In the classification of American screenwriters working within the studio system, the term Hollywood professionals most accurately describes those writers who, through a great amount of talent and a lesser amount of compromise, have achieved a staying power in commercial filmmaking. The amalgam of personal expression and craftsmanship coupled--of necessity--with productivity and an awareness of controlling externals can be well observed in the work of screenwriter John Michael Hayes. Under contract at different times to several major studios, Hayes, known primarily as an adaptor, did not simply fulfill the basic requirements deemed necessary for the commercial success of a particular property. The surface fundamentals are adhered to, of course, and the majority of films produced from his screenplays have been successful at the box office. A Hayes screenplay, however, also brings with it a concern for style and form, an investigation of forces (such as the stifling social...