PersonJewish Eligibility — Verified by JWR

Ben Hecht

American Jewish screenwriter, playwright, novelist and journalist who won the inaugural Academy Award for Original Story for Underworld.

United States

Culver Pictures / Wikimedia CommonsSourcePublic Domain

Biography

American Jewish screenwriter, playwright, novelist and journalist who won the inaugural Academy Award for Original Story for Underworld. In Jewish World Records, Ben Hecht is connected to the record “First Jewish Winner of the Academy Award for Original Story,” based on the stored achievement of Writing (Original Story) — Underworld, 16 May 1929. At the first Academy Awards ceremony, Ben Hecht won Writing (Original Story) for Underworld. Holocaust Memorial Museum identifies Hecht as an American Jewish journalist, novelist and playwright. The Academy's inaugural 1929 ceremony page lists Ben Hecht as winner of Writing (Original Story) for Underworld. Because Original Story was awarded at the first Academy Awards and Hecht won that category, no earlier winner exists; USHMM independently documents his Jewish identity.

Records held by Ben Hecht

Early portrait of Jewish American writer and screenwriter Ben Hecht.

JWR Verified

Awards · Academy AwardsFirst

First Jewish Winner of the Academy Award for Original Story

Record holder

Ben Hecht

Record value

16 May 1929

Ben Hecht became the first Jewish writer to win the Academy Award for Original Story on 16 May 1929. The achievement took place at the inaugural Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles, California, where he was honoured for the film 'Underworld' in the category of Writing (Original Story). Official records from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences confirm him as the winner. As this was the first time the award was presented, no earlier winner is possible.

Country represented: United States
Achievement location: Los Angeles, California, United States
Achievement date: 16 May 1929

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