ben hecht (1894–1964) was an american screenwriter, playwright, and journalist. he became a chicago reporter at seventeen and later wrote for the chicago daily news. he moved to hollywood in 1926 and won the first academy award for best original story for josef von sternberg's underworld (1927).
with the fellow chicago reporter charles macarthur he wrote the play the front page (1928), a broadway hit about newspapermen. the pair also wrote the play twentieth century (1932) and wrote, produced, and co-directed the film the scoundrel (1935). hecht's credited screenplays include scarface (1932), directed by howard hawks for producer howard hughes and starring paul muni; nothing sacred (1937), directed by william a. wellman for producer david o. selznick; gunga din (1939), co-written with macarthur and directed by george stevens; and two alfred hitchcock films, spellbound (1945) and notorious (1946).
hecht was also a prolific uncredited script doctor, rewriting the screenplay of gone with the wind (1939) and working without credit on howard hawks's his girl friday (1940), the second film version of the front page. he wrote, produced, and directed angels over broadway (1940), which was nominated for best screenplay.
hecht worked in hollywood for nearly four decades and published an autobiography, a child of the century, in 1954.
related profiles; Frank Capra, Victor Sjöström, The Golden Age of Hollywood
sources; wikipedia: ben hecht, wikipedia: the front page, wikipedia: scarface, wikipedia: nothing sacred, wikipedia: notorious
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