The Sex Life of the Polyp
The Sex Life of the Polyp is a 1928 short film written and performed by Robert Benchley, based on a routine he first did in 1922. The short, which was adapted from an essay by Benchley, documents a dim-witted doctor attempting to discuss the sex life of a polyp to a women's club. This was the second of Benchley's 46 comedy short films, with six made for Fox, one each for Universal Pictures and RKO Radio Pictures, 29 for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and nine for Paramount Pictures.
The Sex Life of the Polyp | |
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Directed by | Thomas Chalmers |
Produced by | William Fox |
Written by | Robert Benchley |
Starring | Robert Benchley |
Distributed by | Fox Film Corporation |
Release date |
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Running time | 11 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
The film, made in the then-new Fox Movietone sound-on-film process, was a success and was later included in the compilation Robert Benchley and the Knights of the Algonquin.
In 2007, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[1][2]
Further reading
- Maltin, Leonard, Selected Short Subjects. (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2015) ISBN 1511644893
- Billy Altman, Laughter's Gentle Soul: The Life of Robert Benchley. (New York City: W. W. Norton, 1997) ISBN 0-393-03833-5
External links
- The Sex Life of the Polyp essay by Steve Massa at National Film Registry
- The Sex Life of the Polyp at IMDb
- The Sex Life of the Polyp is available for free download at the Internet Archive
- The Sex Life of the Polyp essay by Daniel Eagan in America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry, A&C Black, 2010 ISBN 0826429777, pages 142-144
References
- "Complete National Film Registry Listing | Film Registry | National Film Preservation Board | Programs at the Library of Congress | Library of Congress". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- "Librarian of Congress Announces National Film Registry Selections for 2007". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved May 8, 2020.