Fred Allen

Born John Florence Sullivan, Fred Allen was raised by his aunt. As a young man, Allen played piano and studied comedy, and when he was 20, he started appearing in local vaudeville competitions around Boston. After working in vaudeville for several years, Allen appeared in some Broadway shows and also worked as a comedic writer. Allen eventually got his own radio comedy show, the long-running Town Hall Tonight, followed by Allen’s Alley, leading to Allen becoming radio’s most beloved – and most censored – comedian. Allen also did some work in TV and movies. He died in 1956, at age 61, after suffering a heart attack.