Editing John Huston (section)

=== 1947–1951: Breakthrough and acclaim ===
''' ''The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'' (1948)'''
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Huston's next picture, which he wrote, directed, and briefly appeared in as an American asked to "help out a fellow American, down on his luck", was ''[[The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (film)|The Treasure of the Sierra Madre]]'' (1948). It would become one of the films that established his reputation as a leading filmmaker. The film, also starring Humphrey Bogart, was the story of three drifters who band together to prospect for gold. Huston gave a supporting role to his father, Walter Huston.

[[Warner Brothers Studio|Warners]] studio was initially uncertain what to make of the film. They had allowed Huston to film on location in Mexico, which was a "radical move" for a studio at the time. They also knew that Huston was gaining a reputation as "one of the wild men of Hollywood." In any case, studio boss [[Jack L. Warner]] initially "detested it." But whatever doubts Warners had were soon removed, as the film achieved widespread public and critical acclaim. Hollywood writer [[James Agee]] called it "one of the most beautiful and visually alive movies I have ever seen."<ref name=Wakeman/> ''Time'' magazine described it as "one of the best things Hollywood has done since it learned to talk."<ref name=Wakeman/> Huston won Oscars for [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]] and [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Adapted Screenplay]]; his father won for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]. The film also won other awards in the U.S. and overseas.

Decades later, ''[[Film Comment]]'' magazine devoted four pages to the film in its May–June 1980 edition, with author Richard T. Jameson offering his impressions:

<blockquote>This film has impressed itself on the heart and mind and soul of anyone who has seen it, to the extent that filmmakers of great originality and distinctiveness like [[Robert Altman]] and [[Sam Peckinpah]] can be said to have remade it again and again&nbsp;... without compromising its uniqueness.<ref name=Wakeman/></blockquote>

''' ''Key Largo'' (1948)'''
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Also in 1948, Huston directed ''[[Key Largo (film)|Key Largo]]'', again starring Humphrey Bogart. It was the story about a disillusioned veteran who clashes with gangsters on a remote Florida key. It co-starred [[Lauren Bacall]], [[Claire Trevor]], [[Edward G. Robinson]], and [[Lionel Barrymore]]. The film was an adaptation of the stage play by [[Maxwell Anderson]]. Some viewers complained that it was still overly stage-bound. But the "outstanding performances" by all the actors saved the film, and [[Claire Trevor]] won an Oscar for best supporting actress.<ref name=Wakeman/> Huston was annoyed that the studio cut several scenes from the final release without his agreement. That, along with some earlier disputes, angered Huston enough that he left the studio when his contract expired.<ref name=Wakeman/>

''' ''The Asphalt Jungle'' (1950)'''
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In 1950 he wrote and directed ''[[The Asphalt Jungle]]'', a film which broke new ground by depicting criminals as somewhat sympathetic characters, simply doing their professional work, "an occupation like any other".<ref name=Morsberger/> Huston described their work as "a left-handed form of human endeavor."<ref name=Huston/>{{rp|177}} Huston achieved that effect by giving "deep attention" to the plot, involving a large jewelry theft, by examining the minute, step-by-step details and difficulties each of the characters had of carrying it out. Some critics felt that, by this technique, Huston had achieved an almost "documentary" style.<ref name=Morsberger/>

His assistant director [[Albert Band]] explains further:
{{blockquote|I'll never forget it. We got on that set and he composed a shot in which ten elements were working all at the same time. Took half a day to do it, but it was fantastic. He knew ''exactly'' how to shoot a picture. His shots were all painted on the spot ... He had a great eye and he never lost his sense of composition.<ref name=Grobel2/>{{rp|335}}}}

Film critic [[Andrew Sarris]] considered it to be "Huston's best film", and the film that made [[Marilyn Monroe]] a recognized actress. Sarris also notes the similar themes in many of Huston's films, as exemplified by this one: "His protagonists almost invariably fail at what they set out to do."<ref name=Sarris>Sarris, Andrew. ''The American Cinema: Directors and Directions, 1929–1968'' Dutton (1968), pp. 156–158.</ref> This theme was also expressed in ''Treasure of the Sierra Madre'', where the group foundered on their own greed.

It starred [[Sterling Hayden]] and [[Sam Jaffe]], a personal friend of Huston. Marilyn Monroe had her first serious role in this film. Huston said, "it was, of course, where Marilyn Monroe got her start."<ref name=Huston/>{{rp|177}} Monroe said Huston was the first genius she had ever met; and he made her feel that she finally had a chance of becoming a professional actress:<ref name=Grobel2/>{{rp|336}}
{{blockquote|Even though my part was a minor one, I felt as if I were the most important performer in the picture{{mdash}}when I was before the camera. This was because everything I did was important to the director.<ref name=Grobel2/>{{rp|336}}}}

The film succeeded at the box office, and Huston was again nominated for an Oscar for best screenplay and best director, along with winning the [[Screen Directors Guild]] Award.<ref name=Wakeman/> This became a model for many similar movies by other filmmakers.

''' ''The Red Badge of Courage'' (1951)'''
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Huston's next film, ''[[The Red Badge of Courage (1951 film)|The Red Badge of Courage]]'' (1951), was of a completely different subject: war and its effect on soldiers. While in the army during World War II, he became interested in [[Stephen Crane]]'s classic [[American Civil War]] novel of the same title. For the starring role, Huston chose World War II hero [[Audie Murphy]] to play the young Union soldier who deserts his company out of fear, but later returns to fight alongside them. [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]] was concerned that the movie seemed too antiwar for the postwar period. Without Huston's input, they cut down the running time of the film from eighty-eight minutes to sixty-nine, added narration, and deleted what Huston felt was a crucial scene.<ref name=Morsberger/>

The movie did poorly at the box office. Huston suggests that it was possibly because it "brought war very close to home."<ref name=Stevens>Stevens, George Jr. ''Conversations with the Great Moviemakers of Hollywood's Golden Age'', New York. Alfred A. Knopf (2006), pp. 335–355.</ref> Huston recalls that at the preview showing, before the film was halfway through, "damn near a third of the audience got up and walked out of the theater."<ref name=Stevens/> Despite the "butchering" and weak public response, film historian Michael Barson describes the movie as "a minor masterpiece."<ref name=Barson>Barson, Michael. ''The Illustrated Who's Who of Hollywood Directors, Vol 1: The Sound Era'' Noonday Press (1995), pp. 208–215.</ref>

At the same time, the film was also the cause of a growing feud between MGM founder [[Louis B. Mayer]] and Producer [[Dore Schary]] to the point where Huston felt like stepping down to avoid growing the conflict. However, Mayer encouraged Huston to stay on telling him to fight for the picture regardless of what he thought of it.

''' ''The African Queen'' (1951)'''
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[[File:The African Queen, Bogart.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|Humphrey Bogart in ''The African Queen'' (1951)]]
Before ''The Red Badge of Courage'' opened in theaters, Huston was already in Africa shooting ''[[The African Queen (film)|The African Queen]]'' (1951), a story based on [[C. S. Forester]]'s popular novel. It starred [[Humphrey Bogart]] and [[Katharine Hepburn]] in a combination of romance, comedy and adventure. Barson calls it "one of the most popular Hollywood movies of all time."<ref name=Barson/> The film's producer, [[Sam Spiegel]], urged Huston to change the ending to allow the protagonists to survive, instead of dying. Huston agreed, and the ending was rewritten. It became Huston's most successful film financially, and "it remains one of his finest works."<ref name=Morsberger/> Huston was nominated for two Academy Awards—[[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]] and [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Adapted Screenplay]]. Bogart, meanwhile, won his only Oscar for [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] for his role as Charlie Allnut.

Hepburn wrote about her experiences shooting the film in her memoir, ''The Making of the African Queen: Or How I went to Africa with Bogart, Bacall, and Huston and almost lost my mind''.<ref>Hepburn, Katharine. ''The Making of The African Queen, Or, How I Went to Africa with Bogart, Bacall, and Huston and Almost Lost My Mind.'' 1st ed, Knopf, distributed by Random House, 1987.</ref> Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the film ''[[White Hunter, Black Heart]]'', based on [[Peter Viertel]]'s novel of the same name, which tells a fictional version of the making of the film.<ref>Hoberman, Jim (July 13, 2010). "Voice Choices: White Hunter, Black Heart". ''The Village Voice.'' Retrieved January 4, 2015.</ref>