Writing

Charles MacArthur

Born November 5, 1895 · Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA

Died April 21, 1956 · aged 60

Charles MacArthur was an American playwright, screenwriter, and journalist, renowned for his collaborations with Ben Hecht. Together, they co-wrote the classic play The Front Page (1928), a satirical look at newspaper reporters that has been adapted multiple times for stage and screen. MacArthur also co-wrote Twentieth Century (1932), a screwball comedy that became a Broadway hit. His work is ce…

Known For

Wuthering HeightsWuthering Heights · 1939
Wuthering Heights
7.21939
MovieDramaRomance
Young orphan Heathcliff is adopted by the wealthy Earnshaw family and moves into their estate, Wuthering Heights. Soon, the new resident falls for his compassionate foster sister, Cathy. The two share a remarkable bond that seems unbreakable until Cathy, feeling the pressure of social convention, suppresses her feelings and marries Edgar Linton, a man of means who befits her stature. Heathcliff vows to win her back.
His Girl FridayHis Girl Friday · 1940
His Girl Friday
7.41940
MovieComedyRomance
Walter Burns is an irresistibly conniving newspaper publisher desperate to woo back his paper’s star reporter, who also happens to be his estranged wife. She’s threatening to quit and settle down with a new beau, but, as Walter knows, she has a weakness: she can’t resist a juicy scoop.
The Front PageThe Front Page · 1974
The Front Page
7.31974
MovieComedy
Ruthless Chicago newspaper editor Walter Burns resorts to dubious motives in order to get top reporter Hildy Johnson to cover one more big crime story before retirement.
Switching ChannelsSwitching Channels · 1988
Switching Channels
6.11988
MovieComedy
A television news chief courts his anchorwoman ex-wife with an eleventh-hour story.
Angels with Dirty FacesAngels with Dirty Faces · 1938
Angels with Dirty Faces
7.51938
MovieCrimeDrama
Childhood chums Rocky Sullivan and Jerry Connelly grow up on opposite sides of the fence: Rocky matures into a prominent gangster, while Jerry becomes a priest, tending to the needs of his old tenement neighborhood.
Gunga DinGunga Din · 1939
Gunga Din
6.51939
MovieAdventureWar
British army sergeants Ballantine, Cutter and MacChesney serve in India during the 1880s, along with their native water-bearer, Gunga Din. While completing a dangerous telegraph-repair mission, they unearth evidence of the suppressed Thuggee cult. When Gunga Din tells the sergeants about a secret temple made of gold, the fortune-hunting Cutter is captured by the Thuggees, and it's up to his friends to rescue him.
The Front PageThe Front Page · 1931
The Front Page
6.51931
MovieComedyCrime
Hildy Johnson is an investigative reporter looking for a bigger paycheck. When an accused murderer escapes from custody, Hildy sees an opportunity for the story of a lifetime. But when he finds the criminal, he learns that the man may not be guilty. With the help of his editor, Hildy attempts to hide the convict, uncover the conspiracy and write the scoop of his career.
Billy Rose's JumboBilly Rose's Jumbo · 1962
Billy Rose's Jumbo
6.01962
MovieComedyMusic
The daughter of a circus owner fights to save her father from a takeover spearheaded by the man she loves.

Filmography

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Lulu BelleLulu Belle · 1948
Lulu Belle
5.01948
MovieRomanceDrama
Lulu Belle is singing in a cheap dive in Natchez, Mississippi in the early 1900's when she meets rising young attorney George Davis. He gives up his fiancée and career to marry Lulu Bell. When his money runs out, Lulu Belle goes to work in a New Orleans club run by tough gambler Mark Brady. She tries to send George back to Natchez by pretending that she has fallen for prize-fighter Butch Cooper but George, in a fit of jealousy, drives a handful of forks into Butch's face. He is sent to prison and Lulu goes to New York with millionaire Harry Randolph, who makes her the singing sensation of Broadway and asks her to marry him. She refuses when she learns that George has been released from prison, realizing that he is the only man she ever truly loved.

Theatre Play

Mission: ImpossibleMission: Impossible · 1966
Mission: Impossible
7.61966
SeriesAction & AdventureCrime
Mission: Impossible is an American television series that was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicles the missions of a team of secret government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force. In the first season, the team is led by Dan Briggs, played by Steven Hill; Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, takes charge for the remaining seasons. A hallmark of the series shows Briggs or Phelps receiving his instructions on a recording that then self-destructs, followed by the theme music composed by Lalo Schifrin. The series aired on the CBS network from September 1966 to March 1973, then returned to television for two seasons on ABC, from 1988 to 1990, retaining only Graves in the cast. It later inspired a popular series of theatrical motion pictures starring Tom Cruise, beginning in 1996.