Biography
As was the case with most of
Alfred Hitchcock's screenwriters, John Michael Hayes has tended to be overshadowed by "The Master." The general assumption is that Hitchcock was the predominant guiding force behind such films as
Rear Window (1954),
To Catch a Thief (1955)
The Trouble With Harry (1956) and
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), while Hayes (and his collaborators) merely provided the words and the character names. Proof that Hayes was a potent talent without Hitchcock's input is provided by his adaptations of such literary and theatrical pieces as
Peyton Place (1957, which earned him the second of his two Oscar nominations), Butterfield Eight (1958) and
The Chalk Garden (1964). After many years of retirement, John Michael Hayes resurfaced to co-write the screenplay of director
Charles Haid's
Iron Will (1994). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide