Howard Hawks

Howard Hawks

Born: May 30, 1896
Died: December 26, 1977
in Goshen, Indiana, USA
Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896 – December 26, 1977) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter of the classic Hollywood era. He is popular for his films from a wide range of genres, including screwball comedies [Bringing Up Baby (1938), His Girl Friday (1940), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)], westerns [Red River (1948), Rio Bravo (1959), El Dorado (1967)], adventure films [Only Angels Have Wings (1939), To Have and Have Not (1944)], films noirs [The Big Sleep (1946)] and gangster films [Scarface (1932)]. Notable characteristics of his films are independent and tough-talking female protagonists ("Hawksian woman") and witty and fast-paced dialogues.

In 1975, Hawks was awarded the Honorary Academy Award as "a master American filmmaker whose creative efforts hold a distinguished place in world cinema," and in 1942 he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director for Sergeant York.

Hawks has been considered by film critics to be an auteur because of his recognizable style and frequent use of certain thematic elements. Andrew Sarris in his influential book of film criticism The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929–1968 included him in the "pantheon" of the 14 greatest film directors who had worked in the United States. Hawks influenced numerous filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese.

Movies for Howard Hawks...

Hawks on Hawks
Title: Hawks on Hawks
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: January 10, 2017
Type: Movie
This ten-minute segment, heralded as part of a new shorts program, is composed of excerpts from a 1972 audio conversation between Hawks and Peter Bogdanovich, as well as a 1973 interview of Hawks with Richard Schickel, wherein the director reminisces about casting "His Girl Friday" (1940) and the changes from the original source material.
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And the Oscar Goes To...
Title: And the Oscar Goes To...
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: February 1, 2014
Type: Movie
The story of the gold-plated statuette that became the film industry's most coveted prize, AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... traces the history of the Academy itself, which began in 1927 when Louis B. Mayer, then head of MGM, led other prominent members of the industry in forming this professional honorary organization. Two years later the Academy began bestowing awards, which were nicknamed "Oscar," and quickly came to represent the pinnacle of cinematic achievement.
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Metropolis Refound
Title: Metropolis Refound
Character: Himself
Released: February 13, 2010
Type: Movie
Argentinian film historians find a complete print of Fritz Lang's “Metropolis” (1927) at Buenos Aires Film Museum and take it to Germany for its restoration.
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1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
Title: 1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: July 2, 2009
Type: Movie
This documentary focuses on 1939, considered to be Hollywood's greatest year, with film clips and insight into what made the year so special.
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You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story
Title: You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: May 15, 2008
Type: Movie
Jack L. Warner, Harry Warner, Albert Warner and Sam Warner were siblings who were born in Poland and emigrated to Canada near the turn of the century. In 1903, the brothers entered the budding motion picture business. In time, the Warner Brothers moved into film production and would open their own studio in 1923.
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Commemoration: Howard Hawks' 'Rio Bravo'
Title: Commemoration: Howard Hawks' 'Rio Bravo'
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: January 1, 2007
Type: Movie
An appreciation of Howard Hawks' "Rio Bravo" (1959) by filmmakers and historians.
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Filmmakers in Action
Title: Filmmakers in Action
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: September 15, 2006
Type: Movie
What is the state of cinema and what being a filmmaker means? What are the measures taken to protect authors' copyright? What is their legal status in different countries? (Sequel to “Filmmakers vs. Tycoons.”)
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Howard Hawks: Reporter's Notebook
Title: Howard Hawks: Reporter's Notebook
Character: Self (Archive Footage)
Released: January 1, 1999
Type: Movie
A review of Howard Hawks's work, focusing on "His Girl Friday".
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A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies
Title: A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies
Character: Self
Released: May 21, 1995
Type: Movie
Martin Scorsese celebrates American movies from the silent classics to the Hollywood of the seventies.
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Howard Hawks: A Hell of a Good Life
Title: Howard Hawks: A Hell of a Good Life
Character: Self
Released: April 15, 1978
Type: Movie
Documentary featuring the last filmed interview with director Howard Hawks
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Title: The Men Who Made the Movies
Released: November 4, 1973
Type: TV
Acclaimed profiles of eight great American film directors. Produced and directed by Richard Schickel and narrated by Cliff Robertson, with solid interviews and film clips, the series reviews the careers of Raoul Walsh, Frank Capra, Howard Hawks, King Vidor, George Cukor, William A. Wellman, Alfred Hitchcock and Vincente Minnelli.
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The Men Who Made the Movies: Howard Hawks
Title: The Men Who Made the Movies: Howard Hawks
Character: Self
Released: January 1, 1973
Type: Movie
A documentary filmography of Howard Hawks, including lengthy footage of Hawks himself discussing his films and many clips from his best-known pictures.
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Plimpton! Shoot-Out at Rio Lobo
Title: Plimpton! Shoot-Out at Rio Lobo
Character: Self
Released: December 9, 1970
Type: Movie
George Plimpton got a job playing one of the bad guys in the Howard Hawks-directed John Wayne Western "Rio Lobo." In this special we see him talking to Hawks about whether he'll be killed off or not, to Wayne about how to cultivate a special walk to make oneself a star in movies and to himself as he attempts to rehearse his tiny part and while doing so is caught in the frame of a setup for another scene and chastised by Wayne. Wayne calls Plimpton "Pimpleton" throughout this special.
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Red Line 7000
Title: Red Line 7000
Character: Driver (uncredited)
Released: November 9, 1965
Type: Movie
The lives and passions of a stock car team are revealed against the turbulent backdrop of the professional racing world.
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Monkey Business
Title: Monkey Business
Character: Man in Opening (voice) (uncredited)
Released: September 3, 1952
Type: Movie
Research chemist Barnaby Fulton works on a fountain of youth pill for a chemical company. One of the labs chimps gets loose in the laboratory and mixes chemicals, but then pours the mix into the water cooler. When trying one of his own samples, washed down with water from the cooler, Fulton begins to act just like a twenty-year-old and believes his potion is working. Soon his wife and boss are also behaving like children.
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Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 3
Title: Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 3
Character: Self
Released: January 1, 1942
Type: Movie
Hedda reports on a dog training school and a Hemingway hunting trip.
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Scarface
Title: Scarface
Character: Man on Bed (uncredited)
Released: April 9, 1932
Type: Movie
In 1920s Chicago, Italian immigrant and notorious thug, Antonio "Tony" Camonte, shoots his way to the top of the mobs while trying to protect his sister from the criminal life.
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The Dawn Patrol
Title: The Dawn Patrol
Character: German Pilot (uncredited)
Released: July 10, 1930
Type: Movie
World War I ace Dick Courtney derides the leadership of his superior officer, but he soon is promoted to squadron commander and learns harsh lessons about sending subordinates to their deaths.
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1925 Studio Tour
Title: 1925 Studio Tour
Character: Self
Released: April 9, 1925
Type: Movie
A tour of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio in 1925 shows the people who make the movies there, and gives viewers a glimpse at how movies are made.