Editing Fred Allen (section)

{{short description|American comedian (1894–1956)}}
{{Other people}}
{{Infobox presenter
|name       = Fred Allen
|image      = Fred allen 1940s NBC photo.JPG
|caption    = Fred Allen circa 1940
|birth_name  = John Florence Sullivan
|birth_date  = {{Birth date|1894|5|31|mf=y}}
|birth_place = [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]], U.S.
|death_date  = {{death date and age|1956|3|17|1894|5|31|mf=y}}
|death_place = New York City, U.S.
|years_active = 1914–1956
|spouse(s)   = {{marriage|[[Portland Hoffa]]|1927}}
|show        = ''[[The Fred Allen Show]]''
|network    = [[CBS]], [[NBC]]
|timeslot   = 
|station2   = 
|timeslot2  = 
|style      = Comedian
|country    = United States
|prevshow   = 
|website    = 
|education=
}}
'''John Florence Sullivan''' (May 31, 1894 – March 17, 1956), known professionally as '''Fred Allen''', was an American comedian. His absurdist topically-pointed radio program ''[[The Fred Allen Show]]'' (1932–1949) made him one of the most popular and forward-looking humorists in the [[Old-time radio|Golden Age of American radio]].<ref name="nyt5">{{cite news |work=[[The New York Times]]|title=Fred Allen's Will Filed. Widow Gets Half Outright and Income From Other Half |date=1956-04-11|quote=John F. Sullivan, known in the theatrical world as Fred Allen, bequeathed one-half of his estate outright to his wife and directed that she receive the income from the other half.|page=49}}</ref><ref>Obituary ''[[Variety Obituaries|Variety]]'', March 21, 1956.</ref>

His best-remembered gag was his long-running mock feud with friend and fellow comedian [[Jack Benny]], but that was only part of his appeal. Radio historian [[John Dunning (radio historian)|John Dunning]] wrote that Allen was perhaps radio's most admired comedian and most frequently censored.<ref name="dunningota">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EwtRbXNca0oC&dq=%22Fred+Allen+was+perhaps+the+most+admired%22&pg=PA262 |last1=Dunning |first1=John| title=On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio| section=The Fred Allen Show| date=1998| publisher=Oxford University Press| location=New York, NY| isbn=978-0-19-507678-3| pages=261–269| edition=Revised| access-date=2019-08-11}}</ref> A master [[ad lib|ad libber]], Allen often tangled with his network's executives and often barbed them on the air over the battles while developing routines whose style and substance influenced fellow comic talents, including [[Groucho Marx]], [[Stan Freberg]], [[Henry Morgan (comedian)|Henry Morgan]], and [[Johnny Carson]]; his avowed fans also included President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], humorist [[James Thurber]], and novelists [[William Faulkner]], [[John Steinbeck]], and [[Herman Wouk]], who began his career writing for Allen.

Allen was honored with stars on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] for contributions to television and radio.<ref name="HWOFDB">{{cite web |url=http://www.hwof.com/stars?recipient=Fred_Allen |title=Hollywood Walk of Fame database |publisher=HWOF.com |access-date=2009-08-12 |archive-date=2016-04-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415102653/http://hwof.com/stars?recipient=Fred_Allen |url-status=dead }}</ref>