Francis John Sullivan (September 22, 1892February 19, 1976) was an American
humorist, best remembered for creating the character Mr. Arbuthnot the
Cliche Expert.
Life
Sullivan was born in
Saratoga Springs
Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over ...
, New York, to Dennis and Catherine (Shea) Sullivan. and graduated from
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...
in 1914. He worked for ''
The Saratogian
''The Saratogian'' is a broadsheet-style daily newspaper published in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. The paper has been published daily since 1855, first as ''The Daily Saratogian'', and then as ''The Saratogian'' beginning in 1910. ...
'' newspaper until he was drafted in 1917. Upon his discharge, Sullivan moved to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
and worked for several papers as a reporter and feature writer.
Sullivan wrote his first article for ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' in 1925, the year it was founded. His most celebrated character, Mr. Arbuthnot, created in 1934, made his debut in the issue of August 31, 1935 in "The Cliche Expert Takes the Stand". In one story Mr. Arbuthnot was asked what he did for exercise, and he replied, "I keep the wolf from the door, let the cat out of the bag, take the bull by the horns, count my chickens before they are hatched, and see that the horse isn't put behind the cart or stolen before I lock the barn door".
The last Mr. Arbuthnot story, "The Cliche Expert Testifies On the Campaign", appeared in ''The New Yorker'' on September 13, 1952.
According to ''The Encyclopedia of American Humorists'', the play ''
Arsenic and Old Lace'' was given its title when the producers adapted the title of a collection of humor pieces by Sullivan called ''Broccoli and Old Lace''.
Sullivan never married. He returned to Saratoga Springs in the 1960s and lived there until his death in 1976.
Sullivan was a peripheral member of the famous
Algonquin Round Table
The Algonquin Round Table was a group of New York City writers, critics, actors, and wits. Gathering initially as part of a practical joke, members of "The Vicious Circle", as they dubbed themselves, met for lunch each day at the Algonquin Hotel ...
.
"Frank Sullivan Place", formerly High Street, is named for him in Saratoga Springs, New York. It forms the border of the Saratoga Racecourse property near the track clubhouse.
He is credited with the line, "This is either a forgery or a damned clever original!".
Biographical dictionary of American newspaper columnists
p. 317
Bibliography
Books
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Reporting and other short pieces
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sullivan, Frank
1892 births
1976 deaths
American humorists
Cornell University alumni
People from Saratoga Springs, New York
Writers from New York City
American military personnel of World War I
Burials in Saratoga County, New York
The New Yorker people
20th-century American male writers
Algonquin Round Table