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1517_43	Cork and Tipperary renewed their rivalry in 1953, when a record crowd of over 38,000 saw them contest the final of the league. Paddy Barry and Jimmy Lynam gave Cork a comfortable lead after scoring two goals as Tipperary missed several scoring chances. Paddy Kennedy responded with two goals at the end to narrow Cork's margin of victory to 2-10 to 2-7. It was Ring's fourth league medal overall. For the subsequent championship campaign, county champions Avondhu had the right to the captaincy of the Cork team. In an unprecedented but popular move, the North Cork division named Ring as captain. Having already met in the league decider, Cork and Tipperary qualified to meet in the Munster final as well. In one of the greatest games of his career, Ring had the sliotar in the Tipperary net from a 25-yards free after just a minute of play. He added eight further points, while also making a remarkable goal-line save to secure a 3-10 to 1-11 victory. For the second time in his career as captain,
1517_44	Ring collected the Munster Cup while he also won his seventh Munster medal. This victory qualified Cork for the All-Ireland final, however, between the two deciders Ring's mother died. Her death had such a devastating effect on him that it seemed likely that he would miss the All-Ireland final. After much agonising and encouragement from family members, Ring rejoined the Cork team for training and was at left wing-forward for the game against Galway. After a slow start, which allowed Galway take an early lead, Cork regrouped and were 2-1 to 0-3 ahead at half-time after goals from Josie Hartnett and Ring. Galway remained close to Cork throughout the second half, however, a third goal from Tom O'Sullivan put the result beyond doubt and secured a 3-3 to 0-8 victory for Cork. As captain, Ring collected the Liam MacCarthy Cup for the second time in his career, while he also won a record seventh All-Ireland medal. In spite of victory, the game remained controversial over the alleged hitting
1517_45	of Galway captain Mickey Burke by Ring during the second half. There were ugly scenes at the post-match reception at the Gresham Hotel when an unknown Galway player struck Ring in retaliation as he was leaving the ballroom. To compound matters, both sets of players were staying in Barry's Hotel. At breakfast the following morning Ring was punched in the face by another Galway player who then made a quick escape. Several more Galway players gathered across the road from the hotel and more fighting was expected, however, they were dispersed and Cork left Dublin for their homecoming celebrations. At the end of the year Ring once again finished runner-up in the Gaelic Sportsman Sportsman of the Year.
1517_46	Ring remained as Cork captain for 1954, as he attempted to make history by becoming the first player to win eight All-Ireland medals. The Munster final saw Cork face Tipperary for the sixth consecutive season. Tipperary looked likely winners for much of the match, however, a Ring shot from 20 yards was saved by goalkeeper Tony Reddin before falling to the waiting Paddy Barry who clinched the winning goal. The 2-8 to 1-8 victory gave Ring his eighth Munster medal and his third victory as captain. After overcoming Galway in the semi-final, Cork faced Wexford in the All-Ireland final on 5 September 1954. It was their first championship meeting in over fifty years. A record crowd of 84,856 saw the sides on level terms after the first quarter. A scramble after a sideline ball resulted in a Wexford goal by Tom Ryan after 26 minutes which gave them a 1-3 to 0-5 lead. With a strong breeze in their favour in the second half, Cork looked in a very strong position. Nicky Rackard had switched
1517_47	from full-forward to centre-forward to curb the long clearances of Vincy Twomey. By the tenth minute points from Tim Flood and Paddy Kehoe had Wexford 1-6 to 0-5 ahead. Then a goal-bound Ring shot struck Nick O'Donnell, breaking his collarbone. Further points cut the Cork deficit to two and with four minutes left young Johnny Clifford trapped the ball on the end line, dribbled it along the ground and shot past Art Foley from a narrow angle. Injury-time points from Hartnett and Ring gave Cork a 1-9 to 1-6 victory and secured the elusive eighth All-Ireland medal. He also became the first captain to receive the Liam MacCarthy Cup on three occasions.
1517_48	Last All-Ireland final
1517_49	Four-in-a-row proved beyond Cork as they were shocked by a Jimmy Smyth-inspired Clare in the 1955 Munster quarter-final. The defeat sparked several retirements and an influx of some new players to the Cork team which qualified to play reigning champions Limerick in the 1956 Munster final. With a quarter of the match remaining, Limerick were six points ahead, while Donal Broderick had prevented Ring from making any significant contribution. With time running out Ring took a pass from Josie Hartnett, fought his way through two defenders and, from a kneeling position, palmed the sliotar to the net. A minute later he netted his second goal after a solo-run down the left wing. After a Vivian Cobbe point steadied Limerick, Ring netted his third goal for a 5-5 to 3-5 victory and he won a ninth winners' medal. For the second time in three years, Cork faced Wexford in the All-Ireland final on 23 September 1956. The game reached a climax in the closing stages as Cork were two points down and
1517_50	Ring tried to salvage a victory. The sliotar broke to Ring after a 70-yards free and he headed straight for goal with the Wexford back line in pursuit. When he got to the 21-yard line he let off a shot that was set to rattle the back of the net, but the shot was somehow blocked by Wexford 'keeper Art Foley and then cleared by him too. Ring remarked in an interview many years later; "When I got through I thought I had it, but Foley had other ideas, and fair play to him he made a great save." After the sliotar had been cleared Ring raced in and grabbed Foley by the hair and said "You little black bastard you've beaten us". Foley replied "It's about so and so time someone did" before both men shook hands and Ring congratulated him on his save. Within a minute the ball dropped into Foley again and after it was cleared it made its way up the pitch and was buried in the back of the Cork net by Nicky Rackard giving Wexford a 2-14 to 2-8 victory. With seconds remaining in the final and
1517_51	Wexford holding onto a two-point lead, In what was only his second All-Ireland final defeat, Ring was denied his ninth All-Ireland medal. In the moments after the final whistle Nick O'Donnell, Bobby Rackard and Art Foley raised Ring onto their shoulders and carried him off the field in what was an unparalleled display of sportsmanship in any game, raised Ring onto their shoulders and carried him off the field. Towards the end of the year, Ring was chosen as the number one hurler of the year in the Gaelic Echo.
1517_52	Twilight years Following defeat in the 1956 All-Ireland final, it was expected by many that Ring, who was now thirty-six years-old, would retire from inter-county hurling. No such announcement came and he was included on Cork's championship fifteen again for 1957. In the Munster semi-final victory over Tipperary, he suffered a broken wrist which ruled him out of the subsequent Munster final. Cork lost that game to an up-and-coming Waterford side by 1–11 to 1–6.
1517_53	In 1958 Ring was named at full-forward on the Best Hurling Team of the Year in the Sunday Review, however, Cork exited the championship at the hands of Tipperary in the Munster semi-final. In 1959 Cork qualified to play Waterford in the Munster final. Ring contributed 1-5, including a late goal which looked like turning the game in Cork's favour, however, Waterford held out for a 3-9 to 2-9 victory. In spite of a lack of championship success, Ring finished the year by being named Caltex Hurler of the Year. He remains the oldest player ever to win the award.
1517_54	Ring finished the 1959–60 league as top scorer, including 3-4 in Cork's league final defeat by Tipperary. Both sides renewed their rivalry in the subsequent Munster final. Described as the toughest game of hurling ever played, Cork enjoyed most of the possession in the first half, however, Tipperary led by a goal at the interval thanks to the accuracy of Jimmy Doyle. They stretched their lead to five points in the final quarter, however, a last-minute Cork goal left the result in doubt once again. Tipperary eventually won a gruelling contest by 4-13 to 4-11.
1517_55	1961 followed a similar pattern to the year before. Ring was once again the top scorer for the 1960–61 season and, once again, Cork and Tipperary lined out against each other in the Munster final. An official attendance of 62,175 was the biggest ever recorded at a Cork-Tipperary match, or at any Irish sporting event outside of Croke Park. The real attendance may have been as high as 70,000 as the gates were thrown open halfway through the preceding minor game. Cork's preparations were undermined by the large crowd. After togging off in the Railway Hotel in Limerick city centre, they had intended to travel by cars to the venue. The volume of bodies on the Ennis Road meant that the players had to abandon their cars and physically jostle their way through the crowd to make the throw-in time. At half-time Tipperary were out of sight by 3-3 to 0-1. The game ended on a sour note when Ring and John Doyle became involved in a punch-up while Tom Moloughney was knocked to the ground, allegedly
1517_56	after being struck by Ring. Tipperary won the game by 3-6 to 0-7, however, Ring was wrongly named in some national newspapers as having hit both Doyle and Moloughney. The National Union of Journalists later issued an apology to him.
1517_57	After a good showing in the group stage, Cork qualified for a league final meeting with Kilkenny in 1962. Cork looked like they were in for a hefty defeat, however, a Ring goal gave Cork the lead against the run of play. Kilkenny regrouped and eventually secured a 1-8 to 1-6 victory in what was Ring's last appearance at Croke Park for Cork. The subsequent Munster championship saw Ring lose out to Waterford at the semi-final stage. It would be his last championship game for Cork. Ring played a tournament game against Waterford in June 1963 and was again later picked for Cork's championship fifteen. On the day of the Munster quarter-final against Clare, it was announced that Ring would not be playing. Cork won by 4-15 to 2-11 and he was again included as a non-playing substitute for Cork's subsequent Munster semi-final defeat by Tipperary.
1517_58	In 1964 the Cork selectors considered bringing Ring back onto the team. He was picked at corner-forward for a tournament game in Cobh in May 1964, however, he didn't line out on the day. In spite of this there was speculation that he would be listed on Cork's championship panel. John Lyons and Jim Hurley had voted for his return, however, the other three selectors had the majority in leaving him off the panel. After 25 years Ring was effectively dropped and the curtain was brought down on his inter-county career.
1517_59	Possible comeback
1517_60	After Ring's omission from the Cork team in 1964, there was little talk about a possible return the following year and it came to be accepted that Ring had retired. By 1966 his name was being mentioned again as a number of factors contributed to a possible recall to the Cork team. John Doyle of Tipperary had won his eighth All-Ireland medal the previous year, thereby equalling Ring's seemingly unique record. Similarly, his displays at club level showed that he even at 45 years-of-age he was still the best forward in the county. As Cork defeated Clare and Limerick to qualify for the Munster final, there was intense speculation once again that he would be recalled to the team. Ring let it be known that he was available, however, when the selectors announced the team he was listed as a substitute and not on the starting fifteen. While the decision to recall him was not a unanimous one amongst the selectors, the prospect of winning another Munster medal and a record ninth All-Ireland
1517_61	medal as a substitute to another player did not appeal to Ring and he declined to be listed on the panel. This decision finally ended all of the speculation that he would make a dramatic comeback at some stage.
1517_62	Inter-provincial career Early successes Ring was first chosen for the Munster team in 1941. He was an unused substitute in the Railway Cup final, as Munster faced a narrow 2-5 to 2-4 defeat by Leinster. The following year Ring was at centre-forward as Munster received a buy to the final where they faced Leinster once again. In a reversal of the previous year, Munster claimed a 4-9 to 4-5 victory, with Ring winning his very first Railway Cup medal.
1517_63	In 1943 the midfield pairing on the Munster team was an all-Glen Rovers and all-Cork affair as Ring was partnered by Jack Lynch. The game was a close affair, however, Ring collected a second winners' medal as Munster triumphed by 4-3 to 3-5. He was moved back to his more usual centre-forward position the following year, as Munster made it three-in-a-row following a 4-10 to 4-4 defeat of first-time finalists Connacht. Ring retained the centre-forward berth on the 1945 Munster team that faced debutantes Ulster in the final. A huge 8-8 to 2-0 victory resulted in Munster claiming a record-equalling fourth successive Railway Cup.
1517_64	Ring was partnered by his Glen Rovers colleague Jim Young in the half-forward line as Munster received a buy to the 1946 Railway Cup final. A Connacht team composed of all Galway players looked to be heading for a first victory, but Munster clawed their way back to level the game with time running out. Ring was the hero of the game for Munster, as his point from a sideline ball from 60 yards at the stroke of full-time secured a 3-12 to 4-8 victory. It was a record-breaking fifth title in succession for Munster and a fifth winners' medal for Ring. Six-in-a-row proved beyond Munster in 1947, as an all-Galway Connacht side secured an historic 2-5 to 1-1 victory. A record six-in-a-row
1517_65	Cork players made up one third of the Munster team in 1948 as the southern province faced Leinster in the decider. Ring was moved to the left wing-forward position where he made a number of spectacular solo-runs, one of which resulted in a pass to Ned Daly for the equalising point just before half-time. Vin Baston scored the winning goal shortly before the end, as Munster won by 3-5 to 2-5. It was Ring's sixth Railway Cup medal. Munster finished the decade by qualifying for their ninth successive Railway Cup final in 1949. Ring was the star player as Connacht provided the opposition and he secured Munster's opening goal when his sideline ball slipped through goalkeeper Seánie Duggans fingers and trickled over the line. He netted a second goal after the interval when he doubled on a flying ball from 30 yards out. The 5-3 to 2-9 victory secured a seventh winners' medal for Ring.
1517_66	The 1950 Railway Cup final saw Munster and Leinster renew their hurling rivalry. Ring was once again included on the Munster team, however, high winds, a large number of wides and a poor level of skill contributed to a drab and disjointed game. A 0-9 to 1-3 victory sealed an eighth Railway Cup medal for Ring. Ring was moved to left corner-forward on the Munster team that faced Leinster in the 1951 Railway Cup final. He gave an exhibition of hurling and was vital to several Munster scores. His 1-1 in the closing stages sealed a 4-9 to 3-6 victory and a ninth Railway Cup medal. In 1952 Munster qualified to meet Connacht in the Railway Cup decider, while Ring was on the brink of collecting a remarkable tenth winners' medal. He was once again at his devastating best and scored 1-3 in the first half, before adding a second goal after the break. A 5-11 to 4-2 victory gave Ring a tenth Railway Cup medal.
1517_67	Ring was appointed captain of the Munster team in 1953 as the southern province qualified to play Leinster in the final. Ring was well marked by Jim Hogan and Jimmy Heffernan, however, he evaded them on several occasions to score some trademark points from tight angles. He set up Matt Nugent and Séamus Bannon for two goals, as Munster claimed a 5-7 to 5-5 victory. It was a record-breaking sixth successive title for Munster. Not only did Ring claim an eleventh Railway Cup medal but he also had the honour of accepting the cup as captain. Munster failed to add to their great run of success in 1954. Ring was once again well marshalled by Jim Hogan as a 0-9 to 0-5 victory gave Leinster their first Railway Cup title since 1941. Continued dominance
1517_68	In 1955 Ring resumed the captaincy as Munster qualified to play Connacht in the final. He was the key player for the southern province and scored a remarkable goal when he cupped the sliotar to the net after falling. He added three more points before Josie Hartentt scored the decisive goal in the 6-8 to 3-4 victory. After accepting the cup for the second time as captain, Ring later claimed his twelfth Railway Cup medal. Munster endured a heavy defeat at the hands of Leinster in the 1956 decider. After trailing by 3-5 to 0-2 after twenty-five minutes, Munster eventually lost by 5-11 to 1-7.
1517_69	After defeat in 1956, Ring set out to atone by giving a masterful display against Leinster in the 1957 Railway Cup final. His tally of 3-5 was enough to beat the eastern province on his own. His first goal came after he grabbed the sliotar some 40 yards out and drove it past Art Foley. His second was a ground snap shot, while his third goal was a cut which he took on the turn after Foley lost the sliotar. The 5-7 to 2-5 victory gave Ring his thirteenth Railway Cup medal. Munster and Leinster met for the third successive year in the 1958 Railway Cup final. Munster were underdogs going into the game, while Ring was well marked by Nick O'Donnell. He had a number of sharp shots at goal, however, the outstanding goalkeeping of Ollie Walsh prevented him from scoring. After a quiet game by his own standards, Ring won his fourteenth Railway Cup medal after a 3-7 to 3-5 victory.
1517_70	In spite of his advancing age, Ring was chosen on the Munster team that qualified to play Connacht in the 1959 Railway Cup final. The occasion was a special one as the game marked the official opening of the new Hogan Stand. Ring rose to the occasion by giving a mercurial performance which saw him score 4-5. The 7-11 to 2-6 victory gave him a fifteenth Railway Cup medal. Final years As Ring approached his 40th birthday, he was included on the Munster team for the 20th time in 1960 as Leinster provided the opposition in the final. Ring had a quiet game as he struggled with a hand injury. In spite of this, he chipped in with two points in the 6-6 to 2-7 victory. It was his sixteenth Railway Cup medal.
1517_71	Ring reached a remarkable milestone in 1961 when his inclusion on the Munster team marked his twentieth year of inter-provincial hurling. Old rivals Leinster provided the opposition in the final, however, for the first time Ring failed to carve out a match-winning performance. Two points from frees was his contribution before retiring with a leg injury in the 25th minute of the first half. Jimmy Doyle did the scoring damage with 2-6 as Munster made it five-in-a-row with a 4-12 to 3-9 victory.
1517_72	An unprecedented sixth successive title proved beyond Munster in 1962, however, Munster and Leinster faced each other in a fourth successive Railway Cup final in 1963. Ring scored 1-1 as Munster looked the likely winners, however, Leinster rallied to secure a 5-5 apiece draw. The replay was a thrilling affair, however, a rain-soaked pitch impacted on the standard of the hurling. Ring had a disappointing game and was forced to retire through injury after fifteen minutes. Jimmy Smyth secured the winning point as Munster triumphed by 2-8 to 2-7. It was Ring's eighteenth Railway Cup medal, while it also marked his last appearance for Munster. Coaching career Farranferris
1517_73	In 1963 Ring took a mentoring role with the St. Finbarr's College, Farranferris senior team. He had earlier been involved as a referee and as an unofficial adviser to various students, however, now he was included as a key member of the coaching team. That year St. Finbarr's faced Ennis CBS as they qualified for their first Dr. Harty Cup final since 1952. Seánie Barry was the chief scorer and bagged 3-5 as "Farna" claimed the Munster title following a 4-9 to 4-3 victory. On 5 May 1963, St. Finbarr's College faced Patrician College from Ballyfin in the All-Ireland decider. Having trailed for three-quarters of the game, St. Finabrr's rallied in the closing stages thanks to 2-4 from the stick of Seánie Barry. The 4-8 to 3-4 victory was their first All-Ireland title.
1517_74	After a number of disappointing seasons, Ring was still a mentor when St. Finbarr's College qualified for the 1969 Harty Cup final. Holders Coláiste Chríost Rí provided the opposition in an all-Cork derby. Donie Collins and Tim Crowley were the key players as St. Finbarr's College claimed their second Munster title after a 6-11 to 2-7 victory. St. Kieran's College provided the opposition in the subsequent All-Ireland final on 27 April 1969. Frank O'Brien had the game of his life and scored 4-2 as St. Kieran's were unable to cope with the strong "Farna" challenge. The 5-15 to 2-1 victory gave St. Finbarr's College their second All-Ireland title. Glen Rovers
1517_75	In 1972 Ring was a selector with the Glen Rovers senior team that, after a series of upsets in the earlier rounds, qualified for the championship decider against Youghal. The Glen were the hot favourites, however, they trailed by 1-8 to 12 st the interval. Youghal still held the upper hand at the three-quarter stage, however, Patsy Harte netted his second goal to steady the Glen team. Tom Buckley scored a third as glen Rovers eventually triumphed by 3-15 to 1-10. A subsequent 2-9 to 1-10 defeat of Roscrea secured the Munster title. Glen Rovers later qualified to play St. Rynagh's in the All-Ireland final, however, after the Offaly and Leinster champions' request for a postponement was denied, Glen Rovers were declared champions by committee. The club, however, preferred to contest the game and win it on the field of play. Only a few hundred spectators turned out at Croke Park to witness a game that lacked any entertainment value. Goalkeeper Finbarr O'Neill saved Glen Rovers on a
1517_76	number of occasions and the Cork team had a 1–10 to 1–3 lead at the interval. St. Rynaghs' six first-half wides did not help the situation. Glen Rovers stretched their lead to eleven points just after the restart. Basil Johnson got a goal for St. Rynagh's, however, it was too little too late as Glen Rovers won by 2–18 to 2–8. The victory gave Ring an All-Ireland club victory as a selector.
1517_77	After defeats at the hands of Blackrock in 1973 and 1975, the Glen qualified for yet another championship decider in 1976. Blackrock were the opponents once again, however, Ring had been planning for this game since the previous year's defeat. Glen veteran Patsy Harte rolled back to years to score a vital 2-2 as Glen Rovers secured their 24th championship after a 2-7 to 0-10 victory. The subsequent Munster decider against South Liberties was a tough affair, with no less than three players being sent off. A 2-8 to 2-4 secured a third Munster title in all for Glen Rovers. Ring's side subsequently qualified for the All-Ireland final meeting with Camross on 27 March 1977. The Glen, with nine survivors from their previous victory in 1973, were the hot favourites for the title. Camross, which featured eight members of the Cuddy family, held the Glen in the first half. Glen Rovers powered on after the interval to secure an easy 2-12 to 0-8 victory. For Ring it was a second All-Ireland title
1517_78	as selector.
1517_79	Cork Ring was first included on the Cork senior hurling team selection committee during the 1972-73 season. Disappointing league and championship campaigns followed for Cork and he was dropped from the selection committee after just one year.
1517_80	In September 1975 Ring was reappointed to the selection committee. Success was immediate as Cork secured their third successive Oireachtas Cup in October following a 3-13 to 2-7 defeat of Wexford. Cork annexed the Munster title in 1976 following a 3–15 to 4–5 defeat of Limerick before facing Wexford in the All-Ireland final on 5 September 1976. Wexford got off to a great start and were 2–2 to no score ahead after just six minutes. Wexford had a two-point lead with ten minutes to go, however, Ring, as selector, made a tactical switch which won the game. Mick Jacob had been Wexford's most consistent defender at centre-back, however, Ring moved Jimmy Barry-Murphy to centre-forward and he was much fresher than the tiring Jacob. Barry-Murphy picked off two quick points before two from Pat Moylan and a kicked effort from Ray Cummins gave Cork a 2–21 to 4–11 victory. It was Ring's first All-Ireland victory as selector.
1517_81	Cork faced Clare in the provincial decider in 1977, on a day when armed robbers made away with the takings from the gate of £24,579 during the second half of the game. Clare conceded an early penalty but they fought back to take the lead until a contentious red card for full back Jim Power turned the tide for Cork and they fought on win by 4–15 to 4–10. The subsequent All-Ireland final on 4 September 1977 was a repeat of the previous year, with Wexford providing the opposition once again. Prior to the game the Cork captain and full-back, Martin O'Doherty, had expressed his concerns over marking Wexford sharp-shooter Tony Doran. Ring advised O'Doherty to play as if he were the full-forward and to get to the ball first in a move which saw the position of full-back in a new role. O'Doherty finished the year as the All-Star full-back. Ring was also instrumental in moving Gerald McCarthy to centre-forward where he was charged with negating the influence of Tony Doran as Jimmy Barry-Murphy
1517_82	had done the year before. Seánie O'Leary, who broke his nose in the pre-match warm-up, scored the decisive goal for Cork as the game entered the last quarter, while Martin Coleman brought off a match-winning save from Christy Keogh to foil the Wexford comeback. A 1–17 to 3–8 victory gave Ring his second All-Ireland as selector.
1517_83	Cork secured the provincial title again in 1978 following a narrow 0–13 to 0–11 defeat of Clare. This victory paved the way for an All-Ireland final showdown with Kilkenny on 3 September 1978. Ring had the utmost confidence that Cork would win as he considered that Kilkenny team to be one of the poorest he had ever seen. Cork secured the All-Ireland title as a Jimmy Barry-Murphy goal helped the team to a 1–15 to 2–8 victory. It was a third successive All-Ireland title, the first time since Ring's own playing days that a team had secured a championship hat-trick. The All-Ireland final victory was his last visit to Croke Park. Death Although Ring was in his late fifties, there were no signs that he was in ill health. A non-smoker and non-drinker throughout his entire life, he remained active by regularly playing squash, something he did just two days before his death.
1517_84	On Friday 2 March 1979, Ring had a scheduled appointment with his doctor and former teammate Dr. Jim Young in Cork city centre. As he was walking past the Cork College of Commerce on Morrisson's Island at 3:30pm he suffered a massive heart attack and collapsed. He was taken by ambulance to the South Infirmary Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. He was 58 years-old.
1517_85	The news of his death came as a great shock to the people of Ireland, and particularly to the people of Cork. His funeral was one of the biggest ever seen in Cork with up to 60,000 people lining the streets. It was also a remarkable hurling occasion with many of Ring's former Munster and All-Ireland foes in attendance. Farrenferris pupils formed a guard of honour, while his coffin was draped in the famous black, green and gold Glen Rovers colours. Thirty books of condolence were filled by the thousands who attended the removal. The funeral Mass was presided over by Bishop Cornelius Lucey while the chief celebrant was Fr Charlie Lynch, brother of former Cork teammate Jack Lynch. Other former Cork teammates involved included Fr Con Cottrell, Fr Bernie Cotter and Fr J. J. O'Brien. Ring's coffin was shouldered into St Colman's churchyard in Cloyne by renowned sporting celebrities from Cork and other counties. Ring's graveside oration was delivered by Jack Lynch. Family life
1517_86	Ring married Rita Taylor at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Ballinlough on 12 September 1962. Traffic in and around the city was held up for over an hour as thousands turned up to see the wedding. In a major departure for the national radio broadcaster, Radio Éireann included news of the event in their main news bulletin. It was their first report on a sports celebrity wedding. Fledgling television broadcaster, Telefís Éireann, also filmed the wedding for the Nine O'Clock News. The Rings lived at Avondale Park in Ballintemple for much of their married life. They experienced personal tragedy in raising their children: twin boys Christy and John were born in 1963, however, John died as an infant. Their daughter, Mary, was born in 1966. Memorials
1517_87	Shortly after his death, the Ring Memorial Committee's primary objective was the construction of a suitable monument. The site of Ring's former house in Cloyne was chosen as the location as it also acts as the entrance to the Cloyne playing field. Yann Goulet was the sculptor, while Midleton-based sculptor Michael Sheedy created the lettering on the base using Kilkenny limestone. Ring's brother, Willie John, did much of the work on the building of the memorial walls. The monument was unveiled by Jack Lynch on 1 May 1983. Several years later a statue of Ring was planned for Cork Airport. The idea led to a two-year project to select a winning submission from one of twelve sculptors. Seán McCarthy's winning sculpture was unveiled by Rita Ring in 1995. Over a decade later, a new statue was created and located in the main car park in front of the terminal. The possibility of naming the airport after Ring was mooted in 2010.
1517_88	In 1987 Cork Corporation sanctioned the construction of a new bridge across the River Lee. Located near the Cork Opera House and straddling the north channel of the river, the bridge links Emmett Place with Carroll's Quay and was named the Christy Ring Bridge. After the Cork County Board acquired the well-known soccer pitch Flower Lodge in 1988, a period of extensive renovation took place. On 23 May 1993, Páirc Chriostóir Uí Rinn was officially opened and dedicated in Ring's honour. A new championship for second tier hurling teams was created and named the Christy Ring Cup in 2005. In popular culture In 1964, Ring was the star of a Louis Marcus film. Rather than a recounting of his life and many victories, the film is an instructional one with Ring demonstrating the various skills of the game and ending with highlights of the 1960 league final. The film had its premiere at the Savoy in Cork on 16 October 1964 and ran for several weeks.
1517_89	G.A.A. Ballads of Rebel Cork contains 20 separate pieces on Ring, including a poem in Irish by Seán Ó Tuama. Theo Dorgan and Billy Ramsell have also written poems on Ring. The poet Tom French has written a poem, A Pieta, about his death. Ring has been the subject of several biographies, including Christy Ring by Val Dorgan (1980) and Christy Ring: Hurling's Greatest by Tim Horgan (2007). Quotes
1517_90	"For the Doc! For the Doc!" Ring's jubilant statement to Éamonn Young following Cork's defeat of Tipperary in the 1952 championship. "The Doc" refers to Young's brother, Dr. Jim Young, who played with Ring on the Cork four-in-a-row team. In winning the Munster final, Cork had prevented Tipperary from the possibility of winning a fourth successive All-Ireland title and equalling the record of the nine. "We're the best in everything now." Ring's comment after completing a championship double as a dual player with Glen Rovers and St. Nicholas' in 1954. "Keep your eye on the ball, even when it's in the referee's pocket." "It isn't so quiet now boy." Ring's riposte to Limerick's Donal Broderick after scoring three goals in four minutes to win the 1956 Munster final. Broderick had held Ring scoreless for more than fifty minutes and had commented that he was having a quiet day.
1517_91	"Babs, if Jimmy Doyle was as strong as you and I nobody would ever ask who was the best." Ring's comment to Babs Keating when pressed on who he considered to be the greatest hurler of all time. "I like to do the unorthodox and keep defenders worried...I usually attempt what other people might think is impossible." "My hurling days are over. Let no one say the best hurlers belong to the past, they're with us now and better yet to come." "And if I hadn't been carrying passengers like you, I'd have won at least eight more." Ring's withering put down to a former Cork teammate. The unnamed former player was, by then, a county board official and questioned Ring as to why he tried to get into a match without his official pass by saying: "But Christy, you ought to have [your pass]. You won no less than eight All-Ireland medals".
1517_92	"You don't play hurling with your nose." Ring's reply to Seánie O'Leary who feared he may miss the All-Ireland final after breaking his nose when a sliotar struck him during the warm-up prior to the 1977 All-Ireland final. "The contest was the most important thing for me. Playing the game was the most important thing as far as I was concerned. It wasn't what I got from it or what was at the end...but to play hurling for Cork...that was the most important thing." "The Glen has meant a lot to me. I don't know how you describe the spirit of the Glen, no more than describe the spirit of "the Barr's", or "the Rockies"...or the spirit of Cloyne...I don't know...it's just that they have this tradition of playing the game as it should be played; hard and tough." "You should have somebody else here today instead of me. It's about time they stopped talking about me." Ring in a rare television interview with Donncha Ó Dúlaing shortly before his death in 1979.
1517_93	Tributes
1517_94	"'Tis a sin to bury that man." Unknown woman overheard by Professor Seán Ó Tuama at the removal of Ring. "'I have seen them all and he is the greatest hurler ever. Ring is a natural. A pocket Hercules, beautifully built with a powerful frame." Pioneering Gaelic games journalist P.D. Mehigan whose recall of games spanned nearly seventy years. "'I was twenty years of age in 1922 when I saw my first senior match. I have seen every great hurler since. I have never seen one who attained Christy's standard of excellence and maintained that standard over such a long period of time." Four-time All-Ireland medal winner with Cork Jim Hurley. "'The greatest hurler ever to grace a playing field." One-time All-Ireland medal winner with Waterford Christy Moylan. "'Any of us who saw him play were privileged. We will never see the like of him again. In my book Christy Ring was always number one, and he always will be." Two-time All-Ireland medal winner with Wexford Bobby Rackard.
1517_95	"'[He] enriched the game of hurling more than any other man I knew over forty years. He lived and breathed the very spirit of hurling. He was a giant among giants." Former President of the GAA Pat Fanning. "'To us kids Christy was the ultimate. We all modelled ourselves on him." Six-time All-Ireland medal winner with Kilkenny Eddie Keher. "'When it comes to selecting the greatest exponent the game has ever seen, measured opinion sees one name out of reach – above all others. That name is Christy Ring of Cork." Three-time All-Ireland medal winner with Wexford Billy Rackard.
1517_96	"'There are no words I know of that can adequately do justice to the greatness of the hurler, Christy Ring. If hurling were an international sport his name and fame would stand at least alongside Pelé in soccer, Bradman in cricket, Edwards and Kyle in rugby, Nicklaus and Palmer in golf. But there is no method of measuring genius, man for man, in the various sports. All one can say is that Ring was a genius in his own sport. And his genius in hurling was incomparable." Irish Times sports journalist and friend of Ring, Paddy Downey, writing at the time of his death in 1979. "We carried him at last." Three-time All-Ireland medal winner with Cork Paddy Barry, speaking after shouldering the coffin at Ring's funeral. The quote refers to the numerous times that Ring saved Cork from almost certain defeat. "'Ring was hurling's Shakespeare, its Pelé, its Mozart. He came as close to perfection as any sportsman can." Irish Independent journalist Éamonn Sweeney.
1517_97	"There would be no question about who was the greatest hurler. There's no doubt in my mind whatsoever that Ring was the greatest hurler of all time." Two-time All-Ireland medal winner with Wexford Martin Codd. "I never saw anyone like Christy Ring. In my opinion, his sort will never be seen again. He was the best I've ever seen, he had everything." Former GAA President, Paddy Buggy. "He's something that comes around once every hundred years. I guarantee you that. I haven't seen anything like him and I don't believe I ever will see anybody like him...Tipperary won eight All-Irelands for me but Ring won eight All-Irelands for Cork." Fellow eight-time All-Ireland medal winner with Tipperary John Doyle. "Some people say Mackey was...Eddie Keher...but I have to give it to Christy, number one. Always did." Six-time All-Ireland medal winner with Tipperary Jimmy Doyle.
1517_98	"He would be remembered for his hurling ability, for his skill. And the enjoyment, in particular, that he gave to the crowds. He'll always be remembered, he will never be forgotten. There was only one Christy Ring and there'll never be another." Three-time All-Ireland medal winner with Cork Willie John Daly.
1517_99	Scoring statistics Club Inter-county Inter-provincial Honours Player St. Enda's Cork Minor Hurling Championship (1): 1938 Cloyne Cork Junior Hurling Championship (1): 1939 East Cork Junior Hurling Championship (2): 1938, 1939 St. Nicholas' Cork Senior Football Championship (1): 1954 Glen Rovers Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship (1): 1964 Cork Senior Hurling Championship (14): 1941, 1944, 1945, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1953, 1954, 1958 (sub), 1959, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1967 (sub) Cork All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (8): 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1946 (c), 1952, 1953 (c), 1954 (c) Munster Senior Hurling Championship (9): 1942, 1943, 1944, 1946 (c), 1947, 1952, 1953 (c), 1954 (c), 1956 (c) National Hurling League (4): 1939-40, 1940-41, 1947-48 (sub), 1952-53 All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship (2): 1937 (sub), 1938 Munster Minor Hurling Championship (1): 1938
1517_100	Munster Railway Cup (18): 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963 Selector St. Finbarr's College Dr. Croke Cup (2): 1963, 1969 Dr. Harty Cup (2): 1963, 1969 Glen Rovers All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship (2): 1973, 1977 Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship (2): 1972, 1976 Cork Senior Hurling Championship (2): 1972, 1976 Cork All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (3): 1976, 1977, 1978 Munster Senior Hurling Championship (3): 1976, 1977, 1978 Oireachtas Cup (1): 1975 Individual Honours Hurling Team of the Millennium: Right wing-forward Munster Hurling Team of the Millennium: Left wing-forward Hurling Team of the Century: Right wing-forward Cork Hurling Team of the Century: Left wing-forward The 125 greatest stars of the GAA: No. 2 Texaco Hurler of the Year: 1959 Texaco Hall of Fame Award: 1971 GAA Hall of Fame Inductee: 2013
1517_101	See also List of All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship medal winners List of people on stamps of Ireland Bibliography Val Dorgan, Christy Ring, (Ward River Press, 1980). Brendan Fullam, Captains of the Ash, (Wolfhound Press, 2002). Tim Horgan, Christy Ring: Hurling's Greatest, (The Collins Press, 2007). Colm Keane, Hurling’s Top 20, (Mainstream Publishing, 2002). Éamonn Sweeney, Munster Hurling Legends'', (O’Brien Press, 2002). References 1920 births 1979 deaths Cloyne hurlers Glen Rovers hurlers Cork inter-county hurlers Munster inter-provincial hurlers All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship winners Hurling selectors
1518_0	The Jack Benny Program, starring Jack Benny, is a radio-TV comedy series that ran for more than three decades and is generally regarded as a high-water mark in 20th century American comedy. He played one role throughout his radio and television careers, a caricature of himself as a minimally talented musician and penny pincher who was the butt of all the jokes. Format On both television and radio, the format of The Jack Benny Program used a loose show-within-a-show format, wherein the main characters were playing versions of themselves. The show often broke the fourth wall, with the characters interacting with the audience and commenting on the program and its advertisements. The show usually opened with a song by the orchestra or banter between Benny and Don Wilson. Then banter between Benny and the regulars about the news of the day or about one of the running jokes on the program, such as Benny's age, Day's stupidity, or Mary's letters from her mother.
1518_1	Then, a song by the tenor was followed by situation comedy involving an event of the week, a miniplay, or a satire of a current movie. Some shows were entire domestic sitcoms revolving around some aspect of Benny's life (e.g. spring cleaning or a violin lesson). The Jack Benny Program evolved from a variety show blending sketch comedy and musical interludes into the modern situation comedy form, crafting particular situations and scenarios from the fictionalized life of Jack Benny, the radio star. The sitcom shows often took place in Jack's house in Beverly Hills, or at the radio studio. Common situations included hosting parties, income-tax time, nights on the town, "backstage" interactions between Jack and his cast during show rehearsals, contract negotiations, or traveling by train or plane to and from Jack's many personal appearances throughout the country, hence the "Train leaving on track five" gag.
1518_2	In some shows, Jack might step out to handle some common errand, such as going to the dentist, or visiting a store to buy a new suit where the dentist or store clerk would inevitably turn out to be Frank Nelson. In other shows, Jack might fall asleep while reading a book in his study (i.e. "I Stand Condemned," "The Search for the Elephant's Graveyard"), and dream that he was the star of the story he was reading. The writers and star would insert musical interludes from Phil Harris and Dennis Day. With Day, invariably, a brief sketch ended with Benny ordering Day to sing the song he planned for the show that week. Radio
1518_3	Jack Benny first appeared on radio as a guest of Ed Sullivan in March 1932. He was then given his own show later that year, with Canada Dry Ginger Ale as a sponsor —The Canada Dry Ginger Ale Program, beginning May 2, 1932, on the NBC Blue Network and continuing there for six months until October 26, moving the show to CBS on October 30. With Ted Weems leading the band, Benny stayed on CBS until January 26, 1933. Arriving at NBC on March 3, Benny did The Chevrolet Program until April 1, 1934, with Frank Black leading the band. He continued with The General Tire Revue for the rest of that season, and in the fall of 1934, for General Foods as The Jell-O Program Starring Jack Benny (1934–42), and when sales of Jell-O were affected by sugar rationing during World War II, The Grape Nuts Flakes Program Starring Jack Benny (later the Grape Nuts and Grape Nuts Flakes Program) (1942–44).
1518_4	On October 1, 1944, the show became The Lucky Strike Program Starring Jack Benny, when American Tobacco's Lucky Strike cigarettes took over as his radio sponsor, through to the mid-1950s. By that time, the practice of using the sponsor's name as the title began to fade. The show returned to CBS on January 2, 1949, as part of CBS president William S. Paley's "raid" of NBC talent in 1948–49. There it stayed for the remainder of its radio run, which ended on May 22, 1955. CBS aired repeats of previous 1953-55 radio episodes from 1956 to 1958 as The Best of Benny for State Farm Insurance, which later sponsored his television program from 1960 through 1965.
1518_5	In October, 1934, General Foods agreed to take up sponsorship from the struggling tire-maker, using the show (now airing on the Blue network) to promote its low-selling Jell-O desserts. Beginning from this point, Benny was heard Sunday evenings at 7, at the time seen as a "graveyard slot". However, this was eventually associated with Benny, who appeared in that very time spot for his remaining 21 years on radio (counting his TV shows, he would broadcast on Sundays for a record 28 consecutive years). In the fall of 1935, Don Bestor was replaced by Johnny Green as the maestro, while Parker was replaced by Michael Bartlett, who himself left after 13 weeks, with Kenny Baker taking over. In early 1936, Harry Conn left the program after creative conflicts with Benny, who had to resort to vaudeville writers Al Boasberg and Edmund Beloin through the end of the season.
1518_6	In 1936, after a few years of broadcasting from New York, Benny moved the show to Los Angeles, allowing him to bring in guests from among his show-business friends, including Frank Sinatra, James Stewart, Judy Garland, Barbara Stanwyck, Bing Crosby, Burns and Allen (George Burns was Benny's closest friend), and many others. Burns, Allen, and Orson Welles guest-hosted several episodes in March and April 1943 when Benny was ill with pneumonia, while Ronald Colman and his wife Benita Hume appeared often in the 1940s as Benny's long-suffering neighbors.
1518_7	The 1936–37 season brought many changes instrumental to the development of the show. Aside from having a new writing team (Beloin and Bill Morrow, with script doctoring by Boasberg), Benny returned to the NBC Red Network and established the program in Hollywood. Benny had already done a number of shows on the West Coast for two years—featuring Jimmie Grier as guest conductor—whenever he was doing movie work. Green was replaced by Phil Harris.
1518_8	During this period, the Benny character gradually became that of the vain, miserly, untalented performer for which he would be recognized, while the "ditzy" role went from Mary to Kenny, and Don Wilson would become the target of jokes about his weight. Halfway through the season, the famous "feud" with Fred Allen began, climaxing with a visit to New York, after which Eddie Anderson was cast as a porter. His character was so well received that it was decided to have Anderson join the cast as Rochester, Benny's valet. In 1939, Baker chose to leave the show and was replaced by Dennis Day. In 1941, NBC celebrated Benny's 10th anniversary in radio in an unprecedented manner, broadcasting part of a banquet dedicated to him, in which the network conceded the Sunday 7:00 to 7:30 pm slot to Benny instead of the sponsor, as it was the custom during the Golden Age of Radio.
1518_9	In 1942, General Foods switched the sponsor product from Jell-O to Grape-Nuts. World War II affected the show as Harris joined the Merchant Marines, being absent from the program from December 1942 until March 1943. That fall, Morrow joined the Army and Beloin left the show; they were replaced by Milt Josefsberg, John Tackaberry, George Balzer, and Cy Howard, the latter of whom was soon replaced by Sam Perrin. Day enlisted in the Navy in early 1944, not returning until 1946. The new writers emphasized sitcom situations instead of the film parodies prevalent in earlier years. After 10 years with General Foods, American Tobacco's Lucky Strike became Benny's sponsor from October 1944, an association that lasted until 1959.
1518_10	The show switched networks to CBS on January 2, 1949, as part of CBS president William S. Paley's notorious "raid" on NBC talent in 1948–49. It stayed there for the remainder of its radio run, ending on May 22, 1955. In 1952, Harris was replaced by Bob Crosby. CBS aired repeat episodes from 1956 to 1958 as The Best of Benny.
1518_11	Sponsors In the early days of radio and in the early television era, airtime was owned by the sponsor, and Benny incorporated the commercials into the body of the show. Sometimes, the sponsors were the butt of jokes, though Benny did not use this device as frequently as his friend and "rival" Fred Allen did then, or as cast member Phil Harris later did on his successful radio sitcom. Nevertheless, for years, Benny insisted in contract negotiations that his writers pen the sponsor's commercial in the middle of the program (leaving the sponsor to provide the opening and closing spots) and the resulting ads were cleverly and wittily worked into the storyline of the show. For example, on one program, Don Wilson accidentally misread Lucky Strike's slogan ("Be happy, go Lucky") as "Be Lucky, go happy", prompting a story arc over several weeks that had Wilson unable to appear on the show due to being traumatized by the error.
1518_12	In fact, the radio show was generally not announced as The Jack Benny Program. Instead, the primary name of the show tied to the sponsor. Benny's first sponsor was Canada Dry Ginger Ale from 1932 to 1933. Benny's sponsors included Chevrolet from 1933 to 1934, General Tire in 1934, and Jell-O from 1934 to 1942. The Jell-O Program Starring Jack Benny was so successful in selling Jell-O, that General Foods could not manufacture it quickly enough when sugar shortages arose in the early years of World War II, and the company stopped advertising the dessert mix. General Foods switched the Benny program from Jell-O to Grape-Nuts from 1942 to 1944, and it was The Grape Nuts Program Starring Jack Benny. Benny's longest-running sponsor, was the American Tobacco Company's Lucky Strike cigarettes, from 1944 to 1955, when the show was usually announced as The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny.
1518_13	Writers Benny employed a small group of writers, most of whom stayed with him for many years. This was in contrast to many successful radio or television comedians, such as Bob Hope, who changed writers frequently. One of Benny's writers, George Balzer, noted: "One of the nice things about writing for Jack Benny was that he never denied your existence. On the contrary, he publicized it—not just in conversations, but in interviews and on the air."
1518_14	Historical accounts like those by longtime Benny writer Milt Josefsberg indicate that Benny's role was essentially as head writer and director of his radio programs, though he was not credited in either capacity. In contrast to Fred Allen, who initially wrote his own radio scripts and extensively rewrote scripts produced in later years by a writing staff, Jack Benny was often described by his writers as a consummate comedy editor rather than a writer per se. George Burns described Benny as "the greatest editor of material in the business. He's got the knack of cutting out all the weak slush and keeping in only the strong, punchy lines."
1518_15	Jack Benny has a reputation as a master of timing. Since his days in radio, he often explored the limits of timing for comedic purposes, like pausing a disproportionate amount of time before answering a question. Balzer described writing material for Benny as similar to composing music, with one element being the rhythm of delivery as equivalent to musical tempo. Theme music During his early radio shows, no recurring theme was used, with the program instead opening each week with a different then-current popular song. Throughout the Jell-O and Grape-Nuts years, announcer Don Wilson would announce the name of the show, some of the cast, then state "The orchestra opens the program with [name of song]." The orchestra number would continue softly as background for Don Wilson's opening commercial.
1518_16	Starting in the Lucky Strike era, Benny adopted a medley of "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "Love in Bloom" as his theme music, opening every show. "Love in Bloom" was later the theme of his television show. His radio shows often ended with the orchestra playing "Hooray for Hollywood". The TV show ended with one of two bouncy instrumentals written for the show by his musical arranger and conductor, Mahlon Merrick. Benny sometimes joked about the propriety of "Love in Bloom" as his theme song. On a segment often played in Tonight Show retrospectives, Benny talks with Johnny Carson about this. Benny says he has no objections to the song in and of itself, only as his theme. Proving his point, he begins reciting the lyrics slowly and deliberately: "Can it be the trees. That fill the breeze. With rare and magic perfume. Now what the hell has that got to do with me?"
1518_17	Racial attitudes Eddie Anderson was the first black man to have a recurring role in a national radio show, which was significant because at the time, black characters were not uncommonly played by white actors in blackface. Although Eddie Anderson's Rochester may be considered a stereotype by some, his attitudes were unusually sardonic for such a role. As was typical at the time in depicting class distinctions, Rochester always used a formal mode of address to the other (White) characters ("Mr. Benny", "Miss Livingstone") and they always used a familiar mode in speaking to him ("Rochester"), but the formal mode when speaking to him about another White character ("Mr. Benny" when speaking to Rochester but "Jack" when speaking to Jack).
1518_18	In many routines, Rochester gets the better of Benny, often pricking his boss' ego, or simply outwitting him. The show's portrayal of black characters could be seen as advanced for its time. In a 1956 episode, African American actor Roy Glenn plays a friend of Rochester's, and he is portrayed as a well-educated, articulate man not as the typical "darkie stereotype" seen in many films of the time.
1518_19	Glenn's role was a recurring one on the series, where he was often portrayed as having to support two people on one unemployment check (i.e., himself and Rochester). Black talent was also showcased, with several guest appearances by The Ink Spots and others. Once, when Benny and his cast and crew were doing a series of shows in New York, the entire cast, including Eddie Anderson, stayed in a prominent New York hotel. Shortly after they decamped at the hotel, a manager told Benny that some White guests from Mississippi had complained to him about Anderson staying in the hotel. He asked Benny to please "do something about it." Benny assured him that he would fix the matter. That evening, Benny moved all his people into another hotel, where Anderson would not be made to feel unwelcome.
1518_20	Line flubs On the broadcast of January 8, 1950, journalist Drew Pearson was the subject of a joke gone wrong. Announcer Don Wilson was supposed to say he heard that Jack bought a new suit on Drew Pearson's broadcast, but accidentally said "Dreer Pooson". Later in the show, comedic actor Frank Nelson was asked by Benny if he was the doorman. Changing his original response at the suggestion of the writers, Nelson said, "Well, who do you think I am, Dreer Pooson?" The audience laughed for almost 30 seconds. Running gags
1518_21	Benny teamed with Fred Allen for the best-remembered running gag in classic radio history, in terms of character dialogue. Benny alone sustained a classic repertoire of running gags in his own right, though, including his skinflint radio and television persona, regular cast members' and guest stars' reference to his "baby blue" eyes, always sure to elicit a self-satisfied smirk or patently false attempt at modesty from Benny, perpetually giving his age as 39, and ineptitude at violin playing, most frequently demonstrated by futile attempts to perform Rodolphe Kreutzer's Étude No. 2 in C major.
1518_22	In fact, Benny was a quite good violinist who achieved the illusion of a bad one, not by deliberately playing poorly, but by striving to play pieces that were too difficult for his skill level. In one of his show's skits, Benny is a USO performer in the Pacific playing his violin when he comes under fire; Benny still plays his violin when two Japanese surrender to him–all the other enemy soldiers committed suicide rather than endure listening to Benny's terrible music. A skit heard numerous times on radio, and seen many times on television, had Mel Blanc as a Mexican in a sombrero and serape sitting on a bench. Jack Benny sits down and begins a conversation. To each question asked by Benny, Blanc replies Sí. When Benny asks his name, Blanc replies Sy, which would prompt the exchange, Sy?, Sí. And when Benny asks where Blanc is going, Blanc replies, "to see his sister", Sue (Sue?, Sí.), who of course sews for a living (Sew?, Sí.).
1518_23	A running gag in Benny's private life concerned George Burns. To Benny's eternal frustration, he could never get Burns to laugh. Burns, though, could crack Benny up with the least effort. An example of this occurred at a party when Benny pulled out a match to light a cigar. Burns announced to all, "Jack Benny will now perform the famous match trick!" Benny had no idea what Burns was talking about, so he proceeded to light up. Burns observed, "Oh, a new ending!" and Benny collapsed in helpless laughter.
1518_24	Benny even had a sound-based running gag of his own: his famous basement vault alarm, allegedly installed by Spike Jones, ringing off with a shattering cacophony of whistles, sirens, bells, and blasts before ending invariably with the sound of a foghorn. The alarm rang even when Benny opened his safe with the correct combination. The vault also featured a guard named Ed (voiced by Joseph Kearns) who had been on post down below, apparently, before the end of the Civil War, the end of the Revolutionary War, the founding of Los Angeles, on Jack's 38th birthday and even the beginning of humanity. In one appearance, Ed asked Benny, "By the way, Mr. Benny ... what's it like on the outside?" Benny responded, "... winter is nearly here, and the leaves are falling." Ed responded, "Hey, that must be exciting," to which Benny replied (in a stunningly risqué joke for the period), "Oh, no—people are wearing clothes now."
1518_25	In one episode of the Benny radio show, Ed the Guard actually agreed when Benny invited him to take a break and come back to the surface world, only to discover that modern conveniences and transportation, which had not been around the last time he had been to the surface, terrorized and confused him. (Ed thought a crosstown bus was "a red and yellow dragon".) Finally, Ed decides to return to his post fathoms below and stay there. The basement vault gag was also used in the cartoon The Mouse that Jack Built and an episode of The Lucy Show. A separate sound gag involved a song Benny had written, "When You Say I Beg Your Pardon, Then I'll Come Back to You". Its inane lyrics and insipid melody guaranteed that it would never be published or recorded, but Benny continued to try to con, extort, or otherwise inveigle some of his musical guests (including The Smothers Brothers and Peter, Paul and Mary) to perform it. However, none ever made it all the way.
1518_26	In keeping with his "stingy" schtick, on one of his television specials he remarked that, to his way of looking at things, a "special" is when the price of coffee is marked down. The orchestra Another popular running gag concerned the social habits of Benny's on-air orchestra, who were consistently portrayed as a bunch of drunken ne'er-do-wells. Led first by Phil Harris and later by Bob Crosby, the orchestra, and in particular band member Frank Remley, were jokingly portrayed as often being too drunk to play properly, using an overturned bass drum to play cards on just minutes before a show and so enamored of liquor that the sight of a glass of milk would make them sick. Remley was portrayed in various unflattering situations, such as being thrown into a garbage can by a road sweeper who had found him passed out in the street at 4 am, and on a wanted poster at the Beverly Hills police station.
1518_27	Crosby also got consistent laughs by frequently joking about his more famous brother Bing Crosby's vast wealth. Christmas shopping One popular scenario that became a tradition on The Jack Benny Program was the annual "Christmas Shopping" episode, in which Benny would go to a local department store to do his shopping. Each year, Benny would buy a ridiculously cheap Christmas gift for Don Wilson, from a harried store clerk played by Mel Blanc. Benny would then drive Blanc to insanity by exchanging the gift countless times throughout the episode. In the 1946 Christmas episode, for example, Benny buys shoelaces for Don, and is unable to make up his mind whether to give Wilson shoelaces with plastic tips or metal tips. After exchanging them repeatedly, Mel Blanc is heard screaming insanely, "Plastic tips! Metal tips! I can't stand it anymore!"
1518_28	A variation in 1948 was with an expensive wallet, but repeatedly changing the greeting card, prompting Blanc to shout, "I haven't run into anyone like you in 20 years! Oh, why did the governor have to give me that pardon!?" Benny then realizes that he should have gotten Don a wallet for $1.98, whereupon the store clerk responds by committing suicide. Over the years, in the Christmas episodes, Benny bought and repeatedly exchanged cuff links, golf tees, a box of dates, a paint set (water colors or oils), and a gopher trap. In later years, Benny would encounter Mel Blanc's wife (played by Jean Vander Pyl) or the clerk's psychiatrist at the store, and drive them crazy, as well. One Christmas program had Crosby agonizing over what to get Remley: Benny: "Well, why don't you get him a cordial; like a bottle of Drambuie?" Crosby: "That's a nice thought, Jack, but Drambuie's an after-dinner drink." Benny: "So?" Crosby: "So Remley never quite makes it 'til after dinner." The Maxwell
1518_29	Starting with the October 24, 1937, radio show, when Jack proudly announced the purchase of his car, a running joke began that Benny drove an old Maxwell automobile, a brand that went out of business in 1925. Although some details such as the car's body style and its exact model year varied over the years, what remained constant was that Benny's old car was so worn out that it would barely run, but the miserly Benny insisted he could get a few more miles out of it. Many of the sound effects for the car's clattering engine came from an actual old motor that the sound-effects shop had salvaged from a Los Angeles junkyard. When a sound-effects man missed a cue for the automobile engine, Mel Blanc quickly improvised a vocal imitation of a sputtering car engine starting up noisily that was so funny, it became a regular feature of the show.
1518_30	The ongoing saga of the Maxwell was initially interrupted after just five years, when on the October 18, 1942, broadcast, Jack took his car to a local junkyard and contributed it to the World War II junk salvage drive, receiving $7.50 in war stamps in exchange. However, much of the radio audience may have remained unaware that the Maxwell was ever gone, because before long Benny was heard traveling around in a decrepit old car again, and by the end of the 1940s, his car was once more specifically identified as a Maxwell. When the Jack Benny Program premiered on television in 1950, a 1916 Maxwell Model 25 Tourer became one of the production's standard props. Benny's Maxwell later became a 1923 Tourer. Benny often made public appearances in Maxwells. He drove a Maxwell onto the stage in one of his last television specials.
1518_31	By 1941, Jack Benny's Maxwell had become such a well-known aspect of popular culture that it was referenced in the Billy Mills song "I'm in Love with the Sound Effects Man" as heard on the June 17, 1941, Fibber McGee and Molly radio show and later performed on a 1943 recording by Spike Jones. The automobile was also featured in the 1943 Benny film The Meanest Man in the World. Benny and his archaic auto were featured in a series of television and print ads for Texaco from the 1950s through the 1970s.
1518_32	A series of gags was built around the premise that Benny appreciated the value of Sky Chief brand gasoline in keeping his car running smoothly, but was too cheap to buy more than one gallon at a time. In the classic cartoon "The Mouse that Jack Built", Benny and his wife are driven by Rochester in a sputtering Maxwell car. In another gag Benny comes home and Rochester reports that he has just reported to the Police that the Maxwell was stolen 3 hours after it happened. When Benny asks why he waited so long, Rochester replies that it was when he stopped laughing.
1518_33	Many people believe that Benny appears behind the wheel of his Maxwell in the 1963 film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, but in fact, it was a 1932 Cadillac. The long shots for the scene were shot months before Benny was cast—with a stunt driver at the wheel—and the role was intended for Stan Laurel (which is why the character wears a derby, which Benny almost never did). When Laurel ultimately passed on appearing, Jack agreed to play the role. According to the commentary on the Criterion edition of the film, his close-ups were filmed on a rear-projection stage at the Paramount studio.
1518_34	The BennyAllen feud On April 5, 1936, Benny began his famous radio feud with rival Fred Allen when he satirized Allen's show.Allen kicked the feud off on his own show on December 30, 1936, after child violinist Stuart Canin gave a performance of François Schubert's The Bee credibly enough that Allen wisecracked about "a certain alleged violinist" who should by comparison be ashamed of himself. Benny, who listened to the Allen show, answered in kind at the end of his January 3, 1937, show, and the two comedians were off and running.
1518_35	For a decade, the two went at it back and forth, so convincingly that fans of either show could have been forgiven for believing they had become blood enemies. In reality, the two men were close friends and mutual admirers. Benny and Allen often appeared on each other's show during the ongoing feud; numerous surviving episodes of both comedians' radio shows feature each other, in both acknowledged guest spots and occasional cameos. On one Christmas program, Allen thanked Benny for sending him a Christmas tree, but then added that the tree had died. "Well, what do you expect," quipped Allen, "when the tree is in Brooklyn and the sap is in Hollywood."
1518_36	Benny in his memoir (Sunday Nights at Seven) and Allen in his Treadmill to Oblivion later revealed that each comedian's writing staff often met together to plot future takes on the mock feud. If Allen zapped Benny with a satirization of Benny's show ("The Pinch Penny Program"), Benny shot back with a parody of Allen's Town Hall Tonight called "Clown Hall Tonight", and their playful sniping ("Benny was born ignorant, and he's been losing ground ever since") was also advanced in the films Love Thy Neighbor and It's in the Bag!. Perhaps the climax of the feud came during Fred Allen's parody of popular quiz-and-prize show Queen for a Day. Calling the sketch "King for a Day", Allen played the host and Benny a contestant who sneaked onto the show using the alias Myron Proudfoot. Benny answered the prize-winning question correctly and Allen crowned him "king" and showered him with a passel of almost meaningless prizes.
1518_37	Allen proudly announced, "Tomorrow night, in your ermine robe, you will be whisked by bicycle to Orange, New Jersey, where you will be the judge in a chicken-cleaning contest," to which Benny joyously declared, "I'm king for a day!" At this point a professional pressing-iron was wheeled on stage, to press Benny's suit properly. It didn't matter that Benny was still in the suit. Allen instructed his aides to remove Benny's suit, one item at a time, ending with his trousers, each garment's removal provoking louder laughter from the studio audience.
1518_38	As his trousers began to come off, Benny howled, "Allen, you haven't seen the end of me!" At once Allen shot back, "It won't be long now!" The laughter was so loud and chaotic at the chain of events that the Allen show announcer, Kenny Delmar, was cut off the air while trying to read a final commercial and the show's credits. (Allen was notorious for running overtime often enough, largely thanks to his ad-libbing talent, and he overran the clock again this time.)
1518_39	Benny was profoundly shaken when in 1956 Allen suddenly died at age 61 from a heart attack. In a statement released on the day after Allen's death, Benny said, "People have often asked me if Fred Allen and I were really friends in real life. My answer is always the same: You couldn't have such a long-running and successful feud as we did, without having a deep and sincere friendship at the heart of it." Allen himself wrote, "For years people have been asking me if Jack and I are friendly. I don't think that Jack Benny has an enemy in the world. ... He is my favorite comedian and I hope to be his friend until he is forty. That will be forever." Preservation The radio series was one of the most extensively preserved programs of its era, with the archive almost complete from 1936 onward and several episodes existing from before that (including the 1932 premiere).
1518_40	A few episodes from the series' later years remain missing, however, such as the shows from September 30 and October 7, 1951. Television Jack Benny made his TV debut in 1949 with a local appearance on Los Angeles station KTTV, then a CBS affiliate. On October 28, 1950, he made his full network debut over CBS Television. Benny's television shows were occasional broadcasts in his early seasons on TV, as he was still firmly dedicated to radio. The regular and continuing Jack Benny Program was telecast on CBS from October 28, 1950, to September 15, 1964. It became a weekly show in the 1960–1961 season, and was on NBC from September 25, 1964, to September 10, 1965. 343 episodes were produced. His TV sponsors included American Tobacco's Lucky Strike (1950–59), Lever Brothers' Lux (1959–60), State Farm Insurance (1960–65), Lipton Tea (1960–62), General Foods' Jell-O (1962–64), and Miles Laboratories (1964–65).

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