Ben Hecht: A Biography

by William MacAdams

MacAdams captures the life of prolific writer Hecht, from his early career as a Chicago journalist to his success as Hollywood's premier screenwriter during the 1940s and '50s

Genres: Biography

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Neal Hugh Hurwitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

MacAdams does a very fine job!!! Well-done and very interesting!!!
I know some about Hecht and MacMaster is on target!!!
I am sorry there were too few pictures in the hardcover, such as Marie and Margaret and Rose... and Edwina and Jenny...
So the guy loved life, women and men, and was also a cynic... same here now...
He does not seem to have been a great dad... not same here! :)

TY, Neal

[Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

It seems like Ben Hecht led an interesting life, but unfortunately, in this case it didn't lead to a terribly interesting biography. Hecht had a role in many of Hollywood's classic films. He wrote The Front Page, Scarface, Twentieth Century, and contributed in ways big and small to many others, a diverse list that includes (and this is just a small sampling) Gunga Din, Monkey Business, (the Marx Brothers movie and the unrelated Cary Grant movie) Hallelujah, I'm a Bum!, Viva Villa!, Wuthering Heights, Gone With the Wind, Love Happy, and even The Thing From Another World. You would think that there would be all kinds of inside information about the creative process, but there's disappointingly little of that. It's almost as if the movies themselves don't matter; what's important is mentioning that Ben Hecht had a role. For example, there's about one page devoted to the idea that The Front Page would be remade with Hildy Johnson recast as a woman. This turned out to be a classic movie, but author William MacAdams doesn't even mention the movie's title (His Girl Friday) or the actress who would play the part (Rosalind Russell). As I said, it's as if the movies don't matter. This wasn't the book's only flaw, but it's the one that I can't get past.

Someone is quoted in the book describing Hecht as a "talented hack" and that appears to be accurate. His track record speaks to his talent, but he saw movies as a way to get rich, and the quality of his work was secondary. He had contempt for Hollywood and for the studio system (he's certainly not alone in that) and was quite frustrated by the restrictions that the Code placed on his storytelling. I'm sure he wasn't alone in that, either, but while I've read quite a bit about the Code and its impact on movie content, this may be the most insight I've gotten into a screenwriter's perspective on this issue. So there were some interesting parts to the book, but overall it was a disappointment, and I had to push myself to get through it.

[Liedzeit Liedzeit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing Man. In 1939 alone he worked on 10 films that are among the best there are, including Gone with the Wind and Stagecoach. Mostly as a Script Doctor. He also was the first, before Welles who was writer, director, producer. Less successful with the audience though. Have to try to see the movies.
He worked with MacArthur for a long time (including on Twentieth Century a film that invents Screwball Comedy.) They were parodied in “Boy meets Girl”. There is Scarface, Frontpage and dozens and dozens of important films.
Not very well written, unfortunately.

[Evan · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a talent as immense as Ben Hecht's, you'd think there would be more biographies around, but there just aren't. This was a relatively illuminating book, a decent stab at the subject that mixes myth and fact. Unfortunately MacAdams was highly dependent on Hecht's own fanciful autobiographical musings. The man had, after all, a tremendous imagination, being one of the cinema's greatest screenwriters. MacAdams advises that we take Hecht's autobiographical books with a grain of salt, yet he obviously cites them, especially the wonderful stories about Hecht's rough-and-tumble adventures as a yellow journalist in Chicago; one of his skills was as a "picture snatcher" -- he'd break into the homes of newsmakers and literally steal the portrait paintings off the wall to provide art for the news stories. (There was a 1933 James Cagney movie called "Picture Snatcher" that seemed to be partly based on Hecht's life.) Hecht's widow---had she not been so squirrelly---could have made this a much better book through her participation, but she refused, a frustrating development recounted by the author. For the sake of posterity, she should have done it. It was an opportunity lost. Nonetheless, a worthwhile read.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author at the beginning of the book complains that many sources seemed to welcome him and want to discuss Ben Hecht when he contacted them. Before the first meeting with several, they decided they shouldn't discuss Ben nor would his widow participate. It seemed odd to me that an author would complain so much at the beginning of his book but later I realized why. While the author provides facts and some stories about Ben Hecht's life, the writer never comes to life and the book feels padded out with filler. It could have been better as a magazine article than a book. It is sad that that the author wasn't able to freely talk with Ben Hecht's family and friends and get a fuller portrait of his life. Ben Hecht was probably the most successful screenwriter of Old Hollywood and was involved in many a great movie's script. Hecht deserves a full biography but this is not the one and I wonder if one will ever be written. The family and friends who knew him are all dead now and took their secrets with them.

[Amy Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a great deal about Hecht from this book. I had always thought of him primarily as a screenwriter, but he did have notable careers as a literary writer & newspaperman beforehand. Delves into his controversial politics.