Legendary screenwriter and director,John Huston, was a trailblazer of American cinema who produced some of Hollywood’s greatest films includingThe Treasure of Sierra Madre, The African QueenandKey Largo.Born in Missouri, Huston was the only child of actor,Walter Huston, who originally studied as an artist in Paris before moving to Los Angeles. After co-writing several successful scripts, Huston made his directorial debut in 1941 withthe iconic film noir,The Maltese Falcon.
Throughout his 46-year career, Huston earned a total of 15 Academy Award nominations and also appeared in minor film roles, most notably as Noah Cross in the neo-noir,Chinatown. Out of his extensive filmography as a director includingThe Life and Times of Judge Roy BeanandThe Asphalt Jungle, these are 10 of Huston’s best movies ranked, according toRotten Tomatoes.
10’Prizzi’s Honor' (1985)
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 85%
Charley Partanna (Jack Nicholson) has been a longtime hitman for the Prizzi family and is given a job on the West Coast. Partanna arrives in California and when he locates his target, he discovers the man is the ex-husband of his recently new love interest, Irene (Kathleen Turner) who unbeknownst to him, is also a gun for hire.
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Prizzi’s Honoris a daring dark comedy that hilariously showcases the bizarre lengths people are willing to go to under unusual circumstances. The movie earned several Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and Best Director. Huston’s daughter,Anjelica Huston, who had been praised by critics for her performance, went on to win the film’s only Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
9’The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean' (1972)
Rotten Tomatoes Rating:89%
A former outlaw, Roy Bean (Paul Newman) appoints himself as the judge of a small Texas town who robs and executes anyone who rides through the area. As Bean continues to enforce his idea of law and order, his haven is jeopardized when his only friend dies and the townspeople start to turn on him.
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Beanis a comedy Western that also starsAva Gardner,Anthony Perkins,Tab HunterandRoddy McDowell. At times, the movie struggles to find a balance between humor and historical accuracy but through the years,The Life and Times of Judge Roy Beanis now considered one of Huston’s best films as well as one of Newman’s greatest performances.
8’The African Queen' (1951)
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 96%
British missionaries, Samuel Sayer (Robert Morley) and his sister, Rose (Katharine Hepburn) travel to German-occupied territory in Africa. When war is declared between Germany and Britain, Samuel is killed by German troops. Steamship captain, Charlie Allnut (Humphrey Bogart) offers her safe passage home but is persuaded by Rose to destroy a German gunboat instead.
The African Queenwas the fifth collaboration between Bogart and Huston and earned Bogart his one and only Oscar win for Best Actor. Huston and Bogart made seven films together (if you count High Sierra) and were good friends until Bogart’s death in 1957. In 2012, the boat used inThe African Queenwas restored and is now on displayin Key Largo, Florida for the public.
7’Key Largo' (1948)
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 97%
WWII veteran, Frank McCloud (Bogart) travels to Key Largo, Florida to pay his respects to the family of a former war buddy who was killed in combat. He arrives at a motel run by his friend’s father (Lionel Barrymore) and his widow, Nora (Lauren Bacall) but is unaware that the establishment’s been overrun by a group of thugs led by a notorious gangster, Johnny Rocco (Edward G. Robinson).
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Key Largois full of outstanding performances but most notably,Claire Trevorwho won the Oscar for her role as former nightclub singer, Gaye Dawn.According to Trevor, she assumed she would have time to rehearse the scene where she’s required to sing, but Huston surprised her with no time to practice. While she doesn’t have the voice ofDoris Day, Huston desired her off-key performance as it correlates perfectly with the character’s past and unfortunate downfall.
6’The Asphalt Jungle' (1950)
Dix Handley (Sterling Hayden) has recently been released from prison and already planning to steal one million dollars of jewels. With the help of a few friends including an expert safe cracker and attorney, Handley manages to successfully pull off the heist, but his excitement is quickly dashed when one of the men winds up dead from a stray bullet.
The Asphalt Jungleis a classic film noir based on the 1949 book byW.R. Burnettwho also wrote the famous crime novel,Little Caesar. The film also starsJean Hagenand featuresMarilyn Monroein one of her first credited film roles. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio head,Louis B. Mayer, was originallyopposed to green lighting the film, but much to Mayer’s dismay, Huston was backed up and given the go-ahead by MGM’s chief of production,Dore Schary.
5’The Misfits' (1961)
In Reno, Nevada, Roslyn Taber (Monroe) is filing for divorce when she meets a charming cowboy (Clark Gable) and a veteran WWII pilot (Eli Wallach) who are immediately drawn to her. The trio take a chance and decide to all move into Guido’s home and when they’re joined by a former rodeo rider (Montgomery Clift), they start a business catching wild horses together.
Production forThe Misfitswas troublesomefor several reasons including Nevada’s triple-digit temperatures and Monroe’s deteriorating marriage to the film’s screenwriter,Arthur Millerwho also delayed filming with numerous script revisions. Unfortunately, the film was a financial flop, but despite the low numbers, critics still praised Gable, Monroe and Wallach for their superb performances. Today,The Misfitsis considered to be one of the greatest films of the 1960s.
4’The Man Who Would Be King' (1975)
English officers, Peachy Carnehan (Michael Caine) and Danny Dravot (Sean Connery) are stationed in India and have grown tired of their lives as soldiers. They travel to an isolated kingdom where they are welcomed and viewed as rulers, but after a series of miscommunications, the townspeople are led to believe that Dravot is a god.
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The Man Who Would Be Kingis based on the short story byRudyard Kiplingand according to Huston’s autobiography,‘An Open Book’, had a sentimental value to the director who had been working on the project for decades after first reading the story as a kid. The film earned positive reviews from critics includingRoger Ebert, who gave it four stars commending Connery and Caine as well as Huston’s masterful direction.
3’The Maltese Falcon' (1941)
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 99%
Private eye, Sam Spade (Bogart) is hired by an elusive woman (Mary Astor) but as soon as he takes the job, his partner winds up dead. As Spade tries to get to the bottom of the crime, he finds himself tangled up with a group of suspicious characters who are searching for a priceless statue known as The Maltese Falcon.
The Maltese Falconis ranked as one of the greatest classic film noirs of all time and according to Huston’s autobiography, he prepared for the film by planning out every minor detail including notes to himself in the script as well as sketches of each scene. Actor,George Raft, wasoriginally offered the leadand while he would’ve been excellent, Bogart brings a certain charm and slight deadpan humor to the character that only Bogie himself could successfully pull off with audiences.
2’Fat City' (1972)
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 100%
Former champion boxer, Billy Tully (Stacy Keach) becomes inspired to restart his career while training a young boxer named Ernie (Jeff Bridges). As Tully tries to sort out his troubled past and reclaim his glory days, Ernie’s star begins to rise but outside the ring, he struggles with being in an unhappy marriage and a sudden transition into fatherhood.
After a series of box office flops,Fat Citywas a commercial success and a vindication for Huston’s career. Huston was originally drawn toLeonard Gardner’s novel because of his own experience as a young boxer. When Huston was 15 years old, he was a top-ranking lightweight boxing champion in California, but a broken nose, unfortunately, ended his career.
1’The Treasure of Sierra Madre' (1948)
Fred Dobbs (Bogart) and Bob Curtain (Tim Holt) are drifters who meet up with a former prospector, Howard (Walter Huston) in Mexico and search for gold in the mountains of Sierra Madre. The men discover a fortune but as they fight to overcome the wilderness and bandits, their own lack of trust and insatiable greed becomes a greater threat to their survival.
The Treasure of Sierra Madreis a bleak but humorous Western tale that’s also widely regarded as Huston’s masterpiece. The movie won three Academy Awards earning Huston his only two wins for Best Director and Best Screenplay and his father won for Best Supporting Actor. Today, many considerThe Treasure of Sierra Madreto be one of the best films of all time as well as Bogart’s finest performance.
