> While Bing Crosby and Bob Hope are the stars of Road to Utopia, they have some stiff competition in the scene-stealing department from comedic character actor Robert Benchley. The writer turned performer was born in Worcester, Massachusetts on September 15, 1889 and went to school at Harvard University. While at Harvard Benchley wrote for the Harvard Advocate and the Harvard Lampoon, as well as acting in a handful of theatrical productions, some with the famed Hasty Pudding club. After graduating from Harvard he married high school sweetheart Gertrude Darling, they had two sons, Nathaniel and Robert Benchley, Jr.

> Professionally, Robert is probably best known for his writings that appeared in Vanity Fairmagazine and The New Yorker, but he also did a lot a freelance work and eventually took over Life magazine's drama section. His pieces ranged from theatre reviews to social commentary and comic essays. Socially, Benchley was well known as being a member of the Algonquin Round Table. While the group varied over the decade that they met for lunch at The Algonquin Hotel some of the more famous members include Benchley, Dorothy Parker, Alexander Woollcott, Harpo Marx, Harold Ross, George S. Kaufman, as well as Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt. This group helped Harold Ross keep The New Yorker alive and launched the Hollywood career of Robert Benchley.

> Since the group was full of literary and theatrical talent the Round Table put on a one night only revue in April of 1922 titled No Sirree! An Anonymous Entertainment by the Vicious Circle of the Hotel Algonquin. Of all the contributors it was Benchley's piece, entitled The Treasurer's Report, that was best received. Benchley went on performing it at different events, including nightly in Irving Berlin's Music Box Review. In 1925 Benchley went to Hollywood and began writing screenplays and title cards. By 1928 he was working in front of the camera as well as behind it, starting with a film version of The Treasurer's Report. Benchley filmed 46 comedy shorts, including How to Sleep which won the 1935 Academy Award for Best Short Subject. He also had roles in many feature length films, China Seas (1935), Rafter Romance (1933) and Dancing Lady (1933) to name just a few of the more popular titles.