John Huston
Known for Directing · 115 credits
- Born
- 1906-08-05
- Died
- 1987-08-28
- Place of birth
- Nevada, Missouri, USA
- Also known as
- John Marcellus Huston · Τζον Χιούστον · 존 휴스턴 · Джон Хʼюстон
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.
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Known For
TV Shows (12)
The Merv Griffin Show
1962
as Self
The Dick Cavett Show
1968
as Self - Guest
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948
as Self
Spécial cinéma
1974
as Self / Self (archive footage)
The Oscars
1953
as Self
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
1957
as Self
Film '72
1971
as Self
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
1973
as Self
The Word
1978
as Nathan Randall
National Geographic Specials
1965
as Narrator (voice)
The Rhinemann Exchange
1977
as Ambassador Henderson Granville
Appointment With Destiny
1971
as Narrator
Movies (103)
Chinatown
1974
as Noah Cross
The Misfits
1961
as Extra in Blackjack Scene (uncredited)
Candy
1968
as Dr. Arnold Dunlap
Annie
1982
as Actor on Radio (uncredited)
Battle for the Planet of the Apes
1973
as The Lawgiver
Casino Royale
1967
as M / General MacTarry
The Black Cauldron
1985
as Narrator (voice)
Moby Dick
1956
as Barman / Ship's Lookout (voice) (uncredited)
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
1948
as American in Tampico in White Suit (uncredited)
The Bible: In the Beginning...
1966
as Noah
The Hobbit
1977
as Gandalf the Grey (voice)
The Cardinal
1963
as Kardinal Glennon
The Wind and the Lion
1975
as John Hay
De Sade
1969
as The Abbe
Babenco: Tell Me When I Die
2020
as Self (archive footage)
The Return of the King
1980
as Gandalf (voice)
Breakout
1975
as Harris Wagner
Five Came Back
2017
as Self (archive footage)
Tentacles
1977
as Ned Turner
John Huston: The Man, the Movies, the Maverick
1988
as Self (archive footage)
Myra Breckinridge
1970
as Buck Loner
Winter Kills
1979
as Pa Kegan
The Biggest Battle
1978
as Sean O'Hara
Man in the Wilderness
1971
as Captain Filmore Henry
Sherlock Holmes in New York
1976
as Professor James Moriarty
Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast
2019
as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
Freud: The Secret Passion
1962
as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles
2014
as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
MCAINE: An Anagram of Cinema
2023
as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
Angela
1977
as Hogan
The List of Adrian Messenger
1963
as Lord Ashton (uncredited)
The Visitor
1979
as Jerzy Colsowicz
Buñuel
1984
as Self
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean
1972
as Grizzly Adams
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead
2018
as Self (archive footage)
Momo
1986
as Meister Hora
Lovesick
1983
as Larry Geller, M.D.
The Bermuda Triangle
1978
as Edward
The Other Side of the Wind
2018
as J.J. 'Jake' Hannaford
Lights! Camera! Annie! The Making of a Major Hollywood Musical
1982
as Self
Wise Blood
1979
as Grandfather
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
2010
as Self (archive footage)
Bogart: The Untold Story
1997
as Self (archive footage)
Circasia
1976
as Ringmaster
The Red Badge of Courage
1951
as Grizzled Union Veteran (uncredited)
We Were Strangers
1949
as Señor Muñoz
Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker
1991
as Glennon (archive footage) (uncredited)
Cannery Row
1982
as Narrator
Jaguar Lives!
1979
as Ralph Richards
Intimate Portrait: Sean Connery
1998
as Self (archive footage)
Arthur Miller: Writer
2017
as Self (archive footage)
A Walk with Love and Death
1969
as Robert the Elder
Morceaux de Cannes
2021
The Screen Director
1951
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Kremlin Letter
1970
as Admiral
Pelé Forever
2004
as Self (archive footage)
Embracing Chaos: Making The African Queen
2010
as Self (archive footage)
Goldwyn: The Man and His Movies
2001
as Self
George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey
1985
as Self
Making 'The Misfits'
2002
as Self - Director (archive footage)
Anjelica Huston on James Joyce: A Shout in the Street
2017
as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
The Battle of San Pietro
1945
as Narrator
The Deserter
1970
as General Miles
Filmmakers vs. Tycoons
2005
as Self (archive footage)
Directed by William Wyler
1986
as Self
Fascination: Unauthorized Story of Marilyn Monroe
2012
as Self (archive footage)
Federico Fellini's Autobiography
2000
as Self (archive footage)
Mr. Corbett's Ghost
1987
as Soul Collector
Discovering Treasure: The Story of 'The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'
2003
as Self (archive footage)
Report from the Aleutians
1943
as Narrator (voice)
An Oral History of: The Name of the Rose
2022
as Self (archive footage)
Ava Gardner: Life Is Bigger Than the Movies
2017
as Self (archive footage)
Errol Flynn: Portrait of a Swashbuckler
1983
as Self
Hell's Heroes
1929
as Church Member (uncredited)
Marilyn at the Movies
2011
as Self (archive footage)
The Legend of Marilyn Monroe
1966
as Narrator
Head On
1980
as Clarke Hill
Herman Melville: Damned in Paradise
1985
as Narrator
The Making of Rocky Road to Dublin
2004
as Self (Archive Footage)
Rocky Road to Dublin
1968
as Self
The Bridge in the Jungle
1971
as Sleigh
Observations Under the Volcano
1984
as Self
Bogart: Here's Looking at You, Kid
1997
as Self (archive footage)
Epic
1985
as The Narrator (US version)
The Unfinished Journey of Robert Kennedy
1970
as Narrator
To The Western World
1984
Two Americans
1929
Notes from Under the Volcano
1984
as Self
On the Trail of the Iguana
1964
as Self
A Minor Miracle
1983
as Father Cardenas
Creativity with Bill Moyers: John Huston
1982
as Self - Interviewee
Welles' Language
1990
as Self
Ride This Way Grey Horse
1970
as Director
B.Traven: A Mystery Solved
1978
as Self
The Orson Welles Story
1982
as Self
John Huston's Dublin
1979
Hollywood on Trial
1976
as Narrator
Agee
1980
as Self
American Caesar
1983
as Self - Host
Happy Birthday, Marilyn!
1980
as Self
John Huston: Adventures of a Free Soul
2021
as Self (archive footage)
City Lights: John Huston
1979
as Self
100 Years of Marilyn Monroe
2026
as (archive footage)
About John Huston
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 explor… With 115 credits spanning from 1929 to 2026, John Huston has appeared in 103 films and 12 TV shows.
Fans searching for John Huston movies, John Huston filmography, or the latest projects starring John Huston can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular John Huston Movies
- Chinatown (1974) — as Noah Cross
- The Misfits (1961) — as Extra in Blackjack Scene (uncredited)
- Candy (1968) — as Dr. Arnold Dunlap
- Annie (1982) — as Actor on Radio (uncredited)
- Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973) — as The Lawgiver
Where to Watch John Huston Films
Most John Huston movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring John Huston, check our movies catalogue and browse page.