Howard Hawks Biography

Fast Facts

• His only Oscar came in 1975 as an Honorary Award from the Academy
• Several of his films have been preserved by the Library of Congress including "His Girl Friday", "Sergeant York", "Red River" and numerous others
• Graduated with a mechanical engineering degree from Columbia University before serving in WWI
• While a college student at Columbia University, he would first learn about the entertainment industry while working in the prop department at Paramount Pictures during the summer
• Quote: "If you rant to make pictures and enjoy making them, you better go out and make something that a lot of people want to see․ And then they'll turn you loose and let you make what you want․ Ane then maybe you can do some of the things that you want to do․ But as a beginner, you haven't got a chance․"
• Following the end of silent film era, he would begin to gain prominence in Hollywood, especially after venturing into the comedy genre
• Landed his first full-time position in Hollywood in with Paramount Pictures in the early '20s where he would serve as a writer, story editor and producer during his earliest years
• After numerous attempts trying to convince Paramount to let him direct a feature, he was finally given a break by Fox Studios and made his directorial debut in 1926 with the silent film, "The Road to Glory"