Person Detail: Robert Benchley
| General Information: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full Name: Robert Benchley | ||
| Biography: Writer, journalist,humorist. Born in Worcester, Mass., lived at the McBurney YMCA, 215 W. 23rd St., in 1912; he also lived at the Gramercy Court, E. 22nd St., and at 536 Madison Ave. He spent his boyhood summers in Nyack. He was a member of the Algonquin Hotel's Round Table. Educated at Phillips Exeter Academy and Harvard University, where he was editor of the Lampoon, Benchley early showed his comic bent. As a writer he became famous for his inspired nonsense, and his short pieces in newspaper columns and magazines like The New Yorker, on which he was dramatic critic from 1929-1940, were collected in book form. He first appeared on the professional stage in 1923, doing a monologue entitled "The Treasurer's Report," and "Other Aspects of Community Singing," which was an instant hit, and in 1929 he began to be seen in movie shorts and revues. His specialty was the portrayal of a confused and ordinary little man who laughed at his own misfortunes. One of his films called "How to Sleep" won an award for the best movie short of 1936. After 1937 he was a popular master of ceremonies on radio broadcasts. Some of his humorous works are "Of All Things"(1921); "Love Conquers All" (1922); "The Early Worm" (1927);"From Bed to Worse;" or, "Comforting Thoughts About the Bison" (1934); "My Ten Years in a Quandary And How They Grew" (1936); "Inside Benchley" (1942); "One Minute, Please" (1945). "Benchley Beside Himself,"lived from 1920 to 1945 at 2 Lywood Rd.,Scarsdale |
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| Life Events: | ||
| Year: 1889 | Event: BIRTH |
(Unknown) County Born in Worcester, Massachusetts. |
| Year: 1921 | Event: LITWORK |
(Unknown) County "Of All Things" |
| Year: 1922 | Event: LITWORK |
(Unknown) County "Love Conquers All" |
| Year: 1927 | Event: LITWORK |
(Unknown) County "The Early Worm" |
| Year: 1934 | Event: LITWORK |
(Unknown) County "From Bed to Worse or Comforting Thoughts About the Bison" |
| Year: 1936 | Event: LITWORK |
(Unknown) County "My Ten Years in a Quandary and How They Grew" |
| Year: 1942 | Event: LITWORK |
(Unknown) County "Inside Benchley" |
| Year: 1945 | Event: DEATH |
(Unknown) County |
| Year: 1945 | Event: LITWORK |
(Unknown) County "One Minute, Please" |
| Year: ? | Event: RESIDENCE |
New York County Benchley lived in New York City and was a member of the Algonquin Hotel's Round Table. |
| Year: ? | Event: OTHER |
Rockland County He spent his boyhood summers in Nyack |
| Year: ? | Event: OTHER |
Westchester County "Benchley Beside Himself,"lived from 1920 to 1945 at 2 Lywood Rd.,Scarsdale |
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