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John Huston's Legacy

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I'm interested in opinions on the career/works of John Huston...a legendary film drector, writer, actor, bon vivant, raconteur, artist, and a character of the first order.
Huston was, of course, an Oscar winning director, but he also had a very high number of "unsucessful" films...possibly filming the greatest number of classic literary works of any director (RED BADGE, MOBY DICK, WISE BLOOD, REFLECTIONS/GOLDEN EYE, etc.)...not always an easy (or financially rewarding) task.
I've read somewhere that the boys at CAHIERS du CINEMA (Godard, Truffaut, Chabrol, et al) found Huston's direction akin to that of the standard "Hollywood Hack," while they championed the work of lesser known directors (Don Siegel, Sam Fuller, and others).
I remember reading here much praise (especially from Rico) for Huston's last film THE DEAD, and I agree, John did seem to go out on high (but obscure) note.
On the one hand, you have Huston's classic work in MALTESE FALCON (also sc), TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE, KEY LARGO, THE ASPHALT JUNGLE, THE AFRICAN QUEEN, THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING, and as uncredited writer of THE KILLERS, among others.
On the other hand, you have his direction of SINFUL DAVY, A WALK WITH LOVE AND DEATH, THE KREMLIN LETTER, ANNIE, BEAT THE DEVIL, VICTORY, and several other less than successful films in the 70's and 80's. Of course, it is well known that Huston was a gambler, and I'm sure he took many film assignments just for the cash.
FWIW, I find Huston's THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JUDGE ROY BEAN to be one of the most underated films of all time, and his acting turn as NOAH CROSS in CHINATOWN no less than outstanding.
What say you regarding JOHN HUSTON's legacy...hack, whore, or first rate artist?

Thanks,
Gary

Follow Ups:

Re: John Huston's Legacy - Gee LP 14:31:56 02/17/05 (2)
Hack? Once in a while. Think of "Across the Pacific".
Whore? Well, what Hollywood director hasn't been? Sam Peckinpah used to boast that he was just a good whore who'd been kicked around (although as Pauline Kael points out, Sam wasn't, he would take routine jobs and try to transform them into art and damned if he wasn't succeessful at least most of the time).
Artist? Maltese Falcon, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Beat the Devil, Prizzi's Honor, The Dead and probably half a dozen more. I have only seen "A Walk with Love and Death" once, on the CBS Late Night at the Movies back in the mid-70s, and I still remember it with great affection.
Huston's weakest beats 98% of most people's best.
- Maybe "half a hack" - Buckeye 15:56:25 02/17/05 (1)
  Gee,
  I have a documentary on Huston, where he mentons that while shooting ACROSS THE PACIFIC, he left Bogie tied to a chair and surrounded by armed gurards, both inside and outside the house...about half-way through the film.
  He was then called into active duty with the Army (where he made some REALLY outstanding documentaries)...he gleefully left the director who finished the film with the problem of figuring out how Bogart was to escape.
  I agree with all here...a real artist!
  Thanks,
  Gary
  - Re: And then a guard goes beserk! - Gee LP 16:15:27 02/17/05 (0)
    I love that story!
    And you're right, Huston's war documentaries, especially "Let There Be Light", are absolutely amazing.
Re: John Huston's Legacy - patrickU 10:37:33 02/17/05 (3)
Of course a first rate artist.
Nobody can doubt it.
A man with gusto.
But " The Dead " is one of the most powerful ever.
He did it as he was in pain. Could not get air to breath.
What a man.
And you have to look at his father too.
- The Dead - Bulkington 10:59:43 02/17/05 (2)
  Netflix actually has an entry for it, with release date unknown. Still, I wonder if they made the entry because they've gotten word that a DVD release is on the horizon. Nothing at Amazon....
  - Re: The Dead - patrickU 12:13:32 02/17/05 (0)
    Well Bernardo told us that it was on dvd....In Spain.
  - Re: The Dead - rico 11:12:29 02/17/05 (0)
    My laserdisc copy has an incorrect aspect ratio and every time I watch it (every Epiphany) I long for a well transferred DVD release with that piano in surround sound. This, "Kong Kong", and "Harry and Tonto" head up my list of pined for DVDs

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