BENCHLEY, ROBERT (CHARLES)

born Sept. 15, 1889, Worcester, Mass., U.S. died Nov. 21, 1945, New York, N.Y. American drama critic, actor, and humorist. A graduate of Harvard University (1912), Benchley joined the staff of the old Life magazine in 1920 as drama critic. His monologue "The Treasurer's Report," delivered as a skit in an amateur revue in 1922, was the basis for one of the first all-talking short subjects. He subsequently wrote and acted in motion-picture short subjects, his How to Sleep winning an Academy Award in 1935. In all, he made 46 short subjects and appeared in minor roles in about 50 feature pictures, often playing a confused, annoyed, and mildly sarcastic drunk. Although films and radio brought him wide public acclaim, his writings constitute his most lasting achievement. Among his essays, collected in 15 books and illustrated by Gluyas Williams' caricatures, are My Ten Years in a Quandary, and How They Grew (1936) and Benchley Beside Himself (1943). Benchley's quiet, whimsical humour mainly depicted the struggles of an ordinary little man-himself-who was completely befuddled by the world; his humour often ascended by hardly noticeable steps into pure nonsense. Benchley was drama critic for The New Yorker (1929-40), for which he also wrote "The Wayward Press" column under the pseudonym Guy Fawkes. The Benchley Roundup (1954) was a selection from his writings edited by his son Nathaniel, who also wrote his biography (1955).