september november american best known work newspaper columnist film actor beginnings attending harvard_university years writing essays articles vanity_fair new_yorker acclaimed short films style humor brought respect success life new_york_city peers contemporaries burgeoning film industry best remembered contributions new_yorker essays influenced modern hollywood short film sleep popular success won best short subject academy awards memorable appearances films foreign correspondent dramatic turn nice girl legacy includes written work numerous short film appearances life career early life known misleading fictional autobiographical statements point asserting wrote tale cities buried westminster abbey actually great founder texas jailed help born september worcester massachusetts son robert older brother rushed spanish american war days graduation west_point casualty immediately family attending public fourth july picnic bicycle messenger brought telegram stunned reaction cried couldn robert years old standing apologized tried hard remark death considerable effects consequences robert life particularly form wealthy believed death battle seeded writings period strong literary reactions great war aware instance anti war writings met high school worcester engaged senior year harvard married june child born year later second son born writer penned biography father respected fiction children book author talented sons best known book jaws inspired film wrote performed acclaimed man production based robert life education robert grew attended school worcester involved academic traveling theatrical productions high school thanks financial aid late brother attend phillips exeter academy exeter new_hampshire final year high school atmosphere academy remained active creative activities damaging academic credentials end term enrolled harvard_university financial help joined delta fraternity year continued enjoyed phillips exeter school especially english government classes humor style began reveal time called entertain fraternity brothers impressions classmates professors popular performances gave local fame entertainment programs campus campus meetings recruited talents years harvard worked harvard elected board directors year election unusual publication art editor board positions typically fell foremost writers staff position opened number doors quickly nominated society meeting club undergraduate member time duties acted number theatrical productions including productions zero held position kept achievements mind began career college english professor recommended writing future illustrator considered going freelance work writing illustrating theatrical reviews english professor recommended speak initially idea ultimately took position civil service office philadelphia owing academic failure senior year illness receive bachelor_of_arts harvard completion credits submission scholarly paper eventually treatise written point view took position curtis shortly received diploma early professional career copy work summer following graduation odd service jobs translating french september hired curtis time staff member preparing copy new house publication issue criticized management felt technical scattering wholly lacking punch things improve failed practical joke company banquet strained relationship superiors continued attempts develop voice publication curtis good match eventually left curtis considering eliminating role offered position boston better salary held number similar jobs following years entry public speaking followed annual harvard yale football game presented practical joke involving professor giving question answer session football chinese local press dubbed chinese professor played chinese american lived united_states thirty years pretended answer questions chinese translated public profile rose continued freelance work included paid piece vanity_fair titled hints writing book parody non fiction pieces popular pieces bought vanity_fair time time consistent work dried took position started reporter poor unable statements people quoted papers eventually greater success covering lectures city promised position sunday magazine launched moved magazine staff soon hired eventually chief writer wrote articles week review non literary books feature style article wanted liberty gave work new life success pieces magazine convinced editors signed column proper filled vanity_fair beginning reviewing theatre new_york inspired staff magazine creativity articles arranging producers cast corpse situation magazine deteriorated unhappy position world war editors unhappy evolving tone magazine shut magazine work rumored opening editorial position vanity_fair fell decided continue having magazine attempt start selling piece vanity_fair accumulating countless months position press agent broadway producer offered accepted advice peers experience poor extremely difficult work resigned publicity director federal government beginning experience better opportunity offered return new editorial management took new editor charge page supplement titled given good deal freedom coverage war focus african american regiments provocative southern united_states earned scrutiny management amid accusations pro german united_states fighting germany time resignation letter citing lack rational proof guilty charges management attempts character newspaper career man years able look like newspaper forced publicity position program continued freelance contacted associate editor position took offer vanity_fair match felt vanity_fair better magazine vanity_fair offered position managing editor accepted began work overlooked influence early professional career admiration friendship canadian economist academic closely followed increasing body published humor wit opened correspondence admitted occasional borrowing topic reflection writings eventually began lobbying gently columns book form delighted result tribute later said wrote wrote friendship vanity_fair aftermath began vanity_fair fellow alumnus future friend collaborator taken theatre criticism years earlier format vanity_fair fit style allowing columns humorous tone straight parodies work typically published twice month columns featuring character created attributed pseudonym took credit parker close having long hotel editorial managers went european trip took advantage situation writing articles mocking local theatre establishment offering commentary variety topics effect canadian hockey united_states fashion worried felt forthcoming raise situation vanity_fair deteriorated management return sent memo forbidding discussion salaries attempt staff parker responded memo followed detailing exact salaries management attempted issue slips staff late wrote small elaborate excuse involving herd elephants 44th street issues contributed general deterioration morale offices culminating parker termination allegedly complaints producers plays theatrical reviews learning termination resignation word published time lunch parker given children time resignation parker referred greatest act friendship seen following word resignation freelance offers began worked constantly claiming intensely lazy according legend submitted magazine piece titled like weeks deadline explanatory note offered basic subject article weekly freelance salary write book review column times week salary received vanity_fair column titled books things ran year literature mundane topics unfortunately writing syndicated column drew world bosses books things dropped continued freelance submitting humor columns variety publications including life fellow stated columns reason magazine read continued meeting friends group popularly known april landed position life writing theatre reviews continue regularly eventually taking complete control drama section reviews known flair issues concern petty people plays important racial things changed number years arrangement theatrical production members response challenge actor tired table complaints ongoing theatre season result played night april 49th street theatre pun european revue anonymous entertainment hotel contribution program treasurer report featured nervous disorganized man attempting organization yearly expenses revue applauded spectators fellow actors performance receiving biggest laughs reprise treasurer report requested future events hired week perform nightly berlin opened september ran september hollywood new continued receive positive responses performing accepted standing invitation film producer week term writing session yield significant results writing credit producing title cards silent film surprised released september invited films hired help book broadway musical starring experience positive contributions final product attached worn moved commitment attempt version treasurer report filming went quickly convinced good treasurer report financial critical success release participated films year second talking film wrote sex life starring written sound film system released films enjoyed similar success critically acclaimed signed deal produce films heading new_york continue writing life following eventual resignation left dramatic criticism talking movies time filming short films began working new started february control friend acquaintances wary getting involved publication reasons completed freelance work new_yorker years later invited newspaper critic initially wrote column pseudonym lead english gunpowder plot column received tackled issues ranging reporting european publication flourished invited theatre critic new_yorker leaving life contributions parker regular features magazine new_yorker published average columns year early 1930s emergence new_yorker able stay away hollywood work number years persuaded voice work film eventually titled acted feature film sport parade work sport parade caused miss fall theatre openings embarrassed relative success sport parade credited role lure filmmaking disappear offered writing acting contract following year money making writing new_yorker film sleep entered hollywood height great depression large scale introduction films begun working years arrival scene number productions instantly interested writing acting important roles actor salesman work attracted interest mgm offered lot money complete series short films offered syndicated column able film shorts new_york new column heading new_york took role feature film dancing lady featured returned hollywood completing short films universal pictures break lavish feature length production china seas metro mayer starring character drunk movie completion mgm invited write perform short production inspired study sleep commissioned resulting film sleep filmed days featured narrator sleeper role claimed strain bed time film received preview screenings promotions took film advertisements group pleased approve studio mocking study followed detective early success sleep prompted mgm rush short films featuring train dog spoof dog training techniques behave norms sleep named best short subject academy awards shorts received returned cinema cast revue largest role point critically panned live love learn short completed mgm night movies greatest success sleep won contract short films produced new_york films produced quickly previous efforts sleep needed days later short vote needed hours took toll completed shoots day courtship rested following schedule return yielded short films high profile prompted negotiations sponsorship radio program numerous appearances television shows including television entertainment program broadcast untitled test program experimental antenna radio program melody madness showcase acting participate writing received removed schedule later life bad year career cancellation radio learned mgm plan renew contract new_yorker frustrated film career taking precedence theatre column appointed following final new_yorker column signed paramount_pictures series reel shorts filmed paramount long_island studio new_york adapted old essays witness conquering tough cross examination filmed witness real public enemies showing criminal tendencies sinister household objects filmed etc appeared foreign correspondent credited dialogue writers received feature length roles reluctant dragon tours departments disney studio noteworthy rare dramatic performance roles primarily came freelance actor paramount shorts contract didn pay feature films cast minor roles romantic comedies shoots going better appeared prominent roles rich sky limit paramount renew contract signed mgm exclusive contract situation positive studio kept busy complete work contract concluded short films completed chance signing contract following printing books old new_yorker columns gave writing good signing contract paramount december year books paramount contract giving financial security unhappy turn career taken taking roles studio distinguished films like musical time screen image established comic lecturer tried failed clarify given topic capacity paramount cast comedy road action periodically explain storyline april guest starred soon abc rated radio series sisters sponsored nash motor cars home drinking problem worsened diagnosed liver ironically younger adamant completed year work condition continued deteriorate died new_york hospital november family opted private funeral service body cremated interred family plot island round table group new_york_city writers actors met regularly hotel initially consisting time vanity_fair group eventually expanded dozen regular members new_york media entertainment journalist critic gained prominence positions trial table gained prominence media attention members drew collective contributions respective areas humor style humor time harvard skills known classmates friends work style formed prominent styles humor relied devices disdain formal education style petroleum style humor literary upper class nature style popularized holmes styles opposed magazines primarily style suited pieces place style presentation reliance literary shown success new_yorker known tastes readers definition humor simplicity makes people laugh favorite nursery rhyme shoe characters typically exaggerated representations common man designed create contrast masses common sense character actions society different way character watch football instance finds sensible normal fan live experience read local papers character labeled little man ways similar protagonists based character persist writing past early 1930s survived speaking acting roles character apparent ivy harvard graduation ceremonies appear career treasurer report 1920s work feature films 1930s current event style pieces written vanity_fair war lose afraid fun establishment piece wrote titled little german agent home common man observations angry piece average voter namesake piece paper said votes straight ticket lighter fare touch issues drawing football game patriotism diplomacy economic relations mexico films common man continued time films spent affected treasurer treasurer report discomfort explaining sex life women club longer plot driven shorts fried boiled likewise character seemingly mundane tasks stereotypical characters held qualities incapable played humor inspired number later filmmakers author humor writer miami herald judge robert society award humor called idol wanted write like claimed ore influenced early writing style outsider filmmaker lists influence reference point citing penchant presenting commonplace remarkable secret life walter works produced essays initially compiled volumes writing career appeared number films including short treatments wrote wrote numerous feature films posthumously works continue released books compilation best robert collection short films knights compiled popular short films years paramount works fellow writers
Robert Benchley