Besides the cancellation of his radio show, Benchley learned that MGM did not plan to renew his contract, and The New Yorker, frustrated with Benchley's film career taking precedence over his theatre column, appointed Wolcott Gibbs to take over in his stead. He served This experience was a poor one, as Brady was extremely difficult to work for. New York Times, January 25, 2004. He admitted to occasional borrowing of a Benchley topic for his own reflection and writings. Drawing on my fine command of language, I said nothing. [47], Benchley continued to freelance, submitting humor columns to a variety of publications, including Life (where fellow humorist James Thurber stated that Benchley's columns were the only reason the magazine was read). While the two styles were, at first glance, diametrically opposed, they coexisted in magazines such as Vanity Fair and Life. In 1917, the Tribune shut down the magazine, and Benchley was out of work again. [7] The film was included in the compilation Robert Benchley and the Knights of the Algonquin. Benchley dealt with diverse locales and topics such as Bright Candles, which recounts the experiences of a 16-year-old Danish boy during the German occupation of his country in World War II; and Small Wolf, a story about a Native American boy who meets white men on the island of Manhattan and learns that their ideas about land are different from those of his own people. lieutenants were, Hangdog face offset by a thin, elegant mustache. [5] Benchley reveled in the atmosphere at the academy, and he remained active in creative extracurricular activities, thereby damaging his academic credentials toward the end of his term. [20], Along with his duties at the Lampoon, Benchley acted in a number of theatrical productions, including Hasty Pudding productions of The Crystal Gazer and Below Zero. Upon completion, MGM invited Benchley to write and perform in a short production inspired by a Mellon Institute study on sleep commissioned by the Simmons Mattress Company. They can get positively irate at the prospect that their summer homes and mansions on the bluffs will not last forever, that the Atlantic is reclaiming Nantucket fast enough to make everyone jittery. Benchley's contribution to the program, "The Treasurer's Report," featured Benchley as a nervous, disorganized man attempting to summarize an organization's yearly expenses. [35], At the Tribune, Benchley, along with new editor Ernest Gruening, was in charge of a twelve-page pictorial supplement titled the Tribune Graphic. Robert's older brother, Edmund, was rushed to the Spanish-American War days after graduation from West Point (1898), and was a casualty almost immediately. Proposed the following epitaph for his tombstone although it was not [50], With the emergence of The New Yorker, Benchley was able to stay away from Hollywood work for a number of years. Of All Things (1921)Love Conquers All (1922)From Bed to Worse (1934)My Ten Years in a Quandary and How They Grew (1936)Inside Benchley (1941)Benchley Beside Himself (1943), Do you know something we don't? Published by Wings (January 30, 1996) ISBN 978-0517411391. Every boy should have a dog, for a dog teaches a boy three valuable He was a close friend of actor Humphrey Bogart and wrote his biography in 1975. [13] Nathaniel married and also had talented sons who became writers: Peter Benchley was best known for the book Jaws (which was adapted as the film of the same name),[14] and Nat Benchley wrote and performed in an acclaimed one-man production based on their grandfather Robert's life. 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. [2] Robert Benchley was born on September 15, 1889 in Worcester, Massachusetts, to Charles and Maria Benchley.[3]. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Rob Benchley met his wife Carol at a Fourth of July party thrown in a Codfish Park house that has since washed out to sea. [48], During the time that Benchley was filming various short films, he also began working at The New Yorker, which had started in February 1925 under the control of Benchley's friend Harold Ross. So are the two Benchley biographies, the first published by his son Nathaniel in 1955, the second by Babette Rosmond in 1970. His shortcoming was the submission of a "scholarly paper" - which Benchley eventually rectified by a treatise on the U.S. - Canadian Fisheries Dispute, written from the point of view of a cod. [80], Benchley produced over 600 essays,[81] which were initially compiled in twelve volumes, during his writing career. 2. Nathaniel Benchley, Robert Benchley, a biography. At the age of 31, Benchley took his first alcoholic drink -- an orange blossom -- and was, Mr. Altman tells us, instantly transformed from a sober, faithful husband and provider into a hopeless alcoholic and serial adulterer. Father of Nathaniel Benchley and Robert Benchley, Jr. Traveling with children corresponds roughly to traveling The Washington Post, February 18, 2003. My partner, Nancy, and I didnt visit there this past weekend, in our time on Nantucket. His family opted for a private funeral service, and his body was cremated and interred in a family plot on the island of Nantucket.[61]. His arrival put him on the scene of a number of productions almost instantly. His funeral was private, and his body was cremated and interred in a family plot in Prospect Hill Cemetery on the island of Nantucket. Benchley began at Vanity Fair with fellow Harvard Lampoon and Hasty Pudding Theatricals alumnus Robert Emmet Sherwood and future friend and collaborator Dorothy Parker, who had taken over theatre criticism from P. G. Wodehouse years earlier. It is hard to imagine, back here on the mainland. Word of it was published in Time by Alexander Woollcott, who was at a lunch with Benchley, Parker, and others. the son of writer and humorist Robert Benchley and the father of Thanks to financial aid from his late brother's fiance, Lillian Duryea, he could attend Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire for his final year of high school. Born in Newton, Massachusetts to a literary family, he was the son of Gertrude Darling and Robert [33], Benchley filled in for P. G. Wodehouse at Vanity Fair at the beginning of 1916, reviewing theatre in New York. [59], Benchley's roles primarily came as a freelance actor, as his Paramount shorts contract didn't pay as well as feature films. While Benchley's books and Paramount contract were giving him financial security, he was still unhappy with the turn his career had taken. How to Sleep was named Best Short Subject at the 1935 Academy Awards, while the latter two shorts were not as well received. Brother of Lt. Edmund Benchley. career.) Humor style ISBN 0393038335). He told me about some famous scientist who spent some time studying Nantucket a few years ago. The crematorium had given the family the wrong urn. 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. There was a lot of begatting in the Benchley family. [16], Benchley enrolled at Harvard University in 1908, again with Duryea's financial help. "[82] Horace Digby claimed that, "[M]ore than anyone else, Robert Benchley influenced [his] early writing style. URL accessed May 19, 2007. 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.[65]. Each summer, aware of the increasing the threat of polio in NYC, dad would send my mom and us three kids to Nantucket for the summer. 'Benchley': Seeing a Famous Forebear Whole. The Paris Review: "The Art of Fiction No. Benchley enrolled at Harvard University in 1908, again with Duryea's financial help. "[69], Benchley's characters were typically exaggerated representations of the common man. That is as far as I got. All rights reserved. And probably, part of it was the ocean coming in, a sense of urgency, that there are important things to do. Source notes would have helped here, at the very least by giving readers some guidance in figuring out where Mr. Altman got his stories -- and how reliable they might be. Robert Benchley married Gertrude Darling; they met while Benchley was in high school in Worcester, engaged during his senior year at Harvard, married in June 1914,[5] and their first child, Nathaniel Benchley was born a year later. When the editorial managers went on a European trip, the three took advantage of the situation, writing articles mocking the local theatre establishment and offering parodic commentary on a variety of topics, such as the effect of Canadian hockey on United States fashion. (Ironically, when younger, he had been an adamant teetotaler.) In unthinking, stunned reaction, Maria ("Jenny") Benchley cried out "Why couldn't it have been Robert?! The filming went by quickly, and though he was convinced he was not good, The Treasurer's Report was a financial and critical success upon its release in 1928. 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. Benchley's humor inspired a number of later humorists and filmmakers. "[64], Benchley's characters were typically exaggerated representations of the common man. Son of Charles Henry Benchley and Maria Jane Benchley Charles Townsend Copeland, an English professor, recommended that Benchley go into writing, and Benchley and future Benchley illustrator Gluyas Williams from the Lampoon considered going into freelance work writing and illustrating theatrical reviews. 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. Benchley produced over 600 essays,[86] which were initially compiled in twelve volumes, during his writing career. . But for $500 you better be good," Benchley was completely surprised. prompted producer Sam H. Harris to request Benchley to perform it as part of Berlin's Music Box Revue. 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. From his beginnings at The Harvard Lampoon while attending Harvard University, through his many years writing essays and articles for Vanity Fair and The New Yorker and his acclaimed short films, Benchley's style of humor brought him respect and success during his life, from his peers at the Algonquin Round Table in New York City to contemporaries in the burgeoning film industry. Eventually, he began lobbying gently for Robert Benchley to compile his columns into book form, and in 1922 was delighted with the result of his nagging. 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. AKA Robert Charles Benchley. Eventually, he began lobbying gently for Benchley to compile his columns into book form, and, in 1921, was delighted when the result of his nagging - Of All Things - was published. Management attempted to issue "tardy slips" for staff who were late. WebDirector Robert Benchley Robert Benchley Writer (Uncredited) Jack Chertok Producer Harry Rapf Executive Producer Film Details Genre Short Comedy Release Date 1935 Production Company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. Distribution Company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. Technical Specs Duration 10m He wrote two articles a week; the first a review of non-literary books, the other a feature-style article about whatever he wanted. Management attempted to issue "tardy slips" for staff who were late; on one of these, Benchley filled out, in very small handwriting, an elaborate excuse involving a herd of elephants on 44th Street. He was invited to be theatre critic for The New Yorker in 1929, leaving Life, and contributions from Woollcott and Parker became regular features in the magazine. (New York City: Harcourt Brace, 1977. WebRobert Benchley was an actor who had a successful Hollywood career. In his mid-50s Benchley suffered from cirrhosis of the liver and high blood pressure, and died from complications of both. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Benchley took this offer to Vanity Fair to see if they would match it, as he felt Vanity Fair was the better magazine, and Vanity Fair offered him the position of managing editor. his first comic performance, impersonating a befuddled after-dinner 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. When dad moved back upstate to Cortland he decided the upkeep on the cottage was too big a hassle. While he completed his year's work, his condition continued to deteriorate, and he died in a New York hospital on November 21, 1945. Benchley's earliest roles were in film, including the romantic comedy "Rafter Romance" (1933) with Ginger [82] He also appeared in a number of films, including 48 short treatments that he mostly wrote or co-wrote and numerous feature films. 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]. [72] Even the longer, plot-driven shorts, such as Lesson Number One, Furnace Trouble, and Stewed, Fried and Boiled, show a Benchley character overmatched by seemingly mundane tasks. The format of Vanity Fair fit Benchley's style very well, allowing his columns to have a humorous tone, often as straight parodies. Even his theater reviews read like the scripts of situation comedies, with Benchley the central character. 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.''. Artists Association of Nantucket (New York City: Athena Books, 1989. The New Yorker published an average of forty-eight Benchley columns per year during the early 1930s. Benchley's humor was molded during his time at Harvard. 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. [62], Benchley's return yielded two more short films, and his high-profile prompted negotiations for sponsorship of a Benchley radio program and numerous appearances on television shows, including the first television entertainment program ever broadcast, an untitled test program using an experimental antenna on the Empire State Building. 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. He did especially well in his English and government classes. James R. Gaines, Wit's End: Days and Nights of the Algonquin Round Table. Husband of Gertrude Benchley Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. 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. Nantucket MA 02554. But now he has been an islander for a long From Toronto Leacock closely followed the increasing body of Benchley's published humor and wit, and opened correspondence between them. Occasionally he is referred to, in passing, as the grandfather of Peter Benchley, the author of ''Jaws.'' 3 reviews Get A Copy Amazon Stores Published 1956 More Details Edit Details Reader Q&A To ask other readers questions about Robert Benchley , please sign up . He was promised a position at the Tribune's Sunday magazine when it launched, and he was moved to the magazine's staff soon after he was hired, eventually becoming chief writer. WebBenchley showed at the Lobster Pot. [55], With the emergence of The New Yorker, Benchley was able to stay away from Hollywood work for a number of years. Matt Haber, "A One-Man Band Who Created an Oeuvre." Though Mr. Altman recounts all the stories, he hardly ever tries to sort out fact from fiction. Nancy and I talked all the way home about how we, too, might live on the island perhaps wintering there, housesitting for the entitled while plying our crafts. Robert Benchley was born on September 15, 1889, in Worcester, Massachusetts, the second son of Maria Jane (Moran) and Charles Henry Benchley. "[20] Things did not improve for Benchley and Obiter Dicta, and a failed practical joke at a company banquet further strained the relationship between Benchley and his superiors. (New York City, Twayne Publishers, 1968. URL accessed May 6, 2007. [78] Even the more stereotypical characters held these qualities, such as the incapable sportscaster Benchley played in The Sport Parade.[79]. And that was the point of the trip, which made it a happy one in every way that it could be. His contract concluded with only four short films completed and no chance of signing another contract. The radio program, Melody and Madness - with the Melody provided by Artie Shaw - was a showcase for Benchley's acting, as he did not participate in writing it. https://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/20/books/exit-laughing.html. One theory holds that Edmund's death in battle seeded pacifist leanings in his writings. WebRobert Benchley Treasurer Director Thomas Chalmers (uncredited) Writer Robert Benchley (uncredited) All cast & crew Production, box office & more at IMDbPro Storyline Edit A club's formal dinner has been completed, and there is a pause in the entertainment so that the assistant treasurer can give the report of the club's finances for the year. While Benchley, along with many of his Algonquin acquaintances, was wary of getting involved with another publication for various reasons, he completed some freelance work for The New Yorker over the first few years, and was later invited to be newspaper critic. When a rumored opening for an editorial position at Vanity Fair fell through, Benchley decided he would continue freelancing, having made a name for himself at the magazine. He was promised a position at the Tribune's Sunday magazine when it launched, and he was moved to the magazine's staff soon after he was hired, eventually becoming chief writer. 1. "[31], Benchley was forced to take a publicity position with the Liberty Loan program, and he continued to freelance until Collier's contacted him with an associate editor position. [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. [1][2] They were of Northern Irish (Protestant) and Welsh descent, respectively, both from colonial stock. By 1944 he was taking thankless roles in the studio's least distinguished films, like the rustic musical National Barn Dance. 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. 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 considerable sum to star in a series of short subjects. From Toronto Leacock closely followed the increasing body of Benchley's published humor and wit, and opened correspondence between them. Few could be arguably as skilled. 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. Norris W. Yates, Robert Benchley. The resulting film, How to Sleep, was filmed in two days, and featured Benchley as both the narrator and sleeper, the latter a role Benchley claimed was "not much of a strain, as [he] was in bed most of the time. [11] Nathaniel also became a writer, and he published a biography of his father in 1955. 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. 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. [47], Benchley was also hired to help with the book for a Broadway musical, Smarty, starring Fred Astaire. 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. Before he left he had purchased the place for about $6,200. [75], In his films, the common man exaggerations continued. [4], His father served in the Union army for two years during the Civil War and had a four-year hitch in the Navy before settling again in Worcester, marrying and working as a town clerk. ATTRACTIONS INCLUDE: MONDAY, 3rd Concert and Talent Quest. URL accessed May 21, 2007. [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 liberty gave his work new life, and the success of his pieces in the magazine convinced his editors to give him a signed byline column in the Tribune proper. The Benchley family was attending a public Fourth of July picnic when a bicycle messenger brought the notification telegram. traits: fidelity, perseverance and to turn around three times before His re-entry into public speaking followed the annual HarvardYale football game in 1914, where he presented a practical joke involving "Professor Soong" giving a question-and-answer session on football in Chinese. The revue was applauded by both spectators and fellow actors, with Benchley's performance in particular receiving the biggest laughs. His re-entry into public speaking followed the annual HarvardYale football game in 1914, where he presented a practical joke involving "Professor Soong" giving a question-and-answer session on football in Chinese. Copyright Jeff Schult. [60] The early success of How to Sleep prompted MGM to rush two more short films featuring Benchley, How to Train a Dog, a spoof of dog-training techniques, and How to Behave, which lampooned etiquette norms. The two were given a good deal of freedom, but Benchley's coverage of the war and focus on African-American regiments as well as provocative pictorials about lynching in the southern United States earned him and Gruening scrutiny from management. [16], Benchley did copy work for the Curtis Publishing Company during the summer following graduation (1913) while doing other odd service jobs, such as translating French catalogs for the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. His performances gave him some local fame, and most entertainment programs on campus and many off-campus meetings recruited Benchley's talents. Writing career WebRobert Carol Benchley Resides in Hyannis, MA Lived In Nantucket MA Related To Carol Benchley Includes Address (2) See Results Robert Stafford Benchley, 72 Resides in Dolores Gregory, "'Benchley': Seeing a Famous Forebear Whole." The table gained prominence due to the media attention the members drew as well as their collective contributions to their respective areas. Benchley was the protagonist in everything he wrote. Rob Benchley was raised in Connecticut and, as a boy, maybe he was one of the entitled ones. He fit the profile. While Benchley, along with many of his Algonquin acquaintances, was wary of getting involved with another publication for various reasons, he completed some freelance work for The New Yorker over the first few years, and was later invited to be newspaper critic. Benchley is best remembered for his contributions to The New Yorker, where his essays, whether topical or absurdist, influenced many modern humorists. [54], This was followed in 1936 by How to be a Detective. [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. [62], Benchleys definition of humor was simplicity itself: Anything that makes people laugh.[63] His favorite nursery rhyme was "One, two, three, / Buckle my shoe. His explanatory note: "I was loafing. Which was plenty to go on, when I got home. The New Yorker published an average of forty-eight Benchley columns per year during the early 1930s. [16] Benchley kept these achievements in mind as he began to contemplate a career for himself after college. WebRobert Benchley was an actor who had a successful Hollywood career. URL accessed May 21, 2007. They have also lived in Sterling, MI. [29], This freelancing attempt did not start out well, with Benchley selling just one piece to Vanity Fair and accumulating countless rejections in two months. 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.

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