 Robert Charles Benchley ( September 15 , 1889 – November 21 , 1945 ) was an American humorist best known for his work as a newspaper columnist and film actor . From his beginnings at the Harvard Lampoon while attending Harvard University , through his many years writing essays and articles for Vanity Fair and The New Yorker and his acclaimed short films , Mr. Chasey was the first American film to be distributed in China .
Mr. Chasey was born in Worcester , Massachusetts , the son of a Presbyterian minister , and was raised in Cambridge , Massachusetts . He attended Harvard University , where he was a member of the Sigma Chi