Robert Benchley

Robert Charles Benchley (September 15, 1889 in Worcester, Massachusetts ? November 21, 1945) was a humorist, newspaper columnist, film actor, drama editor.

His essays were published in collections including Of All Things, Benchley Beside Himself, Inside Benchley, and Chips Off the Old Benchley. His books were illustrated by Gluyas Williams, whose spare, knowing line drawings added to Benchley's success.

His humor was based on everyday life, news oddities, and absurd, almost surreal essays such as his "Uncle Edith" series. At Harvard, he was a leading contributor to the Harvard Lampoon. With Dorothy Parker and Robert E. Sherwood, he formed the Algonquin Round Table. He was an early and regular contributor to the New Yorker Magazine. His style influenced other humorists such as S. J. Perelman, and James Thurber. His short film How to Sleep won an Academy Award in 1938. He was the grandfather of Jaws writer Peter Benchley. He has a star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood.

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Dachshunds are ideal dogs for small children, as they are already stretched and pulled to such a length that the child cannot do much harm one way or the other.