(r) On the set of Little Caesar (1930)

Born William Riley Burnett in Springfield, OH. Before becoming one of the most influential writers in screen history, Burnett worked for seven years as a statistician for the state of Ohio before turning to writing in 1928. Specialized in crime and gangster stories. His first novel, Little Caesar, published in 1929, provided the basis for the 1931 Mervyn LeRoy film (starring Edward G. Robinson), which was among the pace setters in the gangster film cycle of the 30s. Several others of his many novels were adapted for the screen, notably Iron Man, The Dark Command, High Sierra, Nobody Lives Forever, and The Asphalt Jungle. Burnett began writing screenplays, alone or in collaboration, early in the 30s. He contributed, along with his novels and stories, many original scripts and adaptations for motion pictures into the 60s. Visit the Internet Movie Database to view Burnett's complete filmography.  Nominated for Writing (Original Screenplay) 1942: WAKE ISLAND (w. Frank Butler) 1 nomination