Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio

Episode: Jack Benny Show 1943-11-21 – "Jack Dreams He's A Turkey"
Date: November 4, 2025
Host: Harold's Old Time Radio

Overview

This episode features an original 1943 broadcast of the Jack Benny Program, one of the Golden Age’s most beloved comedy radio shows. In this Thanksgiving-themed episode, Jack Benny finds himself wrestling with the emotional, practical, and absurd realities of preparing a Thanksgiving dinner, culminating in a surreal dream where he becomes the turkey himself. The show masterfully combines the humor, social context, and sharp character interplay that defined Depression- and wartime-era American radio entertainment.

Key Discussion Points & Memorable Segments

1. Thanksgiving Planning and Turkey Shopping

[02:32–11:12]

• Jack’s Guest List Grows:

  • Jack attempts to calculate how much turkey he needs for his dinner, humorously forgetting key guests, including Don Wilson.
  • Quote:

    "Didn't you invite Don Wilson?"
    "Oh. Oh, yes. Got enough for 15? Is that. That'll do it."
    — Mary Livingston & Jack Benny (03:06)

• Price and Size Anxiety:

  • Jack balks at the rising cost per pound and the size of turkeys, while Mary and the butcher poke fun at his thriftiness.
  • Quote:

    "That's a pretty big turkey, and I don't want any left over. How. How about that one over there?"
    "That's a pigeon."
    — Jack Benny & Mary Livingston (03:56–03:58)

• Comedic Interactions at the Butcher’s:

  • The butcher shop sequence introduces Mrs. Greenberg and her tales of massive 86-pound turkeys, with Jack and Mary betting on whether Jack will pick a “turkey or a pigeon.”
  • Quote:

    "86 pounds."
    "Yes, and on the other side of the card, it said, you will meet a tall, dark man. £86."
    — Mrs. Greenberg & Jack Benny (05:59–06:11)

• Scarcity, Wartime Humor:

  • References to wartime rationing and food regulations are woven in, including a ‘40-cent tour’ of the butcher’s refrigerator as a parody of food scarcity.
  • Quote:

    "Come on, come on. Hurry, hurry, hurry. On this outstanding excursion, you will see rib steaks, rump steaks... The seven wonders of the world."
    — Rochester (08:07–08:25)

2. At Home: The Turkey as a Character

[11:06–15:22]

• Perspectives on Eating Animals:

  • Jack expresses comical guilt about killing the turkey, waxing sentimental about its life, while Mary and Rochester challenge his sincerity.
  • Quote:

    "Gee, Mary, look at those turkeys laying there so cold and still. Just think, a few days ago they were happy, carefree and gay. And now... now they're 55 cents a pound."
    — Jack Benny (04:29)

  • Quote:

    "Oh, Jack, don't be a hypocrite."
    — Mary Livingston (14:38)

• Rochester’s Quips:

  • Rochester’s wisecracks throughout provide counterbalance and comedic timing.
  • Quote:

    "That's the first time I ever had white meat with Firestone written on it."
    — Rochester (15:13)

3. The Dennis Day Subplot: Salary Raise Request

[17:04–19:57]

• Dennis Day Nervously Confronts Jack:

  • Dennis stumbles through a comic attempt to request a pay raise, egged on by his mother and flustered by Jack’s attitude.
  • Quote:

    "You've been giving me the same salary for three years and every year you promise me a raise. My mother thinks I ought to get one. And I do, too. So there."
    — Dennis Day (17:31)

• Comedic Escape:

  • Dennis, confused, hides in the closet instead of leaving, cementing his character’s innocence.
  • Quote:

    "Where’d he go?"
    "He thought he ran outside, but he went into the closet."
    — Jack Benny & Mary Livingston (17:48–17:49)

4. Musical Interlude: Wartime Song

[19:14–21:20]

• Patriotic Pause:
  • Dennis Day performs "Say a Prayer for the Boys Over There," a wartime ballad encouraging listeners to remember and support American troops.

5. Jack’s Surreal Dream: “Jack Dreams He’s a Turkey”

[24:32–29:32]

• The Nightmare Sequence:

  • Jack dreams he is the Thanksgiving turkey, facing confusion and peril from his friends and household.
  • The world morphs into a surreal place where everyone addresses him as a turkey, including Rochester, Mary, and the butcher.
  • Quote:

    "Hello, my fine feathered friend. Say, you're nice and plump, aren't you? ... Who, me? Yes, you. You're going to make somebody happy on Thanksgiving."
    — Jack Benny (25:23–25:35)

  • Quote:

    "Rochester, put down that knife and fork."
    — Jack Benny (26:14)

  • Quote:

    "You're a turkey. You're a turkey. Who's a turkey? You're a turkey."
    — Jack, Rochester, and others (27:35–27:39)

• Desperate to Prove His Identity:

  • Jack pleads with his friends to acknowledge that he is not a turkey, but even Mr. Billingsley can’t help.
  • Quote:

    "Tell me, am I a turkey or Jack Benny?"
    "You haven't left yourself much."
    — Jack Benny & Mr. Billingsley (28:14–28:18)

6. Wake-Up & Epilogue

[29:06–31:06]

• Jack Awakens:

  • Rochester wakes Jack from his nightmare; feather fluff everywhere is revealed to be from Jack’s pillow.
  • Quote:

    "Boss, your feathers are all over the floor."
    — Rochester (29:23)

• Back to Reality & a Final Grape Nuts Reminder:

  • The show closes with a “Grape Nuts” breakfast pitch—which, in the context of the era, doubles as a final joke about turkeys and sustenance.
  • Quote:

    "Eat a good breakfast, you'll do a better job. And for a rousing breakfast treatment, make a delicious, nutritious Grape Nuts Flakes."
    — Don Wilson (30:58–31:06)

Notable Quotes by Segment

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|------------------|-------| | 03:06 | Mary & Jack | "Didn't you invite Don Wilson?" "Oh. Oh, yes. Got enough for 15? Is that. That'll do it." | | 05:59 | Mrs. Greenberg | "86 pounds." | | 08:07 | Rochester | "Come on, come on. Hurry, hurry, hurry. On this outstanding excursion, you will see rib steaks, rump steaks... The seven wonders of the world." | | 14:38 | Mary Livingston | "Oh, Jack, don't be a hypocrite." | | 15:13 | Rochester | "That's the first time I ever had white meat with Firestone written on it." | | 17:31 | Dennis Day | "You've been giving me the same salary for three years and every year you promise me a raise. My mother thinks I ought to get one. And I do, too. So there." | | 25:23 | Jack Benny | "Hello, my fine feathered friend. Say, you're nice and plump, aren't you? ... Who, me? Yes, you. You're going to make somebody happy on Thanksgiving." | | 27:35 | Jack & Rochester | "You're a turkey. You're a turkey. Who's a turkey? You're a turkey." | | 28:14 | Jack & Billingsley| "Tell me, am I a turkey or Jack Benny?" "You haven't left yourself much." | | 30:58 | Don Wilson | "Eat a good breakfast, you'll do a better job..." |

Highlights and Tone

• Classic Comedic Banter: Fast, punchy exchanges, puns, and running gags about Jack's miserliness, Dennis' youthful innocence, and Rochester's witty observations.
• Social and Wartime Context: Jokes about rationing, food scarcity, and a musical tribute to soldiers underscore the episode’s 1943 origins.
• The surreal, dreamlike finale: Jack’s anxiety about the turkey becomes a literal nightmare, blending physical comedy (the feathers/pillow bit) with absurdist humor.

In short:
This episode is a pitch-perfect blend of 1940s radio humor, wartime consciousness, and holiday stress, resulting in a classic comedy of errors where the host almost becomes the dinner. The wit and chemistry of Jack Benny and his cast, plus razor-sharp social commentary, make for an entertaining and reflective Thanksgiving treat.