MacArthur, Charles

MacArthur, Charles

(1895–1956) playwright, screenwriter, movie director; born in Scranton, Pa. (husband of Helen Hayes, father of James MacArthur). After working as a reporter, he collaborated with Ben Hecht on the classic newspaper play, Front Page (1928), and then on Twentieth Century (1932), both Broadway hits. He went on to write, alone or in collaboration, several other popular plays and screenplays, usually sophisticated comedies. He codirected several movies with Hecht.