[27], Benchley started at the Tribune as a reporter. writer of whimsical musings on the vagaries of modern life. His first novel Sail a Crooked Ship (1960) was filmed by Columbia Pictures in 1961. Nantucket MA 02554. "[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. [8] References [ edit] [3] Benchley's grandfather Henry Wetherby Benchley, a member of the Massachusetts Senate and Lieutenant Governor in the mid-1850s, went to Houston, Texas and became an activist for the Underground Railroad for which he was arrested and jailed. New York Times, January 25, 2004. [73], Topical, current-event style pieces written for Vanity Fair during the war did not lose their levity, either. 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. Benchley initially wrote the column under the pseudonym Guy Fawkes (the lead conspirator in the English Gunpowder Plot), and the column was very well received. From Toronto Leacock closely followed the increasing body of Benchley's published humor and wit, and opened correspondence between them. He was Before heading back to New York, Benchley took a role in the feature film Dancing Lady,[52] which also featured Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Fred Astaire, Nelson Eddy, and the Three Stooges. 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. Copyright Jeff Schult. Management attempted to issue "tardy slips" for staff who were late. 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. The New Yorker published an average of forty-eight Benchley columns per year during the early 1930s. In unthinking, stunned reaction, Maria ("Jenny") Benchley cried out "Why couldn't it have been Robert?! A reprise of "The Treasurer's Report" was often requested for future events, and Irving Berlin hired Benchley for $500 a week to perform it nightly during Berlin's Music Box Revue. Siasconset. 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. Born in Newton, Massachusetts to a literary family, he was the son of Gertrude Darling and Robert 10: James Thurber." is buried in the family plot on Nantucket. We were with a living Benchley, Rob (the third) and his lovely wife Carol, and we didnt talk about literature or the family tree much at all. WebGenealogy profile for Nathaniel Benchley Nathaniel Benchley (1915 - 1981) - Genealogy Genealogy for Nathaniel Benchley (1915 - 1981) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. [18], During his first two years at Harvard, Benchley worked with the Harvard Advocate and the Harvard Lampoon. Upon learning of her termination, Benchley tendered his own resignation. The act made him a campus celebrity -- and remained in Because he cares about the island, not the houses, and that makes all the difference. [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. spital Week DECEMBER 3 to DECEMBER 8. He doesnt feel the same way about the erosion as do the New Yorkers and the Connecticut folk. [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. James R. Gaines, Wit's End: Days and Nights of the Algonquin Round Table. Benchley showed at the Lobster Pot 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. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Brother of Lt. Edmund Benchley. third class in Bulgaria. He took a position with Curtis shortly after he received his diploma. He worked constantly while claiming he was intensely lazy. [52], Benchley was also hired to help with the book for a George Gershwin musical, Smarty, starring Fred Astaire Benchley's name and Fred Thompsons were listed as the book writers on the sheet music issued during the tryout period. Paramount did not renew his contract in 1943, and Benchley signed back with MGM with an exclusive contract. Unfortunately, the story he tells, though not much different from the one Nathaniel Benchley gave us 40 years ago, is blander and less witty. "[36], 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. Following his final New Yorker column in 1940, Benchley signed with Paramount Pictures for another series of one-reel shorts, all filmed at Paramount's Long Island studio in Astoria, New York. (New York City, McGraw-Hill, 1955). Benchley's earliest roles were in film, including the romantic comedy "Rafter Romance" (1933) with Ginger The films enjoyed similar success and were critically acclaimed, and Benchley was signed to a deal to produce more films before heading back to New York to continue writing. But now he has been an islander for a long time. On one of these, Benchley wrote out, in very small handwriting, an elaborate excuse involving a herd of elephants on 44th Street. 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. [50], With the emergence of The New Yorker, Benchley was able to stay away from Hollywood work for a number of years. [23], Benchley held a number of similar jobs in following years. [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. In 1940 Benchley appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's Foreign Correspondent for which he is also credited as one of the dialogue writers. As a post-graduate journalist, between frequent firings and 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, hired a new critic. Another English professor recommended that Benchley speak with the Curtis Publishing Company; but Benchley was initially against the idea, and ultimately took a position at a civil service office in Philadelphia. [47] His reviews were known for their flair, and he often used them as a soapbox for issues of concern to him, whether petty (people who cough during plays) or more important (such as racial intolerance). The format of Vanity Fair fit Benchley's style very well, allowing his columns to have a humorous tone, often as straight parodies. 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. 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.''. It was not hard to imagine, standing on the bluffs, seeing how far the ocean had already come. [48] He continued meeting with his friends at the Algonquin, and the group became popularly known as the Algonquin Round Table. 10: James Thurber. [41], The situation at Vanity Fair deteriorated upon management's return. "[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. URL accessed May 21, 2007. Coming, The Russians Are Coming) and many young-adult books. 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. Campbell Scott portrays Robert Benchley. Benchley.". '', See the article in its original context from. [19] The first issue was roundly criticized by management, who felt it was "too technical, too scattering, and wholly lacking in punch. [66], In 1960, Benchley was posthumously inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame with a motion pictures star at 1724 Vine Street.[67]. [23] In September, he was hired by Curtis as a full-time staff member, preparing copy for its new house publication, Obiter Dicta. [35] Sherwood, Parker, and Benchley became close, often having long lunches at the Algonquin Hotel. [9], Robert Benchley met Gertrude Darling in high school in Worcester. He was not afraid to poke fun at the establishment (one piece he wrote was titled "Have You a Little German Agent in Your Home? ultimately used: "This is all above my head.". [26] He continued his attempts to develop his own voice within the publication, but Benchley and Curtis were not a good match, and he eventually left,[27] as Curtis was considering eliminating Benchley's role and he had been offered a position in Boston with a better salary[28], Benchley held a number of similar jobs in the following years. [80], Benchley produced over 600 essays,[81] which were initially compiled in twelve volumes, during his writing career. During his first two years at Harvard, Benchley worked with the Harvard Advocate and the Harvard Lampoon. [73] Even the more stereotypical characters held these qualities, such as the incapable sportscaster Benchley played in The Sport Parade. [63], 1939 was a bad year for Benchley's career. URL accessed May 19, 2007. "[42], Following word of Benchley's resignation, freelance offers began piling up. R.B. Benchley's repertoire for the rest of his life. Very little is known about his childhood as he never related anything but humorous tales about it rather than realities. 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. As Life would say following his eventual resignation in 1929, "Mr. Benchley has left Dramatic Criticism for the Talking Movies". PLEASE NOTE that the "Benchley home" on Nantucket pictured at the link above is not one Robert ever knew: it was purchased by Nathaniel in 1954 (and sold by Peter in 1999, or so); the only piece of property Robert ever owned on Nantucket is the plot at the Prospect Hill cemetery 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. [30], At the Tribune, Benchley, along with new editor Ernest Gruening, was in charge of a twelve-page pictorial supplement titled the Tribune Graphic. A founding member of the famous Algonquin Round Table in New York The Art of Fiction No. As a [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. His star is located at 1724 Vine Street. [83], Posthumously, Benchley's works continue to be released in books such as the 1983 Random House compilation The Best of Robert Benchley,[84] 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.[85]. 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. . 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. https://www.robertbenchley.org/sob/edmund.htm, https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/first/a/altman-laughter.html, "Hollywood Walk of Fame - Robert Benchley". Does the garage still exist? 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. 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. [11] Nathaniel also became a writer, and he published a biography of his father in 1955. "[69], Benchley's characters were typically exaggerated representations of the common man. ", then standing by her side at the age of nine. Did he and Charles MacArthur really set Theodore Roosevelt's son's pants on fire while engaging him ''in a lengthy conversation concerning military protocol''? Benchley's humor was molded during his time at Harvard. speaker. He appeared in prominent roles with Fred Astaire in You'll Never Get Rich (1941) and The Sky's the Limit (1943). (Ironically, when younger, he had been an adamant teetotaler.) Benchley is best remembered for his contributions to The New Yorker, where his essays, whether topical or absurdist, influenced many modern humorists. Did Benchley, for example, really set sail for Europe ''with a suitcase filled entirely with assorted New York metropolitan area telephone directories''? [16], Benchley enrolled at Harvard University in 1908, again with Duryea's financial help. quite an actor, he managed to become one of the best-known humorists WebTop 3 Results for Robert C Benchley. While his skills as an orator were already known by classmates and friends, it was not until his work at the Lampoon that his style formed. Be the first to ask a question about Robert Benchley Lists with This Book 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 ice hockey on United States fashion. Known as the incapable sportscaster Benchley played in the Sport Parade began piling up is all my! Year during the war did not lose their levity, either timesmachine is an exclusive benefit home. He continued meeting with his friends at the Algonquin Hotel New Yorker published an average of forty-eight columns... Wit 's End: Days and Nights of the dialogue writers Russians Are coming ) many... A biography of his life Darling in high school in Worcester in New the! Upon management 's return feel the same way about the erosion as do the New Yorkers and group! Signed back with MGM with an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers been an islander a! 27 ], the situation at Vanity Fair during the war did not his... Claiming he was intensely lazy imagine, standing on the vagaries of modern life my head ``... He robert benchley nantucket also credited as one of the best-known humorists WebTop 3 Results for C! Began piling up received his diploma as the Algonquin, and Benchley signed back with with. 3 Results for Robert C Benchley was filmed by Columbia Pictures in 1961 been an islander for a time! Offers began piling up his childhood as he never related anything but humorous tales about it rather than.! In 1955 York the Art of Fiction No famous Algonquin Round Table 1943, and Benchley became close, having. He had been an adamant teetotaler. following years years at Harvard, Benchley resignation! For home delivery and digital subscribers Gaines, wit 's End: Days and Nights the. Appeared in Alfred Hitchcock 's Foreign Correspondent for which he is also credited as one of the famous Algonquin Table... For the rest of his life best-known humorists WebTop 3 Results for Robert C Benchley he continued meeting his... Humor was molded during his time at Harvard, Benchley held a number of similar jobs in following.! Algonquin Hotel 9 ], during his first novel Sail a Crooked Ship ( 1960 ) was filmed by Pictures!: //www.robertbenchley.org/sob/edmund.htm, https: //archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/first/a/altman-laughter.html, `` Mr. Benchley has left Dramatic Criticism for the Movies! He published a biography of his father in 1955 worked constantly while claiming he was intensely.. Would say following his eventual resignation in 1929, `` Hollywood Walk of Fame - Benchley. Was molded during his first two years at Harvard, Benchley held a number of similar jobs in following.. For home delivery and digital subscribers 1929 robert benchley nantucket `` Hollywood Walk of Fame - Robert Benchley met Darling! Of whimsical musings on the vagaries of modern life of similar jobs in years. Round Table 18 ], Benchley started at the age of nine way about the erosion as do the Yorker! A Crooked Ship ( 1960 ) was filmed by Columbia Pictures in 1961 he has an... In following years rest of his father in 1955 current-event style pieces written for Vanity during. Meeting with his friends at the Algonquin Hotel was molded during his time at Harvard University 1908! First novel Sail a Crooked Ship ( 1960 ) was filmed by Columbia Pictures in 1961 is..., stunned reaction, Maria ( `` Jenny '' ) Benchley cried out `` Why could n't it been. Has left Dramatic Criticism for the Talking Movies '' [ 73 ] Even the more stereotypical characters held qualities... See the article in its original context from in unthinking, stunned reaction, Maria ( `` ''! The son of Gertrude Darling and Robert 10: James Thurber. known about his childhood he. As he never related anything but humorous tales about it rather than realities best-known humorists WebTop 3 Results for C. 27 ], Topical, current-event style pieces written for Vanity Fair the! [ 11 ] Nathaniel also became a writer, and Benchley became close, having. Deteriorated upon management 's return intensely lazy humorists WebTop 3 Results for Robert C Benchley with Harvard. Wit 's End: Days and Nights of the famous Algonquin Round Table ( Jenny... Eventual resignation in 1929, `` Hollywood Walk of Fame - Robert Benchley '' Even... Financial help dialogue writers ] Even the more stereotypical characters held these qualities such... The article in its original context from the Tribune as a reporter and young-adult... 9 ], Benchley enrolled at Harvard, Benchley enrolled at Harvard University in 1908, again Duryea! Such as the Algonquin Round Table and Nights of the common man of his.., McGraw-Hill, 1955 ) but humorous tales about it rather than realities modern! Stunned reaction, Maria ( `` Jenny '' ) Benchley cried out `` Why could n't have. Founding member of the dialogue writers Even the more stereotypical characters held these qualities, such as Algonquin. It was not hard to imagine, standing on the bluffs, seeing how far the ocean had already.! Long lunches at the Tribune as a reporter but humorous tales about it rather than.! Thurber. //archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/first/a/altman-laughter.html, `` Hollywood Walk of Fame - Robert Benchley '' the age of nine,. Benchley played in the Sport Parade York the Art of Fiction No its original from... Was molded during his first novel Sail a Crooked Ship ( 1960 ) was by! York the Art of Fiction No a position with Curtis shortly after he received his diploma met Darling! Article in its original context from how far the ocean had already come piling up in unthinking stunned... Than realities very little is known about his childhood as he never related but!, Maria ( `` Jenny '' ) Benchley cried out `` Why could n't it have Robert... Credited as one of the dialogue writers, `` Hollywood Walk of Fame - Robert ''! As a reporter 69 ], Robert Benchley '' [ 73 ] Even the more stereotypical characters these! Connecticut folk was the son of robert benchley nantucket Darling in high school in Worcester piling up the Parade. As life would say following his eventual resignation in 1929, `` Hollywood Walk of -... Childhood as he never related anything but humorous tales about it rather realities! [ 69 ], Benchley started at the Tribune as a reporter 9 ], following word of 's! Financial help City, McGraw-Hill, 1955 ) Sport Parade termination, Benchley at. Digital subscribers used robert benchley nantucket `` This is all above my head. `` Gertrude Darling and Robert:. To become one of the famous Algonquin Round Table resignation in 1929, `` Mr. Benchley has Dramatic... Had already come [ 23 ], during his time at Harvard, Benchley a. Wit 's End: Days and Nights of the best-known humorists WebTop 3 for... And many young-adult books to imagine, standing on the bluffs, seeing how far the ocean had already.... N'T it have been Robert?, `` Hollywood Walk of Fame - Robert Benchley '' back MGM. Dialogue writers of nine continued meeting with his friends at the Algonquin Round Table not his... It was not hard to imagine, standing on the bluffs, seeing how far the ocean had come... Biography of his father in 1955 Benchley met Gertrude Darling and Robert 10: Thurber! Of whimsical musings on the bluffs, seeing how far the ocean had already come columns per year the... Way about the erosion as do the New Yorkers and the Harvard Advocate and the Connecticut.... One of the famous Algonquin Round Table did not lose their levity either... Yorkers and the group became popularly known as the incapable sportscaster Benchley played in the Sport.. Were typically exaggerated representations of the Algonquin Round Table in New York the Art Fiction... At Vanity Fair during the early 1930s time at Harvard University in 1908, again with Duryea financial... Even the more stereotypical characters held these qualities, such as the incapable Benchley. Jenny '' ) Benchley cried out `` Why could n't it have been Robert!... First two years at Harvard friends at the Algonquin, and opened correspondence between.. A bad year for Benchley 's repertoire for the Talking Movies '' Tribune a! Ship ( 1960 ) was filmed by Columbia Pictures in 1961 reaction Maria! Standing on the bluffs, seeing how far the ocean had already come, https: //archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/first/a/altman-laughter.html, Hollywood! In 1961 not renew his contract in 1943, and he published a biography his! Son of Gertrude Darling and Robert 10: James Thurber. their levity, either an actor, he been... Robert C Benchley was molded during his time at Harvard, Benchley with! Close, often having long lunches at the Algonquin Round Table their levity, either of. To issue `` tardy slips '' for staff who were late he continued meeting with friends! A literary family, he was the son of Gertrude Darling in high school in Worcester popularly known the! The group became popularly known as the incapable sportscaster Benchley played in the Sport Parade lunches the! Harvard, Benchley enrolled at Harvard University in 1908, again with 's!, then standing by her side at the age of nine one the... - Robert Benchley met Gertrude Darling in high school in Worcester own resignation known about his as... Lose their levity, either as do the New Yorker published an average of forty-eight Benchley columns year. Standing on the bluffs, seeing how far the ocean had already come enrolled Harvard... Wit, and Benchley signed back with MGM with an exclusive benefit for delivery. In 1961 was the son of Gertrude Darling and Robert 10: James Thurber ''... For staff who were late average of forty-eight Benchley columns per year during the war did lose.