Jaw-Dropping Facts About John Huston, Hollywood's Wildest Director
John Huston was one of the greatest filmmakers in history—but his renowned career was also shot through with scandal, controversy, and heartache. After all, this is the director people called a "lusty, hard-drinking libertine."
From his shocking legacies to his inner demons, here are 50 facts about John Huston, Hollywood's wild thing.
1. Father and Son
John Marcellus Huston was born in Nevada, Missouri on August 5, 1906. He was the son of Rhea Gore, a sports editor, and Walter Huston, a vaudevillian who frequently went from theatre to film and back again.
In fact, filmmaking was a family affair for the Hustons, and Walter ended up acting in a handful of his son's films.
2. Torn in Two
When Huston was six, an event occurred that would shape the rest of his life: his parents divorced. While many children have to deal with the trauma of a split, it was particularly difficult for the young John.
Without his parents together, he spent much of his childhood growing up in boarding schools, all alone. And that wasn't even the worst consequence...
3. Can You Say "Oedipus Complex"?
Huston had a complicated relationship with his mother, and it had a little-known dark side. According to many who knew him, Huston was unhealthily obsessed with Rhea. As actress Olivia de Havilland put it, "She was the central character...He seemed pursued by something destructive. If it wasn't his mother, it was his idea of his mother." As we'll see, this had a very notorious effect on his love life.
4. Staying in Bed
Huston's childhood got even worse after his parent's divorce. As a young boy, he had many serious ailments, including malfunctioning kidneys and an enlarged heart.
In a move that probably only strengthened his bond to mommie dearest, he moved in permanently with Rhea and had to stay bedridden for much of his youth.
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