SUNDAY NIGHTS AT SEVEN: The Jack Benny...

SUNDAY NIGHTS AT SEVEN: The Jack Benny Story by Jack Benny and his daughter Joan (Warner Books: $8.99, illustrated). When the celebrated comedian died in 1974, he left behind a partially completed autobiography that his daughter edited and supplemented with her own recollections. Readers who grew up during the television era may wonder why Benny was so popular for so long: The hilarious jokes and skits from his radio programs supply the answer. Joan Benny describes her father as a gentle, rather abstracted man who was phenomenally successful but not especially happy: Their opulent, icy household was dominated by her insecure, social- climbing mother. This combination of poignancy and humor make “Sunday Nights” sure-fire reading for nostalgia buffs.