 Mel was modest about his fame, and he enjoyed his private life. He made friends with everyone he worked with, but it was his friendship with Jack Benny that Mel cherished most. Wednesday night used to be ping pong night. So ping pong night used to get all the people that were on the radio show, Lucille Ball and George Burns, Gracie Allen and Jack Benny and Jack Carson, they'd all come out and play ping pong. My dad would make them soda fountain drinks, and then they'd go home.