Howard Koch was an esteemed American playwright and screenwriter celebrated for his work during Hollywood's Golden Age. He is best known for co-writing the timeless screenplay for the 1942 film Casablanca, which earned him an Academy Award. Koch also gained notoriety for scripting the infamous 1938 radio broadcast of H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds, which caused widespread panic. His career was later impacted by the Hollywood blacklist, but he continued to write, leaving a lasting legacy on film and theater.