Ben Hecht

Biographie

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.