Robert Benchley - (Bibliographies and Indexes in Popular Culture) Annotated by Gordon E Ernst (Hardcover)

About the Book

This book is the first full-length annotated bibliography of the works of humorist Robert Benchley. It contains chapters on his books, essays, newspaper writings, dramatic criticism, plus a filmography and a discography. Also included is a chapter on secondary sources about his life.

When humorist Robert Benchley died in 1945 at the age of 56, he left behind a large body of little-known material. Some of this material was collected into book form during and after Benchley's lifetime, but much of it remains uncollected. This annotated bibliography brings together in one volume citations to most of Benchley's collected and uncollected works.

The volume contains chapters on Benchley's books, essays, newspaper writings, dramatic criticism, secondary sources about him, a filmography, and a discography. The books chapter contains all of Benchley's major books and lists the contents of each. The chapters on his essays and newspaper writings detail his work for such publications as the New Yorker, Life, Liberty, Vanity Fair, the New York Tribune, New York World, and the Chicago Tribune. The dramatic criticism chapter contains all his theater reviews, for Life and the New Yorker, with the titles of the reviewed plays and the authors for each. Entries are numbered, cross-referenced, and indexed to assist the reader.

Book Synopsis

This book is the first full-length annotated bibliography of the works of humorist Robert Benchley. It contains chapters on his books, essays, newspaper writings, dramatic criticism, plus a filmography and a discography. Also included is a chapter on secondary sources about his life.

When humorist Robert Benchley died in 1945 at the age of 56, he left behind a large body of little-known material. Some of this material was collected into book form during and after Benchley's lifetime, but much of it remains uncollected. This annotated bibliography brings together in one volume citations to most of Benchley's collected and uncollected works.

The volume contains chapters on Benchley's books, essays, newspaper writings, dramatic criticism, secondary sources about him, a filmography, and a discography. The books chapter contains all of Benchley's major books and lists the contents of each. The chapters on his essays and newspaper writings detail his work for such publications as the New Yorker, Life, Liberty, Vanity Fair, the New York Tribune, New York World, and the Chicago Tribune. The dramatic criticism chapter contains all his theater reviews, for Life and the New Yorker, with the titles of the reviewed plays and the authors for each. Entries are numbered, cross-referenced, and indexed to assist the reader.

Review Quotes

.,."this work is useful and the most comprehensive bibliography on this U.S. humorist"-ARBA

?...this work is useful and the most comprehensive bibliography on this U.S. humorist?-ARBA

?This bibliography does a great service for those researching Benchley and his contemporaries by providing access to little known items written by this twentieth-century humorist, as well as providing information on the films he appeared in and the content of his recordings. Recommended.?-Reference Book Review

?This volume draws together bibliographic information on books, essays, newspaper columns, and dramatic criticism. Appropriate for research collections on 20th-century humor or popular culture.?-Choice

..."this work is useful and the most comprehensive bibliography on this U.S. humorist"-ARBA

"This volume draws together bibliographic information on books, essays, newspaper columns, and dramatic criticism. Appropriate for research collections on 20th-century humor or popular culture."-Choice

"This bibliography does a great service for those researching Benchley and his contemporaries by providing access to little known items written by this twentieth-century humorist, as well as providing information on the films he appeared in and the content of his recordings. Recommended."-Reference Book Review

About the Author

GORDON E. ERNST, JR., is a librarian at West Virginia University.