Claim: John Fante is a writer.

Jeanne Eagels -LRB- also titled The Jeanne Eagels Story -RRB- is a 1957 American biographical film loosely based on the life of stage star Jeanne Eagels . Distributed by Columbia Pictures , the film was produced and directed by George Sidney from a screenplay by John Fante , Daniel Fuchs and Sonya Levien , based on a story by Fuchs .   The film stars Kim Novak in the title role . Jeff Chandler , Charles Drake , Agnes Moorehead , Larry Gates , Virginia Grey , Gene Lockhart and Murray Hamilton co-star .   Many aspects of Eagels ' real life were omitted or largely fictionalized . Eagels ' family later sued Columbia Pictures over the way Eagels was depicted in the film .