Hecht wrote
Scarface (1932), a thinly disguised biography of Chicago gangster
Al Capone. After the script had been finished, but before shooting had begun, Hecht was in his Hollywood hotel room when he was "visited" by two of Capone's gunmen, who had somehow managed to obtain a copy of the script and wanted to "discuss" its portrayal of their boss. A nervous Hecht told them that the only thing it had in common with Capone was the title "Scarface", which was Capone's nickname (which he hated and was known to beat severely those unfortunate enough to use it in his presence). That was because they were using it to lure in audiences who would think that the film was about Capone which, Hecht told them, it really wasn't (although it really was). His story convinced them and they left him in one piece.
