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Ben Hecht

Ben Hecht (1894–1970) was a noted journalist, playwright, novelist, and screenwriter. He worked extensively on behalf of Zionist causes and was the chairman of the American League for a Free Palestine.

A Stone for His Slingshot

A Stone for His Slingshot

Ben Hecht, Stuart Schoffman

In 1948 screenwriter Ben Hecht lectured “a thousand bookies, ex-prize fighters, gamblers, jockeys, touts,” and gangsters on the burdens and responsibilities of Jewish history. The night at Slapsy Maxie’s was a big success, but the speech was lost, until now.