author
Ben Hecht
1894–1964
A fast-talking newspaperman turned literary celebrity, he helped shape both Broadway and classic Hollywood with wit, speed, and a gift for unforgettable dialogue. Best known for co-writing The Front Page and for screenplays such as Underworld, Scarface, and Notorious, he moved easily between novels, journalism, theater, and film.
6 Audiobooks
Fantazius Mallare: A Mysterious Oath
by Ben Hecht
Cutie: A Warm Mamma
by Ben Hecht, Maxwell Bodenheim
A Thousand and One Afternoons in Chicago
by Ben Hecht
Gargoyles
by Ben Hecht
Erik Dorn
by Ben Hecht
About the author
Born in New York City on February 28, 1894, and raised largely in Racine, Wisconsin, Ben Hecht began his career as a reporter in Chicago. That newsroom background never really left him: the sharp pace, wisecracks, and street-level energy of journalism became a signature of his fiction, plays, and screenwriting.
Hecht first gained attention as a novelist and journalist in the 1920s, then became a major force in American theater with The Front Page (1928), written with Charles MacArthur. In Hollywood he was one of the most sought-after writers of his era, earning early Academy Award recognition for Underworld and contributing to many celebrated films, including Scarface, Nothing Sacred, and Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious.
He was also remarkably prolific, writing books, short stories, plays, memoir, and film scripts across several decades. He died in New York City on April 18, 1964, but his blend of speed, humor, and hard-boiled style still feels alive in American crime stories, newspaper comedies, and screen dialogue.