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John Huston

John Huston Books

Film director

John Huston was an American film director known for his unique style and significant contributions to classic cinema. His works spanned various genres, including Westerns, war films, and noir. His notable films include 'Red River', 'The African Queen', and 'The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'. These films achieved both commercial success and critical acclaim.

John Huston: Interviews

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An open book

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The Maltese Falcon

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“There's never any telling what you'll say or do next, except that it's bound to be something astonishing. By God, sir, you are a character.”

Character Movies

Book:The Maltese Falcon

Source: The Maltese Falcon

“You're good, you're real good.”

Author:John Huston

“A work of art doesn't dare you to realize it. It germinates and gestates by itself.”

Art Realizing Dare Works Of Art

Author:John Huston

“A picture is made. You put a frame around it and move on. And one day you die. That is all there is to it.”

Made Moving Dies One Day Filmmaker

Author:John Huston

“I don't approve of censorship. I like the French theatre idea. Put on the play, and if the audience doesn't care for it, or feels offended by it, they rip up the seats.”

Ifs Feels Ideas Play Care Moral Audience Theatre Manners Seats Censorship Offended Rip

Author:John Huston

“Crime is a left- handed form of human endeavor.”

Humans Form Left Crime Endeavor Left Hand Left Handed Asphalt Left Handers

Book:An open book

Source: An open book

“For sheer strength of character, I wouldn't have dared to cross swords with Callas. I would rather have gone six rounds with Jack Dempsey.”

Character Gone Six Crosses Rounds Sheer Strength Of Character Callas

Book:John Huston: Interviews

Source: John Huston: Interviews

“I relieve myself from the rigours of directing by casting the movie correctly.”

Author:John Huston

“Whenever something is convenient or was modified after 1970, you probably shouldn't use it as root.”

Use Roots Convenient

Author:John Huston

“Each picture with its particular environment and unique personal relationships is a world unto itself - separate and distinct. Picture makers lead dozens of lives - a life for each picture. And, by the same token, they perish a little when each picture is finished and that world comes to an end. In this respect it is a melancholy occupation.”

World Littles Ends Environment Particular Unique Finished Melancholy Occupation Makers Dozen Tokens Personal Relationships

Author:John Huston

“Critics have never been able to discover a unifying theme in my films. For thatmatter, neither have I.”

Able Film Critics Theme Unifying

Book:John Huston: Interviews

Source: John Huston: Interviews

“When you make motion pictures, each picture is a life unto itself. When you finish and the picture is over, there's an understanding, a realization that we'll never be assembled this way again. That these relationships are severed forever and ever. And each of these films is a little life.”

Way Littles Film Understanding Forever Realization Motion Pictures

Author:John Huston

“I prefer to think that God is not dead, just drunk.”

“There is a wilful lemming-like persistance in remaking past successes time after time. They can't make them as good as they are in our memories, but they go on doing them and each time it's a disaster. Why don't we remake some of our bad pictures - I'd love another shot at 'Roots of Heaven' - and make them good?”

Past Heaven Memories Goes On Shots Roots Disaster Our Memories Remakes Lemmings Past Success Persistance

Author:John Huston

“Most people never have to face the fact that at the right time and the right place they're capable of anything.”

People Facts Faces Capable Right Time Right Place Chinatown

Author:John Huston

“The directing of a picture involves coming out of your individual loneliness and taking a controlling part in putting together a small world.”

World Together Individual Loneliness Filmmaker Coming Out Small World

Author:John Huston

“Marilyn was one step from oblivion when I directed her in The Asphalt Jungle. I remember she impressed me more off the screen than on…there was something touching and appealing about her.”

Remember Steps Screens Touching Impressed Oblivion Jungle Asphalt

Author:John Huston

“She went right down into her own personal experience for everything, reached down and pulled something out of herself that was unique and extraordinary. She had no techniques. It was all the truth, it was only Marilyn. But it was Marilyn, plus. She found things, found things about womankind in herself.”

Found Unique Down And Extraordinary Technique Plus Personal Experiences

Author:John Huston

“I don't try to guess what a million people will like. It's hard enough to know what I like.”

People Knows Trying Hard Enough Inspiring Millions Filmmaker Movie

Author:John Huston

“What to do when inspiration doesn't come; be careful not to spook, get the wind up, force things into position. You must wait around until the idea comes.”

Ideas Inspiration Force Waiting Position Wind Careful Scary Be Careful

Author:John Huston

“You walk through a series of arches, so to speak, and then, presently, at the end of a corridor, a door opens and you see backward through time, and you feel the flow of time, and realize you are only part of a great nameless procession.”

Feels Ends Speak Realizing Walks Doors Flow Series End Of Life Rough Times Arches Nameless Corridors Procession End Of The Road

Author:John Huston

“Hollywood has always been a cage...a cage to catch our dreams”

Dream Hollywood Cages Our Dreams Hollywood Stars

Author:John Huston

“Even Michelangelo on his deathbed thought he'd done nothing to ennoble art. He wanted to destroy his work-the Pieta! And this from the greatest artist who ever lived. Of course I am not comparing my work to Michelangelo's. But this eternal dissatisfaction of the artist is what I was talking about.”

Art Done Wanted Artist Courses Talking Eternal Compare Dissatisfaction Deathbed

Author:John Huston

“I am more lost in wonder than ever.”

Lost Wonder Awe

Author:John Huston

“Once you have found the right shot to introduce the scene-written your first declarative sentence-then the rest flows. You've found the key to the whole scene.”

Firsts Whole Found Written Keys Scene Shots Flow Sentences Introducing

Author:John Huston

“I would spend more time with my children. I would make my money before spending it. I would learn the joys of wine instead of hard liquor. I would not smoke cigarettes when I had pneumonia. I would not marry a fifth time.”

Children Hard Joy Advice Wine Spending Smoke My Children More Time Cigarette Fifth Liquor Pneumonia

Author:John Huston

“What you try to become is a bringer of magic, for magic and the truth are closely allied and movies are sheer magic ... when they work, it's, well, it's glorious.”

Trying Wells Film Magic Glorious Working It Sheer

Author:John Huston

“Talk to them about things they don't know. Try to give them an inferiority complex. If the actress is beautiful, screw her. If she isn't, present her with a valuable painting she will not understand. If they insist on being boring, kick their asses or twist their noses. And that's about all there is to it.”

Ifs Knows Giving Trying Beautiful Painting Complexes Boring Valuable Actresses Ass Noses Kicks Screws Twists Inferiority Inferiority Complex

Author:John Huston

About the Author

Born: August 5, 1906
Died: August 28, 1987
Known for: Film director
Quotes: 28

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Film Filmmaker Trying Art Asphalt Character Ends Feels Flow Found

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People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

John Huston: InterviewsRelated source material

An open bookRelated source material

The Maltese FalconRelated source material

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