Ben Hecht

Ben Hecht
Ben Hecht (1894–1964) was an American screenwriter, playwright, and novelist, known for his sharp wit and contributions to early Hollywood cinema. He co-wrote the iconic screwball comedy "The Front Page" and earned an Academy Award for his screenplay of "Underworld" in 1927. Hecht was a prolific writer, also penning novels like "Erik Dorn" and working on notable films such as "Gone with the Wind" and "Notorious." His influence on American film and literature is enduring, with a reputation for blending humor, drama, and keen social observation.

Author's Books:


by: Ben Hecht
Preface It was a day in the spring of 1921. Dismal shadows, really Hechtian shadows, filled the editorial "coop" in The Chicago Daily News building. Outside the rain was slanting down in the way that Hecht's own rain always slants. In walked Hecht. He had been divorced from our staff for some weeks, and had married an overdressed, blatant creature called Publicity. Well, and how did he... more...

by: Ben Hecht
CHAPTER I An old man sat in the shadows of the summer night. From a veranda chair he looked at the stars. He wore a white beard, and his eyes, grown small with age, watered continually as if he were weeping. Half-hidden under his beard his emaciated lips kept the monotonous grimace of a smile on his face. He sat in the dark, a patient, trembling figure waiting for bedtime. His feet, though he rested... more...