Ben Hecht
Born: 01-01-1893
Ben Hecht was an influential American screenwriter, playwright, and novelist, celebrated for his sharp wit and storytelling prowess. Born in 1894, Hecht contributed significantly to early Hollywood cinema, writing classics like "Scarface" and "Notorious." He was a pioneer of the screwball comedy genre and won the first Academy Award for Best Original Story. Beyond film, Hecht was a prolific journalist and author, known for his insightful and provocative works.
Book summaries for books written by Ben Hecht
Quotes
It's a great life if you don't weaken.
Listen, I can't help it if you're in love with me! I'm in love with myself. My opinion is the only opinion I care about.
The good die young, but not always. The wicked prevail, but not consistently. I am confused by life, and I feel safe within the confines of the theatre.
The important thing is not to be bitter over life's disappointments. Learn to let go of the past, and recognize that every day won't be sunny. And when you find yourself lost in the darkness of despair, remember, it's only in the black of night that you see the stars.
Journalism largely consists of saying 'Lord Jones is dead' to people who never knew Lord Jones was alive.
A newspaperman has to have a heart like a jackhammer and a hide like a rhinoceros.
The trouble with many newspapermen is that they are too smart to be honest and too honest to be smart.
Never give a sucker an even break.
Remember, kid, there's heroes and there's bums. Heroes get remembered, but bums never do.
When you're in love, nothing else matters. Everything else is just background noise.
Journalism is the art of making people believe something they know to be untrue.
I've no use for dead people, only live ones.