John Florence (Sullivan) Allen (1894 - 1956)

Born 31 May 1894 in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Portland Hoffa — married 3 May 1927 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States

Died 17 Mar 1956 at age 61 in New York City, New York, United States

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Biography

Fred (Sullivan) Allen is Notable.

Fred Allen was a radio and television star from the late 1920s until his death in 1956. As a comedian he was known for his dry wit.

Fred was born as John Florence Sullivan 31 March 1894 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the son of James Sullivan and Cecilia Herlihy.^{[1] [2]}His mother died when Fred was only four years old. His father died when he was only 17.

He was married to the actress and comedian Portland Hoffa in 3 May 1927 in Manhattan, New York City.^[3] They were married until his death. There were no children from the union.

Scandals Actress Will Wed Today^[4]

The marriage of Miss Mary Portland Hoffa, 22, an actress in the "Scandals," to John F. Sullivan, 32, an actor, formerly of Boston, Mass., will take place today in St. Malachi's Catholic church. The couple, who gave the Hotel Coolidge as their address, applied for a marriage license yesterday."

Fred died 17 March 1956 of a heart attack while taking a stroll in his Manhattan neighborhood with his wife.^[5] His remains were buried at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Westchester, New York.^[6]

Obituary:^[7]

Fred Allen Rites Tomorrow; Heart Attack Kills Comedian

Baggy-Eyed Wit Dead at 61--Stricken on Manhattan Street

New York, (AP)--Funeral services will be held tomorrow for Fred Allen, the veteran humorist with the baggy eyes and sharp wit.

The 61-year-old radio and television comedian died of a heart ailment as he strolled a Manhattan street late Saturday night.

A Solem Requiem Mass will be sung for Allen at the actors' chapel of St. Malachy's Roman Catholic Church in the theater district. He will be buried at the Cate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery in suburban Westchester County.

Allen was an entertainer in radio, television and motion pictures for a quarter of a century. He was a regular panelist on the CBS television show What's My Line? Last night the show went on without him. His widow Portland Hoffa said he would have wanted it that way.

Master of ceremonies John Daly said at the start of the program that despite their sorrow the cast would put on the show "he way Fred would like to have had it done."

This, said Daly, meant doing no more than Allen himself had often done, making his audience laugh, "when he didn't feel like laughing."

Steve Allen, no relation, substituted for Fred.

After an autopsy yesterday, Dr. Milton Helpern, chief medical examiner, said that the comedian died of occlusive coronary heart disease. He said Allen had had a heart condition "over the year."

Ill heath and sponsor trouble put Allen on part-time work on the airwaves in 1949. He gave up his struggle against TV about the same time.

Let someone else pioneer it," he once said of the new medium. But 2 1/2 years ago he became a regular on What's My Line?

Allen was born John Florence Sullivan in Cambridge, Mass., on May 31, 1894. He changed his name early in his career at the suggestion of his agent, a man named Allen.HIs first venture on the stage was as a juggler. Once day a stage manager walked out on the stage and asked him how he had learned hi s art. In his nasal voice the young Allen quipped: "I took a correspondence course in baggage smashing.

The crack brought down the house and launched his career as a comedian The years on U.S. and Australian vaudeville circuits followed.

In 1922 he met Miss Hoffa in New York. They were married in 1928. The couple went into radio together in 1932 and also made several movies, including "Thanks a Million" and "Sally, Irene, and Mary."

Sources

1. ↑ "Massachusetts Births, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FX4K-C9S : 10 March 2018), John Florence Sullivan, 31 May 1894, Cambridge, Norfolk, Massachusetts; citing reference ID #140, Massachusetts Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 1,651,225.
2. ↑ John Florence Sullivan in the U.S., Passport Applications, 1795-1925. Name: John Florence Sullivan Gender: Male Age: 22 Birth Date: 31 May 1894 Birth Place: Cambridge, Massachusetts Residence Place: Boston, Massachusetts Passport Issue Date: 27 Jun 1916.
3. ↑ John F Sullivan in the New York, New York, U.S., Marriage License Indexes, 1907-2018. Name: John F Sullivan Gender: Male Marriage License Date: 3 May 1927 Marriage License Place: Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA Spouse: Mary Hoffa License Number: 11398 .
4. ↑ The Daily News, 4 May 1927, Wednesday, page 110.
5. ↑ New York, New York, Death Index, 1949-1965. Name John Sullivan Age 61 Birth Date 1895 Death Date 17 Mar 1956 Death Place Manhattan, New York, New York, USA Certificate Number 6101.
6. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/20/fred-allen: accessed 08 October 2022), memorial page for Fred Allen (31 May 1894–17 Mar 1956), Find a Grave Memorial ID 20, citing Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne, Westchester County, New York, USA; Maintained by Grave Whisper AKA Georgia Girl (contributor 46981215) .
7. ↑ Trenton Evening Times.. Monday, Mar 19, 1956 Trenton, NJ Page: 4

See also:

• Wikipedia: Fred Allen
• Wikidata: Item Q967454, en:Wikipedia

• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M9YR-TJ3 : accessed 7 August 2018), John Sullivan in household of Michael W Lovely, Precinct 1, Allston Boston city Ward 25, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 1538, sheet 14B, family 293, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,688.

• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M223-7G3 : accessed 7 August 2018), John F Sullivan in household of Michael J Lovely, Boston Ward 20, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 1558, sheet 10A, family 217, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 622; FHL microfilm 1,374,635.

• "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MFMG-8DF : accessed 7 August 2018), John F Sullivan in household of Michael W Lovely, Boston Ward 11, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States; citing ED 300, sheet 10A, line 3, family 185, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 734; FHL microfilm 1,820,734.

• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K3YJ-L27 : accessed 7 August 2018), Fred Allen, Assembly District 15, Manhattan, New York City, New York, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 31-1377, sheet 62B, line 42, family 258, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 2656.