John Fante is a screenwriter.
John Fante ( April 8 , 1909 -- May 8 , 1983 ) was an Italian-American novelist , short story writer and screenwriter . The Reluctant Saint . The movie was written by John Fante and Joseph Petracca and directed by Edward Dmytryk . Walk on the Wild Side (film) . The film had a star-studded cast , including Laurence Harvey , Capucine , Jane Fonda , Anne Baxter , and Barbara Stanwyck , and was scripted by John Fante .