Finally, some photos from the 2007 Friends of Old-Time Radio Convention held better than a week ago…and of course, instead of starting at the beginning, I’m starting at the end - the re-creation of The Jack Benny Program, starring Eddie Carroll as Jack Benny.

Carroll’s Benny is so dead-on it’s a little intimidating close-up…you actually forget he’s an actor portraying Benny, and fall right into the magic of the performance. I can’t imagine how eerie it must be for those who knew Jack; even the photos here will show he has mastered the mannerisms creating a seemingly-effortless illusion. Like I said, it’s so powerful it’s a little intimidating when you’re within a few feet of his performance.

The rest of the cast shined, but with the power of Carroll’s impersonation, it’s unfortunate that everyone else got a little lost…I want to mention Stuffy Singer’s “Dennis Day” in particular, as I thought he achieved the innocence of Dennis’ persona without pushing it, something not so easy to accomplish. Underneath the photos you’ll find a short video clip from the production, posted with kind permission of Jay “Throws-one-helluva-party” Hickerson in his role as Chairman of FOTR.

More photos to follow over the next few days; now that I have the gallery programming set up, it should be easier to get photos posted as I get the time to go through them all (I took one hundred and four photographs during the Benny production alone, and a handful came out what with shooting without flash and all, so imagine how many there are from the weekend)…just click on the thumbnail for a larger version.
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