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John Huston

Directing 81 (deceased) years old Nevada, Missouri, USA ★ 1.5
Born: August 5, 1906
Died: August 28, 1987

Biography

John Marcellus Huston (August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter, actor, and visual artist. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics: The Maltese Falcon (1941), The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948), The Asphalt Jungle (1950), The African Queen (1951), The Misfits (1961), Fat City (1972), The Man Who Would Be King (1975) and Prizzi's Honor (1985).

In his early years, Huston studied and worked as a fine art painter in Paris. He explored the visual aspects of his films throughout his career, sketching each scene on paper beforehand, then carefully framing his characters during the shooting. While most directors rely on post-production editing to shape their final work, Huston instead created his films while they were being shot, with little editing needed. Some of Huston's films were adaptations of important novels, often depicting an "heroic quest," as in Moby Dick, or The Red Badge of Courage. In many films, different groups of people, while struggling toward a common goal, would become doomed, forming "destructive alliances," giving the films a dramatic and visual tension. Many of his films involved themes such as religion, meaning, truth, freedom, psychology, colonialism, and war.

Huston has been referred to as "a titan", "a rebel", and a "renaissance man" in the Hollywood film industry. Author Ian Freer describes him as "cinema's Ernest Hemingway"—a filmmaker who was "never afraid to tackle tough issues head on." During his 46-year career, Huston received 15 Oscar nominations, winning twice. He directed both his father, Walter Huston, and daughter, Anjelica Huston, to Oscar wins.

Description above from the Wikipedia article John Huston, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Filmography

Acting Credits (112)

MCAINE: An Anagram of Cinema
MCAINE: An Anagram of Cinema Self - Filmmaker (archive footage) 2023
An Oral History of: The Name of the Rose
An Oral History of: The Name of the Rose Self (archive footage) 2022
John Huston: Adventures of a Free Soul
John Huston: Adventures of a Free Soul Self (archive footage) 2021
Babenco: Tell Me When I Die
Babenco: Tell Me When I Die Self (archive footage) 2020
Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast
Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast Self - Filmmaker (archive footage) 2019
The Other Side of the Wind
The Other Side of the Wind J.J. 'Jake' Hannaford 2018
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead Self (archive footage) 2018
Anjelica Huston on James Joyce: A Shout in the Street
Anjelica Huston on James Joyce: A Shout in the Street Self - Filmmaker (archive footage) 2017
Arthur Miller: Writer
Arthur Miller: Writer Self (archive footage) 2017
Ava Gardner: Life Is Bigger Than the Movies
Ava Gardner: Life Is Bigger Than the Movies Self (archive footage) 2017
Five Came Back
Five Came Back Self (archive footage) 2017
Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles
Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles Self - Filmmaker (archive footage) 2014
Fascination: Unauthorized Story of Marilyn Monroe
Fascination: Unauthorized Story of Marilyn Monroe Self (archive footage) 2012
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff Self (archive footage) 2010
Embracing Chaos: Making The African Queen
Embracing Chaos: Making The African Queen Self (archive footage) 2010
Filmmakers vs. Tycoons
Filmmakers vs. Tycoons Self (archive footage) 2005
The Making of Rocky Road to Dublin
The Making of Rocky Road to Dublin Self (Archive Footage) 2004
Pelé Forever
Pelé Forever Self (archive footage) 2004
Discovering Treasure: The Story of 'The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'
Discovering Treasure: The Story of 'The Treasure of the Sierra Madre' Self (archive footage) 2003
Making 'The Misfits'
Making 'The Misfits' Self - Director (archive footage) 2002
Goldwyn: The Man and His Movies
Goldwyn: The Man and His Movies Self 2001
Federico Fellini's Autobiography
Federico Fellini's Autobiography Self (archive footage) 2000
Intimate Portrait: Sean Connery
Intimate Portrait: Sean Connery Self (archive footage) 1998
Bogart: Here's Looking at You, Kid
Bogart: Here's Looking at You, Kid Self (archive footage) 1997
Bogart: The Untold Story
Bogart: The Untold Story Self (archive footage) 1997
Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker
Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker Glennon (archive footage) (uncredited) 1991
Welles' Language
Welles' Language Self 1990
John Huston: The Man, the Movies, the Maverick
John Huston: The Man, the Movies, the Maverick Self (archive footage) 1988
Mr. Corbett's Ghost
Mr. Corbett's Ghost Soul Collector 1987
Momo
Momo Meister Hora 1986
Directed by William Wyler
Directed by William Wyler Self 1986
The Black Cauldron
The Black Cauldron Narrator (voice) 1985
Herman Melville: Damned in Paradise
Herman Melville: Damned in Paradise Narrator 1985
Epic
Epic The Narrator (US version) 1985
George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey
George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey Self 1985
Notes from Under the Volcano
Notes from Under the Volcano Self 1984
Observations Under the Volcano
Observations Under the Volcano Self 1984
To The Western World
To The Western World 1984
Buñuel
Buñuel Self 1984
A Minor Miracle
A Minor Miracle Father Cardenas 1983
Lovesick
Lovesick Larry Geller, M.D. 1983
American Caesar
American Caesar Self - Host 1983
Errol Flynn: Portrait of a Swashbuckler
Errol Flynn: Portrait of a Swashbuckler Self 1983
Annie
Annie Actor on Radio (uncredited) 1982
The Orson Welles Story
The Orson Welles Story Self 1982
Creativity with Bill Moyers: John Huston
Creativity with Bill Moyers: John Huston Self - Interviewee 1982
Lights! Camera! Annie! The Making of a Major Hollywood Musical
Lights! Camera! Annie! The Making of a Major Hollywood Musical Self 1982
Cannery Row
Cannery Row Narrator 1982
Agee
Agee Self 1980
Head On
Head On Clarke Hill 1980
The Return of the King
The Return of the King Gandalf (voice) 1980
Happy Birthday, Marilyn!
Happy Birthday, Marilyn! Self 1980
John Huston's Dublin
John Huston's Dublin 1979
Wise Blood
Wise Blood Grandfather 1979
City Lights: John Huston
City Lights: John Huston Self 1979
Jaguar Lives!
Jaguar Lives! Ralph Richards 1979
Winter Kills
Winter Kills Pa Kegan 1979
The Visitor
The Visitor Jerzy Colsowicz 1979
B.Traven: A Mystery Solved
B.Traven: A Mystery Solved Self 1978
The Word
The Word Nathan Randall 1978
The Bermuda Triangle
The Bermuda Triangle Edward 1978
The Biggest Battle
The Biggest Battle Sean O'Hara 1978
The Hobbit
The Hobbit Gandalf the Grey (voice) 1977
Angela
Angela Hogan 1977
The Rhinemann Exchange
The Rhinemann Exchange Ambassador Henderson Granville 1977
Tentacles
Tentacles Ned Turner 1977
Hollywood on Trial
Hollywood on Trial Narrator 1976
Sherlock Holmes in New York
Sherlock Holmes in New York Professor James Moriarty 1976
Circasia
Circasia Ringmaster 1976
The Wind and the Lion
The Wind and the Lion John Hay 1975
Breakout
Breakout Harris Wagner 1975
Spécial cinéma
Spécial cinéma Self 1974
Spécial cinéma
Spécial cinéma Self (archive footage) 1974
Chinatown
Chinatown Noah Cross 1974
Battle for the Planet of the Apes
Battle for the Planet of the Apes The Lawgiver 1973
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
The American Film Institute Salute to ... Self 1973
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean Grizzly Adams 1972
Man in the Wilderness
Man in the Wilderness Captain Filmore Henry 1971
Appointment With Destiny
Appointment With Destiny Narrator 1971
The Bridge in the Jungle
The Bridge in the Jungle Sleigh 1971
The Deserter
The Deserter General Miles 1970
Myra Breckinridge
Myra Breckinridge Buck Loner 1970
The Unfinished Journey of Robert Kennedy
The Unfinished Journey of Robert Kennedy Narrator 1970
The Kremlin Letter
The Kremlin Letter Admiral 1970
Ride This Way Grey Horse
Ride This Way Grey Horse Director 1970
A Walk with Love and Death
A Walk with Love and Death Robert the Elder 1969
De Sade
De Sade The Abbe 1969
Candy
Candy Dr. Arnold Dunlap 1968
Rocky Road to Dublin
Rocky Road to Dublin Self 1968
The Dick Cavett Show
The Dick Cavett Show Self - Guest 1968
Casino Royale
Casino Royale M / General MacTarry 1967
The Legend of Marilyn Monroe
The Legend of Marilyn Monroe Narrator 1966
The Bible: In the Beginning...
The Bible: In the Beginning... Noah 1966
National Geographic Specials
National Geographic Specials Narrator (voice) 1965
On the Trail of the Iguana
On the Trail of the Iguana Self 1964
The Cardinal
The Cardinal Kardinal Glennon 1963
The List of Adrian Messenger
The List of Adrian Messenger Lord Ashton (uncredited) 1963
Freud: The Secret Passion
Freud: The Secret Passion Narrator (voice) (uncredited) 1962
The Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin Show Self 1962
The Misfits
The Misfits Extra in Blackjack Scene (uncredited) 1961
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
Tonight Starring Jack Paar Self 1957
Moby Dick
Moby Dick Barman / Ship's Lookout (voice) (uncredited) 1956
The Oscars
The Oscars Self 1953
The Red Badge of Courage
The Red Badge of Courage Grizzled Union Veteran (uncredited) 1951
The Screen Director
The Screen Director Self (archive footage) (uncredited) 1951
We Were Strangers
We Were Strangers Señor Muñoz (uncredited) 1949
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show Self 1948
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre American in Tampico in White Suit (uncredited) 1948
The Battle of San Pietro
The Battle of San Pietro Narrator 1945
Report from the Aleutians
Report from the Aleutians Narrator (voice) 1943
Hell's Heroes
Hell's Heroes Church Member (uncredited) 1929
Two Americans
Two Americans 1929

Directing Credits (44)

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