Benchley, Robert

Benchley, Robert (Charles)

(1889–1945) writer, humorist, actor; born in Worcester, Mass. Onetime editor of the Harvard Lampoon, he worked as a journalist and magazine editor. He became the leading humorist of his day as the New Yorker 's columnist, "Guy Fawkes," and drama critic (1927–40). A member of the Algonquin Round Table, he became a popular radio personality, film actor, and screenwriter; he performed several of his humorous monologues in short films, including the first such made in the U.S.A., The Treasurer's Report (1928). His benign comic sketches were collected in 15 volumes, including Benchley Beside Himself (1943).

The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.