Walter Huston

Biography

Walter Huston was a Canadian-born American actor. He was the father of actor and director John Huston and the grandfather of actress Anjelica Huston and actor Danny Huston. Born Walter Houghston in Toronto, Ontario to an Ulster-Scottish father and a Scottish Canadian mother, he began his Broadway career in 1924. Once talkies began in Hollywood, he achieved fame in character roles. His first major role was in 1929's The Virginian with Gary Cooper. He appeared in the Broadway theatrical adaptation of Sinclair Lewis' novel Dodsworth in 1934 and the play's film version two years later. Huston stayed busy throughout the 1930s and 1940s, both on stage and screen (becoming one of America's most distinguished actors); he performed "September Song" in the original Broadway production of Knickerbocker Holiday in 1938. Among his films are Rain (1932), The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941) and Mission to Moscow (1943), a pro-Soviet World War II propaganda film as Ambassador Joseph E. Davies. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1948 for his role in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, which was directed by his son, John Huston. His last film was The Furies in 1950 with Barbara Stanwyck. Along with Anthony Veiller, he narrated the Why We Fight series of World War II documentaries directed by Frank Capra. He died in Hollywood from an aortic aneurysm, one day after his 66th birthday. Walter Huston has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6626 Hollywood Blvd.