---
name: "Ben Hecht"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/ben-hecht"
fi1m_id: "ben-hecht"
imdb_id: "nm0372942"
tmdb_id: 4341
wikidata_id: "Q267441"
roles: ["Writer"]
born: "28 February 1894"
died: "18 April 1964"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 19
average_fi1m_score: 76
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 13
updated: "2026-10-02T22:05:22.085645+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Ben Hecht

## Identity

Ben Hecht

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/ben-hecht
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** ben-hecht
- **IMDb ID:** nm0372942
- **TMDB ID:** 4341
- **Wikidata ID:** Q267441
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Hecht, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q267441, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0372942/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/4341

Writer. Born 28 February 1894 in New York City, New York, USA. Died 18 April 1964.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer
- **Born:** 28 February 1894, New York City, New York, USA
- **Died:** 18 April 1964
- **Active:** 1932–1983
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 19: 13 writing, 6 crew
- **Frequently works with:** [David O. Selznick](https://film.one/person/david-o-selznick.md), [Alfred Hitchcock](https://film.one/person/alfred-hitchcock.md), [Cary Grant](https://film.one/person/cary-grant.md), [Charles MacArthur](https://film.one/person/charles-macarthur.md), [Howard Hawks](https://film.one/person/howard-hawks.md), [Ingrid Bergman](https://film.one/person/ingrid-bergman.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 2 Oscars (2 won · 5 nominated)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 76, as writer, over 13 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1930s 75 (8), 1940s 81 (7), 1950s 78 (2), 1970s 60 (1), 1980s 79 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 79 to 74 across 9 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 9 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 9, Crime 7, Romance 6, Action 3, Comedy 3, Thriller 3
- **Screen time:** 23 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $123m across 9 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Hecht, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q267441, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0372942/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/4341

## Streaming the US now

- **Pluto TV:** [*His Girl Friday*](https://film.one/film/his-girl-friday.md) (90), [*A Star Is Born*](https://film.one/film/a-star-is-born-1937.md) (78)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Wuthering Heights*](https://film.one/film/wuthering-heights.md) (76)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Ben Hecht (28 February 1894 – 18 April 1964) was an American screenwriter, playwright, journalist and novelist. Born in New York City, he began his career as a reporter for the Chicago Daily News before moving into writing for the stage and screen.

He collaborated frequently with Charles MacArthur, co-writing the play *The Front Page* (1928) and the screenplay for *Wuthering Heights* (1939). Hecht received screen credits on around seventy films, including *Underworld* (1927), for which he won the first Academy Award for Best Story, *His Girl Friday* (1940), *Spellbound* (1945) and *Notorious* (1946). He also worked uncredited as a script doctor on several productions.

*Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (19)

### Wrote (13) — the average rests on these

- *Scarface* (1983), Fi1m 79, Original Film Writer — [page](https://film.one/film/scarface.md)
- *The Front Page* (1974), Fi1m 60, Theatre Play — [page](https://film.one/film/the-front-page.md)
- *Angel Face* (1953), Fi1m 78, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/angel-face.md)
- *Notorious* (1946), Fi1m 92, Writer — [page](https://film.one/film/notorious.md)
- *Spellbound* (1945), Fi1m 66, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/spellbound.md)
- *His Girl Friday* (1940), Fi1m 90, Screenplay, Theatre Play — [page](https://film.one/film/his-girl-friday.md)
- *Gunga Din* (1939), Fi1m 68, Story — [page](https://film.one/film/gunga-din.md)
- *Wuthering Heights* (1939), Fi1m 76, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/wuthering-heights.md)
- *Angels with Dirty Faces* (1938), Fi1m 82, Writer — [page](https://film.one/film/angels-with-dirty-faces.md)
- *A Star Is Born* (1937), Fi1m 78, Writer — [page](https://film.one/film/a-star-is-born-1937.md)
- *Queen Christina* (1934), Fi1m 64, Writer, Additional Writing — [page](https://film.one/film/queen-christina.md)
- *Viva Villa!* (1934), Fi1m 66, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/viva-villa.md)
- *Scarface* (1932), Fi1m 85, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/scarface-1932.md)

### Crew (6)

- *The Man with the Golden Arm* (1955), Fi1m 78, Additional Writing — [page](https://film.one/film/the-man-with-the-golden-arm.md)
- *Rope* (1948), Fi1m 76, Additional Writing — [page](https://film.one/film/rope.md)
- *Gilda* (1946), Fi1m 78, Additional Writing — [page](https://film.one/film/gilda.md)
- *Foreign Correspondent* (1940), Fi1m 76, Additional Writing — [page](https://film.one/film/foreign-correspondent.md)
- *The Shop Around the Corner* (1940), Fi1m 88, Additional Writing — [page](https://film.one/film/the-shop-around-the-corner.md)
- *Stagecoach* (1939), Fi1m 84, Additional Writing — [page](https://film.one/film/stagecoach.md)

## Complete filmography (124)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Kiss of Death* (1995), Original Film Writer
- *Switching Channels* (1988), Writer
- *I Hate Actors* (1986), Novel
- *Scarface* (1983), Original Film Writer — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/scarface.md)
- *The Front Page* (1974), Theatre Play — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/film/the-front-page.md)
- *Gaily, Gaily* (1969), Novel
- *Circus World* (1964), Screenplay
- *7 Faces of Dr. Lao* (1964), as Additional Writing
- *Billy Rose's Jumbo* (1962), Theatre Play
- *Walk on the Wild Side* (1962), Writer
- *North to Alaska* (1960), Screenplay
- *Queen of Outer Space* (1958), Story
- *The Fiend Who Walked the West* (1958), Adaptation
- *Legend of the Lost* (1957), Screenplay
- *A Farewell to Arms* (1957), Screenplay
- *The Iron Petticoat* (1956), Screenplay
- *Trapeze* (1956), Writer
- *Miracle in the Rain* (1956), Novel, Screenplay
- *The Man with the Golden Arm* (1955), as Additional Writing — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/the-man-with-the-golden-arm.md)
- *The Indian Fighter* (1955), Screenplay
- *Ulysses* (1954), Screenplay
- *Living It Up* (1954), Theatre Play
- *Indiscretion of an American Wife* (1953), Writer
- *Angel Face* (1953), Screenplay — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/angel-face.md)
- *Monkey Business* (1952), Screenplay
- *Actors and Sin* (1952), as Narrator (segment "Woman of Sin") (voice) · Director, Producer, Writer
- *The Secret of Convict Lake* (1951), as Additional Writing
- *The Thing from Another World* (1951), Writer
- *The Murder Club* (1950), Writer
- *September Affair* (1950), Writer
- *Edge of Doom* (1950), Writer
- *Where the Sidewalk Ends* (1950), Screenplay
- *Miracle in the Rain* (1950), Author
- *The Pink Hussar* (1950), Director, Writer
- *Perfect Strangers* (1950), Theatre Play
- *Whirlpool* (1950), Screenplay
- *Love Happy* (1949), as Additional Writing
- *Roseanna McCoy* (1949), Writer
- *The Twentieth Century* (1949), Writer
- *We Were Strangers* (1949), as Additional Writing
- *Big Jack* (1949), Writer
- *Concerning a Woman of Sin* (1949), Director, Writer
- *Miracle in the Rain* (1949), Director, Writer
- *Portrait of Jennie* (1948), Writer
- *The Front Page* (1948), Director, Writer
- *The Miracle of the Bells* (1948), Screenplay
- *Rope* (1948), as Additional Writing — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/rope.md)
- *Her Husband's Affairs* (1947), Writer
- *Ride the Pink Horse* (1947), Screenplay
- *Kiss of Death* (1947), Screenplay
- *Duel in the Sun* (1946), Writer
- *Notorious* (1946), Writer — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/notorious.md)
- *Specter of the Rose* (1946), Director, Producer, Writer
- *Gilda* (1946), as Additional Writing — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/gilda.md)
- *Cornered* (1945), Writer
- *The Front Page* (1945), Writer
- *Spellbound* (1945), Screenplay — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/spellbound.md)
- *Watchtower Over Tomorrow* (1945), Screenplay
- *Lifeboat* (1944), Writer
- *China Girl* (1942), Producer, Screenplay
- *The Black Swan* (1942), Screenplay
- *Tales of Manhattan* (1942), Writer
- *Ten Gentlemen from West Point* (1942), Writer
- *Lydia* (1941), Screenplay
- *Second Chorus* (1941), Writer
- *Comrade X* (1940), Screenplay
- *Angels Over Broadway* (1940), as Man in Night Court (uncredited) · Writer, Producer, Director
- *Foreign Correspondent* (1940), as Additional Writing — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/foreign-correspondent.md)
- *I Take This Woman* (1940), Writer
- *His Girl Friday* (1940), Theatre Play, Screenplay — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/film/his-girl-friday.md)
- *The Shop Around the Corner* (1940), as Additional Writing — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/the-shop-around-the-corner.md)
- *Eternally Yours* (1939), Writer
- *Lady of the Tropics* (1939), Screenplay
- *It's a Wonderful World* (1939), Screenplay, Story
- *Some Like It Hot* (1939), Theatre Play, Writer
- *Wuthering Heights* (1939), Screenplay — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/wuthering-heights.md)
- *Stagecoach* (1939), as Additional Writing — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/stagecoach.md)
- *Let Freedom Ring* (1939), Screenplay, Story
- *Gunga Din* (1939), Story — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/gunga-din.md)
- *Angels with Dirty Faces* (1938), Writer — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/angels-with-dirty-faces.md)
- *The Goldwyn Follies* (1938), Screenplay, Story
- *Nothing Sacred* (1937), Screenplay
- *The Hurricane* (1937), as Additional Writing
- *The Prisoner of Zenda* (1937), Writer
- *Woman Chases Man* (1937), Writer
- *King of Gamblers* (1937), Writer
- *A Star Is Born* (1937), Writer — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/a-star-is-born-1937.md)
- *Soak the Rich* (1936), Producer, Writer, Director
- *Barbary Coast* (1935), Writer
- *Spring Tonic* (1935), Theatre Play
- *Once in a Blue Moon* (1935), Writer, Producer, Director
- *The Scoundrel* (1935), as Flop House Bum · Director, Producer, Story
- *The Florentine Dagger* (1935), Writer
- *The President Vanishes* (1934), Writer
- *Crime Without Passion* (1934), as Court Interviewer with Pipe (uncredited) · Screenplay, Director, Producer, Story
- *Shoot the Works* (1934), Theatre Play, Writer
- *Twentieth Century* (1934), Screenplay
- *Upperworld* (1934), Story
- *Viva Villa!* (1934), Screenplay — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/viva-villa.md)
- *Riptide* (1934), Writer
- *Queen Christina* (1934), as Additional Writing · Writer — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/queen-christina.md)
- *Design for Living* (1933), Screenplay
- *Turn Back the Clock* (1933), Screenplay
- *Topaze* (1933), Screenplay
- *Hallelujah, I'm a Bum* (1933), Story
- *Rasputin and the Empress* (1932), Writer
- *Back Street* (1932), Writer
- *Million Dollar Legs* (1932), Writer
- *Scarface* (1932), Screenplay — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/scarface-1932.md)
- *The Beast of the City* (1932), Writer
- *The Sin of Madelon Claudet* (1931), Writer
- *The Unholy Garden* (1931), Story, Dialogue, Screenplay
- *Homicide Squad* (1931), Writer
- *Quick Millions* (1931), Writer
- *The Front Page* (1931), Writer
- *Si l'empereur savait ça* (1930), Original Story
- *The Green Specter* (1930), Story
- *Roadhouse Nights* (1930), Story
- *Street of Chance* (1930), Writer
- *The Unholy Night* (1929), Story
- *The Great Gabbo* (1929), Story
- *The Big Noise* (1928), Story
- *Underworld* (1927), Story
- *The New Klondike* (1926), Writer

## Gallery

- ![Ben Hecht](https://film.one/media/person/7137/gallery-fdc1f6c89011.jpg) Ben Hecht — Publicity still, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Ben_Hecht.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Ben Hecht, 1919](https://film.one/media/person/7137/gallery-0a5565ddaf63.jpg) Ben Hecht, 1919 — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/Ben_Hecht%2C_1919_%28NBY_8075%29.jpg/1280px-Ben_Hecht%2C_1919_%28NBY_8075%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Ben Hecht (1915)](https://film.one/media/person/7137/gallery-5f4acffcf1ba.jpg) Ben Hecht (1915) — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Ben_Hecht_%28NBY_8074%29.jpg/1280px-Ben_Hecht_%28NBY_8074%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Ben Hecht (1915)](https://film.one/media/person/7137/gallery-3d026ab9b4d9.jpg) Ben Hecht (1915) — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/Ben_Hecht_%28NBY_8081%29.jpg/1280px-Ben_Hecht_%28NBY_8081%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Seated left to right, Philip Davis, Alfred MacArthur, Ashton Stevens, William F. McGee, Charles Collins, Harry Hansen, Leroy T. Globe, John Gunther, Peter Hecht (1924)](https://film.one/media/person/7137/gallery-c651d3a14892.jpg) Seated left to right, Philip Davis, Alfred MacArthur, Ashton Stevens, William F. McGee, Charles Collins, Harry Hansen, Leroy T. Globe, John Gunther, Peter Hecht (1924) — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Ben_Hecht_farewell_party_at_Schlogl%27s_bar%2C_Chicago%2C_1924_%28NBY_2026%29.jpg/1280px-Ben_Hecht_farewell_party_at_Schlogl%27s_bar%2C_Chicago%2C_1924_%28NBY_2026%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Ben Hecht with Sherwood Anderson, autographed by Ben Hecht, n.d.](https://film.one/media/person/7137/gallery-e31f9cf0d295.jpg) Ben Hecht with Sherwood Anderson, autographed by Ben Hecht, n.d. — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bb/Ben_Hecht_with_Sherwood_Anderson%2C_autographed_by_Ben_Hecht%2C_n.d._%28NBY_5824%29.jpg/1280px-Ben_Hecht_with_Sherwood_Anderson%2C_autographed_by_Ben_Hecht%2C_n.d._%28NBY_5824%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 2 won, 5 nominated

- 1947: Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated), for *Notorious*
- 1941: Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated), for *Angels Over Broadway*
- 1940: Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated), for *Wuthering Heights*
- 1936: Best Story (won), for *The Scoundrel*
- 1935: Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated), for *Viva Villa!*
- 1929: Best Story (won), for *Underworld*
- 1928: Best Story (nominated), for *Underworld*

### Other awards — 3 won

- Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement 1981: Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement (won)
- Locarno International Film Festival Awards 1948: Locarno International Film Festival Awards (won), for *Kiss of Death*
- New York Film Critics Circle Awards 1936: New York Film Critics Circle Awards (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/ben-hecht