Fred Allen, an old-time radio performer from the medium’s golden age, had a dry gift for one-liners. He once said, “Hanging is too good for a man who makes puns. He should be drawn and quoted.” Another Allen line: “I like long walks, especially when they’re taken by people who annoy me.” His more reflective side appears in “A human being is nothing but a story with skin around it,” also true for Allen’s own interesting history. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Fred Allen: “Hanging Is Too Good for a Man Who Likes Puns””
Fred Allen was one of the icons of the golden age of radio, and he once said,
“Hanging is too good for a man who makes puns. He should be drawn and quoted.”
You’re laughing in spite of yourself.
That’s a very Fred Allen now. Portland, Portland.
He also said, “I like long walks, especially when they’re taken by people who annoy me.”
I’ll have to go listen to some more of him.
He was fantastic, and he never got the credit he deserved.
He didn’t get the fame quite as much as Jack Benny, but in a lot of ways, he was a better comedian and a better writer than many people who were far richer and far more famous than he was.
Oh, that’s interesting that you mentioned that because what had attracted me to him originally was another quotation, which is,
“A human being is nothing but a story with skin around it.”
Oh, I love that.
Isn’t that the truth?
Isn’t that the truth?
Yeah.
And his story deserves to be on film.
It really does.
I read three biographies of Jack Benny and they’re all kind of like, meh, and I really like Jack Benny, but I think Fred Allen would be where the action be is.
Oh, no kidding.
I’ll have to go read more about him.
