![]() It also ignores the fact that everyone who listened to the show knew that Mary Livingstone was the real-life wife of Jack Benny. ![]() Moreover, McFadden's statement about the “erasure of women generally” overlooks the frequent appearances of the wives of Don Wilson, Phil Harris, Ronald Colman, and the Sportsmen Quartet as well as Dennis's mother, the telephone operators, and the two older ladies who fawn on Jack from afar. On page 126, McFadden's writes that “Mary exists in the show to mark the place of women within the family and to obscure the erasure of women generally.” McFadden goes on to say that Mary is “frequently erased within the program.” This characterization of Mary overlooks the important fact that Sadie Marks suffered from performance anxiety that grew worse as the show became increasingly popular, and that this kept her off the show for weeks at a time. ‘Is this the one you picked’ I asked Mary. McFadden, “America's Boyfriend Who Can't Get a Date: Gender, Race, and the Cultural Work of The Jack Benny Program, 1932–1946,” Journal of American History, 80 (June 1993), 113–34. In the couples biography 'Sunday Nights at Seven: The Jack Benny Story,' he introduced her in a strange yet sweet way, describing her wrinkled face, tiny arms, and crooked legs. 39 For what I consider a misguided interpretation of Mary Livingstone's role on the show see Margaret T. ![]()
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