Here is a 2 minute clip from the December 7, 1947 episode of The Jack Benny Program titled "The Violin Lesson" featuring Mel Blanc as Benny's violin teacher. This clip illustrates Benny's character trait of being completely oblivious to his lack of musical ability.

1. Fake News
“War of the Worlds”

2. If you were 18 in 1938
You cannot remember a time without radio. Your parents
can. You probably have had a radio in your home for most
of your life.

3. If you were 18 in 1938
You hear daily reports of escalating tensions in Europe and
Asia and Africa. The Japanese occupy large portions of
China and continue to advance. Adolf Hitler assumes
command of the German military and occupies Austria, then
invades Czechoslovakia. But you have no idea that within
three years the U.S. will be embroiled in a second World
War. If you’re male, chances are you will be fighting in this
war.

4. If you were 18 in 1938
You probably listened to extensive radio coverage of the
New England Hurricane of 1938 that killed over 600.

5. If you were 18 in 1938
You may be aware of a number of meteorite crashes
throughout the world
*June 16: Several buildings are hit by meteorites
in Pantar, Philippians.
*June 29: A 450-ton meteorite explodes about
12 miles above the earth near Chicora, Pennsylvania.
*September 29: a meteorite crashes through the roof
of a garage and through a parked car in Benld, IL.

6. If you were 18 in 1938
And you are very familiar with the sound of your president’s
voice.
Listen to the first 42 seconds
https://youtu.be/1WBGyPqOZwc

7. By 1938
At the age of 23, actor and director Orson Welles has taken
Broadway by storm with a series of innovative and
imaginative theater productions.

8. By 1938
And has been featured on the cover of “Time” magazine.

9. By 1938
His theatrical achievements include a modern dress “Julius
Caesar” set in Fascist Italy, and a federally sponsored
production of “Macbeth,” set in Haiti, and with an all African-
American cast.
Watch Orson Welles Voodoo Macbeth https://youtu.be/QZLrqJka-EU
4:00

10. By 1938
He is also one of radio’s busiest performers …
1:34
Listen to https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/shadow

11. “Mercury Theatre on the Air”
Beginning in 1938, Orson Welles directed his acting
company in weekly literary adaptations for CBS radio. He
told all his stories from a first person perspective, harnessing
the intimacy and directness of the medium. Beginning as
“First Person Singular,” the show was soon retitled “The
Mercury Theatre on the Air,” named for Welles’ theatrical
company.
Mercury Theatre History http://www.mercurytheatre.info/history

12. “Mercury Theatre on the Air”
“The Mercury Theatre
on the Air” was a critical
if not a ratings success.
Welles was a master of
radio as a dramatic
medium. He conducted
his programs from a
podium, as if the show
were a symphony, and
his actors and
technicians an orchestra.
He used the medium
with as no one before or
since.
The Mercury Theatre on the Air https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mercury_Theatre_on_the_Air

13. In 1938
For the Halloween
episode of Mercury
Theatre on the Air,
Orson Welles instructed
writer Howard Koch to
adapt H.G. Well’s
classic “The War of the
Worlds,” about an
invasion of the earth by
Martians. Welles
thought it might be
enlivened were it
updated and told as a
series of news bulletins.

14. October 30, 1938
“The Mercury” had an average listenership of 3.6%. By
contrast, the wildly popular “Chase and Sandborn Hour,”
which aired opposite “the Mercury,” had an average
listenership of 34.7%. , Improbably, “Chase and Sandborn”
featured a ventriloquist and his wooden dummy.

15. October 30, 1938
At 8:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, The Mercury Theatre on
the Air began on CBS.
Listen to https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/war-of-the-worlds-001
4:30

16. October 30, 1938
At 8:09 PM, following musical performances interrupted
by an interview of noted Princeton astronomer
Professor Pierson by reporter Carl Phillips regarding the
Martian explosions, the program returned to music.
1:25
Listen to https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/war-of-the-worlds-002

17. October 30, 1938
By 8:11 PM, reporter Carl Phillips and Professor
Pierson reach Grover’s Mill, New Jersey. It’s been less
than two minutes of air time; Phillips mentions that they
have made the trip in 10 minutes, equally incredible,
exemplifying the dramatic time compression of the
program.
4:05
Listen to https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/war-of-the-worlds-003

18. October 30, 1938
Were a listener to be scanning the dial for something
more interesting, they might have entered “The War of
the Worlds” at this point.
3:40
Listen to https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/war-of-the-worlds-004

19. October 30, 1938
Listeners could not be blamed for perhaps remembering
another tragedy described over radio only the year
before. After all, the actor portraying Carl Phillips had
listened to a recording of the broadcast dozens of times
preparing for his role.
The Hindenburg Disaster
Listen to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F54rqDh2mWA
1:15

20. October 30, 1938
After another musical pause, the bulletins continue at
8:19. By now, it has been estimated that the Mercury’s
audience has doubled to six million listeners.
:50
Listen to https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/war-of-the-worlds-005

21. October 30, 1938
Following an interview with Professor Pierson, bulletins
continue at 8:22.
1:20
Listen to https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/war-of-the-worlds-006

22. October 30, 1938
At 8:25, the unbelievable is reported as fact.
1:00
Listen to https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/war-of-the-worlds-7a

23. October 30, 1938
At 8:26, a familiar voice is heard.
1:25
Listen to https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/war-of-the-worlds-008

24. October 30, 1938
By 8:36, the military has been utterly defeated, and
the Martian machines are advancing on New York
City.
4:40
Listen to https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/war-of-the-worlds-009

25. October 30, 1938
The program continues in a more standard format,
with the rest of the story told in the first person
singular by Professor Pierson.

26. October 30, 1938
It was estimated that 6 million people listened to some
part of the broadcast, and that 1.2 million believed the
broadcast and reacted according to their natures and
personalities.

27. October 30, 1938
• Harlem: An church congregation falls to its knees.
• Indianapolis: A woman runs into a church service
screaming that New York has been destroyed.
• Newark: Neighbors leave their homes with
improvised gas masks - wet towels wrapped around
their heads.
• Grover’s Mill: A water tower is mistaken for a Martian
war machine and fired upon.
• Premature births, falls, attempted suicides, traffic
jams and communication breakdowns are blamed on
the broadcast.

28. October 30, 1938
DISCLAIMER
1:20
Listen to https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/war-of-the-worlds-end

29. October 31, 1938
Watch Attack-By-Mars--Panic--Orson-Wells-Speaks-1938-10-31
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho_9XTnlJKM
1:30

30. October 31, 1938

31. October 31, 1938
The actual number of
listeners, and the full extent
of the hysteria, have never
been accurately confirmed.
Contemporaneous studies are
undoubtedly flawed.
Newspapers, facing new
competition from radio, may
have exaggerated the effect
of the broadcast. However
from time to time the events
of October 30, 1938 are
replicated.

32. November 12, 1944
A widespread panic is triggered following a broadcast of the Welles
play by a Santiago, Chile radio station. Upon hearing the broadcast,
many fled into the streets or barricaded themselves in their homes.
In one province, troops and artillery were briefly mobilized by the
governor in a bid to repel the invading Martians. The broadcast
included references to such organizations as the Red Cross and used
an actor to impersonate the interior minister.
http://www.war-ofthe-worlds.co.uk/war_worlds_santiago.htm

33. February 12, 1949
Another radio version of “The War of the Worlds,” broadcast in Quito, Ecuador,
results in crowds of panic-stricken residents running into the streets to escape
Martian gas raids. The event makes headlines around the world, including the
front page of The New York Times ("Mars Raiders Caused Quito Panic; Mob
Burns Radio Plant, Kills 15”). The drama described strange Martian creatures
heading toward the city after landing and destroying a neighboring community.
The program included impersonations of well-known local politicians and
journalists. A riot broke out and an enraged mob set fire to the radio station,
killing at least six people.
http://www.radiolab.org/story/91624-could-it-happen-again-and-again/
http://www.war-ofthe-worlds.co.uk/war_worlds_quito.htm

34. 1968
WKBW-AM in Buffalo, New York uses its staff of reporters and
disc jockies to recreate “The War of the Worlds,” with up-to-date
techniques and music. Although clearly and regularly identified as
a dramatization, a local newspaper, several small-town police
officers and the Canadian military are convinced. The station
repeated the reenactment in 1971, 1973 and 1975.
WKBW's 1968 War of the Worlds https://youtu.be/8zzEGD1ESr8
http://www.buffalohistoryworks.com/broadcasters/hist_kbwow.asp

35. 1974
WPRO-FM in Rhode Island recreates “The War of the Worlds.”
The program is promoted as a spoof throughout the day. During the
actual broadcast, however, 45 minutes elapse before the first public
disclaimer. Over 100 listeners call the radio station and almost as
many call the police. The FCC reprimand WPRO, the first time the
commission has gone on record that programing such as “War of
the Worlds” is adverse to the public interest.
http://www.providencejournal.com/article/20141030/ENTERTAINMENT/310309989

36. 1977
The television program Alternative 3 is broadcast once only in the United
Kingdom, and later in Australia and New Zealand A fictional hoax, the
program purported to be an investigation uncovering a plan to make the
moon and Mars habitable in the event of climate change and a terminal
environmental catastrophe on Earth. The program was originally meant to
be broadcast on April Fools Day, 1977. To this day there are some that
refuse to believe the program was fictional.
http://hoaxes.org/archive/permalink/alternative3
Alternative 3 1977 https://youtu.be/jSDBl0FMX0s

37. 1990s
A spate of media hoaxes perpetrated across the country prompt the Federal
Communications Commission to impose fines of up to $250,000 for stations knowingly
broadcasting false information.
KSLX-FM, Scottsdale, Arizona fakes a hostage takeover of the station by terrorists.
WCCC-AM/FM, Hartford, Connecticut, falsely reports a nearby volcanic eruption.
KSHE, St. Louis morning personality John Ulett stages a mock nuclear alert during the
morning drive time, complete with a simulated Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) tone
and an authentic-sounding civil defense warning. There was no disclaimer until 2 hours
after the broadcast. 400 listeners called the station.
KROQ, Los Angeles morning team stages a false confession from an anonymous caller
who claims to have brutally murdered his girlfriend. Police spent nearly 150 hours
investigating the case.
WALE, Rhode Island news director announces that the overnight on-air personality had
been shot in the head. Police and media rushed to investigate the incident. The program
director shuts off the transmitter to stop the hoax.
http://articles.latimes.com/1991-05-20/entertainment/ca-1596_1_radio-hoaxes/2
http://tinyurl.com/hcwu5e7

38. 1990s
1992 FCC Anti-Hoax Rule
No licensee or permittee of any broadcast station shall broadcast
false information concerning a crime or catastrophe if (a) the
licensee knows this information is false, (b) it is foreseeable that
broadcasting the information will cause substantial public harm.
Any programming accompanied by a disclaimer will be presumed
not to pose foreseeable harm if the disclaimer clearly characterizes
the program as fiction and is presented in a way that is reasonable
under the circumstances (amendment to Part 73 Regarding
Broadcast Hoaxes, Communications Act, Report and Order,
7FCCRcd4106 [1992]).

39. 1990s
Ghostwatch, 1992
BBC's Ghostwatch, presented by Michael Parkinson and broadcast on
Halloween, was so convincing in its depiction of ghouls that it was later
reported that two children viewers had been diagnosed with post-
traumatic stress disorder and one teenager had committed suicide. Sarah
Greene and Craig Charles reported from a reputedly haunted London
house for the broadcast. A series of eerie events grew more sinister until
viewers were left to believe that Greene had been killed and Parkinson
possessed by a ghost called Pipes.
Ghostwatch https://youtu.be/Yfy9UHAIwgQ

40. 2000s
Flemish Independence, 2006
Belgian politicians were furious after it was reported the country
had split in two and the Flemish part had declared independence.
The French-speaking channel RTBF interrupted programming with
a spoof report showing "live" pictures of crowds with Flemish flags,
trams being stopped at the new border and the royal family seeming
to flee the country. "It's irresponsible for a public television channel
to announce the end of Belgium as a reality," said a spokesman for
the then Belgian prime minister, Guy Verhofstadt.
http://hoaxes.org/archive/permalink/flemish_secession_hoax

41. March 14, 2010
Panic sweeps Georgia after a pilot for a proposed television
show airs using stock footage and faked commentary to report
an invasion from Russia .
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/14/russia-georgia-fake-
invasion-report
Fake Russian invasion broadcast sparks Georgian panic https://youtu.be/s9RLqH4Z4UA

42. So, which are deceptions and which
are attempts at verisimilitude? And
does that matter?

43. A History and Analysis of the Federal Communications Commission’s Response
to Radio Broadcast
Hoaxeshttp://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1226&
context=fclj

44. Jack Benny https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Benny
Jack Benny

45. Jack Benny was one of the leading American entertainers of the 20th
century, movie actor, stand-up performer, radio personality, and eventually
television star.
His radio show was one of the most popular of the Golden Age of Radio.
In a precursor to what we would today call “meta,” on his radio show he
played “himself,” a star with his own radio show. His supporting cast
were the actors who worked with him on his show. His radio show was a
radio show within a radio show.

46. Over the course of the series
Benny established a clear
persona.
Among his many character
defects, he was depicted as
unrelentingly cheap. And much
of the humor of his show played
off this trait.

47. The Jack Benny Show
March 28, 1948 “Your Money or Your Life”
The following clip illustrates the humor derived from Benny’s
established stinginess.
Benny and his cast would perform in a studio or on stage,
standing behind stationary microphones. Notice how the use of
simple sound effects suggest setting and movement.

48. The Jack Benny Show
March 28, 1948 “Your Money or Your Life”
1:56
Listen http://tinyurl.com/hkzxpw5
The Jack Benny Program “Your Money of Your Life”
https://youtu.be/p_XkdmRkOL0

49. The Jack Benny Show
December 7, 1947 “The Violin Lesson”
Mel Blanc https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Blanc
Another character trait established for Benny involved his
complete obliviousness to his own ineptitude as a violin player.
In the following clip, Jack takes a violin lesson. His teacher is
played by Mel Blanc, “man of a thousand voices,” later known
for his vocal portrayals of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig,
and many more. Among the many characters Blanc played for
Benny, he was also the sound of Benny’s stuttering jalopy.

50. The Jack Benny Show
December 7, 1947 “The Violin Lesson”
5:00
Listen https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/benny-vault-edit-parta
The Jack Benny Album No. 2 https://youtu.be/PSXv5Qc8Row

51. The Jack Benny Show
December 7, 1947 “The Violin Lesson”
In the second clip, not only is the humor derived from Benny’s
miserliness, but sound effects are used to suggest a setting
unlikely to actually exist in the home the series has suggested as
Benny’s residence.

52. The Jack Benny Show
December 7, 1947 “The Violin Lesson”
4:09
Listen http://tinyurl.com/hkzxpw5
The Jack Benny Album No. 2 https://youtu.be/PSXv5Qc8Row

53. “Treasure Island”
The Mercury Theatre on the Air, July 18, 1938
6:50
Listen to http://tinyurl.com/he6hwt2
Treasure Island – Mercury Theatre https://youtu.be/56jKvwtJJq0
Welles’ command of pacing, his unusual use of silence, and the
sounds of a tapping cane and distant whistling added suspense
to Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale of pirates.

54. The Mercury Theatre on the Air
“Treasure Island” July 18, 1938
6:50
Listen to http://tinyurl.com/he6hwt2
Treasure Island – Mercury Theatre https://youtu.be/56jKvwtJJq0
Orson Welles’ command of pacing, his unusual use of silence,
and the sounds of a tapping cane and distant whistling added
suspense to Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale of pirates.

55. Escape
“Leiningen Vs. the Ants” 1948
William Conrad
https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/leiningen-edit-parta
3:35

56. Escape
“Leiningen Vs. the Ants” 1948
https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/leiningen-edit-partb
2:07

57. Escape
“Leiningen Vs. the Ants” 1948
https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/leiningen-edit-partc
1:10

58. Escape
“Leiningen Vs. the Ants” 1948
https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/leiningen-edit-partd
7:05

59. Escape
“Leiningen Vs. the Ants” 1948
https://soundcloud.com/enbowen/leiningen-edit-parte
:36