''Buck Benny Rides Again'' is a 1940 American

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

from

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

starring

Jack Benny Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky, February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success playing violin on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century with ...

and

Ellen Drew Ellen Drew (born Esther Loretta Ray; November 23, 1914 – December 3, 2003) was an American film actress. Early life Drew, born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1914, was the daughter of an Irish-born barber. She had a younger brother, Arden. Her ...

. The film featured regulars from Benny's radio show including

Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson Eddie or Eddy may refer to: Science and technology *Eddy (fluid dynamics), the swirling of a fluid and the reverse current created when the fluid flows past an obstacle * Eddie (text editor), a text editor originally for BeOS and now ported to Lin ...

Andy Devine Andrew Vabre Devine (October 7, 1905 – February 18, 1977) was an American character actor known for his distinctive raspy, crackly voice and roles in Western films, including his role as Cookie, the sidekick of Roy Rogers in 10 feature fil ...

Phil Harris Wonga Philip Harris (June 24, 1904 – August 11, 1995) was an American actor, comedian, musician and songwriter. He was an orchestra leader and a pioneer in radio situation comedy, first with ''The Jack Benny Program'', then in '' The Phil Harr ...

, and

Dennis Day Dennis Day (born Owen Patrick Eugene McNulty; May 21, 1916 – June 22, 1988) was an American actor, comedian, and singer. He was of Irish descent. Early life Day was born and raised in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx, New York City, the ...

. It also included a debut film appearance for radio star

Lillian Cornell Lillian Cornell (born Lillian Michuda; June 2, 1916 - May 25, 2015) was an American singer on old-time radio and an actress in films in the early 1940s. Early years Cornell was born Lillian Michuda June 2, 1916, in Chicago. Her name was changed ...

. The film was directed and produced by

Mark Sandrich Mark Sandrich (born Mark Rex Goldstein; October 26, 1900 – March 4, 1945) was an American film director, writer, and producer. Early life Sandrich was born in New York City on October 26, 1900 into a American Jews, Jewish family. His siste ...

and produced by

Joseph L. Mankiewicz Joseph Leo Mankiewicz (; February 11, 1909 – February 5, 1993) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Mankiewicz had a long Hollywood career, and won both the Academy Award for Best Director and the Academy Award for Best A ...

Plot

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

as himself *

as Joan Cameron *

as Rochester Van Jones *

as himself *

Virginia Dale Virginia Dale (born Virginia Paxton; July 1, 1917 – October 3, 1994) was an American actress and dancer. Biography Dale was born in North Carolina. She was the daughter of Lula Helms Paxton, and she graduated from Central High School in Ch ...

as Virginia *

as Peggy *

Theresa Harris Theresa Harris (December 31, 1906 – October 8, 1985) was an American television and film actress, singer and dancer. Early life Harris was born on New Year's Eve 1906 (some sources indicate 1909) in Houston, Texas, to Isaiah and Mable Harris ...

as Josephine *

Kay Linaker Mary Katherine Linaker (July 19, 1913 – April 18, 2008) was an American actress and screenwriter who appeared in many B movies during the 1930s and 1940s, most notably ''Kitty Foyle'' (1940) starring Ginger Rogers. Linaker used her married nam ...

as Brenda Tracy * Ward Bond as First Outlaw *

Morris Ankrum Morris Ankrum (born Morris Nussbaum; August 28, 1897 – September 2, 1964) was an American radio, television, and film character actor. Early life Born in Danville, Illinois, Danville in Vermilion County, Illinois, Vermilion County in eastern ...

as Second Outlaw * Charles Lane as Charlie Graham * James Burke as Taxi Driver Although

Mary Livingstone Mary Livingstone (born Sadya Marcowitz, later known as Sadie Marks; June 25, 1905–June 30, 1983) was an American radio comedienne and actress. She was the wife and radio partner of comedian Jack Benny. Enlisted casually to perform on her h ...

is credited as a performer, she is only heard on the radio, as is

Fred Allen John Florence Sullivan (May 31, 1894 – March 17, 1956), known professionally as Fred Allen, was an American comedian. His absurdist, topically pointed radio program ''The Fred Allen Show'' (1932–1949) made him one of the most popular and for ...

References

External links

* * 1940 films 1940 musical comedy films 1940s Western (genre) comedy films American musical comedy films American black-and-white films 1940s English-language films Films scored by Victor Young Films based on radio series Films directed by Mark Sandrich Films set in Nevada Paramount Pictures films American Western (genre) comedy films 1940s American films {{musical-comedy-film-stub