Humorist

Robert Benchley 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. From his beginnings at ''The Harvard Lampoon'' while attending Harvard University, thro ...

(1889–1945) produced over 600 essays, initially compiled in over twelve volumes, during his writing career. He was also featured in a number of films, including 48 short treatments that he mostly wrote or co-wrote, and numerous feature films. The following is a list of those compilations and appearances.

Books

Benchley produced twelve compilation books of his work for the various publications he wrote and freelanced for, and numerous posthumous compilations of his work have been produced since his death. Unless otherwise indicated, all volumes featuring illustrations were drawn by

Gluyas Williams Gluyas Williams (July 23, 1888 – February 13, 1982) was an American cartoonist, notable for his contributions to ''The New Yorker'' and other major magazines. He was also syndicated in a number of newspapers, including the ''Boston Globe'' ...

.The Robert Benchley Society.

Collections During His Lifetime

* ''Of All Things'' - Henry Holt & Company, 1921. 234p. - 22 essays by Robert Benchley published in '' Vanity Fair'', '' The New York Tribune'', ''

Collier's Weekly ''Collier's'' was an American general interest magazine founded in 1888 by Peter Fenelon Collier. It was launched as ''Collier's Once a Week'', then renamed in 1895 as ''Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal'', shortened in 1905 to ''Colli ...

'', ''

Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for Cell growth, growth, reaction to Stimu ...

'', and '' Motor Print''. * ''Love Conquers All'' - Henry Holt & Company, 1922. 310p. - 63 essays published in ''

'', '' The New York World'', '' The New York Tribune'', '' The Detroit Athletic Club News'', and '' The Consolidated Press Association''. * ''Pluck And Luck'' - Henry Holt & Company, 1925. 295 p. - 50 essays published in ''

'', '' The Detroit Athletic Club News'', '' The Bookman'', '' College Humor'', and '' The Theatre Guild Program''. * ''The Early Worm'' - Henry Holt & Company, 1927. 263p. - 47 essays published in ''Life'', '' The Detroit Athletic Club News'', ''The New Yorker'', '' College Humor'', and '' The Bell Syndicate''. * ''20,000 Leagues under the Sea, or David Copperfield'' - Henry Holt & Company, 1928. 233p. - 40 essays by Robert Benchley published in '' The Bookman'', '' The Detroit Athletic Club News'', ''The Forum'', ''Life'', ''The New Yorker'', and ''

The Yale Review ''The Yale Review'' is the oldest literary journal in the United States. It is published by Johns Hopkins University Press. It was founded in 1819 as ''The Christian Spectator'' to support Evangelicalism. Over time it began to publish more on ...

''. * ''The Treasurer's Report & Other Aspects of Community Singing'' -

Harper and Brothers Harper is an American publishing house, the flagship imprint of global publisher HarperCollins based in New York City. History J. & J. Harper (1817–1833) James Harper and his brother John, printers by training, started their book publishin ...

, 1930. * ''No Poems, Or Around the World Backwards and Sideways'' - Harper and Brothers, 1932. 330p. - 45 essays. * ''From Bed to Worse, or Comforting Thoughts about the Bison'' - Harper and Brothers, 1934. 286p. - 60 essays. * '' My Ten Years in a Quandary, and How They Grew'' - Harper and Brothers, 1936. 361p - 105 essays. * ''After 1903 - What?'' - Harper and Brothers, 1938. * ''Inside Benchley'' - Harper and Brothers, 1942. 316p. - 50 previously published essays. * ''Benchley Beside Himself'' - Harper and Brothers, 1943. 304p. - 47 previously published essays. Williams illustrations and still photos from Benchley's short films.

Book Prefaces, Introductions, and Forewords

* Ellison Hoover ''Cartoons From Life'' - Simon & Schuster, 1925. * Justin Stafford Lucien Esty ''Ask Me Another! The Question Book'' - Viking Press, 1927. *

''The Gluyas Williams Book'' - Doubleday, Doran, 1929. *

Peter Arno Curtis Arnoux Peters, Jr. (January 8, 1904 – February 22, 1968), known professionally as Peter Arno, was an American cartoonist. He contributed cartoons and 101 covers to ''The New Yorker'' from 1925, the magazine's first year, until 1968, the ...

''Peter Arno's Hullabaloo'' - Horace Liveright, 1930. * ''The Fourth New Yorker Album'' - Doubleday, Doran, 1931. * Dwight Fiske (and

Dawn Powell Dawn Powell (November 28, 1896 – November 14, 1965) was an American novelist, playwright, screenwriter, and short story writer. Known for her acid-tongued prose, "her relative obscurity was likely due to a general distaste for her harsh sati ...

) ''Without Music'' - The Chatham Press, 1933. *

S. J. Perelman Sidney Joseph Perelman (February 1, 1904 – October 17, 1979) was an American humorist and screenwriter. He is best known for his humorous short pieces written over many years for ''The New Yorker''. He also wrote for several other magazines ...

''Strictly From Hunger'' - Random House, 1937. *

''Fellow Citizens'' - Doubleday, Doran, 1940. * Morton Thompson ''Joe, The Wounded Tennis Player'' - Doubleday, Doran, 1945.

Posthumous

* ''Benchley--Or Else'' - Harper and Brothers, 1947. 273p - 71 essays, six of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker''. *''Chips off the Old Benchley'' - Harper and Brothers, 1949. 360p. - Collection of 77 essays compiled by Gertrude Benchley, Robert's wife. Many of the illustrations were previously unpublished in book form. * ''The "Reel" Benchley'' - A. A. Wyn, Inc., 1950. 96p - No Williams illustrations, instead consisting of stills and scripts from many of Benchley's short films. * ''The Benchley Roundup'' - Harper and Brothers, 1954. 288p- A collection of essays, written between 1915 and 1945, edited by

Nathaniel Benchley Nathaniel Goddard Benchley (November 13, 1915 – December 14, 1981) was an American writer from Massachusetts. Early life Born in Newton, Massachusetts to a literary family, he was the son of Robert Benchley (1889–1945), a noted American wri ...

* ''Benchley Lost and Found: Thirty-Nine Prodigal Pieces'' - Dover Publications, 1970. 183p. * ''The Benchley Omnibus'' - University of Chicago Press, 1983. 353p - Edited by Nathaniel Benchley. * ''The Best of Robert Benchley'' - Avenel Books, 1983. 353p. * ''Benchley at the Theatre: Dramatic Criticism, 1920-1940 by Robert Benchley'' - Ipswich Press, 1985. - Edited by Charles Getchell, the volume contains 84 of Benchley's theatrical reviews written for ''Life'' and ''The New Yorker'' over his career. * ''Robert Benchley's Wayward Press: The Complete Collection of his The New Yorker Columns written as Guy Fawkes (S.L. Harrison, ed.)'' - Wolf Den Books, 2008. 341p - Collection of all Wayward Press columns, with a Prologue by Nat Benchley. * ''The Athletic Benchley-105 Exercises from The Detroit Athletic Club News'' - Glendower Media, 2010.

Film and television

Benchley filmed for

Fox Film Corporation The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American Independent film production studio formed by William Fox (1879–1952) in 1915, by combining his earlier Greater New York Film Rental Company and Box Office Attractions Film C ...

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

RKO Radio Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orph ...

, and then primarily for

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...

and Paramount Pictures. Toward the end of his career, he did freelance acting around Hollywood. The films are listed by release date, not by production date.

Short films

* '' The Treasurer's Report'' (1928,

) as Treasurer * '' The Sex Life of the Polyp'' (1928, Fox) as Lecturer * '' The Spellbinder'' (1928, Fox) as himself * '' Furnace Trouble'' (1929, Fox) as himself * '' Lesson No. 1'' (1929, Fox) as Lecturer * '' Stewed, Fried, and Boiled'' (1929, Fox) as Lecturer * '' Your Technocracy and Mine'' (1933,

) as himself * '' How to Break 90 at Croquet'' (1935,

) as Joe Doakes * '' How to Sleep'' (1935,

- Written and acted by Benchley, the short was based on a study on sleep and won the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

in 1935 for Best Short Film, Benchley played narrator and sleeper) as Lecturer * '' David O. Selznick: 'Your New Producer''' (1935, MGM) as Master of Ceremonies * '' How to Behave'' (1936, MGM) as himself * ''

How to Train a Dog ''How to Train a Dog'' is a 1936 short film released through MGM Studios starring Robert Benchley. The short film reveals how not to train a dog, as the character Benchley gets the dog from a pet store A pet shop or pet store is a retail busines ...

'' (1936, MGM) as Lecturer / Dog Owner * ''

How to Vote How may refer to: * How (greeting), a word used in some misrepresentations of Native American/First Nations speech * How, an interrogative word in English grammar Art and entertainment Literature * ''How'' (book), a 2007 book by Dov Seid ...

'' (1936, MGM) as himself * ''

How to Be a Detective ''Goofy'' is a series of American animated comedy short films produced by Walt Disney Productions. The series started in 1939 with ''Goofy and Wilbur'' and ended in 1953 with '' How to Sleep''. An additional short, ''How to Hook Up Your Home Thea ...

'' (1936, MGM) as Lecturer * '' The Romance of Digestion'' (1937, MGM) as Joe Doakes * '' How to Start the Day'' (1937, MGM) as Lecturer * '' A Night at the Movies'' (1937, MGM - Written and acted by Benchley, this short was his most well-received since ''How to Sleep''. About a man going to the movies,Altman, 321–325. the short was nominated for an Academy Award) as HusbandNat Benchley. * '' How to Figure Income Tax'' (1938, MGM) as Joe Doakes * '' Music Made Simple'' (1938, MGM) as Robert Benchley * '' An Evening Alone'' (1938, MGM) as Doakes * '' How to Raise a Baby'' (1938, MGM) as Lecturer Father * '' The Courtship of the Newt'' (1938, MGM) as Zoology professor * '' How to Read'' (1938, MGM) as Lecturer * '' How to Watch Football'' (1938, MGM) as Football Fan * '' Opening Day'' (1938, MGM) as City Treasurer Benchley * '' Mental Poise'' (1938, MGM) as Psychoanalyst / Mr. Ostegraf * '' How to Sub-Let'' (1939, MGM) as Joseph A. Doakes * '' An Hour for Lunch'' (1939, MGM) as Lecturer / Joe * ''

Dark Magic Black magic, also known as dark magic, has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes, specifically the seven magical arts prohibited by canon law, as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 145 ...

'' (1939, MGM) as Joseph A. Doakes * '' Home Early'' (1939, MGM) as Joe Doakes * ''How to Eat'' (1939, MGM) as Lecturer / Joe Doakes * '' The Day of Rest'' (1939, MGM) as Joe Doakes * '' See Your Doctor'' (1939, MGM) as Lecturer / Joseph H. Doakes * '' That Inferior Feeling'' (1940, MGM - Also known as ''That Inferior Feeling'') as Joseph H. 'Joe' Doake * '' Home Movies'' (1940, MGM) as Joe Doakes * '' The Trouble with Husbands'' (1940, Paramount Pictures - Written by and starring Benchley) as Joe Doakes * '' Waiting for Baby'' (1941, Paramount - Written by and starring Benchley) as Joseph Doakes * ''

Crime Control Crime control refers to methods taken to reduce crime in a society. Crime control standardizes police work. Crime prevention is also widely implemented in some countries, through government police and, in many cases, private policing methods such ...

'' (1941, Paramount - Written by and starring Benchley) as Sgt. Benchley / Joe Doakes * '' The Forgotten Man'' (1941, Paramount - Written by and starring Benchley) as Joe Doakes * '' How To Take a Vacation'' (1941, Paramount - Written by and starring Benchley) as The Husband * '' Nothing But Nerves'' (1941, Paramount - Written by and starring Benchley) as Mr. Benchley * ''The Witness'' (1941, Paramount - Written by and starring Benchley) as Joe Doakes * '' Keeping In Shape'' (1941, Paramount - Written by and starring Benchley) as Lecturer / Joe Doakes * '' The Man's Angle'' (1942, Paramount - Written by and starring Benchley) as Joe Doakes * '' My Tomato'' (1943, MGM - Starring Benchley) as Joseph A. Doakes * '' No News Is Good News'' (1943, MGM - Written by and starring Benchley) as Answer Man / Newscaster * '' Important Business'' (1944, MGM - Written by and starring Benchley) as Joseph A. Doakes * '' Why, Daddy?'' (1944, MGM - Written by and starring Benchley - his last short film for MGM) as Joseph A. Doakes * ''

Boogie Woogie Boogie-woogie is a genre of blues music that became popular during the late 1920s, developed in African-American communities since 1870s.Paul, Elliot, ''That Crazy American Music'' (1957), Chapter 10, p. 229. It was eventually extended from pi ...

'' (1945, Paramount - Written by and starring Benchley) as Frederick Stumplefinger, Father * ''

Hollywood Victory Caravan The Hollywood Victory Caravan was a two-week cross-country railroad journey in 1942 that brought together two dozen film stars to raise money for the Army and Navy Relief Society. It was sponsored by the Hollywood Victory Committee of Stage, Scree ...

'' (1945, Paramount and the

United States Treasury Department The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and ...

- Starring Benchley, a film version of the touring show) as himself * '' I'm a Civilian Here Myself'' (1945,

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

- Written by and starring Benchley) as Joe Doakes

Feature films

* ''

You'd Be Surprised "You'd Be Surprised" is a song written by Irving Berlin in 1919 which Eddie Cantor interpolated it into Ziegfeld's ''Follies of 1919''. Cantor soon recorded it and it became a major hit. Other popular versions in 1920 were by the All-Star Trio a ...

'' (1926, Paramount - Writer of

intertitle In films, an intertitle, also known as a title card, is a piece of filmed, printed text edited into the midst of (i.e., ''inter-'') the photographed action at various points. Intertitles used to convey character dialogue are referred to as "dialo ...

s for the film) * ''

The American Venus ''The American Venus'' is a 1926 American silent comedy film directed by Frank Tuttle, and starring Esther Ralston, Ford Sterling, Lawrence Gray, Fay Lanphier, Louise Brooks, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. The film was based on an original story b ...

'' (1926, Paramount - writer of intertitles for the film) (uncredited) * ''

Sky Devils ''Sky Devils'', also known as ''Ground Hogs'', is a 1932 American Pre-Code aviation comedy film, starring Spencer Tracy as a draft dodger who blunders into a war zone. ''Sky Devils'' was partly written by humorist Robert Benchley and the pictur ...

'' (1932, RKO - Featuring Benchley as a writer) * ''

The Sport Parade ''The Sport Parade'' is a 1932 American pre-Code film directed by Dudley Murphy and starring Joel McCrea, Marian Marsh, William Gargan, Robert Benchley, and Richard "Skeets" Gallagher. It was released by RKO Radio Pictures. Benchley also co-wrot ...

'' (1932, RKO - Written by and starring Benchley) as Radio Announcer * ''

Secrets of the French Police ''Secrets of the French Police'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code crime film directed by A. Edward Sutherland and starring Gwili Andre, Gregory Ratoff, and Frank Morgan. The film was made as a B film by RKO Radio Pictures, using some of the sets fr ...

'' (1932, RKO - additional dialogue) * ''

Headline Shooter ''Headline Shooter'' is a 1933 American pre-Code drama about the life of a newsreel photographer. Director Otto Brower intertwined the screenplay written by Agnes Christine Johnston, Allen Rivkin, and Arthur Kober, with actual newsreel footage ...

'' (1933, RKO - Starring Benchley) as Radio Announcer * ''

Rafter Romance ''Rafter Romance'' is an American 1933 pre-Code romantic comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film, which was based on the 1932 novel of the same name by John Wells, stars Ginger Rogers, Norman Foste ...

'' (1933, RKO - Starring Ginger Rogers and Benchley) as Hubbell * ''

Dancing Lady ''Dancing Lady'' is a 1933 American pre-Code musical film starring Joan Crawford and Clark Gable, and featuring Franchot Tone, Fred Astaire, Robert Benchley, and Ted Healy and His Stooges (who later became The Three Stooges with Curly, ...

'' (1933, MGM - Written by and starring Benchley) as Ward King * ''

Social Register The ''Social Register'' is a semi-annual publication in the United States that indexes the members of American high society. First published in the 1880s by newspaper columnist Louis Keller, it was later acquired by Malcolm Forbes. Since 2014, ...

'' (1934,

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

- Starring Benchley in a bit part) as himself * ''

The Gay Divorcee ''The Gay Divorcee'' is a 1934 American musical film directed by Mark Sandrich and starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It also features Alice Brady, Edward Everett Horton, Eric Blore, and Erik Rhodes. The screenplay was written by ...

'' (1934, RKO - Featuring Benchley as a writer; it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture) * ''

The Gay Bride ''The Gay Bride'' is a 1934 black-and-white gangster screwball comedy starring Carole Lombard as a wisecracking gold-digger and Chester Morris as the poor man she despises. It was directed by Jack Conway and written by the husband-and-wife team ...

'' (1934, MGM - Featuring Benchley as a writer) * ''

Murder on a Honeymoon ''Murder on a Honeymoon'' is a 1935 American mystery film starring Edna May Oliver and James Gleason. This was the third and last time Oliver portrayed astute schoolteacher Hildegarde Withers; the two previous films were ''The Penguin Pool Murder ...

'' (1935, RKO - Featuring Benchley as a writer) * ''

China Seas The China Seas consist of a series of marginal seas in the Western Pacific Ocean, around China. They are the major components signifying the transition from the continent of Asia to the Pacific Ocean.Pinxian Wang, Qianyu Li, Chun-Feng Li, ''Geolog ...

'' (1935, MGM - Starring Benchley) as Charlie McCaleb * '' Pursuit'' (1935, MGM - Featuring Benchley as a writer) * '' The Perfect Gentleman'' (1935, MGM - Featuring Benchley as a writer) * ''

Dancing Pirate ''Dancing Pirate'' is a 1936 American musical comedy film directed by Lloyd Corrigan. It is the third film shot in the three strip Technicolor process and the first musical in that format. Produced by the makers of ''Becky Sharp'', the film was ...

'' (1936, RKO - Featuring Benchley as a writer) * ''

Riffraff Riff Raff, Riffraff, or Riff-Raff, a term for the common people but with negative connotations, may refer to: In music * Riff Raff (rapper), from Texas * Riff Raff (band), a UK progressive rock band * Riff Raff, a band formed by Billy Bragg * ' ...

'' (1936, MGM - Featuring Benchley as a writer) * '' Piccadilly Jim'' (1936, MGM - Featuring Benchley as a writer and actor; based on the novel of the same name by

P. G. Wodehouse Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, ( ; 15 October 188114 February 1975) was an English author and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His creations include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Jeeve ...

) as Bill Macon * ''

Broadway Melody of 1938 ''Broadway Melody of 1938'' is a 1937 American musical film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by Roy Del Ruth. The film is essentially a backstage musical revue, featuring high-budget sets and cinematography in the MGM musical trad ...

'' (1937, MGM - Starring Benchley in a bit part) as Duffy * ''

Live, Love and Learn ''Live, Love and Learn'' is a 1937 romantic comedy film starring Robert Montgomery, Rosalind Russell, and Robert Benchley. The movie was directed by George Fitzmaurice. Cast * Robert Montgomery as Bob Graham *Rosalind Russell as Julie Stoddard ...

'' (1938, MGM -Featuring Benchley as a writer) as Oscar * '' Foreign Correspondent'' (1940,

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stud ...

Walter Wanger Walter Wanger (born Walter Feuchtwanger; July 11, 1894 – November 18, 1968) was an American film producer active from the 1910s, his career concluding with the turbulent production of '' Cleopatra,'' his last film, in 1963. He began at Para ...

Productions - Directed by Alfred Hitchcock and featuring dialogue written by Benchley. Benchley also acted in the film) as Stebbins * ''

Hired Wife ''Hired Wife'' is a 1940 American romantic comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Rosalind Russell, Brian Aherne and Virginia Bruce. Plot When Stephen Dexter (Brian Aherne), boss of Dexter Cement, competes with the giants in his ...

'' (1940, Universal - Starring Benchley) as Roger Van Horn * '' The Reluctant Dragon'' (1941) -

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

/RKO - Benchley played himself in the

live action Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ...

portions of this feature, giving a tour of the then-new Walt Disney Studios facility. Benchley was unhappy with the final product, as the writers relied too much (in his opinion) on pratfalls and visual gags)Altman, 327-328. as himself * ''

Nice Girl? ''Nice Girl?'' is a 1941 American musical film directed by William A. Seiter, and starring Deanna Durbin, Franchot Tone, Walter Brennan, Robert Stack, and Robert Benchley. Based on the play ''Nice Girl?'' by Phyllis Duganne, the film is about a y ...

'' (1941, A dramatic film, and a straight role for Benchley, often considered his finest straight performance) as Oliver Wendall Holmes Dana * ''

You'll Never Get Rich ''You'll Never Get Rich'' is a 1941 Hollywood musical comedy film with a wartime theme directed by Sidney Lanfield and starring Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, Robert Benchley, Cliff Nazarro, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The title stems f ...

'' (1941, Columbia - Starring Benchley) as Martin Cortland * ''

Three Girls About Town ''Three Girls About Town'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Leigh Jason and starring Joan Blondell, Binnie Barnes and Janet Blair (in her film debut). It was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The story was written by Rich ...

'' (1941, Columbia - Starring Benchley) as Wilburforce Puddle * ''

Bedtime Story A bedtime story is a traditional form of storytelling, where a story is told to a child at bedtime to prepare the child for sleep. The bedtime story has long been considered "a definite institution in many families".Dickson, Marguerite Stockm ...

'' (1941, Columbia - Starring Benchley) as Eddie Turner * ''

Take a Letter, Darling ''Take a Letter, Darling'' is a 1942 American romantic comedy film directed by Mitchell Leisen and starring Rosalind Russell. It was nominated for three Academy Awards; Best Cinematography, Best Score and Best Art Direction ( Hans Dreier, ...

'' (1942, Paramount - Starring Benchley) as G.B. Atwater * '' Syncopation'' (1942, RKO - Starring Benchley) as Doakes * ''

The Major and the Minor ''The Major and the Minor'' is a 1942 American comedy film starring Ginger Rogers and Ray Milland. It was the first American film directed by Billy Wilder. The screenplay credited to Wilder and Charles Brackett is "suggested by" the 1923 play '' ...

'' (1942, Paramount - Starring Benchley in a film directed by

Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-American filmmaker. His career in Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Classic Hol ...

) as Albert Osborne * ''

I Married a Witch ''I Married a Witch'' is a 1942 American fantasy romantic comedy film, directed by René Clair, and starring Veronica Lake as a witch whose plan for revenge goes comically awry, with Fredric March as her foil. The film also features Robert Benchl ...

'' (1942, United Artists - Starring Benchley in a film directed by

René Clair René Clair (11 November 1898 – 15 March 1981), born René-Lucien Chomette, was a French filmmaker and writer. He first established his reputation in the 1920s as a director of silent films in which comedy was often mingled with fantasy. He wen ...

) as Dr. Dudley White * ''

Young and Willing ''Young and Willing'' is a 1943 American comedy film produced and directed by Edward H. Griffith and starring William Holden, Eddie Bracken, Robert Benchley, and Susan Hayward. With a screenplay by Virginia Van Upp based on the play ''Out of the ...

'' (1943, United Artists - Starring Benchley) as Arthur Kenny * '' The Sky's the Limit'' (1943, RKO - Starring Benchley) as Phil Harriman * '' Flesh and Fantasy'' (1943, Universal - Benchley narrated) as Doakes (Framing Story) * ''

Song of Russia ''Song of Russia'' is a 1944 American war film made and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The picture was credited as being directed by Gregory Ratoff, though Ratoff collapsed near the end of the five-month production, and was replaced by Lás ...

'' (1944, MGM - Starring Benchley) as Hank Higgins * '' See Here, Private Hargrove'' (1944, MGM - Starring Benchley) as Mr. Holliday (uncredited) * ''Her Primitive Man'' (1944 - Starring Benchley) as Martin Osborne * '' Janie'' (1944,

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

- Starring Benchley) as John Van Brunt * ''

National Barn Dance ''National Barn Dance'', broadcast by WLS-AM in Chicago, Illinois starting in 1924, was one of the first American country music radio programs and a direct precursor of the ''Grand Ole Opry''. ''National Barn Dance'' also set the stage for other ...

'' (1944, Paramount - Starring Benchley, a fictional account of the radio show of the same name) as J.B. Mitcham * '' Practically Yours'' (1944, Paramount - Starring Benchley) as Judge Robert Simpson * ''

Pan-Americana ''Pan-Americana'' is a 1945 American romantic comedy film produced and directed by John H. Auer, from a screenplay by Lawrence Kimble, based on a story by Auer and Frederick Kohner. RKO released the film on March 22, 1945, and the picture stars P ...

'' (1945, RKO - Starring Benchley) as Charlie Corker * ''

It's in the Bag! ''It's in the Bag!'' is a 1945 comedy film featuring Fred Allen in his only starring film role. The film was released by United Artists at a time when Allen was at the peak of his fame as one of the most popular radio comedians. The film has bee ...

'' (1945, United Artists - Starring Benchley) as Parker * ''

Duffy's Tavern ''Duffy's Tavern'' is an American radio situation comedy that ran for a decade on several networks ( CBS, 1941–42; NBC-Blue Network, 1942–44; and NBC, 1944–51), concluding with the December 28, 1951, broadcast. The program often featured ...

'' (1945, Paramount - Starring Benchley as narrator in the film version of the show of the same name) as Robert Benchley * '' Kiss and Tell'' (1945, Columbia - Starring Benchley) as Uncle George Archer * ''

Week-End at the Waldorf ''Week-End at the Waldorf'', an American comedy drama film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and starring Ginger Rogers, Lana Turner, Walter Pidgeon, and Van Johnson. It premiered in Los Angeles on 17 October 1945. The screenplay by Samuel and Bella ...

'' (1945, MGM - Starring Benchley) as Randy Morton * ''

Snafu SNAFU is an acronym that is widely used to stand for the sarcastic expression Situation normal: all fucked up. It is a well-known example of military acronym slang. It is sometimes bowdlerized to "all fouled up" or similar. It means that the ...

'' (1945, Columbia - Starring Benchley) as Ben Stevens * ''

Road to Utopia ''Road to Utopia'' is a 1946 American semi-musical comedy film directed by Hal Walker and starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour. Filmed in 1943 but not released until 1946, ''Road to Utopia'' is the fourth film of the "'' Road to � ...

'' (1945, Paramount - Benchley narrated) as narrator * '' The Stork Club'' (1945, Paramount - Starring Benchley) as Tom P. Curtis * ''

The Bride Wore Boots ''The Bride Wore Boots'' is a 1946 romantic comedy film with Barbara Stanwyck in the title role, playing opposite Robert Cummings. A very young Natalie Wood is seen in the film, directed by Irving Pichel. This was Stanwyck's last feature comedy ...

'' (1946, Paramount - Starring Benchley) as Uncle Todd Warren * ''

Janie Gets Married ''Janie Gets Married'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by Vincent Sherman, and written by Agnes Christine Johnston. The film stars Joan Leslie, Robert Hutton, Edward Arnold, Ann Harding, Robert Benchley, and Dorothy Malone. The film wa ...

'' (1946, Warner Bros. - Starring Benchley) as John Van Brunt (final film role)

Television

* ''

Light's Diamond Jubilee ''Light's Diamond Jubilee'' (1954) is a two-hour TV special that aired on October 24, 1954, on all four U.S. television networks of the time, DuMont, CBS, NBC, and ABC. The special won a Primetime Emmy Award for Victor Young for Best Music for ...

'' (1954) TV special broadcast on all 4 TV networks, archive footage (from ''How to Raise a Baby'')

Works cited

* Billy Altman, ''Laughter's Gentle Soul: The Life of Robert Benchley''. (New York City: W. W. Norton, 1997. ). * . URL accessed 6 May 2007. * The Robert Benchley Society
The Annotated Bibliography of Robert Benchley Writings
David Trumbull, URL accessed 20 May 2007. * Norris W. Yates, ''Robert Benchley''. (New York City, Twayne Publishers, 1968.).

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Benchley, Robert Lists of books American literature-related lists