Buck Benny Rides Again
| Buck Benny Rides Again | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Written by | Arthur Stinger (story), Edmund Beloin, William Morrow |
| Directed by | Mark Sandrich |
| Starring |
Jack Benny Ellen Drew Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson Andy Devine Phil Harris |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Mark Sandrich and Joseph L. Mankiewicz |
| Cinematography | Charles Lang |
| Running time | 82 minutes |
| Distributor | Paramount Pictures |
Buck Benny Rides Again is a 1940 Paramount Pictures feature film starring Jack Benny and Ellen Drew. The film featured regulars from Benny's radio show including Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson, Andy Devine, Phil Harris, and Dennis Day. It also included a debut film appearance for radio star Lillian Cornell.[1] The film was directed and produced by Mark Sandrich and produced by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. It was the third highest-grossing film of 1940.[2]
Plot[edit | edit source]
Jack Benny resists the entreaties of bandleader Phil Harris to journey to Nevada, where Phil's sweetheart, Brenda Tracy, is waiting for her divorce, until Jack meets Joan Cameron, one of a trio of singing sisters. Believing that the only real men hail from the West, Joan spurns Jack's advances even though her sisters encourage the courtship.
Realizing that Jack's infatuation presents the bait to lure him West, Phil tells Joan that Jack owns a ranch in Nevada, and when Fred Allen's press agent broadcasts the story, all of New York starts talking about Jack's ranch. To save face, Jack, determined to prove that he is a true son of the West, travels to Nevada. After Joan and her sisters arrive to perform at a nearby plush dude ranch, Jack poses as the owner of Andy Devine's spread. To impress Joan, Jack pays Andy's ranch hands to stage fights with him, but his plot backfires when he mistakes two real outlaws for Andy's patsies.
Meanwhile, Joan overhears Rochester, Jack's butler, discussing Jack's ruse, and hires the outlaws to hold Jack up, but when she learns that Fred Allen's press agent is in town, she warns Jack. When the outlaws hold up the hotel, Jack, believing that the robbery is a fake, rushes to the rescue and, with the help of his pet bear Carmichael, captures the bandits and saves Joan.
Cast[edit | edit source]
- Jack Benny as himself
- Ellen Drew as Joan Cameron
- Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson as Rochester Van Jones
- Andy Devine as himself
- Phil Harris as himself
- Dennis Day as himself
- Virginia Dale as herself
- Lillian Cornell as Peggy
- Theresa Harris as Josephine
- Kay Linaker as Brenda Tracy
- Ward Bond as First Outlaw
- Morris Ankrum as Second Outlaw
- Charles Lane as Charlie Graham
- James Burke as Taxi Driver
- Fred Allen as himself
Although Mary Livingstone is credited as a performer, she does not appear. Mel Blanc voiced Carmichael the Polar Bear uncredited.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "A Star Is Made". Radio Varieties 3 (11): 14–15. November 1940. https://archive.org/stream/radiovarieties34unse#page/n75/mode/2up. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
- ↑ Giddins, Gary (2006). Natural Selection: Gary Giddins on Comedy, Film, Music, and Books. Oxford University Press. pp. 25–. ISBN 978-0-19-517951-4. https://books.google.com/books?id=Bz-JXShQWlMC&pg=PA25.
External links[edit | edit source]
- Buck Benny Rides Again at Internet Movie Database
- Buck Benny Rides Again at AllMovie
- Watch it here: Buck Benny Rides Again
Category:1940 films Category:1940s musical comedy films Category:American musical comedy films Category:American black-and-white films Category:English-language films Category:Film scores by Victor Young Category:Films based on radio series Category:Films directed by Mark Sandrich Category:Paramount Pictures films Category:Western (genre) comedy films Category:1940s Western (genre) films Category:American Western (genre) films Category:American films
 | This 1940s Western film–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This article about a musical comedy film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
