Howard Hawks

Born: 30 May 1896
Where: Goshen, Indiana, USA
Died: 26 December 1977

Hawks is one of the big guns from early Hollywood film making, who started off making silent films.

Before he took to the movie world, Hawks had been an air pilot and a racing car driver, but his switch to directing films meant he mixed with many of the icons of the era and is often cited as an influence on many a modern filmmaker.

As his own producer he was able to dabble in all sorts of genres but was most successful in comedies and westerns.

After making his first silent film in 1926, he went on to work in sound in 1930 with Hell's Angels.

He made three masterpieces with Cary Grant in the thirties, Bringing Up Baby (1938) also starring Katharine Hepburn, Only Angels Have Wings (1939) and His Girl Friday (1940).

His other memorable films of his early years include Scarface (1932), a ferocious gangster film, and Twentieth Century (1934) - which was a pioneer in the screwball comedy genre.

In 1944 he launched the film career of 19-year-old Lauren Bacall and teamed her with Humphrey Bogart in To Have and Have Not... when romance erupted, he quickly cast them in the even more successful The Big Sleep (1946).

His first western was Red River (1948) starring John Wayne, with whom he went on to work with in several other films, including Rio Bravo (1959), Hatari! (1962), El Dorado (1967) and Rio Lobo (1970).

Other big Hollywood legends whom he directed were Montgomery Clift and Marilyn Monroe - whom he cast in two of her early films, Monkey Business (1952) and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) - featuring her legendary "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" number.

In his later years, Hawks became a kind of elder statesman to young directors, and received a long overdue special Oscar in 1974.