John Fante

John Fante was an American novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his semi-autobiographical novel Ask the Dust (1939) about the life of Arturo Bandini, a struggling writer in Depression-era Los Angeles. It is widely considered the great Los Angeles novel, and is one in a series of four, published between 1938 and 1985, that are now collectively called "The Bandini Quartet". Ask the Dust was adapted into a 2006 film starring Colin Farrell and Salma Hayek. Fante's published works while he lived included five novels, one novella, and a short story collection. Additional works, including two novels, two novellas, and two short story collections, were published posthumously. His screenwriting credits include, most notably, Full of Life, Jeanne Eagels (1957), and the 1962 films Walk on the Wild Side and The Reluctant Saint. ^{John Fante, American author and screenwriter (d. 1983)}

8 April 1909

Born on the same birth day (8 April): Albert I of Belgium • Allen Butler Talcott • Barbara of Hesse • Charlotte Dawson • David Wu • Dean Norris • Fred Ebb • Frédéric Back • Frédérick Bousquet • Grzegorz Lato • Hubertus Ernst • Jang Yong • Josh Chudleigh • Khaled Badra • Kim Jong-hyun • Marie Byles • Ofer Shechter • Phil Schaap • Tom Petranoff • Trina Schart Hyman

Born in the same month (April 1909): Abner Biberman • Arthur Võõbus • Eudora Welty • Giacomo Gentilomo • Hermann Lang • Indro Montanelli • Lim Bo Seng • Robert Charroux • Robert Edison Fulton Jr. • Spyros Markezinis • William Pereira