Ben Hecht était un écrivain américain prolifique dont la carrière couvrait le journalisme, les romans, les scénarios et les pièces de théâtre. Il possédait un don pour créer des récits divertissants, contribuant à certains des films et productions théâtrales les plus captivants de son époque. Son œuvre considérable démontre un talent polyvalent pour la narration à travers différents médias.
Ben Hecht's critically acclaimed autobiographical memoir, first published in 1954, offers incomparably pungent evocations of Chicago in the 1910s and 1920s, Hollywood in the 1930s, and New York during the Second World War and after--
The book is a significant literary work that has been preserved and republished in a modern format to ensure its accessibility for future generations. It has been meticulously reformatted and retyped, offering clear and readable text, unlike scanned copies. This edition highlights its importance in the realms of American and Canadian literature, showcasing its enduring relevance throughout history.
An irresistible comedy with thrills and derring do set in the news room. Hildy wants to break away from journalism and go on a belated honeymoon. There is a jailbreak and into Hildy's hands falls the escapee as hostage. He conceals his prize in a rolltop desk and phones his scoop to his managing editor. Their job is to prevent other reporters and the sheriff from opening the desk and finding their story. Some hoodlums are enlisted to remove the desk, but they get mixed up with a Boy Scout troop and the mayor and a cleaning woman, among others. It's a whirlwind wrap up with Hildy finally making his breakaway, but the cynical managing editor has him arrested before he leaves town for having stolen a watch he planted on Hildy.
Ben Hecht war einer der berühmtesten Drehbuchautoren in Hollywood. Er schrieb für Billy Wilder, Hitchcock und Howard Hawks und viele andere. 1918 aber war er ein junger, mit allen Wassern gewaschener Journalist aus Chicago, der im Berliner Hotel Adlon abstieg, um aus einem unbekannten Land zu berichten, das gerade den Ersten Weltkrieg verloren hatte. Als er es wieder verließ, hatte er die Revolution in Berlin und Bayern und ein ganzes Land am Rande des Nervenzusammenbruchs erlebt, denkwürdige Interviews geführt und Freunde gewonnen. Deutschland erscheint in diesen wahren Geschichten wie der unwirkliche Schauplatz einer im Zeitraffer gedrehten Tragikomödie.