Mary Livingstone

Livingstone was born Sadya Marcowitz in Seattle, Washington, but raised in Vancouver, British Columbia. Her father, David Marcowitz (or Markowitz), was a prosperous Jewish scrap metal dealer Benny accompanied his friend Zeppo (b. Herbert) Marx. Zeppo Marx took Benny to the home of David Marks, where they enjoyed a quiet and comfortable gathering. Marks's youngest daughter, Sadie (her name was anglicized), was very impressed by this comedian who played a violin as part of his act. By her own testimony she made up her mind that she would grow up and marry Jack Benny someday."– American National Biography Despite the two families' acquaintance, and similar surnames, Livingstone was unrelated to the Marx Brothers. == Courting Jack Benny ==

In 1925, aged 20, Sadie visited California with her family while Jack Benny was in the same town for a show. Still nursing a small crush on the comedian, Sadie went to the theater to re-introduce herself to him. As he approached her in a hallway, she smiled and said, "Hello, Mr. Benny, I'm..." But he curtly cut her off with a "hello" and continued on his way down the hall without pausing; she learned much later that when Benny was deep in thought about his work, it was nearly impossible to get his attention. They met again a year later, while she was said to be working as a lingerie salesgirl at a May Company department store in downtown Los Angelesand the couple finally began dating. Invited on a double-date by a friend who had married Sadie's sister, Babe, Benny brought Sadie along to keep him company. This time, the couple clicked: Jack was finally smitten with Sadie and asked her on another date. She turned him down at first, as she was seeing another young man, but Benny persisted. He visited her at the May Company almost daily and was reputed to buy so much ladies' hosiery from her that he helped her set a sales record; he also called her several times a day when on the road. Jack Benny married Mary Livingstone January 14, 1927, at the Clayton Hotel in Waukegan, Illinois, one week after proposing. == Personal life ==

Livingstone's brother, Hilliard Marks, was a radio and television producer who worked primarily for his brother-in-law, Jack Benny.Lucille Ball referred to Livingstone as a "hard-hearted Hannah", and said that she exerted too much control over her husband's life. George Burns, one of Jack Benny's closest friends, was not particularly fond of Livingstone. He believed that she intimidated her husband and was running his life. He also believed that Livingstone lacked talent."Mary wasn't a bad person, she was just difficult, a little jealous and insecure. She didn't want to have better things than her friends had, particularly Gracie; she wanted to have the same things, but more of them. And bigger."Ostensibly Livingstone's best friend, Burns's wife Gracie Allen confided to a friend that "Mary Benny and I are supposed to be dearest of friends, but we're not. I love Jack and I can tolerate Mary, but there are some things about her I don't like". Allen went on to describe Livingstone's desire to one-up any purchase of luxury items. Burns noted that while their circle of friends found Livingstone challenging, there was also a sense of fierce loyalty between them. == Performance career ==

Sadie took part in some of Jack's vaudeville performances but never thought of herself as a full-time performer, seeming glad to be done with it when he moved to radio in 1932. Then came the day he called her at home and asked her to come to the studio quickly. An actress hired to play a part on the evening's show didn't show up and, instead of risking a hunt for a substitute, Benny thought his wife could handle the part: a character named Mary Livingstone scripted as Benny's biggest fan. One of her final performances was as a mouse spoof of herself in The Mouse That Jack Built, a Merrie Melodies cartoon from 1959 lampooning the radio show. Her final performance as Mary Livingstone came on Benny's 1970 "20th Anniversary Special". When introducing her to the audience, Benny noted that it was her first time performing in fifteen years and the pre-recorded segment made references to her performance anxiety. == Death ==

After writing a biography of her husband, Livingstonewhose surname is often misspelled without the 'e', as with her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contribution to radiodied from heart disease at her home in Holmby Hills on June 30, 1983, five days after her 78th birthday, though several outlets reported her age as 77. == References ==