- First artist to refuse the Oscar when he won Best Screenplay for The Informer (1935).
- Worked on thirteen scripts for the director John Ford. Under contract at Fox (1929-35) and RKO (1935-38 and 1943-47).
- One of his films as writer/director, Mourning Becomes Electra (1947), became the worst financial debacle for RKO up to that time, losing the studio a record $2.3 million.
- (1937-1938) President of the Screen Writers Guild.
- Refused to accept the Oscar for his writing for The Informer (1935) because of the antagonism between several industry guilds and the academy over union matters.
- Before becoming a screenwriter, he was a star reporter and feature writer for the New York Post.
- Directed 2 actors to Oscar nominations: Rosalind Russell (Best Actress, Sister Kenny (1946); Mourning Becomes Electra (1947)) and Michael Redgrave (Best Actor, Mourning Becomes Electra (1947)).
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