John Milius
Known for Writing · 39 credits
- Born
- 1944-04-11 (age 82)
- Place of birth
- St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Also known as
- Walter Kurtz · John Frederick Milius
Biography
John Frederick Milius is an American filmmaker. He was one of the writers for the first two Dirty Harry films, received an Academy Award nomination as screenwriter of Apocalypse Now, and wrote and directed The Wind and the Lion, Conan the Barbarian and Red Dawn.
He wrote a number of iconic film lines such as "Charlie don't surf" and "I love the smell of napalm in the morning," from Apocalypse Now, and the famous Dirty Harry one-liners delivered by Clint Eastwood, including "Go ahead, make my day" and "Ask yourself one question, 'do I feel lucky?' Well, do you, punk?". Milius also wrote the USS Indianapolis monologue in the film Jaws; the sequence performed by Robert Shaw. After his work on Rough Riders (1997), Milius became an instrumental force in lobbying Congress to award President Theodore Roosevelt the Medal of Honor (posthumously), for acts of conspicuous gallantry while in combat on San Juan Hill. Milius made two films featuring Roosevelt: The Wind and the Lion (where he was played by Brian Keith) and the made-for-TV film Rough Riders (where Tom Berenger took the role).
The character of John Milner from the 1973 George Lucas film American Graffiti was inspired by Milius, who was a good friend of Lucas while they were at USC film school. Likewise, the character Walter Sobchak in the 1998 film The Big Lebowski, made by his friends the Coen Brothers, was partly based on Milius. The novella "Blind Jozef Pronek and Dead Souls" by Aleksandar Hemon features an episode with Milius, who is described as "sitting at a desk sucking on a cigar as long as a walking stick."
In 2013 a documentary about his life, titled Milius, was released.
Writer Nat Segaloff called Milius:
Known For
Conan the Barbarian
1982
as Foodseller in Old City (uncredited)
Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood
2003
as Self
Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse
1991
as Self
Deadhead Miles
1972
as State Trooper
Riding Giants
2004
as John Milius
Crazy Mama
1975
as Cop (uncredited)
Movies (39)
Conan the Barbarian
1982
as Foodseller in Old City (uncredited)
Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood
2003
as Self
Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse
1991
as Self
Deadhead Miles
1972
as State Trooper
Riding Giants
2004
as John Milius
Crazy Mama
1975
as Cop (uncredited)
Milius
2013
as Self
A Legacy of Filmmakers: The Early Years of American Zoetrope
2004
as Self
Sword-and-Sandal: The Story of the Period Epic
2019
as Self - Filmmaker
The Business End: Violence in Cinema
2008
as Self
A Riddle of Steel: The Definitive History of Conan the Barbarian
2019
as Self (archive footage)
Iron and Beyond
2002
as Self - Director
An Opera of Violence
2003
as Self - Filmmaker
The Long Shadow of Dirty Harry
2008
as Self
The Craft of Dirty Harry
2008
as Self
A Moral Right: The Politics of Dirty Harry
2008
as Self
Conan Unchained: The Making of 'Conan'
2000
as Self
The Lion Roars Again
1975
as Self
The Evolution of Clint Eastwood
2008
as Self
Shotgun Freeway: Drives Through Lost L.A.
1995
as self
The Making of '1941'
1996
as Self
Dino De Laurentiis: The Last Movie Mogul
2001
as Self
Dirty Harry: The Original
2001
as Self - Screenwriter
Jaws: The Inside Story
2010
as Self
Hell Hath No Fury: The Making of The Outlaw Josey Wales
1999
as Narrator
The Wages of Sin
2003
as Self - Filmmaker
Something to Do with Death
2003
as Self - Filmmaker
Discovering Treasure: The Story of 'The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'
2003
as Narrator (voice)
The Emperor
1967
as Self
First Works
1989
as Self
Frazetta: Painting with Fire
2003
as Self
The Bridge on the River Kwai: An Appreciation by Filmmaker John Milius
2000
as Self
In the Teeth of Jaws
1997
as Self
Mackendrick: The Man Who Walked Away
1986
as Self
Hollywood Gangster
2008
as Self
A Turning of the Earth: John Ford, John Wayne and 'The Searchers'
1998
as Self (voice)
The Searchers: An Appreciation
2006
as Self
Made in Hollywood: Die Welt des Raoul Walsh
2017
as Self
Between the Lines: The True Story of Surfers and the Vietnam War
2008
as Narrator
About John Milius
John Frederick Milius is an American filmmaker. He was one of the writers for the first two Dirty Harry films, received an Academy Award nomination as screenwriter of Apocalypse Now, and wrote and directed The Wind and the Lion, Conan the Barbarian and Red Dawn. He wrote a number of iconic film lines such as "Charlie don't surf" and "I love the smell of napalm in the morning," from Apocalypse Now, and the famous Dirty Harry one-liners delivered by Clint Eastwood, including "Go ahead, make my day" and "Ask yourself one question, 'do I feel luck… With 39 credits spanning from 1967 to 2019, John Milius has appeared in 39 films and 0 TV shows.
Fans searching for John Milius movies, John Milius filmography, or the latest projects starring John Milius can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular John Milius Movies
- Conan the Barbarian (1982) — as Foodseller in Old City (uncredited)
- Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood (2003) — as Self
- Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1991) — as Self
- Deadhead Miles (1972) — as State Trooper
- Riding Giants (2004) — as John Milius
Where to Watch John Milius Films
Most John Milius 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 Milius, check our movies catalogue and browse page.