Did Jack Benny own a Stradivarius?

[Garth E.]

Did Jack Benny actually play a Stradivarius? Where is it today? He always pretended to play so poorly maybe just for the laughs. How good a violinist was he to own a valuable instrument like that. He certainly was a master comedian.

[J-G]

 

[The Violin Beautiful]

The “Benny” Strad, 1729.

https://tarisio.com/cozio-archive/property/?ID=41038

Although he usually pretended to be terrible as part of his routine, he was an accomplished player. That’s a lot of the reason he was so good at figuring out how to do just the right things to sound amateurish. He played a lot of charity concerts, and as I understand, would sometimes play normally. I think he was said to practice quite a lot as well. 

[Garth E.]

53 minutes ago, J-G said:

 

That's very funny. Thanks.

[Garth E.]

55 minutes ago, The Violin Beautiful said:

Although he usually pretended to be terrible as part of his routine

His comedic timing was perfect. He made playing poorly look so professional.

[PhilipKT]

Wonderful.

Jack Benny was also a wonderful human being. I’m old enough to remember when he died, and I was really sad, even though I was only 12. Somewhere I was able to find some old radio shows of the Jack Benny program, and oh my god they were hilarious. It’s amazing to think that they were able to come up with great shows like that every week.

One of the episodes that I listen to was, “Jack tries to get a role in the Ford theater“ and the guest stars were Vincent Price and Claudette Colbert, and even today, when I think of that episode I fall down on the floor laughing.

[PhilipKT]

2 hours ago, J-G said:

 

It’s so funny, even though you know exactly what is coming

[Ron MacDonald]

There is a wonderful episode in "Hollywood Canteen" that has Joseph Szigeti and Jack Benny playing duets and solos.

[J-G]

He had Isaac Stern as a guest on the TV show once or twice.  Here they are together.  Sounds like Benny played Kreisler's Caprice Viennois (1:11).

 

[The Violin Beautiful]

Jack Benny will always be my favorite comedian, and not just because of his violin antics, which are priceless.

[MikeC]

30k for a Strad.  Don't you whish you had bought one when they were cheap! 

[Amateur Aaron]

There are quite a few (hundreds actually) of his radio programs available for free at archive.org. Jack Benny at archive.org. I haven't listened to any of those, but I have enjoyed hours of "The Shadow", "Sherlock Holmes" and "Tales from Scotland Yard" through the same site. Amazingly they are all available for free. Fun stuff to listen to in the shop.

[reedman]

I seem to remember that the Benny Strad belongs to the LA Phil now.

[Rue]

2 hours ago, reedman said:

I seem to remember that the Benny Strad belongs to the LA Phil now.

The orchestra buys instruments?

[PhilipKT]

50 minutes ago, Rue said:

The orchestra buys instruments?

Benny had two strads(I think) and donated them both but I thought the NY Phil got them?

[Rue]

Ah! Donation! Makes sense!

[J-G]

The LA Phil has a few nice instruments, it seems.  Found this in a note on Martin Chalifour published in 2012:

In 2010 he began playing on the Ex Earl of Plymouth Ex Kreisler Stradivarius (1711) one of three Strad instruments owned by the LA Philharmonic. 

[Jeffrey Holmes]

I believe Benny owned a late Strad (some suggest the hand of Omobono...), a Pressenda and a Vuillaume.  When I was with "the firm", we purchased and resold the Vuillaume.

 

[reedman]

6 hours ago, Rue said:

The orchestra buys instruments?

Most large orchestras own some very good instruments for use by their players. LA also owns the "General Kyd" Strad Cello that made the news back in the early 2000's.