Beauty Break: John Huston & The Huston Dynasty
Wednesday, August 5, 2015 at 11:28AM Today is the 109th birthday of the famed director John Huston. Of course he died long ago, just a few weeks after this picture with his daughters Allegra and Anjelica was taken in fact, at the age of 81. But what a filmography! And what a showbiz family.
The Hustons are one of the rare families with multiple Oscar-winning generations. They're also ridiculously photogenic, with faces that march straight past traditional pretty with strong noses held high as if they can't be bothered with generic beauty standards. Their faces fascinate. They have character. They're ideal for storytelling. More...
WALTER HUSTON (1883-1950)
Walter Huston circa Dodsworth (1936)
Father & Son Oscars, same night
Like many of the first sound stars, Walter Huston was yanked from the Broadway stage (where you had to have a commanding voice) to be a movie star. He made 29 movies in the first ten years of his career including a memorable pairing with Joan Crawford in Rain (1932) and one of the absolute best films of the 1930s (a decade with no shortage of "best" contenders) the still underappreciated but remarkable marital drama Dodsworth (1936) which won him his first Oscar nomination. He won the statue on his fourth try in a way all Oscar statisticians will forever love: He won for a performance directed by his son -- who also won for directing him and was also on his fourth nomination! -- in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948).
JOHN HUSTON (1906-1987)
Photographed by the legendary Herb Ritts in the 1980s
...and by Henri-Cartier-Bresson in 1947. He loved that hand pose!
Born into showbiz, unlike his father, he started performing when he was only 3 on the Vaudeville stage. Like his father he started as a stage actor (he even played Abraham Lincoln on stage a few years after his father did the first Abe Lincoln biopic!) but quickly turned to screenwriting and directing.
I said "what a filmography!" earlier as a generality, rather than from specific love. I wouldn't call myself a true "fan" per se but perhaps I saw a few of his key films when I was too young to "get" them (adults were clearly his target audience). His work stretchies from 1941 through 1987, beginning with early noir classics of the 40s (The Maltese Falcon and Key Largo) straight on into Oscar's good graces (Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The African Queen, Moulin Rouge,) in the 1950s and then through to a long run of movies that Oscar mostly shrugged at but which are nevertheless famous (The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean), divisive (The Night of the Iguana), notorious (Reflections in a Golden Eye), brilliant (The Misfits, my personal favorite of his) or highly publicized (Annie). Huston couldn't have asked for a better ending either. He went out with a big bang (Prizzi's Honor, 8 Oscar nominations and a win for Anjelica) followed by a quiet elegy (The Dead).
And we haven't even name-checked half of his movies. Do you have a favorite?
ANJELICA HUSTON (1951-)
anjelica & john
Anjelica's mother Ricki Soma (who died at only 39)
Anjelica in 1976
more modelling
Jack Nicholson & Anjelica Huston were together for over a decade
Anjelica photographed by Inez Vinoodh
Though John Huston was married five times, the only marriage that did not end in divorce was his third with Ricki Soma, though they each had a child with someone else while they were married. They had two children together (Tony & Anjelica) and after she died he adopted her daughter Allegra (pictured up top, who recently wrote a memoir of her life.) But of John's five children (his first was "Pablo," adopted from Mexico but I can't find much information on him so one assumes he didn't go into showbiz) and his last was Danny (further down), Anjelica is by far the most famous.
After a disastrous launch as a very young leading lady in her father's film A Walk With Love and Death (1969), she mostly modelled and barely touched the movies again until the early 1980s. She was already the very famous Jack Nicholson's significant other when she hit the big screen again (The Postman Always Ring Twice). And within a handful of years she had an Oscar on the shelf as well. Like her grandfather, she won for a John Huston film (Prizzi's Honor). Her star power peaked in the early 90s with incredible work in The Addams Family, The Grifters, and The Witches. But where has she been lately? She doesn't even show up in Wes Anderson pictures anymore. Curse you Wes! She just needs one more Oscar nomination to tie her Grandfather for most acting nominations from a Huston family member.
DANNY HUSTON (1962-)
Anjelica's half brother has made quite a career for himself as a character actor. It seems like he's in everything right?
JACK HUSTON (1982-)
Photography by Helena Christensen
Jack is the nephew to Danny & Anjelica, son of their older brother Tony, and the only one of four great grandchildren of Walter Huston to pursue acting (thus far at least) though his brother Matthew Huston is a documentarian / photographer.
He's best known to date for a series regular role on Boardwalk Empire. Does larger stardom await? He's got the leading role in the upcoming remake of Ben-Hur and though he was meant to star in a remake of The Crow that one has been cancelled.
What do you make of The Hustons and what's your favorite acting dynasty, real or future imagined?
Reader Comments (21)
The Huston family is fascinating, and their work is such fun. I kind of regret that Anjelica and Danny started their careers later. But one of their strengths is that they are complete mature adults in their work. And I like Jack. I thought he was just right in American Hustle.
Other families that might have further interesting offshoots:
Diane Ladd, Laura Dern, -->
Rip Torn, Sissy Spacek, Jack Fisk, Schuyler Fisk, -->
Angela Bassett, Courtney Vance, -->
And another fascinating family:
Charlie Chaplin, Victoria Chaplin, Aurelia Thierree.
I've seen Victoria and Aurelia on stage, where the whole audience fell into a dreamy captivated state.
All AH needs is a director to re watch her 85 - 95 out put and he'll see her many different acting gifts.
And how could I forget the Deschanels, Kazans, Cassavettes, Miller/ Day-Lewises?
What an incredible set of pics! The Hustons are so classy.
My favorite is Prizzi's Honor. The combination of The Turner plus Anjelica -both beautifully dressed by Donfeld- is just too much for this poor actressexual. The Dead is an absolute masterpiece and I also really like The African Queen and The Night of the Iguana. I didn't like Reflections, but maybe I was too young. I definitely need to revisit The Misfits and I still haven't ever seen Under the Volcano.
P.S. Can we get the Fondas? You know you want it!
I love the dreaminess of The Misfits but parts of it feel adrift at times. I'd say it's a tie between Night of the Iguana and The Maltese Falcon for my favorite.
Of the Hustons Angelica is my favorite though all are quite accomplished, well the jury is still out on what Jack Huston has to offer. Wish she would land a nice juicy prominent role sometime soon.
To narrow down to one favorite acting dynasty is a tough one. Some of my favorites:
Judy Garland/Liza Minnelli/Lorna Luft
Debbie Reynolds/Carrie Fisher
The Fondas-with Jane my favorite
The Barrymores-gotta love Ethel
The Redgrave/Richardson clan-Vanessa Redgrave is my favorite there but loved Lynn as well.
The Bridges-Lloyd, Beau, Jordan and most of all Jeff.
However least favorite is a piece of cake, those damn Smith's. I used to love Will Smith until he tried to cram that noxious kid of his down the public's throat now they all including Jada Pinkett-Smith give me a pain.
Oh, Joel6, but Jada P-S is spectacular on Gotham. Almost as good as Tariji on Empire. Happened to be flying yesterday and she was on the cover the American Airlines mag. Agree on the kids though.
Favorite dynasty--love the Redgraves, but also admire the Thompsons (Eric, Phyllida Law, Emma, Sophie), the Estevez' (yes, even Charlie), the Coppolas, the Bridges (yes, even Lloyd, who I met at a tennis tournament), and Rabb/Clayburgh. Also intrigued with Streep/Gummer.
Definitely the Drew-Costello-Barrymores, who go back to the early 1800s, with notable members like John Drew, Dolores Costello and Maurice/John/Lionel/Ethel/Drew Barrymore. Drew has two young daughters--maybe one of them will go into the family business.
The Redgrave-Richardson-Bevan-Neesons are pretty fierce, too--starting around 1900 and continuing to this day. Natasha & Liam's good-looking older son Michéal has expressed interest in becoming an actor (like Joely's daughter Daisy Bevan), so it's likely the dynasty will continue.
Honorable mention: Chaplins - Carradines - Wayans.
Whoah, I was reading John Huston's wikipedia page while waiting for my doctor's appointment today. I suddenly feel like rewatching Key Largo and Treasure of the Sierra Madre now.
Danny and Jack -- WOOF.
I'll add Debbie Allen and Phylicia and Condola Rashad, who seems to be carving out what maybe very well be a remarkable theatre career, to the list.
Dodsworth!
I get excited every time I see it mentioned anywhere. And these days, it's usually just on this blog. Beautiful, criminally underrated, deeply wise film. And Walter Huston is great in it.
My favourite John Huston film on the other hand is probably The Maltese Falcon, though Sierra Madre comes very close and I do love The Misfits too.
And Anjelica. Oh how it hurts that no one has known what to do with her for the past 20 years. I wish she and Streep swapped careers.
The Barrymores. Definitely the Barrymores. (I also am fascinated by the Beatty/MacLaines and the De Havilland/Fontaines, although that's more of a one-and-done sibling acting dynasty/rivalry than anything.)
Speaking of the Hustons, You Must Remember This has a terrific podcast that charts John Huston's rise in Hollywood. It's very interesting and a good listen for those who are curious about the man.
Great post! My favourite is Anjelica. Beautiful, talented and smart *swoon*.
You should do a post for the Redgrave clan! Lady Redgrave, Vanessa, Lynn, Natasha, Joely, Jemma... be still, my beating heart! And that's not even getting to the male relatives.
I love Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison.
I just adore Deborah Kerr in nun costume, suggesting that tension between faith and sexuality (see also: Black Narcissus), and her chemistry with Robert Mitchum is just to die for (see also: The Sundowners).
The acting in this movie (and most Huston movies) is SO good. This is a masterpiece of tge star system. You look into the actors and you can feel the sparks, the feeling of being totally awestruck.
Cal -- Love it too.
Such a cool family. I really hope that Anjelica gets another role worthy of her soon. We've been deprived of her gifts for too long.
I haven't seen Dodsworth yet, alas. Of the Walter Huston performances I've seen, the two best are Yankee Doodle Dandy and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
My favourite John Huston-directed film is The Asphalt Jungle. I also especially like Prizzi's Honor and Beat the Devil. And Moby-Dick is good. And who can forget his wonderful performance as Noah Cross in Chinatown? There are a fair few of his films I haven't seen yet, though: The Maltese Falcon, The African Queen, Moulin Rouge...
Anjelica: so good in Prizzi's Honor and The Grifters, memorable (though not perfect) in Crimes and Misdemeanors and very entertaining in The Witches. Please can we have more of her, movie biz?
Danny Huston: I enjoy him whenever he's on screen. The Constant Gardener is probably my favourite of his so far.
Jack Huston: I'm less familiar with him, though I have seen American Hustle and thought he was fine in it.
Night of the Iguana is a perennial for me, the acting is top notch and Ava Gardner rocks!
Reflections in a Golden Eye is a fever dream, the scenes with Brando cracking up are heart breaking and ET is damn funny.
I watched a revival of The Misfits and again, Huston is the actor whisperer, because he gets some fascinating performances out of his high-strung cast: Monroe is almost painful to watch and that phone booth call by Monty Clift to his Ma is classic cinema acting.
Interesting that macho John Huston wasn't afraid of sensitive subject matter...
Moby Dick may not be the best J H movie but it made an everlasting impression on me. I saw it before the age of ten, and while we now laugh at the silly the mechanical shark in Jaws; I can still see Ahab, strapped to the whale by harpoon ropes....beckoning..........beckoning.
Agreed with Edward L -- no discussion of John Huston is complete without a mention of Chinatown!
Oh god I forgot Asphalt Jungle is also by Huston. The man made so many noir masterpieces!
Huston is one of my favorite directors. When he's on, nobody can top him. Anjelica is an acting goddess. And Jack is so dreamy. I had no idea he was related! Still, no remake of Ben-Hur PLEEEZE!