Editing John Huston (section)

==Early life==
John Huston was born on August 5, 1906, in [[Nevada, Missouri]]. He was the only child of Reah (née Gore) and Canadian-born [[Walter Huston]]. His father was an actor, initially in [[vaudeville]], and later in films. His mother worked as a sports editor for various publications but stopped after John was born. Similarly, his father ended his stage acting career for steady employment as a [[civil engineer]], although he returned to stage acting within a few years. He later became highly successful on both Broadway and then in motion pictures. He had [[Scottish people|Scottish]], [[Scotch-Irish Americans|Scotch-Irish]], [[English people|English]] and [[Welsh people|Welsh]] ancestry.

Huston's parents divorced in 1913 when he was six years old. For much of his childhood, he lived and studied in [[boarding schools]]. During summer vacations, he traveled separately with each of his parents &nbsp;– with his father on vaudeville tours, and with his mother to horse races and other sports events. Young Huston benefited greatly from seeing his father act on stage, and he was later drawn to acting.<ref name=NYTobit>{{cite news |last=Flint| first= Peter |url= https://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0805.html |title=John Huston, Film Director, Writer and actor, Dies at 81 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 29, 1987 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20130111072220/http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0805.html |archive-date=January 11, 2013 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

Some critics, such as Lawrence Grobel, surmise that his relationship with his mother may have contributed to his marrying five times, and seeming to have difficulty in maintaining relationships. Grobel wrote, "When I interviewed some of the women who had loved him, they inevitably referred to his mother as the key to unlocking Huston's psyche."<ref name=Grobel>Grobel, Lawrence. ''The Art of the Interview: Lessons from a Master of the Craft'', Random House (2004).</ref> According to actress [[Olivia de Havilland]], "she [his mother] was the central character. I always felt that John was ridden by witches. He seemed pursued by something destructive. If it wasn't his mother, it was his idea of his mother."<ref name=Grobel/>

As a child, Huston was often ill; he was treated for an [[enlarged heart]] and [[kidney]] ailments. He recovered after an extended bedridden stay in [[Arizona]] and moved with his mother to Los Angeles, where he attended [[Abraham Lincoln High School (Los Angeles)|Abraham Lincoln High School]]. He dropped out after two years to become a professional [[Boxer (boxing)|boxer]]. By age 15 he was a top-ranking amateur [[lightweight boxer]] in California. He ended his brief boxing career after suffering a broken nose.<ref name=NYTobit/>

He also engaged in many interests, including [[ballet]], [[English literature|English]] and [[French literature]], [[opera]], [[horseback riding]], and studying [[painting]] at the [[Art Students League of Los Angeles]].<ref>Julia Armstrong-Totten, "The Legacy of the Art Student League," in Julia Armstrong-Totten, et al., ''A Seed of Modernism: The Art Students League of Los Angeles, 1906–1953'', exhibition catalogue, Pasadena Museum of California Art. 2008.</ref> Living in Los Angeles, Huston became infatuated with the new film industry and motion pictures, as a spectator only. To Huston, "[[Charlie Chaplin]] was a god."<ref name=Wakeman/>

Huston returned to New York City to live with his father, who was acting in [[off-Broadway]] productions, and had a few small roles.<ref name=Morsberger>Goodwin, James; Morsberger, Robert E. (editor) ''American Screenwriters'', Gale Research Co. (1984), pp. 164–171.</ref> He later remembered that while watching his father rehearse, he became fascinated with the mechanics of acting:

<blockquote>What I learned there, during those weeks of rehearsal, would serve me for the rest of my life.<ref name=Wakeman>Wakeman, John. (Ed.) ''World Film Directors'', Vol. I, 1890–1945, New York, The H. W. Wilson Co. (1987), pp. 485–493.</ref></blockquote>

After a short period of acting on stage, and having undergone surgery, Huston travelled alone to Mexico. During two years there, among other adventures, he obtained a position as an honorary member of the Mexican cavalry. He returned to Los Angeles and married Dorothy Harvey, a girlfriend from high school. Their marriage lasted seven years (1926–1933).