Many of Jonathan Cormur Murphy’s friends and family LIVE a creative life! Here’s a look at…
Frank Remley, a guitarist, performer for, and best buds with the legendary Jack Benny.
Frank was Jonathan’s great, great uncle who played in the famous Phil Harris (a.k.a Disney’s Baloo!) Band and was a part of the orchestra for the Jack Benny Television Show. He and Benny, and their wives, traveled the world together. Jonathan’s family recently discovered that the Boston Library had several letters in their archives between Jack and Frank, who corresponded regularly. Frank was one of the few people who could make Jack laugh!
A fun bit of Wiki-trivia: “A popular running gag on Benny’s show concerned the social habits of Benny’s on-air orchestra, who were consistently portrayed as a bunch of drunken ne’er-do-wells. Led first by Phil Harris and later by Bob Crosby, the orchestra, and in particular band member Frank Remley, were jokingly portrayed as often being too drunk to play properly, using an overturned bass drum to play cards on just minutes before a show, and so enamored by liquor that the sight of a glass of milk would make them sick. Remley was portrayed in various unflattering situations, such as being thrown into a garbage can by a road sweeper who had found him passed out in the street at 4 am, and on a wanted poster at the Beverly Hills police station.”
The insider’s truth: Frank Remley rarely drank alcohol. He preferred buttermilk.
Check out this video where Jack Benny introduces his band and you can meet Frank Remley:
Learn more about Jonathan Cormur Murphy’s creative career on stage, behind the mic and his work on the Dorktales Storytime podcast.
Notice Frank Remley plays the guitar left handed.
Frank Remley provided the “drunken guitarist” character on the Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show on radio for years, but in name only. The Remley character was actually played by actor Elliot Lewis. Lewis’ Remley was so beloved by fans that when the real Frank Remley made rare and occasional TV appearances years later, he was recognized by name and presumed to be the character that had been given only a voice by Elliot Lewis.
That makes sense. Frank was in Phil Harris’ band and they probably used his name as the character. Then when the Jack Benny Show said that they owned the character name, Frank started making the occasional appearances as that character. According to my grandmother, he loved playing music and wasn’t interested in being front and center on camera. He and Jack Benny and their wives were great friends and my grandmother was thrilled to get copies of letters Jack wrote to Frank from the Boston library archives. Frank’s letters to Jack are long gone.
It’s a shame those letters are gone. If you ever get a chance to listen to an old Harris-Faye radio show, the Elliott Lewis “Frankie Remley” is a riot and often a showstopper.
According to “On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio” by John Dunning, Remley and Phil Harris were friends going back into the 1920s, long before the association with Jack Benny. It was Benny who comically started using Remley as the on-air whipping-boy example of Harris’ band of shiftless alcoholics, characteristics which Harris humorously referred to as “virtues”.
Later, when the Harris-Faye show spun off of the Benny program, it was decided to soften the Harris character from a boozing playboy to a bumbling family man. The Remley character was already established, and by Dunning’s account, Remley himself tried out for the role. Remley was no actor and had little desire to invest himself in becoming one. When he was turned down, Remley recommended Elliott Lewis for the part.
I would imagine that one of the real Frank Remley’s left-handed Gibson L5 guitars would be worth a fortune these days…an old L5 with no historic or celebrity value (and right-handed) is collectable. These instruments, in excellent condition, can fetch upwards of $12,000.
Frank Remley’s death was untimely and signaled the departure of those who literally invented electronic entertainment. The photo at the top of this page shows Jack Benny and Remley playing their Polk-A-Laylees. These instruments were promotional premiums offered by Polk Brothers stores in Chicago in the 1960s. I have one of these hanging in my den.
Awesome info, thanks! I never met great uncle frank but my grandmother thought he was the best.
My Grandpa Charles Remley was Frankie’s cousin. He use to show me a news paper article from a paper in Minnesota from a visit Phil Harris and Frankie Remley made there. Loved listening to stories about Frankie and the family. What was your Grandmothers name?
My grandmother is Joan Strong and she is Frankie’s niece. Her mother, Frankie’s sister, died when she was 15 so I never met her. I believe her name was Lilian.
My mother Lillian Remley Strong was Franks sister. Frank also had a sister Alice and a half brother Edward Kennally. It’s interesting that your grandfather used to read you article’s from the Minnesota paper about Phil Harris and Frank, they came once to Minneapolis to do a show with Jack and my grandmother Strong entertained and fed them at her farm in Edina, MN. I was five years old and remember what a big deal it was to everyone. Who was Charles Remley’s father? Frank’s father was Constance Remley and his mother was Nellie Moran. Maybe Charles father and Constance were brothers.
Yes, Constance was my Grandpa’s brother (Grandpa called him Gov) and they had a sister Elizabeth (first telephone operator in Bemidji). Their Dads name was Frank and his wife was Lillian Darrar. Frank was from Germany.
Great information as I’ve been doing the Remley Family tree and didn’t have Charles as Constance brother or Elizabeth as his sister. I had their father as Frank and knew he was from Germany and I’ll have to check to see if I have Lillian as his wife. I think they all lived in Moorhead, MN for some time I know it was my mother’s birthplace (Lillian Remley Strong).
If you Facebook connect with me there or email and I will give you more info.
Chellremley [at] hotmail [dot] com
IAM doing my family research and my mom last name is remley who is Frank c remley is my grandfather, Frank j remley is my great father and my uncle is Frank remley . My mom is Constance Lillian remley I saw this and we might be related we are sharing same person there are to many Frank remley in this family
Yes, sounds like we’re related! Frank was my grandmother’s uncle. Her mother was a Remley.
Just happen to see this. I’m Joan Strong and Frank Remley the left handed guitarist in the Phil Harris Band is my Uncle. For your family research (my father was Harry P Strong. He married Lillian Remley, Frank,s Sister. Lillian and Frank’s mother was Nellie Moran and their father was Constance Remley. They also had a sister Alice and after Constance died Nellie remarried and they had a son Edward. Edward Kennelly is then the half brother for Lillian, Frank and Alice.