it.

That Derek <thatderek@yahoo.com> wrote:

>Joan Benny June 17, 1934 - June 10, 2021

>Sketchy details. I was F/W'ed this news originating with Laura
>Liebowitz, president of IJBFC/The International Jack Benny Fan Club.

>www.jackbenny.org

>In 1990, Warner Books published."Sunday Nights at Seven: The Jack Benny
>Story," credited to both Jack Benny and Joan Benny. It seems that
>sometime after Jack's 1974 death, Joan discovered a manuscript for her
>father's uncompleted autobiography ... and completed it.

I read it when I was a kid. I was a big fan. She also participated in
the Hilliard Marks biography (Mary's brother and one of Jack's long-time
producers). Later, I think her mother wrote a bio too but I don't think
I read that one.

https://mycampusgist.com/2021/06/13/joan-bennys-cause-of-death-announced-as-illness-its-rumor/

Joan Benny’s Cause of Death Announced as Illness; It’s Rumor?

June 13, 2021 admin Celebrity Death, Celebrity's Death Obituary

USA/ACR

The actress Joan Benny’s cause of death is reported as an illness. Joan and her father, Jack Benny, both succumbed to pancreatic cancer. She passed away days before her 87th birthday.

US day News doesn’t confirm or refuse this reason for his death, but we are waiting for more official information, so stay with us.

Joan Benny, whose real name was Joan Naomi, was born on June 17, 1934, in New York City. She was known for 1961 The Joey Bishop Show, 1950 The Jack Benny Program, and 1961 Password. She was previously married to Robert F. Blumofe, Alan Michael (Bud) Rudolph, and Seth Baker.

Joan grew up in fame, with movie magazines running feature stories about her family when she was a child. Her first wedding drew huge press attention, mainly because her father spent some more on it than his radio character.

She stood in for her mother in the radio episodes’ end days and also appeared on the radio and TV shows. Undoubtedly, fans are rushing to video-sharing sites, re-watching her and her dad on Password in the early ’60s.

The Actress Joan Benny’s Cause of Death Revealed
She is probably well known as what they used to call an “authoress” by taking her father’s memories, adding her memories, and compiling “Sunday Nights at 7.”

She noted that she didn’t think it would be popular because she had nothing bad to say about her father. But she loved him very much, and so did fans, who snapped up copies as soon as they came out.

Her father, Jack Benny, passed away in December 1974. Joan was one from whom reporters at the time wanted to hear. She was featured in a story from the Philadelphia Inquirer of January 14, 1975, that was syndicated across the U.S.

That Derek <thatderek@yahoo.com> wrote:

>https://mycampusgist.com/2021/06/13/joan-bennys-cause-of-death-announced-as-illness-its-rumor/

>Joan Benny's Cause of Death Announced as Illness; It's Rumor?

>June 13, 2021 admin Celebrity Death, Celebrity's Death Obituary

>USA/ACR

>The actress Joan Benny's cause of death is reported as an illness.
>Joan and her father, Jack Benny, both succumbed to pancreatic cancer.
>She passed away days before her 87th birthday. . . .

Oh my god, that's just horrible.

When I was a kid, Jack Benny was the first celebrity or nationally known
person I'd heard of dying of pancreatic cancer. It's an insideous and
painful disease, an awful death you wouldn't wish upon your worst enemy.

Jack felt sick for close to the last two months of his life. The doctors
wouldn't give him the diagnosis, let alone the prognosis. Jack was
still looking for bookings and it seemed like his agent was humoring
him or something, just telling him things were rescheduled till he felt
stronger. He'd been cast to star as Al Lewis in The Sunshine Boys, but
of course George Burns came out of involuntary retirement to do it.

To think that his daughter would die the same way... This is just awful.

>> To think that his daughter would die the same way...

Yes, but do keep in mind that the pancreatic cancer could not have been anything genetic/hereditary via Mr. Kubelsky since Joan was adopted.

My father died from pancreatic cancer; by the time his symptons started to manifest, it was too late. ... back in December 1995, the same day as NYC cabaret singer Nancy LaMott.

On Sunday, June 13, 2021 at 7:45:09 PM UTC-4, Adam H. Kerman wrote:

> He'd been cast to star as Al Lewis in The Sunshine Boys, but
> of course George Burns came out of involuntary retirement to do it.

It's interesting. I've heard that story about that movie before, but at least one person had a different take on it - Jeff Rovin, author of The Signet Book of Movie Lists (1979).

From page 24:

"It would have been a joy: George Burns and Jack Benny as aging comedians in this film version of Neil Simon's hit play. Sadly, Benny died and was replaced - with only moderate success - by Walter Matthau. Burns won an Oscar..."

If that WASN'T true, one has to wonder WHY that wasn't the original casting plan.

Lenona.

On Sunday, June 13, 2021 at 11:42:56 PM UTC-4, Lenona wrote:
> On Sunday, June 13, 2021 at 7:45:09 PM UTC-4, Adam H. Kerman wrote:
>
>
> > He'd been cast to star as Al Lewis in The Sunshine Boys, but
> > of course George Burns came out of involuntary retirement to do it.
> It's interesting. I've heard that story about that movie before, but at least one person had a different take on it - Jeff Rovin, author of The Signet Book of Movie Lists (1979).
>
> From page 24:
>
> "It would have been a joy: George Burns and Jack Benny as aging comedians in this film version of Neil Simon's hit play. Sadly, Benny died and was replaced - with only moderate success - by Walter Matthau. Burns won an Oscar..."

No, Rovin was incorrect. Burns replaced Benny, not Matthau.
Here's silent makeup test footage of Matthau and Benny together.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O2LtT9R-Xw

>
> If that WASN'T true, one has to wonder WHY that wasn't the original casting plan.

Probably because Matthau was a big box office name at the time, and Burns and Benny hadn't done movies in decades.
Remember that Matthau was only in his mid-fifties and was made up to look like a man in his eighties.

Lenona <lenona321@yahoo.com> wrote:
>On Sunday, June 13, 2021 at 7:45:09 PM UTC-4, Adam H. Kerman wrote:

>>He'd been cast to star as Al Lewis in The Sunshine Boys, but
>>of course George Burns came out of involuntary retirement to do it.

>It's interesting. I've heard that story about that movie before, but at
>least one person had a different take on it - Jeff Rovin, author of The
>Signet Book of Movie Lists (1979).

>From page 24:

>"It would have been a joy: George Burns and Jack Benny as aging
>comedians in this film version of Neil Simon's hit play. Sadly, Benny
>died and was replaced - with only moderate success - by Walter Matthau.
>Burns won an Oscar..."

>If that WASN'T true, one has to wonder WHY that wasn't the original
>casting plan.

Um, I'm sorry, but Matthau was signed on to the project early on. He'd
already done two Neil Simon adaptations and would do 5 altogether, and
I'm not counting the Odd Couple sequel.