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Ben Hecht
Writer 1894 - 1964

Ben Hecht

New York City, New York, USA

Ben Hecht (February 28, 1894 – April 18, 1964) was an American screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, journalist, and novelist. A successful journalist in his youth, he went on to write 35 books and some of the most enjoyed screenplays and plays in America. He received... Read full bio →

Filmography

Every title this person wrote

59 titles
Switching Channels

Switching Channels

Ted Kotcheff 1988 1h 45m 5.0

A television news chief courts his anchorwoman ex-wife with an eleventh-hour story.

Circus World

Circus World

Henry Hathaway 1964 2h 23m 6.0

Circus owner Matt Masters is beset by disasters as he attempts a European tour of his circus. At the same time, he is caught in an emotional bind between his adopted daughter and her mother.

Walk on the Wild Side

Walk on the Wild Side

Edward Dmytryk 1962 1h 54m 6.0

Poor lovesick white-trash Dove Linkhorn arrives in New Orleans searching for his former girlfriend Hallie Gerard, an artist who works in The Doll House brothel, whose madam Jo Courtney considers her girls to be her property.

North to Alaska

North to Alaska

Henry Hathaway 1960 2h 2m 6.0

Sam and George strike gold in Alaska. George sends Sam to Seattle to bring George's fiancé back to Alaska. Sam finds she is already married, and returns instead with Angel. Sam, after trying to get George and Angel together, finally romances Angel, who, in the meantime, is busy fighting off the advances of George's younger brother, Billy.

Queen of Outer Space

Queen of Outer Space

Edward Bernds 1958 1h 20m 6.5

A mission to Venus discovers the planet inhabited only by women led by their evil Queen Yllana. Yllana had all the men of Venus killed, now that's she met Earth men, she wants them dead, too.

Legend of the Lost

Legend of the Lost

Henry Hathaway 1957 1h 49m 4.0

American ne'er-do-well Joe January is hired to take Paul Bonnard on an expedition into the desert in search of treasure.

A Farewell to Arms

A Farewell to Arms

Charles Vidor 1957 2h 32m 5.0

A Farewell to Arms is a 1957 American drama film directed by Charles Vidor. The screenplay by Ben Hecht, based in part on a 1930 play by Laurence Stallings, was the second feature film adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's 1929 semi-autobiographical novel of the same name. It was the last film produced by David O. Selznick.

Trapeze

Trapeze

Carol Reed 1956 1h 45m 6.0

A pair of men try to perform the dangerous "triple" in their trapeze act. Problems arise when the duo is made into a trio following the addition of a sexy female performer.

The Indian Fighter

The Indian Fighter

André de Toth 1955 1h 28m 6.0

A scout leading a wagon train through hostile Indian country unwittingly gets involved with a Sioux chief's daughter

Ulisse

Ulisse

Mario Camerini 1954 1h 40m 6.8

A movie adaptation of Homer's second epic, that talks about Ulysses' efforts to return to his home after the end of ten years of war.

Stazione Termini

Stazione Termini

Vittorio De Sica 1953 1h 4m 6.8

Un'americana in vacanza a Roma inizia una relazione con un insegnate italiano. Ma quando la famiglia americana la chiama, la donna non resiste e decide di tornare a casa. Si diranno addio alla Stazione Termini.

Monkey Business

Monkey Business

Howard Hawks 1952 1h 37m 7.2

Research chemist Barnaby Fulton works on a fountain of youth pill for a chemical company. One of the labs chimps gets loose in the laboratory and mixes chemicals, but then pours the mix into the water cooler.

Angel Face

Angel Face

Otto Preminger 1952 1h 31m 8.0

Ambulance driver Frank Jessup is ensnared in the schemes of the sensuous but dangerous Diane Tremayne.

The Thing from Another World

The Thing from Another World

Christian Nyby 1951 1h 27m 7.5

Scientists and American Air Force officials fend off a blood-thirsty alien organism while at a remote arctic outpost.

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Otto Preminger 1950 1h 35m 8.3

Tough NYC police detective Dixon misses out on a promotion because of his record of roughing up suspects. When accidentally kills a suspect in a murder case he plants clues to absolve himself. But when the father of a woman he recently fell in love is accused of the crime his plan looks like back firing.

September Affair

September Affair

William Dieterle 1950 1h 44m 6.0

An industrialist and a pianist meet on a trip and fall in love. Through a quirk of fate, they are reported dead in a crash though they weren't on the plane. This gives them the opportunity to live together free from their previous lives. Unfortunately, this artificial arrangement leads to greater and greater stress.

Edge of Doom

Edge of Doom

Mark Robson 1950 1h 39m 6.0

A priest sets out to catch the man who killed one of his colleagues.

Whirlpool

Whirlpool

Otto Preminger 1949 1h 38m 8.0

The wife of a psycho-analyst falls prey to a devious quack hypnotist when he discovers she is an habitual shoplifter. Then one of his previous patients now being treated by the real doctor is found murdered, with her still at the scene, and suspicion points only one way.

The Miracle of the Bells

The Miracle of the Bells

Irving Pichel 1948 2h 6.0

A press agent brings a dead actress home for burial. To promote her one film, he asks churches to ring bells for 3 days, hoping to get the studio head to release it.

Portrait of Jennie

Portrait of Jennie

William Dieterle 1948 1h 26m 7.0

In Depression-era New York, an impoverished painter has a chance encounter with an enigmatic, old-fashioned little girl in Central Park who inspires him and changes his destiny.

Ride the Pink Horse

Ride the Pink Horse

Robert Montgomery 1947 1h 41m 7.0

WW2 veteran Lucky Gagin arrives in a New Mexico border-town intent on revenging against mobster Frank Hugo but FBI agent Bill Retz, who also wants Hugo, tries to keep Gagin out of trouble.

Kiss of Death

Kiss of Death

Henry Hathaway 1947 1h 39m 7.6

Ex hood Nick Bianco rats on vicious killer Tommy Udo. But when at trial Udo is acquitted, Bianco is sure that Udo will be out for revenge.

Specter of the Rose

Specter of the Rose

Ben Hecht 1946 1h 30m

Ballet dancer Sanine may have murdered his first wife. A detective thinks so, and he's not the only one.

Notorious

Notorious

Alfred Hitchcock 1946 1h 43m 8.0

Released shortly after the war, this classic Hitchcock film illustrates the battle between German Nazis and American spies and the trafficking of drugs.

Duel in the Sun

Duel in the Sun

King Vidor 1946 2h 24m 7.5
Spellbound

Spellbound

Alfred Hitchcock 1945 1h 51m 7.7

A psychiatrist tries to help the man she loves solve a murder buried in his subconscious.

Cornered

Cornered

Edward Dmytryk 1945 1h 42m 6.5

A World War II veteran hunts down the Nazi collaborators who killed his wife.

Lifeboat

Lifeboat

Alfred Hitchcock 1944 1h 36m 7.8

Several Americans and Britons civilians are stuck in a lifeboat after their ship and a U-boat sink each other in combat. Willi (Walter Slezak), a German survivor, is allowed aboard after some debate, but is later revealed to be the U-boat captain.

The Black Swan

The Black Swan

Henry King 1942 1h 27m 8.5

When notorious pirate Henry Morgan is made governor of Jamaica, he enlists the help of some of his former partners in ridding the Caribbean of buccaneers. When one of them apparently abducts the previous governor's pretty daughter and joins up with the rebels, things are set for a fight.

Tales of Manhattan

Tales of Manhattan

Julien Duvivier 1942 1h 58m

Ten screenwriters collaborated on this series of tales concerning the effect a tailcoat cursed by its tailor has on those who wear it. The video release features a W.C. Fields segment not included in the original theatrical release.

China Girl

China Girl

Henry Hathaway 1942 1h 35m

With America still neutral, an American news photographer on assignment in Burma is courted by both the Japanese and The Flying Tiger volunteers fighting for China to film the strategic Burma Road.

Second Chorus

Second Chorus

H. C. Potter 1940 1h 24m 6.0

Danny O'Neill and Hank Taylor are rival trumpeters with the Perennials, a college band, and both men are still attending college by failing their exams seven years in a row. In the midst of a performance, Danny spies Ellen Miller who ends up being made band manager. Both men compete for her affections while trying to get the other one fired.

I Take This Woman

I Take This Woman

W.S. Van Dyke 1940 1h 38m 3.0

On return from Europe Dr. Decker foils glamour girl Georgi from jumping overboard. At Decker's suggestion to keep busy, she assists at his clinic in the slums.

His Girl Friday

His Girl Friday

Howard Hawks 1940 1h 32m 7.8

Walter Burns is an irresistibly conniving newspaper publisher desperate to woo back his paper’s star reporter, who also happens to be his estranged wife. She’s threatening to quit and settle down with a new beau, but, as Walter knows, she has a weakness: she can’t resist a juicy scoop.

Angels Over Broadway

Angels Over Broadway

Ben Hecht, Lee Garmes 1940 1h 19m 6.0

A playwright persuades a con artist to help an embezzler go straight.

Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights

William Wyler 1939 1h 44m 7.3

Young orphan Heathcliff is adopted by the wealthy Earnshaw family and moves into their estate, Wuthering Heights. Soon, the new resident falls for his compassionate foster sister, Cathy.

Lady of the Tropics

Lady of the Tropics

Jack Conway 1939 1h 32m

American playboy Bill Carey woos a half-caste beauty in French Indochina, but her second-class legal status makes a formidable barrier to their happiness.

It's a Wonderful World

It's a Wonderful World

W.S. Van Dyke 1939 1h 26m 7.3

Detective Guy Johnson's client, Willie Heywood, is framed for murder. While Guy hides him so he can catch the real killer, both of them are nabbed by the police, tried, convicted and sentenced to jail: Guy for a year with Willie to be executed. On the way to jail, Guy comes across a clue and escapes from the police.

Gunga Din

Gunga Din

George Stevens 1939 1h 57m 7.5

In 19th century India, three British soldiers and a native waterbearer must stop a secret mass revival of the murderous Thuggee cult before it can rampage across the land.

Angels with Dirty Faces

Angels with Dirty Faces

Michael Curtiz 1938 1h 37m 7.9

Childhood chums Rocky Sullivan and Jerry Connelly grow up on opposite sides of the fence: Rocky matures into a prominent gangster, while Jerry becomes a priest, tending to the needs of his old tenement neighborhood.

The Prisoner of Zenda

The Prisoner of Zenda

John Cromwell 1937 1h 41m

A kingdom's ascending heir, marked for assassination, switches identities with a lookalike, who takes his place at the coronation. When the real king is kidnapped, his followers try to find him, while the stand-in falls in love with the king's intended bride, the beautiful Princess Flavia.

Nothing Sacred

Nothing Sacred

William A. Wellman 1937 1h 17m 6.5

An eccentric woman learns she is not dying of radium poisoning as earlier assumed, but when she meets a reporter looking for a story, she feigns sickness again for her own profit.

A Star is Born

A Star is Born

William A. Wellman 1937 1h 51m 6.8

Vicki Lester, played by Janet Gaynor, meets actor Norman Maine (Fredric March) and they marry, but soon after his career develops difficulties while hers flourishes.

The Scoundrel

The Scoundrel

Ben Hecht, Charles MacArthur 1935 1h 16m

A ruthless, cynical, hated publisher is killed in a plane crash, doomed to be a "restless" spirit for being unloved. A heavenly power gives him a month on Earth to find one person to shed a tear for him before his fate is sealed.

The Florentine Dagger

The Florentine Dagger

Robert Florey 1935 1h 9m

A playwright descended from the Borgia family becomes a murder suspect.

Barbary Coast

Barbary Coast

Howard Hawks 1935 1h 30m 8.0

Mary Rutledge arrives from the east, finds her fiance dead, and goes to work at the roulette wheel of Louis Charnalis' Bella Donna, a rowdy gambling house in San Francisco in the 1850s. She falls in love with miner Carmichael and takes his gold dust at the wheel. She goes after him, Louis goes after her with intent to harm Carmichael.

Viva Villa!

Viva Villa!

Jack Conway 1934 1h 55m

In this fictionalized biography, young Pancho Villa takes to the hills after killing an overseer in revenge for his father's death.

Twentieth Century

Twentieth Century

Howard Hawks 1934 1h 31m 10.0

Oscar Jaffe is a successful Broadway director; Lily Garland, one of his stars. But when she leaves his direction, his success goes with her. When he recognizes her aboard the Twentieth Century Limited, the train that both of them are riding, he tries to get her back for a new show. But accomplishing that feat isn't as simple as he had thought.

Topaze

Topaze

Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast 1933 1h 18m

An honest and naive schoolteacher gets a lesson in how the world works outside the classroom, when a rich Baron and his mistress use the teacher's name and outstanding reputation in a crooked business scheme.

Queen Christina

Queen Christina

Rouben Mamoulian 1933 1h 39m 7.0

Popular monarch Queen Christina of Sweden must choose between love and loyalty to her nation when she unexpectedly falls for a Spanish envoy.

Hallelujah I'm a Bum

Hallelujah I'm a Bum

Lewis Milestone 1933 1h 22m

A New York tramp falls in love with the mayor's amnesiac girlfriend after rescuing her from a suicide attempt.

Design for Living

Design for Living

Ernst Lubitsch 1933 1h 31m 8.0

A woman cannot decide between two men who love her, and the trio agree to try living together in a platonic friendly relationship.

The Beast of the City

The Beast of the City

Charles Brabin 1932 1h 26m

Police Chief Jim Fitzpatrick is after gangster Sam Belmonte. He uses his police detective brother Ed to watch over Daisy who is associated with Belmonte but things don't go as planned.

Scarface

Scarface

Howard Hawks 1932 1h 33m 8.4

Scarface is a brutal gangster film from 1932 from director Howard Hawks that depicts the fall of a Chicago gangster.

Million Dollar Legs

Million Dollar Legs

Edward F. Cline 1932 1h 4m

A small country on the verge of bankruptcy is persuaded to enter the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics as a means of raising money. Either a masterpiece of absurdity or a triumph of satire, depending on your mood, but it's quite possibly the funniest movie ever made, and becomes even funnier with subsequent viewings.

Back Street

Back Street

John M. Stahl 1932 1h 33m

A woman's love for and devotion to a married man results in her being relegated to the "back streets" of his life.

The Front Page

The Front Page

Lewis Milestone 1931 1h 41m

Hildy Johnson is an investigative reporter looking for a bigger paycheck. When an accused murderer escapes from custody, Hildy sees an opportunity for the story of a lifetime. But when he finds the criminal, he learns that the man may not be guilty.

The Great Gabbo

The Great Gabbo

James Cruze 1929 1h 34m 5.0

For the ventriloquist Gabbo his wooden dummy Otto is the only means of expression. When he starts relying more and more on Otto, he starts going mad.

Underworld

Underworld

Josef von Sternberg 1927 1h 27m 8.0

Story of a criminal who takes a penniless vagrant under his wing only to have him eventually turn on him.

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