▁damage ▁done ▁to ▁his ▁vocal ▁c ords ▁left ▁him ▁with ▁the ▁gra vel ▁voice ▁familiar ▁to ▁both ▁radio ▁listen ers ▁and ▁television ▁view ers ▁over ▁a ▁course ▁of ▁more ▁than ▁twenty ▁years . ▁Anderson ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁dan cer ▁and ▁got ▁his ▁show ▁business ▁start ▁in ▁this ▁way , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁his ▁uniqu ely ▁recogn izable ▁voice ▁that ▁brought ▁him ▁to ▁st ard om . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁The ▁Jack ▁Ben ny ▁Program ▁ ▁Anderson ' s ▁first ▁appearance ▁on ▁The ▁Jack ▁Ben ny ▁Program ▁was ▁on ▁March ▁ 2 8 , ▁ 1 9 3 7 . ▁He ▁was ▁originally ▁h ired ▁to ▁play ▁the ▁one - time ▁role ▁of ▁a ▁red cap ▁on ▁the ▁Ben ny ▁program ▁for ▁a ▁story line ▁of ▁the ▁show ▁travel ing ▁from ▁Chicago ▁to ▁California ▁by ▁train , ▁which ▁coinc ided ▁with ▁the ▁radio ▁show ' s ▁actual ▁return ▁to ▁N BC ' s ▁Radio ▁City ▁West ▁in ▁Hollywood ▁after ▁a ▁brief ▁st int ▁in ▁New ▁York . ▁As ▁Jack ▁Ben ny ▁and ▁his ▁show ▁staff ▁were ▁travel ing ▁to ▁California ▁by ▁train , ▁Ben ny ▁and ▁his ▁writers ▁had ▁an ▁idea ▁for ▁a ▁comedy ▁sketch ▁that ▁took ▁place ▁on ▁a ▁train ▁with ▁a ▁train ▁por ter ▁getting ▁the ▁better ▁of ▁Ben ny ▁on ▁a ▁fict ional ▁trip ▁from ▁Chicago ▁to ▁Los ▁Angeles . ▁ ▁Ben ny ▁liked ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁the ▁sketch ▁enough ▁to ▁wire ▁California ▁to ▁find ▁someone ▁for ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁the ▁train ▁por ter ▁before ▁the ▁show ▁script ▁was ▁actually ▁finished