A 1944 short where radio trivia destroys one man's dignity in 10 minutes flat.
When Joe Doakes listens to a quiz show on the radio and knows all the answers, his wife encourages him to go on a quiz show himself. He appears on a new show called "Why Daddy?", where a child and an adult compete against each other, with less than stellar results.
Acting
Benchley's perfect slow-boil panic as Doakes.
Writing
Sharp radio-era dialogue, surprisingly modern humiliation comedy.
Director
Will Jason
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Benchley was the original 'guy who can't win' prototype, basically inventing the anxious sitcom dad decades before TV sitcoms existed.
The 'Why Daddy?' show format eerily predicts modern reality TV humiliation formats—just with worse lighting and no confessionals.
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