Al Boasberg died on June 18, 1937 at the age of 46. Born in Buffalo, NY, Mr. Boasberg was an American comedy writer in vaudeville, radio, and film, as well as being a film director. He is credited with helping to create stand-up comedy when he teamed with then-youthful vaudeville performer Jack Benny, helping develop Benny's familiar, reactive “skinflint” character, and thus helping make Benny a major star when he transitioned to radio in 1932. In fact, on the last day before his death, Al Boasberg wrote the lines that introduced the enduring character of Rochester on Benny's radio show. Similarly, Mr. Boasberg defined the enduring personalities of Bob Hope, Burns and Allen, Wheeler and Woolsey and Leon Errol. He was one of the early "script doctors", earning $1,000 a week to punch up radio scripts. Boasberg also wrote for 47 films between 1926 and 1937—especially 1935's A Night at the Opera, which provided The Marx Brothers with a commercial comeback on the screen. His other film writing credits included The General (starring Buster Keaton). He died in Los Angeles, California from a heart attack. In 2009, The Al Boasberg Comedy Award was established by The Buffalo International Film Festival. Al Boasberg is buried in section FF in Forest Lawn.