Frank Hannah

Who is Frank Hannah?

Frank Hannah is a Scottish-born screenwriter and filmmaker.

Francis Michael Hannah was born in Clydebank, Scotland. He wrote the film The Cooler with friend and mentor Wayne Kramer. Hannah's inspiration for the character of Bernie Lootz was based on his years gambling in the seedy rundown casinos of Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas.

He is credited with coining the phrase "Cooler" as a person hired by casinos to spread back luck. There is no such entity in real life. In Vegas lore, the term "Cooler" was used to describe a stacked deck used by a dealer to cheat the player out of his winnings.

The Cooler was selected for Competition in the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. The Cooler also played at the following film festivals: 2003 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival; 2003 Valladolid International Film Festival; 2003 Deauville Film Festival and 2004 Cognac Festival du Film Policier.

Hannah was nominated for a 2004 Golden Satellite Award and a 2004 Edgar Allan Poe Award for his screenplay to The Cooler. The Cooler also received a 2003 Special Mention For Excellence in Filmmaking from the National Board of Review.