Birth name: Howard Winchester Hawks Birth:30 May 1896 Died:26 December 1977 Nationality: Hollywood Walk Star: Yes
Career / Biography
Howard Hawkes was a film director from the 1930's to the 1960's who som classic films in a wide variety of genres. He came from wealthy family and studied engineering at university. He got into films by accident and started build sets and working with people like Cecil B DeMille and Mary Pickford. During World War 1 he learnt to fly in the Army Air Corps. After the war he formed his own production company and was directed silent films in the late 1920's. his first sound film was the now lost The Air Circus. This was followed by another flying film, The Dawn Patrol, his first full talking film. He then moved into the crime genre with The Criminal Code set in a prison.
Scarface was produced in conjuction with Howard Hughes with whom he was friendly. This was an influencial film as it set the blueprint for other gangster films and was a big success. The violent content caused controversy, particularly with the censors. The Crowd Roars reflected another of his passions, motor racing. Today We Live was a return to a flying picture and was made for MGM. He did not get on with MGM and then made a comedy, Twentieth Century for Columbia Pictures and one of the first screwball comedies. Bringing Up Baby was another classic scewball comedy and was one of several film that he made with Cary Grant, including the comdey His Girl Friday and the flying film, Only Angels Have Wings. Sergeant York was biopic of a hero in World War 1 that was in cinemas when Pearl Harbour was attacked.
This was the only film for which he was Oscar nominated as Best Director. Ball Of Fire was a return to the screwball comedy. Air Force was propaganda film. To Have and Have Not was another war film and was Lauren Bacall's first acting role and the first time he worked with Humphrey Bogart. These two actors also featured in the classic film noir The Big Sleep. Red River was a western with John Wayne and was Montgomery Clift's first film. A Song Is Born was a musical remake of A Ball Of Fire. I Was a Male War Bride was another film with Cary Grant. The Big Sky was a return to the Western Genre with Kirk Douglas. Monley Business was another screwball comedy with the cast of Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers and Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn Monroe then featured in his next film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
This was the inconic scene of Monroe singing singing Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend in a shocking pink dress. Land Of The Pharaohs was the most ambitions film of his career. This was his big historical epic and film making on a grand scale, however it was not a success at the box office. After a break from film making he made the Western Rio Bravo, again with John Wayne. Red Line 7000 was his final car racing film. Several of his later film were made with John Wayne including his last two films which were westerns. He was married three times and his first wife was the actress Athole Shearer.
