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“The coral reefs are in terrible trouble,” Benchley said.

And with the exception of that expurgated Benchley quote, its advertising eschewed pull quotes, focusing instead on the show’s popularity: “Hundreds have seen ‘Abie’ three times or more.

He appeared in the film alongside humorist Robert Benchley, whom he credited with teaching him a naturalistic style of acting.

Robert Benchley defined opera as “where a guy gets stabbed in the back, and instead of bleeding, he sings.”

The same could be said for the wits and humorists that preceded him, such as Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley and Ring Lardner.