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Howard Koch

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description Howard Koch Overview

Howard Koch (1901-1995) was an American screenwriter and playwright best known for co-writing the screenplay for the 1942 film Casablanca. During the anti-communist investigations of the early 1950s, Koch was blacklisted by Hollywood studios and subsequently moved to England for several years. His other notable screenwriting credits include Sergeant York (1941). Koch spent much of his Hollywood career at Warner Bros., where he wrote or co-wrote war dramas, literary adaptations, and other features during the studio's peak years.

help Howard Koch FAQ

Who wrote Casablanca with Howard Koch?

Koch shared screenplay credit with twin brothers Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein. They adapted Murray Burnett and Joan Alison's unproduced stage play Everybody Comes to Rick's.

Did Howard Koch also write the War of the Worlds radio broadcast?

Yes, Koch scripted Orson Welles's 1938 Mercury Theatre on the Air adaptation of H. G. Wells's novel. Its news-bulletin structure helped make the fictional Martian invasion sound like a live emergency.

Why was Howard Koch blacklisted in Hollywood?

Koch was targeted during the anti-communist investigations of the late 1940s and 1950s because of his political associations and progressive views. He moved to Europe and wrote under pseudonyms, including Peter Howard, during part of the blacklist period.

Did Howard Koch win an Academy Award for Casablanca?

Yes, Koch and the Epstein brothers won the Oscar for the screenplay of Casablanca. The 1942 Warner Bros. film also won Best Picture and Best Director for Michael Curtiz.