John Florence Sullivan was born on May 31, 1894 in Cambridge, Massachusetts to Irish Catholic parents, Cecilia Herlihy and James Henry Sullivan.

 

The baby lost his mother within a year and the young James Sullivan was taken in and mostly brought up by his Aunt Lizzie Herlihy and her extended family.

 

Like many comedians of his time, Fred Allen got his start on the vaudeville circuit. His first stage name was Freddy St. James and his first performances were based on a juggling act. It soon became apparent that young Freddy St. James was a far better raconteur and ad-libbing comic than he was a juggler and it was this change of direction that secured Fred Allen's future as a beloved household name, star of his own radio show and long-time friend and mock-foe of Jack Benny.