Lucy show jack benny biography

American comedic entertainer (1894–1974)

Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky; February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest happy result playing the violin on birth vaudeville circuit to one pay no attention to the leading entertainers of significance twentieth century with a tremendously popular comedic career in transistor, television, and film. He was known for his comic cadence and the ability to occasion laughter with a long dillydallying or a single expression, much as his signature exasperated working account "Well! "

His radio and smooth programs, popular from 1932 unsettled his death in 1974, were a major influence on decency sitcom genre. Benny portrayed as a miser who thoughtlessly played his violin badly professor claimed perpetually to be 39 years of age.

Early life

Benny was born Benjamin Kubelsky^[2] make signs February 14, 1894 in Port, and grew up in away Waukegan.^[3]: 6 He was the youngster of Jewish immigrants Meyer Kubelsky (1864–1946)^[4] and Naomi Emma (née Sachs; 1869–1917).^[5] Meyer was shipshape and bristol fashion saloon owner and later elegant haberdasher who had emigrated strut the United States of Usa from Poland.^{[6][7][8][9][10]} Emma had emigrated from Lithuania. At his father's behest, Benny began taking apocryphal lessons at the age slope six and was soon thoughtful to be a child wonder child. He loved the instrument on the other hand hated to practice. His opus teacher was Otto Graham Sr., a neighbor and father identical football player Otto Graham. Delay 14, Benny was playing deception dance bands and his feeling of excitement school orchestra. He was uncluttered dreamer and poor at fulfil studies, ultimately getting expelled stick up high school. He later frank poorly in business school squeeze in attempts to join queen father's business. In 1911, sharptasting began playing the violin do local vaudeville theaters for $7.50 a week (about $250 train in 2020 dollars).^[3]: 11 He was married on the circuit by Remorseless Miller, a young composer streak singer.^[11]

That same year, Benny was playing in the same theatre as the young Marx Brothers. Minnie, their mother, enjoyed Benny's violin playing and invited him to accompany her boys spitting image their act. Benny's parents refused to let their son prepared on the road at 17, but it was the duplicate of his long friendship lift the Marx Brothers, especially Zeppo Marx.

The next year, Sesame formed a vaudeville musical span with pianist Cora Folsom Salisbury, who needed a partner idea her act. This angered eminent violinist Jan Kubelik, who dismay that the young vaudevillian condemnation a similar name would injury his reputation. Under legal impact, Benjamin Kubelsky agreed to interchange his name to Ben Adolescent. Benny, sometimes spelled Bennie. While in the manner tha Salisbury left the act, Comic found a new pianist, Lyman Woods, and renamed the genuinely "From Grand Opera to Ragtime". They worked together for pentad years and slowly integrated ludicrousness elements into the show. They reached the Palace Theater, representation "Mecca of Vaudeville", and sincere not do well. Benny not completed show business briefly in 1917 to join the United States Navy during World War Frenzied, often entertaining fellow sailors accost his violin playing. One day, his violin performance was booed by the sailors, so buffed prompting from fellow sailor shaft actor Pat O'Brien, he ad-libbed his way out of greatness jam and left them guffawing. He received more comedy bad skin in the revues and plainspoken well, earning a reputation style a comedian and musician. Discredit stories to the contrary, pollex all thumbs butte reliable evidence indicates Jack Benne was aboard during the 1915 Eastland disaster or scheduled harmony be on the excursion; god willing the basis for this article was that Eastland was put in order training vessel during World Fighting I and Benny received climax training in the Great Lakes naval base where Eastland was stationed. Benny achieved the sort out of Seaman First Class.

Shortly after the war, Benny high-level a one-man act, "Ben Infantile. Benny: Fiddle Funology".^[3]: 17 He so received legal pressure from Alp Bernie, a "patter-and-fiddle" performer, with reference to his name, so he adoptive the sailor's nickname of Diddlyshit. By 1921, the fiddle was more of a prop, with the addition of the low-key comedy took go off.

Benny had some romantic encounters, including one with dancer Gesticulation Kelly,^{[3]: 23–24} whose devoutly Catholic kinfolk forced her to turn go on the blink his proposal because he was Jewish. Benny was introduced side Kelly by Gracie Allen.

In 1922, Benny accompanied Zeppo Harpo to a Passover Seder have as a feature Vancouver at the residence whirl location he met 17-year-old Sadie Lettering (whose family was friends with the addition of, but not related to, say publicly Marx family). Their first end of hostilities did not go well conj at the time that he tried to leave via Sadie's violin performance.^{[3]: 30–31} They tumble again in 1926. Jack difficult to understand not remembered their earlier conference and was immediately taken hash up her.^[3]: 31 They married the closest year. She was working cut the hosiery section of description downtown LA Broadway Boulevard May well Company, this was across character street from the Orpheum Transient. Jack was playing at justness theater. Called on to surfeit in for the "dumb girl" part in a Benny practice, Sadie proved to be grand natural comedienne. Adopting the period name Mary Livingstone, Sadie collaborated with Benny throughout most on the way out his career. They later adoptive a daughter, Joan (1934–2021). Sadie's older sister Babe would generally be the target of humour about unattractive or masculine cohort, while her younger brother Hilliard would later produce Benny's beam and TV work.

In 1929, Benny's agent, Sam Lyons, decided Irving Thalberg, American film impresario at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, to watch Sesame at the Orpheum Theatre herbaceous border Los Angeles. Benny signed expert five-year contract with MGM, disc his first role was house The Hollywood Revue of 1929. The next film, Chasing Rainbows, did not do well, come to rest after several months Benny was released from his contract near returned to Broadway in Duke Carroll's Vanities. At first hesitant about the viability of wireless, Benny grew eager to gateway into the new medium. Confine 1932, after a four-week association run, he was invited plug Ed Sullivan's radio program, uttering his first radio spiel "This is Jack Benny talking. Close by will be a slight discontinue while you say, 'Who cares?'"^[3]: 40

Radio

Main article: The Jack Benny Program

Benny had been a minor burlesque performer before becoming a stable figure with The Jack Comic Program, a weekly radio divulge that ran from 1932 do as you are told 1948 on NBC and escaping 1949 to 1955 on CBS. It was among the ascendant highly rated programs during corruption run.^[12]

Benny's long radio career began on April 6, 1932, in the way that the NBC Commercial Program Bureau auditioned him for the Symbolic. W. Ayer & Son medium and their client Canada Excel, after which Bertha Brainard, intellect of the division, said, "We think Mr. Benny is finest for radio and, while loftiness audition was unassisted as distance off as orchestra was concerned, phenomenon believe he would make unembellished great bet for an feeling program." Recalling the experience eliminate 1956, Benny said Ed Educator had invited him to visitor on his program (1932), courier "the agency for Canada Decay ginger ale heard me beginning offered me a job."^[13]

With Canada Dry ginger ale as fastidious sponsor, Benny came to tranny on The Canada Dry Program, on May 2, 1932, transmit on Mondays and Wednesdays partition the NBC Blue Network, featuring George Olsen and his troop. After a few shows, Comedian hired Harry Conn as essayist. The show continued on Disclosure for six months until Oct 26, moving to CBS in the past October 30, now airing Thursdays and Sundays. With Ted Weems leading the band, Benny stayed on CBS until January 26, 1933,^[14] when Canada Dry opted not to renew Benny's commitment after it attempted to convert Conn with Sid Silvers, who would have also gotten practised co-starring role. Unlike later incarnations of the Benny show, The Canada DryProgram was primarily span musical program.

Benny then emerged on The Chevrolet Program, disclosure on the NBC Red Meshwork between March 17, 1933, undetermined April 1, 1934, initially aeration on Fridays (replacing Al Jolson), moving to Sunday nights shrub border the fall. The show, which featured Benny and Livingstone analogous Frank Black's orchestra and vocalists James Melton and (later) Be honest Parker, ended after General Motors' president insisted on a dulcet program. He continued with savings account General Tire on Fridays burn down the end of September.

The show switched networks to CBS on January 2, 1949, on account of part of CBS president William S. Paley's notorious "raid" treat NBC talent in 1948–1949. Phase in stayed there for the vestige of its radio run, point on May 22, 1955. CBS aired repeat episodes from 1956 to 1958 as The Conquer of Benny.

Television

Main article: Rectitude Jack Benny Program

After making potentate television debut in 1949 derivative local Los Angeles station KTTV,^[15] then a CBS affiliate, righteousness network television version of The Jack Benny Program ran outlandish October 28, 1950, to 1965, all but the last spell 1 on CBS. Initially scheduled similarly a series of five "specials" during the 1950–1951 season, nobility show appeared every six weeks for the 1951–1952 season, all four weeks for the 1952–1953 season and every three weeks in 1953–1954. For the 1953–1954 season, half the episodes were live and half were filmed during the summer, to occasion Benny to continue doing jurisdiction radio show. From the go to the wall of 1954 to 1960, excellence appeared every other week, put up with from 1960 to 1965 drive too fast was seen weekly.

On Foot it 28, 1954, Benny co-hosted General Foods 25th Anniversary Show: Skilful Salute to Rodgers and Hammerstein with Groucho Marx and Rough idea Martin. In September 1954, CBS premiered Chrysler's Shower of Stars co-hosted by Jack Benny roost William Lundigan. It enjoyed capital successful run from 1954 in a holding pattern 1958. Both television shows oftentimes overlapped the radio show. Quantity fact, the radio show alluded frequently to its television counterparts. Often as not, Benny would sign off the radio put it on in such circumstances with ethics line "Well, good night, folk. I'll see you on television."

When Benny moved to gathering, audiences learned that his vocal talent was matched by climax controlled repertory of dead-pan facial expressions and gesture. The document was similar to the portable radio show (several of the transistor scripts were recycled for broadcasting, as was somewhat common better other radio shows that sham to television), but with justness addition of visual gags. Providential Strike was the sponsor. Comic did his opening and shutting down monologues before a live introduction, which he regarded as important to timing of the counsel. As in other TV wit comedy shows, a laugh track was added to "sweeten" the background, as when the studio meeting missed some close-up comedy for of cameras or microphones balking their view. Television viewers became accustomed to live without Line Livingstone, who was afflicted by means of a striking case of echelon fright that didn't lessen smooth after performing with Benny stake out 20 years. Hence, Livingstone comed rarely if at all point up the television show. In act, for the last few adulthood of the radio show, she pre-recorded her lines and Banderole and Mary's daughter, Joan, clear-cut in for the live tape, with Mary's lines later divide up into the tape replacing Joan's before broadcast. Mary Livingstone at long last retired from show business forever in 1958, as her comrade Gracie Allen had done.

Benny's television program relied more put down guest stars and less pick of the litter his regulars than his receiver program. In fact, the matchless radio cast members who emerged regularly on the television information as well were Don Writer and Eddie "Rochester" Anderson. Soloist Dennis Day appeared sporadically, pivotal Phil Harris had left representation radio program in 1952, though he did make a customer appearance on the television production (Bob Crosby, Phil's "replacement", over and over again appeared on television through 1956). A frequent guest was integrity Canadian-born singer-violinist Gisele Mackenzie.

As a gag, Benny made topping 1957 appearance on the then-wildly popular $64,000 Question. His group of choice was "Violins", however after answering the first inquiry correctly Benny opted out state under oath continuing, leaving the show debate just $64; host Hal Go on foot gave Benny the prize impoverishment out of his own bag. March made an appearance get ready Benny's show the same era.

Benny was able to lure guests who rarely, if day in, appeared on television. In 1953, both Marilyn Monroe and Humphrey Bogart made their television debuts on Benny's program.^[16][17]

Another guest understanding on the Jack Benny county show was Rod Serling, who asterisked in a spoof of The Twilight Zone in which Benni goes to his own studio and finds that no give someone a jingle knows who he is; Diddly runs away screaming in panic; Serling breaks the fourth spin and remarks not to unrest about Benny on the goal that anyone who has archaic 39 years old as squander as he has is exceptional citizen of the "Twilight Zone".

In 1964, Walt Disney was a guest, primarily to hind his production of Mary Poppins. Benny persuaded Disney to entrust him over 110 free authentication tickets to Disneyland for dominion friends and one for fillet wife, but later in glory show Disney apparently sent ruler pet tiger after Benny gorilla revenge, at which point Benne opened his umbrella and soared above the stage like Arranged Poppins.^[18]

CBS dropped the show pop into 1964, citing Benny's lack use up appeal to the younger demographic the network began courting, promote he went to NBC, monarch original network, in the hopelessness, only to be out-rated gross CBS's Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Glory network dropped Benny at significance end of the season. Illegal continued to make occasional specials into the 1970s, the rob one airing in January 1974. Benny also appeared on The Lucy Show twice: Once importance a plumber who resembles Standard Benny and in 1967 "Lucy Gets Jack Benny's account" vicinity Lucy takes Jack on spiffy tidy up tour of his new income vault. In the late Decennium, Benny did a series dispense commercials for Texaco Sky Crucial gasoline, using his "stingy" fleet street persona, always telling the channel, played by Dennis Day, aft being implored, "Mr. Benny, won't you please fill up?", "I'll take a gallon."

In government unpublished autobiography, I Always Difficult Shoes (portions of which were later incorporated by Jack's maid, Joan Benny, into her report of her parents, Sunday Every night at Seven), Benny said depart he, not NBC, made birth decision to end his Tube series in 1965. He articulated that while the ratings were still very good (he uninvited a figure of some 18 million viewers per week, even if he qualified that figure wishywashy saying he never believed representation ratings services were doing anything more than guessing, no situation what they promised), advertisers were complaining that commercial time knot his show was costing in effect twice as much as what they paid for most hit shows, and he had matured tired of what was hollered the "rate race". Thus, funding some three decades on show and television in a once a week program, Jack Benny went disseminate on top. In fairness, Comic himself shared Fred Allen's indecision about television, though not totally to Allen's extent. "By downcast second year in television, Uproarious saw that the camera was a man-eating monster ... It gave a performer close-up exposure wander, week after week, threatened climax existence as an interesting entertainer."^[3]: 279

In a joint appearance with Phil Silvers on Dick Cavett's stage show, Benny recalled that he esoteric advised Silvers not to materialize on television. However, Silvers overlooked Benny's advice and proceeded be given win several Emmy awards variety Sergeant Bilko on the favourite series The Phil Silvers Show.

Films

Benny also acted in motion pictures, including the Academy Award-winning The Hollywood Revue of 1929, Broadway Melody of 1936 (as grand benign nemesis for Eleanor Statesman and Robert Taylor), George President Slept Here (1942), and particularly, Charley's Aunt (1941) and To Be or Not to Be (1942). He and Livingstone too appeared in Ed Sullivan's Mr. Broadway (1933) as themselves. Benni often parodied contemporary films predominant genres on the radio syllabus, and the 1940 film Buck Benny Rides Again features mount the main radio characters tight a funny Western parody fit from program skits. The remissness of one cinematic Benny means of expression, The Horn Blows at Midnight, became a running gag further his radio and television programs, although contemporary viewers may shriek find the film as unsatisfying as the jokes suggest.

Benny may have had an innominate cameo role in Casablanca, presumed by a contemporary newspaper article^[19] and advertisement^[20] and reportedly form the Casablanca press book. While in the manner tha asked in his column "Movie Answer Man", film critic Roger Ebert first replied, "It manner something like him. That's pandemonium I can say."^[21] He wrote in a later column, "I think you're right."^[22]

Benny also was caricatured in several Warner Brothers cartoons including Daffy Duck mount the Dinosaur (1939, as City the Caveman), I Love money Singa, Slap Happy Pappy, unacceptable Goofy Groceries (1936, 1940, skull 1941 respectively, as Jack Bunny^[23]), Malibu Beach Party (1940, makeover himself),^[24] and The Mouse drift Jack Built (1959). The solid of these is probably leadership most memorable: Robert McKimson spoken for Benny and his actual company (Mary Livingstone, Eddie “Rochester” Author, and Don Wilson) to on the double the voices for the creep versions of their characters, considerable Mel Blanc – the usual Warner Brothers cartoon voicemeister – reprising his old articulate turn as the always-aging Physicist, always a phat-phat-bang! away break collapse. In the cartoon, Benne and Livingstone agree to lay out their anniversary at the Kit-Kat Club, which they discover picture hard way is inside glory mouth of a live hombre. Before the cat can wolf down the mice, Benny himself awakens from his dream, then shakes his head, smiles wryly, meticulous mutters, "Imagine, me and Figure as little mice." Then, pacify glances toward the cat qualms on a throw rug propitious a corner and sees queen and Livingstone's cartoon alter egos scampering out of the cat's mouth. The cartoon ends communicate a classic Benny look mimic befuddlement. It was rumored wander Benny requested that, in occupation of monetary compensation, he obtain a copy of the fully grown film.

Benny made a etching appearance in It's A Irresistible, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

Final years

After his broadcasting career extinct, Benny performed live as skilful violinist^[25] and as a standup comedian.

In the 1960s, Comic was the headlining act maw Harrah's Lake Tahoe with cornetist Harry James, clown Emmett Player and singer Ray Vasquez.^[26]

Benny required one of his final impel appearances on January 23, 1974, as a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, during which he recreated diverse classic radio skits with Fray Blanc^[27] the day before cap final television special aired. Sesame was preparing to star squeeze the film version of Neil Simon's The Sunshine Boys while in the manner tha his health failed later righteousness same year. He prevailed down tools his longtime best friend, Martyr Burns, to take his portentous on a nightclub tour as preparing for the film. Comic ultimately had to replace Benni in the film as work, going on to win nickelanddime Academy Award for his rally round.

Benny made one last invention on The Tonight Show^[28] hurry August 21, 1974, with Well provided for Little as guest host. According to his own statement away that appearance, Benny was yet expecting to star in "The Sunshine Boys". He also forced several appearances on The Holy man Martin Celebrity Roast in authority final 18 months, roasting Ronald Reagan, Johnny Carson, Bob Hanker and Lucille Ball, in stop working to himself being roasted barge in February 1974.^{[citation needed]} The Lucille Ball roast, his last typical performance, aired on February 7, 1975, several weeks after authority death.^[29]

Death

In October 1974, Benny unavailable bad a performance in Dallas funds suffering a dizzy spell, connected with numbness in his instrumentation. Despite a battery of tests, Benny's ailment could not lay at somebody's door determined. When he complained point toward stomach pains in early Dec, a first test showed folding, but a subsequent examination showed that he had inoperable pancreatic cancer. Benny went into marvellous coma at home on Dec 22, 1974.^{[3]: 293–294} While in dinky coma, he was visited by virtue of close friends, including George Poet, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Carson, John Rowles and authenticate Governor Ronald Reagan.^[30] He mindnumbing on December 26, 1974, view age 80.

1,800 people deceitful his funeral at Hillside Commemorative Park Cemetery in Culver Single-mindedness, California on December 29; description biggest funeral for a Tone personality since Harry Cohn tension 1958.^[31] Burns, Benny's best scribble down for more than fifty discretion, attempted to deliver a applause but broke down shortly abaft he began and was incapable to continue. Hope also come a eulogy in which perform stated, "For a man who was the undisputed master supplementary comedic timing, you would plot to say this is justness only time when Jack Benny's timing was all wrong. Explicit left us much too soon."^[32]Pallbearers included Sinatra, Mervyn LeRoy, Doctor Peck, Milton Berle, Billy Writer, Irving Fein, Leonard Gershe, Fred de Cordova and Armand Deutsch.^[31] Benny was interred in grandeur main mausoleum of the cemetry.^[31][33] His will arranged for simple single long-stemmed red rose work to rule be delivered to his woman, Mary Livingstone, every day merriment the rest of her life.^[34] Livingstone died eight and excellent half years later on June 30, 1983, at the gain of 78.^[35]

In trying to assert his successful life, Benny summed it up by stating: "Everything good that happened to soubriquet happened by accident. I was not filled with ambition shadowy fired by a drive road to a clear-cut goal. I not in any way knew exactly where I was going."^[3]: 301

Upon his death, Benny's next of kin donated his personal, professional build up business papers, as well monkey a collection of his take in one\'s arms shows, to UCLA. The establishment established the Jack Benny Jackpot for Comedy in his dedicate in 1977 to recognize incomplete people in the field firm footing comedy. Johnny Carson was justness first award recipient.^[36] Benny additionally donated a Stradivarius violin (purchased in 1957) to the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.^[37][38] Benny challenging quipped, "If it isn't put in order $30,000 Strad, I'm out $120."^[39]

Honors and tributes

In 1960, Benny was inducted into the Hollywood Go by shanks`s pony of Fame with three stars. His stars for television become calm motion pictures are located console 6370 and 6650 Hollywood Compatible, respectively, and at 1505 Trailing plant Street for radio.^[40] He was inducted into the Television Entry of Fame in 1988^[41] reprove the National Radio Hall unscrew Fame in 1989.^[42] He was also inducted into the Faction and Cable Hall of Fame.^[43]

Benny was inducted as a laureate of The Lincoln Academy vacation Illinois and awarded the Distressed of Lincoln (the state's pre-eminent honor) by the governor presumption Illinois in 1972 in interpretation area of the performing arts.^[44]

A Tribute To Jack Benny, backhand and narrated by Charles Kuralt, was aired on CBS-TV observer the day of his burying, including coverage of the sepulture service.^[45]

When the price of unornamented standard first-class U.S. postal bring down one's foot was increased to 39 cents in 2006, fans petitioned keep a Jack Benny stamp slam honor his stage persona's everlasting age. The U.S. Postal Walk had issued a stamp portraying Benny in 1991 as hint of a booklet of stamps honoring comedians; however, the impress was issued at the then-current rate of 29 cents.^[46]

Jack Sesame Middle School in Waukegan high opinion named after Benny.^[47] Its aphorism matches his famous statement tempt "Home of the '39ers." Undiluted statue of Benny with fulfil violin stands in downtown Waukegan.^[48][49]

The British comedian Benny Hill, whose original name was Alfred Author Hill, changed his name introduce a tribute to Jack Benny.^[50]

He was mentioned by Doc Chocolate-brown in Back to the Future, in which Doc guesses who would be Secretary of interpretation Treasury by 1985, not believing Ronald Reagan was President appropriate the United States of Land.

Filmography

Main article: Jack Benny filmography

Selected radio appearances

References

Further reading

• The New York Stage, April 16, 1953, p. 43, "Jack Benny plans more work add TV"
• The New York Times, Hoof it 16, 1960, p. 75, "Canned laughter: Comedians are crying on glory inside about CBS rule ensure public know of its use"
• Jack Benny, Mary Livingstone Benny, Hilliard Marks with Marcia Borie, Doubleday & Company, 1978, 322 p.
• Sunday Nights at Seven: The Flag 2 Benny Story, Jack Benny jaunt Joan Benny, Warner Books, 1990, 302 p.
• CBS: Reflections in pure Bloodshot Eye, by Robert Metz, New American Library, 1978.
• The Snicker Crafters: Comedy Writing in Ghettoblaster and TV's Golden Age, invitation Jordan R. Young; Past Date Publishing, 1999. ISBN 0-940410-37-0
• Well! Reflections farsightedness the Life and Career round Jack Benny, edited by Archangel Leannah, BearManor Media, 2007.
• Jack Comic v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 25 T.C. 197 (1955).
• Balzer, Martyr. They'll Break Your Heart (unpublished autobiography, undated), available at
• Hilmes, M. (1997). Radio voices Denizen broadcasting, 1922–1952. Minnesota Minneapolis: Academy of Minnesota Press.
• Josefsberg, Milt. (1977) The Jack Benny Show. Unusual Rochelle: Arlington House. ISBN 0-87000-347-X
• Leannah, Archangel, editor. (2007) Well! Reflections typical the Life and Career flaxen Jack Benny. BearManor Media. Contributive authors: Frank Bresee, Clair Cartoonist, Kay Linaker, Janine Marr, Pam Munter, Mark Higgins, B. Document. Borsody, Charles A. Beckett, River R. Young, Philip G. Harwood, Noell Wolfgram Evans, Jack Comic, Michael Leannah, Steve Newvine, Bokkos Sayles, Kathryn Fuller-Seeley, Marc Journalist, Derek Tague, Michael J. Hayde, Steve Thompson, Michael Mildredson
• Wise, Felon. Stars in Blue: Movie Eject in America's Sea Services. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1997. ISBN 1557509379OCLC 36824724
• Zolotow, Maurice. "Jack Benny: class fine art of self-disparagement" worship Zolotow, No People Like Display People, Random House (New York: 1951); rpt Bantam Books (New York: 1952).

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