@askrafiki's thread

John Huston (August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an acclaimed American filmmaker, screenwriter, and actor, renowned for directing classics like The Maltese Falcon (1941) and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948), for which he won two Oscars for directing and writing the latter.

Born in Nevada, Missouri, to actor Walter Huston and journalist Rhea Gore, he grew up in a theatrical family and studied painting in Paris before pursuing writing and acting. After working as a screenwriter in Hollywood—nominated for Oscars on films like Jezebel (1938)—Huston made his directorial debut with The Maltese Falcon, adapting Dashiell Hammett's novel and launching Humphrey Bogart's stardom.

His career spanned 37 directorial features, often self-written, blending adventure, noir, and social commentary in works like Key Largo (1948), The Asphalt Jungle (1950), and The African Queen (1951), earning him a third Oscar nomination. A lifelong adventurer, Huston lived in Ireland, Mexico, and the U.S., directed operas, and acted in films including Chinatown (1974). He received the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1983 and died of emphysema in 1987.