Fred Allen

Biography

b. John Florence Sullivan, 31 Might 1894, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, d. 17 March 1956, NY, USA. A comedian, acting professional and singer, having a dried out, gravelly tone of voice, baggy eye, and deadpan manifestation, which produced him perfect for the type of topical ointment monologues that became his speciality. After their studies at Boston College or university, he headlined in vaudeville prior to making his Broadway debut within the revue The Passing Display (1922). This is accompanied by Vogues Of 1924, and an excellent role because the wise-cracking reporter Addie Stiles within the musical humor Polly (1929), which folded after fourteen days. Much more effective were the advanced hit revues THE TINY Display (1929) and Three’s A Audience (1930), where Allen co-starred with Clifton Webb and Libby Holman. Allen continued to make many films, like the musicals Thanks a lot A Mil (1935), Sally, Irene And Mary (1938) and Like Thy Neighbour (1940). The last mentioned film recreated the ongoing ‘feud’ with comedian Jack port Benny which was a normal of Allen’s top-rated network radio display. Allen’s wife, Portland Hoffa, who acquired made an appearance with him in revue, was also an associate of the ensemble of this hugely well-known series, which went through the entire 30s and 40s.

Quick Facts

• Facts
• Filmography
• Awards
• Salaries
• Quotes
• Trademarks
• Pictures



#	Fact
1	Father: John H. Sullivan; Mother: Cecilia Herlihy.
2	His face & baggy eyes became familiar to millions of movie goers in his mid 30s.
3	Distant relative of comedian Joe Lipari. (Mr. Allen was Joe's grandfather's cousin.).
4	He was awarded two Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio (6709 1/2 Hollywood Boulevard) and for Television (7021 Hollywood Boulevard) in Hollywood, California.
5	In July, 1955, had an appendectomy, which caused him to miss two telecasts of What's My Line? (1950) where he had found a home as a regular weekly panelist.
6	Worked in vaudeville under a variety of names, including John Sullivan (the one his parents gave him), Paul Huckle, Fred St. James and Benjamin Franklin.
7	Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith; pg. 10-12. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387
8	Star of CBS Radio's "Texaco Star Theater" (1940-1944).
9	Fred Allen was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1988.
10	One of Fred Allen's best known schticks was his long-standing feud with fellow comedian Jack Benny. The two often appeared on each other's radio programs to trade barbs. Sadly, other than an appearance on "The Jack Benny Program," in which Fred tries to steal Jack's sponsor, this did not carry over into television, as Allen died shortly after beginning his own TV show. In real life, of course, Benny and Allen were great friends, and Benny even took time on his radio program to eulogize Allen after his death.
11	Radio comic of the 1930s and '40s.



Actor

Actor

Title	Year	Status	Character
The Christophers	1956	TV Series
The Jack Benny Program	1953	TV Series	Fred Allen
All Star Revue	1953	TV Series	Guest Comedian
O. Henry's Full House	1952		Sam 'Slick' Brown (segment "The Ransom of Red Chief")
We're Not Married!	1952		Steven S. 'Steve' Gladwyn
It's in the Bag!	1945		Fred F. Trumble Floogle
Love Thy Neighbor	1940		Fred Allen
Buck Benny Rides Again	1940		Fred Allen (voice)
Sally, Irene and Mary	1938		Gabriel 'Gabby' Green
Thanks a Million	1935		Ned Lyman
The Still Alarm	1930	Short
Fred Allen's Prize Playlets	1929	Short
The Installment Collector	1929	Short	The Newspaper Editor

Writer

Writer

Title	Year	Status	Character
It's in the Bag!	1945	screen treatment
Thanks a Million	1935	contributor to dialogue - uncredited
Success	1931	Short story
The Under Dog	1930	Short
Faint Heart	1929	Short story
Fred Allen's Prize Playlets	1929	Short uncredited

Soundtrack

Soundtrack

Title	Year	Status	Character
It's in the Bag!	1945	performer: "The Curse of an Aching Heart" 1913, "Sweet Genevieve" 1869 - uncredited
Thanks a Million	1935	"Square Deal Party" 1935, uncredited / performer: "Happy Days Are Here Again" 1929 - uncredited

Thanks

Thanks

Title	Year	Status	Character
Dream Job	2012	Short in memory of
George Carlin: Carlin on Campus	1984	TV Special documentary special thanks

Self

Self

Title	Year	Status	Character
The David Frost Show	1970	TV Series	Himself
Project XX	1956	TV Series documentary	Himself - Narrator
What's My Line?	1953-1956	TV Series	Himself - Panelist / Himself / Himself - Mystery Guest
I've Got a Secret	1955	TV Series	Celebrity Guest
Armstrong Circle Theatre	1954	TV Series	Himself / George Bidwell / Bartender / ...
This Is Your Life	1954	TV Series	Himself
Judge for Yourself	1954	TV Series	Himself - Host
All Star Revue	1951-1953	TV Series	Himself - Guest Comedian / Himself - Comedian
The Jack Benny Program	1953	TV Series	Himself
Chesterfield Sound Off Time	1952	TV Series	Himself
The Colgate Comedy Hour	1950-1951	TV Series	Himself - Comedian / Himself / Himself - Host
Your Show of Shows	1951	TV Series	Himself - Guest Performer
We, the People	1948	TV Series	Himself - Host
Behind Your Radio Dial	1948	Documentary short	Himself
Is Everybody Listening?	1947	Documentary short	Fred Allen - Fred Allen Radio Program
The March of Time: Volume 1, Number 5	1937	Documentary short	Himself

Archive Footage

Archive Footage

Title	Year	Status	Character
Television: The First Fifty Years	1999	Video documentary	Himself
Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio	1991	Documentary	Himself - Predicts Demise of Radio (uncredited)
The Great Standups	1984	TV Movie documentary	Himself
TV's Funniest Game Show Moments	1984	TV Special	Himself
Bob Hope's World of Comedy	1976	TV Movie	Tribute Montage
Happy Days	1970-1976	TV Series	Himself
The Great Radio Comedians	1972	TV Movie documentary	Fred Allen
The DuPont Show of the Week	1961	TV Series	Himself
Screen Snapshots 2856: It Was Only Yesterday	1950	Short	Fred Allen
The Great American Broadcast	1941		Fred Allen (uncredited)

Won awards

Won awards

Year	Award	Ceremony	Nomination	Movie	Award shared with
1960	Star on the Walk of Fame	Walk of Fame	Television	On 8 February 1960. At 7021 Hollywood Blvd.
1960	Star on the Walk of Fame	Walk of Fame	Radio	On 8 February 1960. At 6709-1/2 Hollywood Blvd.



Looks like we don't have salary information. Sorry!



#	Quote
1	[on Ed Sullivan] He's a pointer. A dog could do that show.
2	[observation, 1956] Vaudeville is dead. The acrobats, the animal acts, the dancers, the singers and the old-time comedians have taken their final bows and disappeared into the wings of obscurity. For 50 years vaudeville was the popular entertainment of the masses. Nomadic tribes of nondescript players roamed the land. The vaudeville actor was part gypsy and part suitcase. With his brash manner, flashy clothes, capes and cane, and accompanied by his gaudy womenfolk, the vaudevillian brought happiness and excitement to the communities he visited. Vaudeville was more a matter of style than of material. It was not so much what the two- and three-a-day favorites said and did, as how they said and did it. For 50 years vaudeville's minstrels found their way into all lands, preaching their gospel of merriment and song, and rousing the rest of the world to laughter and to tears. A few diehards who knew and enjoyed vaudeville hover over their television sets, hoping for a miracle. They believe this electronic device is a modern oxygen tent that in some mysterious way can revive vaudeville and return its colorful performers of yesteryear to the current scene. The optimism of these day and night dreamers is wasted. Their vigils are futile. Vaudeville is dead. Period.
3	An actor's popularity is fleeting. His success has the life expectancy of a small boy who is about to look into a gas tank with a lighted match.
4	Television is a new medium. It's called a medium because it's rare when anything is well-done.
5	[on committee] Committee] a group of men who individually can do nothing but as a group decide nothing can be done.
6	Hollywood is a place where people from Iowa mistake each other for stars.
7	My eyes look as though they are peeping over two dirty ping pong balls.
8	[on Ed Sullivan] He'll be around for as long as someone else has talent.
9	I learned law so well, the day I graduated I sued the college and got my tuition fees back.
10	To a newspaperman a human being is an item with the skin wrapped around it.
11	Hanging is too good for a man who makes puns; he should be drawn and quoted.
12	Television is a device that permits people who haven't anything to do to watch people who can't do anything.
13	A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become well known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized.
14	You can take all of the sincerity in Hollywood and put into a mosquito's navel and still have room for two caraway seeds and a producer's heart.
15	California is a fine place to live--if you happen to be an orange.



#	Trademark
1	Played the clarinet



Source: Celebrity Pictures & Images