Howard Hawks Movies
One of the great American film directors, Howard Hawks was a craftsman who made tight, lean pictures during the studio era. Not confined to a particular genre, his filmography provides outstanding and influential examples of a variety of movies. His style was non-obtrusive and no-nonsense, with telling images (he's famous for narratively significant cigarette lighting) and rapid-fire dialogue. Lines in his work were delivered overlapping each other, resulting in unnaturally quick-paced conversations that added tension and a sense of urgency to the stories. In addition to being a good screenwriter himself, he had a tendency to work with some of the era's best writers, including Ben Hecht, William Faulkner, and Jules Furthman.Born in the Midwest in 1896, Hawks moved to California during the earliest days of Hollywood. After studying mechanical engineering at Cornell and serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps, he went to work at Famous Players-Laskey and started his own independent productions. By 1924, he was running the story department at Paramount and directing silent films for Fox. But he really began to make his mark with the advent of sound; his first talking pictures included the aviator adventure The Dawn Patrol, the prison film The Criminal Code, and sea adventure Tiger Shark. In 1932, he made the historically important Scarface, which, in many ways, defined the standard of gangster films. In 1938, he made the exemplary screwball comedy Bringing up Baby starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. This quick-talking duo was one of Hawks' many star pairings involving a tough wise guy and smart-mouthed heroine; another good team was Carole Lombard and John Barrymore in the comedy Twentieth Century.
Hawks also had a knack for helping to initiate the careers of major Hollywood stars. His 1939 macho adventure Only Angels Have Wings featured Rita Hayworth in a supporting role before she became a leading femme fatale. He made the romantic comedy touchstone His Girl Friday the following year, with Rosalind Russell as the embodiment of the smart-mouthed heroine. In 1944, the director helped start the career of newcomer Lauren Bacall by pairing her with Humphrey Bogart in the war romance To Have and Have Not. Their obvious chemistry and snappy repartee led to one of the most beloved screen duos in history, and to Hawks' 1946 mystery The Big Sleep. During the '40s, he made the powerful Western drama Red River with John Wayne and Montgomery Clift. He also had a hand in launching the iconic stardom of Marilyn Monroewith the '50s comedy Monkey Business and the musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. In a response to the Western High Noon, Hawks teamed up again with Wayne for the revisionist Western Rio Bravo. As age caught up with him during the '60s, Hawks' career slowed down -- and so did the pace of his films. He received his first Oscar in 1974, an honorary award from the Academy before his death in Palm Springs, CA, in 1977. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1925
While on leave of absence in Paris, American Air Force officer Billy Brent (Allan Forrest) meets Fifi (Leatrice Joy), a midinette, or dressmaker's apprentice. Although they are attracted to each other, Brent is suddenly called to the front and they lose touch. Years later, Brent is back home in Clarion, IL, and is the junior partner in the store owned by Angus McGregor (Ernest Torrence). He is engaged to McGregor's daughter, Joan (Mildred Harris), not realizing that she prefers Allan Stone (Larry Gray). While McGregor is out of town, Brent decides to stage a huge sale and a fashion show. When Fifi's company, now based in Chicago, receives the offer she accepts only because she sees Brent's picture on the letterhead. Brent is surprised to find the girl he knew in Paris in his small town. Trouble brews when some of the models wind up at a roadhouse and are the cause of a brawl. In the end, Brent discovers that his fiancée loves someone else, leaving him free to be with Fifi. The flimsy plot to this romance seems to exist purely for the opportunity to have a fashion show in mid-picture. This is too bad, considering some of the names attached to the production: Howard Hawks was one of the writers, Paul Bern directed, and the whole production was overseen by Cecil B. De Mille. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leatrice Joy, Ernest Torrence, (more)
- 1923
With a screenplay by Howard Hawks and direction by Jack Conway, this Mexican border tale couldn't possibly have been anything less than a vigorously rugged production. The all-star cast, including some of the best-known villains of the day (Noah Beery and Walter Long among them), adds to the film's manly tone. Richard Dix stars as a first lieutenant working under Colonel Patterson (J. Farrell McDonald), who is on the trail of some drug smugglers on the Mexican border. Colonel Patterson has been keeping watch over a cantina, where the goings-on seem to be particularly suspicious. The first lieutenant is in love with a girl (Helene Chadwick), whose father (Hardee Kirkland) works for the U.S. government. At the cantina, the lieutenant finds himself strangely attracted to a sultry Mexican girl, but when he finds her outfit hidden away in a deserted cabin, he realizes it was the Farrell girl. His discovery leads him to believe she is part of the smuggling ring. It turns out that she was actually helping her father, but both she and the lieutenant are captured by the smugglers. The U.S. cavalry comes to the rescue in a exciting climax. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helene Chadwick, Richard Dix, (more)
