Cast of the Jack Benny Program on a USO tour, circa 1943
Item Overview
- Title
- Cast of the Jack Benny Program on a USO tour, circa 1943
- Alternative title
- Motion Picture Actors (male)
- Date Created
- [circa 1943]
- Date
- 1943
- Collection
-
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections
Notes
- Description
-
Eddie "Rochester" Anderson in the driver's seat of an Army jeep with passengers (left to right) Jack Benny, Dennis Day, Phil Harris, Mary Livingstone and Don Wilson, with soldiers gathered behind them during a USO entertainment tour.
Eddie Anderson's father, Big Ed Anderson, was a minstrel performer and his mother was a tightrope walker. Anderson began his show business career at age 14 in a song-and-dance act with his brother Cornelius and another performer. They billed themselves as the Three Black Aces. He is best known for his role as Rochester van Jones on The Jack Benny Program. Although he was initially slated as only having a one-shot role, Anderson was so well received they created the part of "Rochester Van Jones," Jack's valet. Though technically subservient to his white boss, "Rochester" was at the same time witty, sarcastic, and often portrayed as more intelligent than Jack Benny himself. In 2001 he was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame.
Physical Description
- Extent
- 1 photograph