On this day in movie history - The Killers (1946)

The Killers

directed by Robert Siodmak,

written by Anthony Veiller, John Huston and Richard Brooks,

based on the short story by Ernest Hemingway,

was released in the United States on August 30, 1946.

Music by Miklós Rózsa.

Cast:

Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Edmond O’Brien, Albert Dekker, Sam Levene, Vince Barnett, Virginia Christine, Jack Lambert, Charles D. Brown, Donald MacBride, Charles McGraw, William Conrad, Ernie Adams, Audley Anderson, George Anderson, Sam Ash, Frank Baker, Brooks Benedict, John Berkes, Edward Biby, Harry Brown, Phil Brown, Jack Cheatham, James Conaty, Jeff Corey, Gino Corrado, Noel Cravat, Oliver Cross, Rex Dale, Neal Dodd, Mike Donovan, Howard Freeman, Dick Gordon, Robert Haines, Michael Hale, Sam Harris, Harry Hayden, Mark Hellinger, Al Hill, George Hoagland, Jimmie Horan, Geoffrey Ingham, Kenner G. Kemp, Paul Kruger, Ethan Laidlaw, Mike Lally, Perc Launders, Nolan Leary, Vera Lewis, Jack Lomas, Therese Lyon, Frank McLure, Charles Middleton, John Miljan, Howard Negley, Garry Owen, Barbara ‘Red’ Powers, Beatrice Roberts, Wally Rose, William Ruhl, Wallace Scott, John Sheehan, Queenie Smith, Ann Staunton, Jack Tornek, John Trebach, Bill Walker, Milton Wallace, Gabrielle Windsor, Florence Wix.

Born on this day – John Huston:

 

John Huston

Actor

Director

Writer

Artist

August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987

On this day in movie history - The Mackintosh Man (1973)

The Mackintosh Man

directed by John Huston,

written by Walter Hill and William Fairchild,

based on The Freedom Trap by Desmond Bagley,

was released in the United States on July 25, 1973.

Music by Maurice Jarre.

Cast:

Paul Newman, Dominique Sanda, James Mason, Harry Andrews, Ian Bannen, Michael Hordern, Nigel Patrick, Peter Vaughan, Roland Culver, Percy Herbert, Robert Lang, Leo Genn, Jenny Runacre, John Bindon, Hugh Manning, Wolfe Morris, Noel Purcell, Donald Webster, Keith Bell, Niall MacGinnis, Eddie Byrne, Shane Briant, Michael Poole, Eric Mason, Ronald Clarke, Antony Viccars, Dinny Powell, Douglas Robinson, Jack Cooper, Marc Boyle, Marcelle Castillo, Nosher Powell, Terry Plummer, Joe Cahill, Gerry Alexander, John McDarby, Donal McCann, Joe Lynch, Seamus Healy, Tom Irwin, Pascal Perry, Steve Brennan, Vernon Hayden, Brendon O’Duill.

On this day in movie history - Key Largo (1948)

Key Largo

directed by John Huston,

written by Richard Brooks and John Huston,

based on the play by Maxwell Anderson,

was released in the United States on July 16, 1948.

Music by Max Steiner.

Cast:

Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Lauren Bacall, Lionel Barrymore, Claire Trevor, Thomas Gomez, Harry Lewis, John Rodney, Marc Lawrence, Dan Seymour, Monte Blue, William Haade, Jay Silverheels, Rodd Redwing.

On this day in movie history - Prizzi’s Honor (1985)

Prizzi’s Honor

directed by John Huston,

written by Richard Condon and Janet Roach,

based on the novel by Richard Condon,

was released in the United States on June 14, 1985.

Music by Alex North.

Cast:

Jack Nicholson, Kathleen Turner, Anjelica Huston, Robert Loggia, John Randolph, William Hickey, Lee Richardson, Michael Lombard, C. C. H. Pounder, George Santopietro, Ann Selepegno, Lawrence Tierney, Vic Polizos, Dick O’Neil, Sully Boyar, Raymond Heller, Joseph Ruskin, Seth Allen, Dominic Barto, Stanley Tucci.

Recommended reading - The Asphalt Jungle (novel & screenplay):

The Asphalt Jungle

by W. R. Burnett.

Filmed as The Asphalt Jungle (1950), directed by John Huston.

Published by Prion Books Ltd

First published 1949.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 1853753467

ISBN-13: 978-1853753466

Description:

So successful in evoking [the city's] aura that the reader breathes the air of menace that emanates from its implacable personality and shivers at the unmistakeable evidence that blind chance plays a considerable part in determining the course of every life within the city's confines. – New York Times.

The Asphalt Jungle is a gripping tale of the planning and execution of a jewellery store heist in a dark and corrupt Midwestern metropolis. Set amid a seedy urban wasteland of crooks, killers and con-artists, the various members of the gang are steadily undone by personal obsessions, double-crossing and cruel fate.

First published in 1949, W.R. Burnett's hardboiled classic was made into the definitive heist movie by John Huston in 1950, starring Sterling Hayden, Sam Jaffe and Marilyn Monroe. Its screenplay, co-written by Huston was nominated for an Oscar.

A master and pioneer of the gangster genre, W.R. Burnett is the author of over thirty novels - including Little Caesar and High Sierra - and sixty screenplays. He was twice nominated for Academy Awards.

 

The Asphalt Jungle: A Screenplay

by Ben Maddow & John Huston.

Screenplay Library.

Published by Southern Illinois University Press.

Published 1980.

First Edition.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0809309467

ISBN-13: 978-0809309467

Description:

Dore Schary, then head of production at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, bought The Asphalt Jungle while it was still in manu­script in an effort to match the success Warner Brothers had enjoyed with Burnett’s Little Caesar and High Sierra. The choice of Ben Maddow and John Huston as screenwriters assured the artistic success of the screenplay, for few writer/directors could have matched Huston’s ability to develop these characters cinematically.

It was a case of strength building upon strength. Burnett’s fully developed characters were transformed by Maddow and Huston into a screenplay of impressive immediacy. Indeed, the portrayal of the criminals in splendid performances from Louis Calhern, Sam Jaffe, Sterling Hayden, James Whitmore, and Jean Hagen, led Bosley Crowther to lament, “If only it all weren’t so corrupt!” But the characters of Burnett, Maddow and Huston, don’t permit us to romanticize about them or their activities. We share their professional pride in a robbery well planned and are silent accomplices to their mutual treachery.

On this day in movie history - The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

The Asphalt Jungle

directed by John Huston,

written by Ben Maddow and John Huston,

based on the novel by W. R. Burnett,

was released in the United States on May 12, 1950.

Music by Miklós Rózsa.

Cast:

Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern, Jean Hagen, James Whitmore, Sam Jaffe, John McIntire, Marc Lawrence, Barry Kelley, Anthony Caruso, Teresa Celli, Marilyn Monroe, William Davis, Dorothy Tree, Brad Dexter, John Maxwell, Mary Anderson, Ray Bennett, David Bond, Chet Brandenburg, Benny Burt, Harry G. Butcher, Frank Cady, Jean Carter, Mack Chandler, David Clarke, John Cliff, Harry Cody, Gene Coogan, Henry Corden, Chuck Courtney, John Crawford, Ralph Dunn, Gene Evans, Pat Flaherty, Alex Gerry, Sol Gorss, Fred Graham, William Haade, Don Haggerty, Eloise Hardt, Thomas Browne Henry, Wesley Hopper, George Lynn, Ethel Lyons, Fred Marlow, Strother Martin, Patricia Miller, Howard M. Mitchell, Ralph Montgomery, Alberto Morin, Kerry O’Day, Raymond Roe, Henry Rowland, Tim Ryan, James Seay, Jack Shea, Charles Sherlock, J. Lewis Smith, J.J. Smith, Joseph Darr Smith, Helene Stanley, Jack Stoney, Ray Teal, Leah Wakefield, Harlan Warde, Jack Warden, William Washington, Constance Weiler, Judith Wood, Victor Wood, Wilson Wood, Jeff York.