Robert Benchley and the Knights of the Algonquin

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Now, everybody knows how to put a typewriter ribbon in a typewriter, but only a student of the criminal mind knows how mean a personality a ribbon can have.

Robert Benchley

Ruth Lee

Police officer Benchley shows us the antisocial potential of inanimate objects such as shoelaces and handkerchiefs.

Leslie M. Roush

Crime Control

Very Funny, Offbeat Benchley Feature

This is one of Robert Benchley&apos;s best short comedies, in large part because he makes such a ridiculous idea work so smoothly. The writing and delivery are both done with great skill, very carefully balancing the absurdity of the material with the dryly instructional nature of the format. It works on several levels, since it is funny in itself besides being a parody of public service spots plus an ironic look at human nature.

Benchley appears as a police officer who gives a talk to alert the public about the dangers caused by various inanimate objects, and then he appears as the &apos;victim&apos; of a number of their &apos;crimes&apos;. It&apos;s all in fun, since the &apos;criminals&apos; are window shades, newspapers, and the like, and the situations are the kinds of routine annoyances that we all face numerous times each day. It doesn&apos;t seem as if such a topic could work for more than a couple of minutes without becoming overly cute or overly forced, but this is the kind of material that often brought out the best in Benchley.

Benchley was the kind of writer whose best material flowed so smoothly that you could barely notice the careful craftsmanship, and that is the case here. The words are chosen with care, and they work especially well in Benchley&apos;s deadpan style (which is also particularly apt for his policeman character).

This is one of Robert Benchley's best short comedies, in large part because he makes such a ridiculous idea work so smoothly. The writing and delivery are both done with great skill, very carefully balancing the absurdity of the material with the dryly instructional nature of the format. It works on several levels, since it is funny in itself besides being a parody of public service spots plus an ironic look at human nature.

Benchley appears as a police officer who gives a talk to alert the public about the dangers caused by various inanimate objects, and then he appears as the 'victim' of a number of their 'crimes'. It's all in fun, since the 'criminals' are window shades, newspapers, and the like, and the situations are the kinds of routine annoyances that we all face numerous times each day. It doesn't seem as if such a topic could work for more than a couple of minutes without becoming overly cute or overly forced, but this is the kind of material that often brought out the best in Benchley.

Benchley was the kind of writer whose best material flowed so smoothly that you could barely notice the careful craftsmanship, and that is the case here. The words are chosen with care, and they work especially well in Benchley's deadpan style (which is also particularly apt for his policeman character).

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