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John Huston Biography

Birth Name:John Marcellus Huston

Birth Place:Nevada, Missouri, United States

Profession Actor, Director, Writer, Producer, Cinematographer, Soundtrack, Editor, Assistant director, Script department

Fast Facts

  • After a 5-year hiatus traveling across London and Paris after a car accident, he returned to the U․S․, focusing on becoming a 'serious writer' in 1937 and eventually finding himself nominated for an Oscar by 1941 for "Sergeant York" and "Ehrlich․"
  • Took an interest in directing after gaining acclaim as a writer and would eventually go on to direct daughter Angelica in her movie debut, in 1969's "A Walk with Love and Death․"
  • Spent much of his childhood in boarding schools following the divorce of his parents and would travel during summers with his father on vaudeville tours
  • Quote: "I prefer to think that God is not dead, just drunk․"
  • Quote: "I've lived a number of lives․ I'm inclined to envy the man who leads one life, with one job, and one wife, in one country, under one God․ It may not be a very exciting existence, but at least by the time he's seventy-three he knows how old he is․"
  • Gained simultaneous recognition alongside newcomer Humphrey Bogart for 1941's "High Sierra․"
  • Began writing plays and stories, which were picked up and featured in numerous national magazines including Esquire and The New York Times among others
  • Disgusted with the blacklisting epidemic running throughout Hollywood, he chose to move to Ireland to become a citizen along with fourth wife, Enrica Soma
  • Dropped out of high school at the age of 15 to become a professional boxer as he was already a top-ranked amateur in California at the time
  • Traveled on his own to Mexico and during his two-year stint in the country, joined as an honorary member of the Mexican cavalry

Awards

  • 1941Oscar-Best Writing, Original Screenplay: nominated
  • 1942Oscar-Best Writing, Screenplay: nominated
  • 1942Oscar-Best Writing, Original Screenplay: nominated
  • 1948NBR Award-Best Screenplay: winner
  • 1948NYFCC Award-Best Director: winner
  • 1948Grand International Award-: nominated
  • 1949Oscar-Best Writing, Screenplay: winner
  • 1949Oscar-Best Director: winner
  • 1949Golden Globe-Best Director: winner
  • 1949WGA Award (Screen)-Best Written American Drama: nominated
  • 1949WGA Award (Screen)-Best Written American Drama: nominated
  • 1949WGA Award (Screen)-Best Written American Western: winner
  • 1950NBR Award-Best Director: winner
  • 1950NYFCC Award-Best Director: nominated
  • 1950Golden Lion-: nominated
  • 1951Oscar-Best Director: nominated
  • 1951Oscar-Best Writing, Screenplay: nominated
  • 1951DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: nominated
  • 1951Golden Globe-Best Director: nominated
  • 1951Golden Globe-Best Screenplay: nominated
  • 1951WGA Award (Screen)-Best Written American Drama: nominated
  • 1951WGA Award (Screen)-The Robert Meltzer Award (Screenplay Dealing Most Ably with Problems of the American Scene): nominated
  • 1952Oscar-Best Director: nominated
  • 1952Oscar-Best Writing, Screenplay: nominated
  • 1952NYFCC Award-Best Director: nominated
  • 1953Oscar-Best Director: nominated
  • 1953Silver Lion-: winner
  • 1953Golden Lion-: nominated
  • 1953WGA Award (Screen)-Best Written American Drama: nominated
  • 1956NBR Award-Best Director: winner
  • 1956NYFCC Award-Best Director: winner
  • 1956NYFCC Award-Best Screenplay: nominated
  • 1957DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: nominated
  • 1957Silver Ribbon-Best Foreign Film (Miglior Film Straniero): winner
  • 1958Oscar-Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium: nominated
  • 1958DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: nominated
  • 1958WGA Award (Screen)-Best Written American Drama: nominated
  • 1962DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: nominated
  • 1963Golden Berlin Bear-: nominated
  • 1963DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: nominated
  • 1963Golden Globe-Best Director: nominated
  • 1964Oscar-Best Actor in a Supporting Role: nominated
  • 1964Golden Globe-Best Supporting Actor: winner
  • 1964Golden Laurel-Top Male Supporting Performance: nominated
  • 1965DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: nominated
  • 1965Golden Globe-Best Director: nominated
  • 1965WGA Award (Screen)-Best Written American Drama: nominated
  • 1966David-Best Foreign Director (Migliore Regista Straniero): winner
  • 1973Award of the City of Valladolid-: winner
  • 1973Golden Spike-Best Film: nominated
  • 1973Golden Spike-Best Film: nominated
  • 1973CEC Award-: winner
  • 1974KCFCC Award-Best Supporting Actor: winner
  • 1975BAFTA Film Award-Best Supporting Actor: nominated
  • 1975Golden Globe-Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture: nominated
  • 1976Oscar-Best Writing, Screenplay Adapted From Other Material: nominated
  • 1976Golden Spike-Best Film: nominated
  • 1976WGA Award (Screen)-Best Drama Adapted from Another Medium: nominated
  • 1979Gold Hugo-Best Feature: nominated
  • 1979Grammy-Best Recording for Children: nominated
  • 1979Golden Seashell-Best Film: nominated
  • 1981Un Certain Regard Award-: nominated
  • 1981Golden Prize-: nominated
  • 1983Grand Prize-: nominated
  • 1983Razzie Award-Worst Director: nominated
  • 1984Palme d'Or-: nominated
  • 1985NYFCC Award-Best Director: winner
  • 1985Golden Ciak-Best Film: winner
  • 1985Golden Lion-: nominated
  • 1986Oscar-Best Director: nominated
  • 1986BSFC Award-Best Director: winner
  • 1986David-Best Foreign Director (Migliore Regista Straniero): nominated
  • 1986DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: nominated
  • 1986Golden Globe-Best Director - Motion Picture: winner
  • 1986Silver Ribbon-Best Foreign Director (Regista del Miglior Film Straniero): nominated
  • 1986NSFC Award-Best Director: winner
  • 1987Guild Film Award - Silver-Foreign Film (Ausländischer Film): winner
  • 1987NYFCC Award-Best Director: nominated
  • 1987Special Achievement Award-International Competition: winner
  • 1987Tokyo Grand Prix-: nominated
  • 1988Top 10 Film Award-Best Film: nominated
  • 1988David-Best Foreign Film (Miglior Film Straniero): nominated
  • 1988David-Best Foreign Director (Migliore Regista Straniero): nominated
  • 1988Independent Spirit Award-Best Director: winner
  • 1988NSFC Award-Best Director: nominated
  • 1989ASECAN Award-Best Foreign Film: winner
  • 1989Bodil-Best Non-European Film (Bedste ikke-europæiske film): winner
  • 1989Fotogramas de Plata-Best Foreign Film (Mejor Película Extranjera): winner
  • 1989Critics Award-Best Foreign Film: winner
  • 1989ALFS Award-Director of the Year: winner
  • 1990Critics Award-Best Foreign Film (Melhor Filme Estrangeiro): winner