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He wrote brilliantly and hilariously for The New Yorker and Vanity Fair, won an Oscar and, by all accounts, acquitted himself with distinction at the Algonquin in New York.Up there with Dorothy Parker, et. Jeff Chu, "10 Questions for Dave Barry." It is hard to imagine, back here on the mainland. He worked constantly while claiming he was intensely lazy. May 2003. While the two styles were, at first glance, diametrically opposed, they coexisted in magazines such as Vanity Fair and Life. In this capacity Paramount cast him in the 1945 Bob Hope-Bing Crosby comedy Road to Utopia: Benchley interrupts the action periodically to "explain" the nonsensical storyline. This character was apparent in Benchley's Ivy Oration during his Harvard graduation ceremonies,[71] and would appear throughout his career, such as during "The Treasurer's Report" in the 1920s[72] and his work in feature films in the 1930s. [87] He also appeared in a number of films, including 48 short treatments that he mostly wrote or co-wrote and numerous feature films. Benchley is best remembered for his contributions to The New Yorker, where his essays, whether topical or absurdist, influenced many modern humorists. He also made a name for himself in Hollywood, when his short film How to Sleep was a popular success and won Best Short Subject at the 1935 Academy Awards. He did especially well in his English and government classes. al. [3][7], Edmund's fiance Lillian Duryea, a wealthy heiress, doted on Robert for many years, and Edmund's death may have seeded the pacifist leanings seen in Robert's writing. "[69] His lighter fare did not hesitate to touch upon topical issues, drawing analogies between a football game and patriotism, or chewing gum and diplomacy and economic relations with Mexico.[70]. [5][3], Robert's older brother Edmund (born March 3, 1876)[6] was a 4th year cadet at West Point in 1898 when his class was graduated early to support preparations for the SpanishAmerican War; he was killed July 1 at the Battle of San Juan Hill. People say the darnedest things on that boat, Rob responded, when I told him in an e-mail about the comment. Campbell Scott portrays Robert Benchley. Benchley was born and raised in Worcester, Mass. We never quite learn what it was about Benchley's style or subjects that made him the most admired humorist of his generation and prompted James Thurber to remark, years after Benchley's death, that ''one of the greatest fears of the humorous writer is that he has spent three weeks writing something done faster and better by Benchley in 1919.''. The result was No Sirree! The work on The Sport Parade caused Benchley to miss the fall theatre openings, which embarrassed him (even if the relative success of The Sport Parade was often credited to Benchley's role), but the lure of filmmaking did not disappear, since RKO offered him a writing and acting contract for the following year for more money than he was making writing for The New Yorker.[51]. The Benchley family was attending a public Fourth of July picnic when a bicycle messenger brought the notification telegram. The Benchley family was attending a public Fourth of July picnic when a bicycle messenger brought the notification telegram. The house is gone; the Benchleys From Toronto Leacock closely followed the increasing body of Benchley's published humor and wit, and opened correspondence between them. 'Benchley': Seeing a Famous Forebear Whole. By 1944 he was taking thankless roles in the studio's least distinguished films, like the rustic musical National Barn Dance. 10: James Thurber." Benchley tackled issues ranging from careless reporting to European fascism,[54] and the publication flourished. In 1931, he was persuaded to do voice work for RKO Radio Pictures for a film that would eventually be titled Sky Devils, and he acted in his first feature film, The Sport Parade (1932) with Joel McCrea. Traveling with children corresponds roughly to traveling In what the local press dubbed "the Chinese professor caper", Soong was played by a Chinese-American who had lived in the United States for over thirty years, and pretended to answer questions in Chinese while Benchley "translated. [30], At the Tribune, Benchley, along with new editor Ernest Gruening, was in charge of a twelve-page pictorial supplement titled the Tribune Graphic. The most comprehensive listing of Robert Benchley's books, essays, newspaper writings, and drama criticism is Robert Benchley: An Annotated Bibliography compiled by Robert Benchley Society Director Mr. Gordon Ernst, Jr. It also contains a publishing chronology, filmography, and discography. While the session did not yield significant results, Benchley did get writing credit for producing the title cards on the Raymond Griffith silent film You'd Be Surprised, and was invited to do some titling for two other films. his first comic performance, impersonating a befuddled after-dinner The uncanny feature of our talent in this field is that, once the scene is through and they begin talking of something new on the stage, a sixth sense in us operates to send the blood pounding through our temples and we awake with a start, rosy-cheeked and refreshed.''. [11] Nathaniel also became a writer, and he published a biography of his father in 1955. I cut the Benchley house each week. The only group not pleased was the Mellon Institute, who did not approve of the studio mocking their study. He admitted to occasional borrowing of a Benchley topic for his own reflection and writings. The Algonquin Round Table was a group of New York City writers and actors who met regularly between 1919 and 1929 at the Algonquin Hotel. While Benchley was more interested in writing than acting, one of his more important roles as an actor was as a salesman in Rafter Romance, and his work attracted the interest of MGM, who offered Benchley a lot of money to complete a series of short films. [45] The column, titled "Books and Other Things," ran for one year and roved beyond literature to mundane topics such as Bricklaying in Modern Practice. By this time Robert Benchley's screen image was established as a comic lecturer who tried but failed to clarify any given topic. Given that Benchley had two children at the time of his resignation, Parker referred to it as "the greatest act of friendship I'd ever seen. This worried Sherwood, as he felt it could jeopardize his forthcoming raise. The work on The Sport Parade caused Benchley to miss the fall theatre openings, which embarrassed him (even if the relative success of The Sport Parade was often credited to Benchley's role), but the lure of filmmaking did not disappear, since RKO offered him a writing and acting contract for the following year for more money than he was making writing for The New Yorker.[56]. Published by Wings (January 30, 1996) ISBN 978-0517411391. Mr. Altman, a magazine journalist, builds on the work of his predecessors, filling in some gaps, providing us with some new information. [1][2] They were of Northern Irish (Protestant) and Welsh descent, respectively, both from colonial stock. It was the perfect time Robert Charles Benchley (September 15, 1889 November 21, 1945) was an American humorist best known for his work as a newspaper columnist and film actor. His experience there was not much better, and when an opportunity was offered to return to the Tribune under new editorial management, Benchley took it. [3] His brother Edmund was thirteen years older. Amid accusations that both were pro-German (the United States was fighting Germany at the time), Benchley tendered his resignation in a terse letter, citing the lack of "rational proof that Dr. Gruening was guilty ofcharges made against him" and management's attempts to "smirch the character and the newspaper career of the first man in three years who has been able to make the Tribune look like a newspaper. Though Mr. Altman recounts all the stories, he hardly ever tries to sort out fact from fiction. [66], In 1960, Benchley was posthumously inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame with a motion pictures star at 1724 Vine Street.[67]. His legacy includes written work and numerous short film appearances. His performances gave him some local fame, and most entertainment programs on campus and many off-campus meetings recruited Benchley's talents. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor and served as a public relations officer and on convoy duty in the Atlantic on destroyers and patrol craft. 24 Amelia Drive Which was plenty to go on, when I got home. [56], Benchley returned to the cinema in 1937, cast in the revue Broadway Melody of 1938, and in his largest role to that point, the critically-panned Live, Love and Learn. of editor of the Harvard Lampoon was the other highlight of his college This experience was not as positive, and most of Benchley's contributions were excised and the final product, Funny Face, did not have Benchley's name attached. ISBN 0393038335). He told me about some famous scientist who spent some time studying Nantucket a few years ago. A founding member of the famous Algonquin Round Table in New York Dave Barry, author, onetime humor writer for the Miami Herald, and judge of the 2006 Robert Benchley Society Award for Humor,[75] has called Benchley his "idol"[76] and he "always wanted to write like [Benchley]. There are probably more famous Benchleys. [46], Benchley had continued to receive positive responses from his performing, and in 1925 he accepted a standing invitation from film producer Jesse L. Lasky for a six-week term writing screenplays at $500. They sent out a memo forbidding the discussion of salaries in an attempt to rein in the staff. The Lampoon primarily used the latter style, which suited Benchley. He wrote brilliantly and hilariously for The New Yorker and Vanity Fair, won an Oscar and, by all accounts, acquitted himself with distinction at the Algonquin in New York. Their first [21] He also held the position of for the Pudding in 1912. [65] This character, labeled the "Little Man" and in some ways similar to many of Mark Twain's protagonists, was based on Benchley himself; the character did not persist in Benchley's writing past the early 1930s, but survived in his speaking and acting roles. An often overlooked influence upon Benchley's early professional career was the admiration and friendship of the Canadian economist, academic, and humorist Dr. Stephen Leacock. A short that Benchley completed for MGM, A Night at the Movies, was Benchley's greatest success since How to Sleep: it was Oscar-nominated, and secured him a contract for more short films that would be produced in New York. They are bothered when they cant have what they want. Benchley, Parker, and Sherwood responded with a memo of their own, followed by placards around their necks detailing their exact salaries for all to see. 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