Robert Benchley & Our Robert at Home in NYC

Robert Benchley and Bob obviously having a good laugh together while enjoying a night at the Waldorf-Astoria in NYC.  The Waldorf is the kind of place both gentlemen could feel at ease while amongst the social elite.  Oh, that's right, they both are social elites.  The lady whose hand Bob is holding is Evelyn Wadsworth Symington, a member of both the social and political elites.  The Wadsworth men were New York businessmen and politicians, in the U.S. Senate, etc.  Stuart Symington was the son of wealth, becomes a very successful businessman and, at the urging of his father-in-law, runs for the U.S. Senate representing Missouri, serving from 1953 to 1976.  It's nice to be rich, so I've heard. 

Robert Benchley, humorist, (left) Robert Montgomery, film actor (right, standing) and Mrs. Stuart Symington (right, seated) as they attended the recent singing debut of Alice Marble at the Waldorf-Astoria.  12-3-1938, New York City

Bob, as you well know, was interested in politics and no doubt had hoped to become more than Eisenhower's media consultant.  But he was unable to cross that hurdle of being a movie star, politicians thinking themselves to be above such a lowly profession.  Ha.

I do have to say the photo shows Bob could make it as a politician ... shaking hands with his right and holding a beautiful rich lady's hand with his left.

And for you fellow trivia fans ... Alice Marble was a top tennis player, the kind that could attract elites to hear her sing at a supper club in the Waldorf.  I had not heard of her before, discovered she was quite the interesting person.  Look her up on Wikipedia for an entertaining read.