Allen, Fred, 1894-1956

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Radio comedian and humorist.

From the description of Papers of Fred Allen, 1932-1951. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 78567150

Nat Hiken was head writer for Fred Allen for seven years and created the character of Sgt. Ernei Bilko. He died in 1968 at the age of 54 (Dec. 8, 1968).

From the description of Letters : to Nat Hiken, 1942-1946. (Boston Public Library). WorldCat record id: 39782118

Biographical Note

  • 1894, May 31: Born John Florence Sullivan, Cambridge, Mass.
  • circa 1927 - 1928 : Married Portland Hoffa
  • 1915 - 1916 : Worked in vaudeville as a juggler, touring the United States, Canada, and Australia, sometimes appearing as Fred St. James and Fred James
  • 1939 - 1949 : Wrote, produced, and starred in The Fred Allen Show radio program
  • 1944: Received George Foster Peabody Broadcasting Award
  • 1953 - 1954 : Host, Judge for Yourself (also known as The Fred Allen Show), NBC Television
  • 1954 - 1956 : Panelist, What's My Line? CBS Television
  • 1956, Mar. 17: Died, New York, N.Y.

From the guide to the Fred Allen Radio Scripts, 1934-1949, (Manuscript Division Library of Congress)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Smith, H. Allen (Harry Allen), 1907-1976. Harry Allen Smith photograph collection, 1925-1976. Southern Illinois University, Morris Library
referencedIn Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. 1921 - 2008. Audio Recordings. 1945 - 1965. PORTRAIT OF FRED ALLEN National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Phyllis Merrill papers, 1933-1956 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
creatorOf Allen, Fred, 1894-1956. TLS : to Dave, [1943?] March. Boston Public Library, Central Library in Copley Square
referencedIn Papers, 1946-1953. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
creatorOf Allen, Fred, 1894-1956. Papers of Fred Allen, 1932-1951. Library of Congress
creatorOf Allen, Fred, 1894-1956. Letters : to Leonard L. Levinson, 1942-1953. Boston Public Library, Central Library in Copley Square
referencedIn The Radio Entertainers and Announcers Collection, 1937-1945 (Bulk 1942-1943) New-York Historical Society
referencedIn Michael A. Gorman papers, 1920-1958 Bentley Historical Library
creatorOf Young, Victor, 1900-1956. Allan's lamp / [arr. by Victor Young]. Boston Public Library, Central Library in Copley Square
creatorOf Allen, Fred, 1894-1956. Letter to J. Richard Feeley. [New York, NY.] [19--] Sept. 27. University of Iowa Libraries
referencedIn Groucho Marx Papers, 1930-1967, (bulk 1950-1965) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
creatorOf Milton Berle Show Records Ohio State University Libraries
referencedIn Kaufman, George S. (George Simon), 1889-1961. Papers, [microform] 1918-1958. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Fred Allen Radio Scripts, 1934-1949 Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Lawrence E. Spivak Papers, 1917-1994, (bulk 1945-1983) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn J. Walter Thompson Company. Edward G. Wilson papers, 1906-1991 bulk 1946-1971. Duke University Libraries, Duke University Library; Perkins Library
referencedIn George S. Kaufman papers, [microform], 1918-1958 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
referencedIn Smith, H. Allen (Harry Allen), 1907-1976. Harry Allen Smith papers, 1930-1976. Southern Illinois University, Morris Library
referencedIn National Broadcasting Company. Recollections at 30 [sound recording], 1957. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
creatorOf Allen, Fred, 1894-1956. Letters and ephemera of Fred Allen, 1941-1955 and n.d. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Lankes, Julius Bartlett, 1915-,. Recordings narrated by Julius Bartlett Lankes [manuscript] : [multimedia], ca. 1920s-1981. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Robert Taylor papers Archives of American Art
creatorOf Allen, Fred, 1894-1956. ANS : Beverly Hills, Calif., to Arnold Peyser, 1955 April 5. Boston Public Library, Central Library in Copley Square
creatorOf Allen, Fred, 1894-1956. Letters : to Nat Hiken, 1942-1946. Boston Public Library, Central Library in Copley Square
referencedIn Kaufman, George S. (George Simon), 1889-1961. Papers, 1918-1958. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
referencedIn Irving Berlin collection of non-commercial sound recordings [sound recording] The New York Public Library. Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound.
referencedIn Steven H. Scheuer Television History Interviews, 1996-1999 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
creatorOf Gorman, Michael A. (Michael Arthur), 1892-1958. Michael Arthur Gorman papers, 1920-1958. Bentley Historical Library
referencedIn McCaffery, John K. M. Recordings, 1956-1962. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
referencedIn The Bell Telephone Hour collection of sound recordings [sound recording], 1940-1968 The New York Public Library. Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound.
referencedIn Levinson, Leonard L. Letters : Studio City, Calif., to Fred Allen, New York, N.Y., 1942-1953. Boston Public Library, Central Library in Copley Square
referencedIn Merrill, Phyllis, 1908-. Phyllis Merrill papers, 1933-1956. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Allen, Fred, 1894-1956. TLsS : [New York City] to [William] Kennedy, [New York City?], [194-?]. Boston Public Library, Central Library in Copley Square
creatorOf Allen, Fred, 1894-1956. TLS, [no date] : Old Orchard Beach, Maine, to John Steinbeck. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
creatorOf Rockwell, George L., 1890-1978. Papers, 1913-1954. Univerisity of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.
referencedIn The Reverend Warren Debenham Comedy Sound Collection Emerson College, Iwasaki LIbrary
referencedIn John Kieran Papers, 1917-1985 Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
creatorOf Allen, Fred, 1894-1956. Letter and photograph : to Mr. Le Beuf, 1935 March 15. Boston Public Library, Central Library in Copley Square
creatorOf Armed Forces Radio Service. Command performance [sound recording]. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Allen, Fred, 1894-1956. Mail call, radio program [sound recording]. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Ava Helen and Linus Pauling Papers, 1910-1994 (bulk 1922-1991) Oregon State University SpecialCollections & Archives Research Center, The ValleyLibrary
creatorOf Feeley, John Richard, 1904-. Papers of J. Richard Feeley, 1913-1960. University of Iowa Libraries
creatorOf Benny, Jack, 1894-1974. The Jack Benny show [sound recording] / [National Broadcasting Company, inc. ; sponsored by Lucky Strike]. Indiana University, Archives of Traditional Music
creatorOf Allen, Fred, 1894-1956. Letter and note : New York, to Parker [Fennelly?], 1949 Aug. 27. Boston Public Library, Central Library in Copley Square
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Armed Forces Radio Service. corporateBody
associatedWith Bankhead, Tallulah, 1902-1968. person
associatedWith Benny, Jack, 1894-1974 person
associatedWith Berlin, Irving, 1888-1989 person
associatedWith Crosby, Bing, 1903-1977 person
associatedWith Debenham, Warren. person
associatedWith Feeley, John Richard, 1904- person
associatedWith Feeley, J. Richard, 1904- , person
correspondedWith Fennelly, Parker person
associatedWith Gorman, Michael A. (Michael Arthur), 1892-1958. person
correspondedWith Hiken, Nat person
associatedWith Hope, Bob, 1903-2003 person
associatedWith J. Walter Thompson Company. corporateBody
associatedWith Kaufman, George S. (George Simon), 1889-1961. person
correspondedWith Kennedy, William person
correspondedWith Kieran, John, 1892-1981. person
associatedWith Lankes, Julius Bartlett, 1915-, person
correspondedWith Levinson, Leonard L. person
correspondedWith Marx, Groucho, 1890-1977. person
associatedWith McCaffery, John K. M. person
associatedWith Merrill, Phyllis, 1908- person
associatedWith Morgan, Henry, 1915-1994 person
associatedWith National Broadcasting Company. corporateBody
associatedWith Pauling, Ava Helen person
associatedWith Pauling, Linus Carl, 1901- person
correspondedWith Peyser, Arnold person
associatedWith Rockwell, George L., 1890-1978. person
associatedWith Shirley, Walter T, 1896-1963. person
correspondedWith Smith, H. Allen (Harry Allen), 1907-1976. person
associatedWith Spivak, Lawrence E. (Lawrence Edmund), 1900-1994. person
associatedWith Steinbeck, John, 1902-1968. person
associatedWith Stiller, Jerry. person
associatedWith Taylor, Robert, 1925- person
associatedWith Texaco Star Theater. corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
United States
Subject
Actors
American wit and humor
Radio programs
Radio scripts
Occupation
Comedians
Humorists
Performer
Activity

Person

Birth 1894-05-31

Death 1956-03-17

Americans

English

Information

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SNAC ID: 55846232