Charles MacArthur
The wisecracking playwright and Hollywood wit who, with Ben Hecht, defined the fast-talking newspaper comedy in 'The Front Page.'
1895–1956 (age 61)·American writer·Birthday: November 5·The Lost Generation
Biography
Charles MacArthur was the embodiment of 1920s and '30s literary glamour, a Chicago newspaperman turned Broadway and Hollywood scribe who lived as sharply as he wrote. He cut his teeth as a reporter in his native Pennsylvania and Chicago, an experience that would fuel his most famous work. After serving in World War I, he landed in New York City, where his wit and charm made him a central figure in the Algonquin Round Table's outer orbit. His partnership with fellow reporter Ben Hecht produced the smash-hit play 'The Front Page,' a breathless, cynical, and deeply authentic farce about tabloid journalism that permanently shaped how newsrooms were portrayed. Hollywood beckoned, and MacArthur became a sought-after screenwriter, contributing to classics like 'The Sin of Madelon Claudet,' which won him an Academy Award for Best Story. His personal life was equally storied; he married the luminous actress Helen Hayes, and their home was a salon for the era's creative elite. Though his output was not vast, his influence was, injecting American comedy with a permanent dose of street-smart patter and romantic mischief.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Charles was born in 1895, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Charles Was Born
The biggest hits of 1895
Charles's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1895Born
First public film screening by the Lumiere brothers
President: Grover Cleveland
1900Started school
Boxer Rebellion in China
President: William McKinley
1908Became a teenager
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1911Could drive
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1913Could vote
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1916Turned 21
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1925Turned 30
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1935Turned 40
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1945Turned 50
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1955Turned 60
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1956Died at 61
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
Key Achievements
- Co-wrote the seminal Broadway comedy 'The Front Page' with Ben Hecht, revolutionizing stage depictions of journalism.
- Won the Academy Award for Best Story for the 1931 film 'The Sin of Madelon Claudet.'
- Co-wrote the successful play 'Twentieth Century,' which became a classic film starring John Barrymore and Carole Lombard.
- His screenwriting work helped define the early 'talkie' era with films like 'The Unholy Garden' and 'Crime Without Passion.'
Did You Know?
He was the father of actor James MacArthur, who played Danno on the original 'Hawaii Five-O' television series.
MacArthur and Hecht wrote 'The Front Page' in a matter of weeks, holed up in a New York hotel room.
He served with the 149th Field Artillery Brigade in World War I.
A notorious prankster, he once sent a live alligator to his friend and collaborator, producer Jed Harris.
“You can take a girl out of the gutter, but you can't take the gutter out of the girl.”
