Walter Huston Biography

Canadian-born actor Walter Huston enjoyed an early theatrical life of roller-coaster proportions which he doggedly pursued, despite a lifelong suffering of "stage fright." Taking nickel and dime performing jobs, quitting to pursue "real" work -- an engineering job came to an end when his inept attempts to fix a town's reservoir nearly resulted in a flood -- then returning to bit roles were all part of Huston's early days. Before 1910, Huston had toured in vaudeville, worked in stock companies, tried to maintain a normal married life, and fathered a son whose life was twice as tempestuous as Walter's: future director John Huston. The barnstorming days ended when Huston got his first major Broadway role in Mr. Pitt (1924), which led to several successful New York seasons for the actor in a variety of plays. His stage and vaudeville training made him an excellent candidate for talkies; Huston launched his movie career with Gentlemen of the Press (1929), and spent the 1930s playing everything from a Mexican bandit to President Lincoln. Returning to Broadway in 1938 for the musical comedy Knickerbocker Holiday, Huston, in the role of 17th century New Amsterdam governor Peter Minuit, achieved theatrical immortality with his poignant rendition of the show's top tune, "September Song," the recording of which curiously became a fixture of the Hit Parade after Huston's death in 1950. Throughout the 1940s, Huston offered a gallery of memorable screen portrayals, from the diabolical Mr. Scratch in All That Money Can Buy (1941) to George M. Cohan's father in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942). Still, it was only after removing his expensive false teeth and trading his fancy duds for a dusty bindlestiff's outfit that the actor would win an Academy Award, for his portrayal of the cackling old prospector Howard in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948), directed by his son. At the time of his death, Huston was preparing to take on the part of the "world's oldest counterfeiter" in Mister 880, a role ultimately played by fellow Oscar winner Edmund Gwenn. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

• 1. Howard: Water's precious. Sometimes may be more precious than gold.
  From The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Submitted by Andrew C (8 months ago)

• 1. Howard: Ah, as long as there's no find, the noble brotherhood will last but when the piles of gold begin to grow. . .that's when the trouble starts.
  From The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Submitted by Andrew C (8 months ago)

• 1. Howard: If I were you boys, I wouldn't talk or even think about women. Taint good for your health.
  From The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Submitted by Andrew C (8 months ago)

• 1. Howard: I know what gold does to men's souls.
  From The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Submitted by Andrew C (8 months ago)

• 1. Howard: You want some beans? Goin' through some mighty rough country tomorrow, you'd better have some beans.
  From The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Submitted by Andy C (12 months ago)

• 1. Dr. Martin Stensgard: Why must everything in the world be black or white?
  2. Kaspar Torgersen: I'm a man that deals in facts.
  3. Dr. Martin Stensgard: Shut your fat evil mouth.
  4. Hammer: They slaughtered us in the streets and you call it murder. [defending the town]
  5. Sixtus Andresen: In all the books I have read, they never gave me an answer.
  From Edge of Darkness. Submitted by rick b (13 months ago)

• 1. Dr. Martin Stensgard: This man is in no condition to talk.
  2. Gunnar Brogge: I could kill you for this. [to the doctor]
  3. Dr. Martin Stensgard: God help us, God help us all.
  4. Anna Stensgard: How many mornings are we going to say goodbye?
  5. Gunnar Brogge: If we are going to fight, we must be like steel.
  From Edge of Darkness. Submitted by rick b (13 months ago)