What happens
On Valentine's Day, Jack Benny celebrates his birthday on his radio program, with Don Wilson as announcer and Dennis Day as his singer. The show, part of the Jack Benny series, aired on February 14, 1954, on NBC and CBS Radio, and stars Jack Benny, Mary Livingstone, Eddie Anderson and Phil Harris. Wilson opens with a gift of fried rice, and the studio audience sings Happy Birthday. A grumpy audience member named Mr. Fink appears on stage, and the cast jokes about the birthday. Benny's sister then sends a telegram claiming he is 39, not 40, and he calls Rochester to check his birth certificate. The transcript ends before the situation is settled.
A radio studio during a live broadcast on Valentine's Day, with later scenes at Jack Benny's home and office.
Characters: Jack Benny, Don Wilson, Mary Livingstone, Dennis Day, Bob Crosby, Mr. Fink, Rochester, Gertrude
Listen for: The audience birthday singalong, Mr. Fink's sour reaction, and Benny learning from his sister's telegram that he may be 39 instead of 40.
Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.