Benchley became recognizable because of his short films, which would play in theaters before feature films, and he was already known for his humor writing. He still completed two shoots in one day (one of which was The Courtship of the Newt), but rested for a while following the 1937 schedule. with Deanna Durbin, noteworthy for a rare dramatic performance by Benchley. New York Times, January 25, 2004. The best result we found for your search is Robert Steven Benchley age 70s in Pinconning, MI. List of Robert Benchley collections and film appearances, Robert Benchley and the Knights of the Algonquin. Reluctant to appear onstage as a regular performer, Benchley decided to ask Harris for the outlandish sum of $500 a week for his short act in order to get out of the situation entirely; when Harris replied "OK, Bob. Literary 'Sconset, the Benchleys, and John Steinbeck, Robert C. Benchley Biography, Photos and Works, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Benchley&oldid=1148971771, Male actors from Worcester, Massachusetts, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 9 April 2023, at 10:45. WebBenchley showed at the Lobster Pot. [61], 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. children. [88], Posthumously, Benchley's works continue to be released in books such as the 1983 Random House compilation The Best of Robert Benchley,[89] and the 2005 collection of short films Robert Benchley and the Knights of the Algonquin, which compiled many of Benchley's popular short films from his years at Paramount with other works from fellow humorists and writers Alexander Woollcott and Donald Ogden Stewart.[90]. He took a position with Curtis shortly after he received his diploma. How to Sleep was named Best Short Subject at the 1935 Academy Awards, while the latter two shorts were not as well received. His humor and style began to reveal itself during this time; Benchley was often called upon to entertain his fraternity brothers, and his impressions of classmates and professors became very popular. ISBN 0393038335). Nantucket Lighthouses; Museums; Festivals; Biking; Boating, Fishing & Water Sports; Arts; Family & Kid Fun; Theatre, Film, Music, Lectures; Tours; Wellness & "[43]) He was offered $200 per basic subject article for The Home Sector,[44] and a weekly freelance salary from New York World to write a book review column three times per week for the same salary he received at Vanity Fair. The work of Robert Benchley is as funny as it was 80 years ago. The only group not pleased was the Mellon Institute, who did not approve of the studio mocking their study. Be the first to ask a question about Robert Benchley Lists with This Book The Lampoon position opened a number of other doors for Benchley, and he was quickly nominated to the Signet Society meeting club as well as becoming the only undergraduate member of the Boston Papyrus Club at the time. ISBN 080570048X). 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. He also wrote and starred in 50 film shorts and acted in another 40 full-length movies -- including ''I Married a Witch,'' ''The Road to Utopia'' and Alfred Hitchcock's ''Foreign Correspondent.''. Dave Barry, author, onetime humor writer for the Miami Herald, and judge of the 2006 and 2007 Robert Benchley Society Award for Humor,[80] has called Benchley his "idol"[81] and he "always wanted to write like [Benchley]. The first Robert Benchley was the one I thought I sort of knew, as much as you can know someone who died 11 years before you were born. He is mentioned, with Dorothy Parker and Alexander Woollcott, in lists of Algonquin Round Table members; and, with S. J. Perelman and James Thurber, as a New Yorker humorist. Up there with Dorothy Parker, et. And as he said this his eyes filled with tears''). (There is no evidence to support speculation that Lillian had an inappropriate relationship with Robert.) [8] Nathaniel had talented sons as well: Peter Benchley was best known for the book Jaws (which inspired the film of the same name),[9] and Nat Benchley wrote and performed in an acclaimed one-man production based on Robert's life.[10]. Norris W. Yates, Robert Benchley. I enjoyed this article, thank you. [73] Even the more stereotypical characters held these qualities, such as the incapable sportscaster Benchley played in The Sport Parade. [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. [18], During his first two years at Harvard, Benchley worked with the Harvard Advocate and the Harvard Lampoon. [32] Benchley accepted, and began work there in 1919.[33]. [12] He joined the Delta Upsilon fraternity in his freshman year, and continued to partake in the camaraderie that he had enjoyed at Phillips Exeter while still doing well in school. [3] His brother Edmund was thirteen years older. Perhaps it is just the fantasy of starving artists. People say the darnedest things on that boat, Rob responded, when I told him in an e-mail about the comment. The character is often befuddled by many of the actions of society and is often neurotic in a "different" way the character in How to Watch Football, for instance, finds it sensible for a normal fan to forgo the live experience and read the recap in the local papers. "[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]. Most of them were adapted from his old essays ("Take the Witness!," with Benchley fantasizing about conquering a tough cross-examination, was filmed as The Witness; "The Real Public Enemies," showing the criminal tendencies of sinister household objects, was filmed as Crime Control, etc.). The revue was applauded by both spectators and fellow actors, with Benchley's performance in particular receiving the biggest laughs. On graduating from Harvard, where he had earned a reputation as an extraordinary after-dinner speaker, Benchley held a variety of jobs in publishing, business and social service. While the two styles were, at first glance, diametrically opposed, they coexisted in magazines such as Vanity Fair and Life. Much of his time in the films was spent spoofing himself,[76] whether it was the affected nervousness of the treasurer in The Treasurer's Report or the discomfort in explaining The Sex Life of the Polyp to a women's club. competition. Mr. Altman, a magazine journalist, builds on the work of his predecessors, filling in some gaps, providing us with some new information. 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. R.B. According to Mr. Altman, when the urn that was supposed to contain his ashes was delivered to the family burial plot in Nantucket, the undertaker discovered it was empty. Though his work was anthologized during his lifetime in 12 different volumes -- and posthumously in five or six more -- almost all of them are now out of print. Copyright Jeff Schult. A trip to California was discussed on a date to be decided. When a position as press agent for Broadway producer William A. Brady was offered, Benchley accepted it, against the advice of many of his peers. Please advise, was humorist Robert Benchleys famous telegram to the New Yorker magazine after arriving in Venice. A reprise of "The Treasurer's Report" was often requested for future events, and Irving Berlin (who had been musical director for No Sirree!) His contract concluded with only four short films completed and no chance of signing another contract. Where was I? URL accessed May 21, 2007. Brother of Lt. Edmund Benchley. URLs accessed June 6, 2007. 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. But there was a vibe there we really liked. Robert Benchleys income source is mostly from being a successful Actor. 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. Born: 15-Sep-1889 Birthplace: Worcester, MA Died: 21-Nov-1945 Location of death: New York City Cause of death: 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. Geni requires JavaScript! Benchley began at Vanity Fair with fellow Harvard Lampoon alumnus Robert Emmet Sherwood and future friend and collaborator Dorothy Parker, who had taken over theatre criticism from P. G. Wodehouse years earlier. his first comic performance, impersonating a befuddled after-dinner Edmund's death had a considerable effect upon Robert's life. These issues contributed to a general deterioration of morale in the offices, culminating in Parker's termination, allegedly due to complaints by the producers of the plays she skewered in her theatrical reviews. His first novel Sail a Crooked Ship (1960) was filmed by Columbia Pictures in 1961. [68], Topical, current-event style pieces written for Vanity Fair during the war did not lose their levity, either. "[69], Benchley's characters were typically exaggerated representations of the common man. Benchley participated in two more films that year: a second talking film he wrote, The Sex Life of the Polyp, and a third starring but not written by him, The Spellbinder, all made in the Fox Movietone sound-on-film system and released by Fox Films. Humor style WebRobert Benchley and Dorothy Parker were close friends and shared an office. They were designed to create a contrast between himself and the masses; the character is often befuddled by society and is often neurotic in a "different" waythe character in How to Watch Football, for instance, finds it sensible for a normal fan to forgo the live experience and read the recap in the local papers. His humor and style began to reveal themselves during this time: Benchley was often called upon to entertain his fraternity brothers, and his impressions of classmates and professors became very popular. [59], This was followed in 1936 by How to be a Detective. (New York City: Athena Books, 1989. Following the printing of two books of his old New Yorker columns, Benchley gave up writing for good in 1943, signing one more contract with Paramount in December of that year.[60]. The Art of Fiction No. [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. WebRobert Benchley was an actor who had a successful Hollywood career. The situation at Vanity Fair deteriorated on the managerial team's return. ATTRACTIONS INCLUDE: MONDAY, 3rd Concert and Talent Quest. Word of it was published in Time by Alexander Woollcott, who was at a lunch with Benchley, Parker, and others. Who had a successful Hollywood career the comment sportscaster Benchley played in the Sport Parade Subject at 1935... Darnedest things on that boat, Rob responded, when I told him in an e-mail about the.! Include: MONDAY, 3rd Concert and Talent Quest particular receiving the robert benchley nantucket... 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