In 1945, Jack Benny starred in his last major motion picture, "The Horn Blows at Midnight," as a band member who dreams he's an angel sent to destroy the Earth. The film did respectable business but wasn't an overwhelming success (doubtlessly due to the timing, coming at the end of WW2) and Benny soon began joking about what a dismal failure the film was... which quickly became a running gag on his TV and radio shows, leading people to believe the movie actually was an epic bomb. This also secured it as his most infamous film.

In 1949, the film was adapted as an episode of the "Ford Theater" radio show; the story was altered, the bookend dreamsequence portions were eliminated along with the film's antagonists, and it was steeped in antiwar sentimentality. Benny played the role of Athanael one final time for this episode of "Omnibus" which was broadcast live on November 29, 1953 and preserved on kinescope.

This version was adapted from the radio show, but with the passage of time, the antiwar aspect was substantially toned down and even more of the film's gags were removed. There are several thentimely jokes about Athanael irresponsibly causing a freak smog that enveloped The Big Apple the same month as this broadcast, a mysterious smog in New York City was blamed for the deaths of 260 people, including renowned poet Dylan Thomas.

For fans of classic television, there are tons of familiar faces, including a young Harry Shearer ("This is Spinal Tap," "The Simpsons") in one of his earliest roles as a shoeshine boy.

Credits:
Alistair Cook Host
Lester Matthews The Chief
Dorothy Malone Elizabeth
Byron Foulger Horatio
Jack Benny Athanael
Frank Jaquet Ludwig van Beethoven
Rolph Sedan Noah
Lou Lubin Newspaper Stand Owner
Lee Millar Dan
Jeff Donnell Helen
Martin Dean Jerry
Harry Shearer Johnny
Benny Rubin Cab Driver
John Vosper Hotel Desk Clerk
???? Hotel Pageboy
Hallene Hill Mrs. Watson
Beverly Washburn Angela
Ann Doran Angela's Mother
Roland "Rusty" Morris Elevator Operator
Roy Rowan Radio Announcer
Mahlon Merrick Orchestra Leader

0:00 Omnibus Intro
2:01 Happenings in Heaven
7:22 Enter Athanael
22:37 Down to Earth
32:26 He'll Get It Back
37:25 The Waldorf
48:18 Going Up
54:42 Outro