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W. R. Burnett, a pivotal figure in screenwriting history, created numerous iconic moments in cinema.
Born in Springfield, Ohio, in 1899, Burnett had written over a hundred short stories and five novels by 1927, though none had been published. At age 28, he left a longstanding civil service job and moved to Chicago, where he worked as a night clerk in a rundown hotel. Immersed in the gritty world of Chicago’s streets, he encountered prizefighters, hoodlums, hustlers, and hobos—characters who inspired his 1929 novel Little Caesar, which was adapted into a successful 1931 film. This success launched his career as a Hollywood screenwriter. Little Caesar, produced by First National Pictures (Warner Bros.) and starring a then-unknown Edward G. Robinson, became a classic. Burnett revisited the Al Capone theme with Scarface in 1932.
Burnett remained prolific, producing at least one novel annually and adapting many into screenplays, some multiple times. His themes resembled those of Hammett and James M. Cain, yet his juxtaposition of urban decay with the characters’ longing for a pastoral ideal was distinctive. He depicted individuals trapped in crime, unable to escape despite occasional chances for redemption, as societal forces deny them salvation.
His characters inhabited a morally ambiguous world, where virtue could emerge from criminals and malice from law enforcers. Above all, his characters were deeply human, a trait that often led to their downfall. In High Sierra (1941), Humphrey Bogart’s Roy Earle is a hardened criminal who turns away from crime to aid a disabled woman. In The Asphalt Jungle (1950), a meticulously planned heist unravels as each character’s flaws surface. Bruce Crowther noted that Burnett’s screenplays, though following the cops-versus-gangsters formula, blurred traditional boundaries. In The Beast of the City (1932), police circumvent legal loopholes to bring criminals to justice, anticipating themes later explored in Dirty Harry (1971).
Burnett collaborated with legendary directors and actors, including John Huston, John Ford, Howard Hawks, Nicholas Ray, Michael Cimino, Humphrey Bogart, Ida Lupino, Paul Muni, Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Steve McQueen, and Clint Eastwood. He received Oscar nominations for his screenplays for Wake Island (1942) and The Great Escape (1963). Beyond film, he also wrote for television and radio. In his later years, as his eyesight deteriorated, he ceased writing and focused on promoting his earlier works. His anti-hero perspective gained significant popularity in Europe. Burnett passed away in 1982 at the age of 82.
