} Crítica Retrô: É de família: os Huston / It runs in the family: the Hustons

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Saturday, February 4, 2017

É de família: os Huston / It runs in the family: the Hustons

Algumas famílias têm tradições estranhas. Os Huston, por exemplo, têm três gerações de ganhadores do Oscar (um recorde apenas igualado pela família Coppola). E tudo começou com um imigrante canadense.

Some families have weird traditions. Others have golden traditions. The Hustons, for instance, have three generations of Oscar winners (a record only shared with the Coppolas). And it all started with a Canadian immigrant.


Walter Thomas Huston nasceu em Toronto, Canadá, em 1883. Ele estudou engenharia, mas sua verdadeira paixão era a atuação. Mesmo assim, em 1904, quando ele se casou com a jornalista Rhea Gore, ele decidiu se dedicar apenas à engenharia. Sua carreira como engenheiro durou quase cinco anos, até que um erro de Walter ao consertar um reservatório quase deixou uma cidade debaixo d’água. Em 1909, ele se divorciou de Rhea e passou a apenas atuar.

Walter Thomas Huston was born in Toronto, Canada, in 1883. He studied engineering, but his passion was acting. Yet, in 1904, when he got married to journalist Rhea Gore, he dedicated himself only to engineering. His career as an engineer lasted nearly five years, until a mistake made by Walter in a town’s reservoir nearly caused a flood. In 1909, he divorced Rhea and became a full-time actor.


Ele precisaria de mais de uma década para encontrar sucesso na Broadway. Walter estava também entre os atores de teatro que foram para Hollywood com a popularização do cinema falado. Huston fez seu primeiro filme em 1929.

He would need more than a decade to find success on Broadway. Walter was also among the stage actors who went to Hollywood when talkies came. Huston debuted in movies in 1929. 


No ano seguinte ele interpretou o mais amado presidente norte-americano, Abraham Lincoln, no filme homônimo dirigido por D.W. Griffith. Walter mais uma vez interpretaria um ícone estadunidense em 1943, quando ele fez o papel do Tio Sam em “O Ataque a Pearl Harbor”, um filme de propaganda feito durante a Segunda Guerra Mundial.

The following year he played the most beloved American president, Abraham Lincoln, in the homonym film directed by D.W. Griffith. Walter would once again play an American icon in 1943, when he portrayed Uncle Sam in “December 7th: The Movie”, a film to boost the country’s moral during WWII.


Walter fazia sucesso nas telas no começo dos anos 30 quando seu único filho, o futuro diretor John Huston, se envolveu em um acidente automobilístico. John estava dirigindo bêbado e acabou atropelando e matando a atriz e bailarina brasileira de 23 anos Diva Tosca. Diva era casada com o ator brasileiro Raul Roulien (o cara que sugeriu colocar Fred Astaire e Ginger Rogers para dançarem juntos pela primeira vez!), que tinha uma carreira de sucesso no cinema e na música... até que os Huston cruzaram seu caminho. Raul processou o motorista bêbado que fez dele um viúvo, mas o poderoso e superprotetor Walter Huston quis proteger seu filho e usou sua influência para que o júri inocentasse John. Mesmo assim, ele pagou uma indenização ao pobre Raul. Por causa deste pequeno escândalo, Raul Roulien não conseguiu mais trabalho em Hollywood e voltou para o Brasil, onde morreu em 2000.

Walter was enjoying screen success in the early 1930s when his only son, future director John Huston, got involved in a car accident. John was drunk and ended up hitting and killing 23-year-old Brazilian actress and ballerina Diva Tosca. Diva was married to Brazilian actor Raul Roulien (aka the man who put together Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers), who had been enjoying a career in film and music… until the Hustons got in his way. Raul sued the drunk driver who made him a widow, but powerful and overprotective Walter Huston protected his son and bribed the jury to make John be proclaimed innocent, but paid an amount of money to grieving Roulien. Because of the small scandal, Raul Roulien couldn’t find work in Hollywood anymore and went back to Brazil, where he died in 2000.   

Diva Tosca / Young John Huston
Raul Roulien
Naquela época John tinha vinte e poucos anos, já havia aparecido em minúsculos papéis no cinema e estava então escrevendo diálogos e roteiros. Seu grande salto para a fama viria quando ele adaptou e dirigiu “O Falcão Maltês” em 1941. Ele dirigiu muitos outros filmes inesquecíveis em sua carreira, e viveu uma vida conturbada, se casando cinco vezes e tendo cinco filhos.

By then John Huston was in his 20s, and had already done bit parts and was writing scenarios and dialogues. His big break would come when he adapted and directed “The Maltese Falcon” in 1941. He directed many unforgettable films and lived an erratic life, marrying five times and having five kids.

Walter and John
Anjelica Huston, filha de John, nasceu quando ele estava no Congo Belga filmando “Uma Aventura na África” (1952). Ela fecha a trindade de ganhadores do Oscar na família. Anjelica ganhou o Oscar de Melhor Atriz Coadjuvante por “A Honra do Poderoso Prizzi” (1984), filme dirigido por seu pai. John ganhou dois Oscars por “O Tesouro de Sierra Madre” (1948): Melhor Diretor e Roteiro Adaptado. Este mesmo filme deu a Walter Huston seu único Oscar, de Melhor Ator Coadjuvante.

John’s daughter Anjelica Huston was born when he was in the Belgian Congo shooting “The African Queen” (1952). She closes the trinity of Oscar winners in the family. Anjelica won the Oscar as a Supporting Actress for “Prizzi’s Honor” (1984), directed by her father. John won two Oscars for “The Treasure of Sierra Madre” (1948): best Director and Adapted Screenplay. This same movie gave Walter Huston his only actor, for a Supporting Role.

John and Anjelica
O filho mais velho de John, Tony Huston, já escreveu roteiros para o cinema. Tony é pai do ator Jack Huston, que protagonizou o muito criticado remake de Ben-Hur de 2016. Danny, também filho de John, é um ator que já participou de vários filmes, entre eles “Grandes Olhos” (2014).

John’s oldest son, Tony Huston, did some writing for the screen. Tony is the father of actor Jack Huston, who starred in the much criticized 2016 version of Ben-Hur. John’s son Danny is also an actor, and appeared in such films as “Big Eyes” (2014).

Click to enlarge
Entre todos os Huston, Walter é meu favorito. Ele é ótimo mesmo em papéis pequenos e emocionalmente exigentes, como em “A Canção da Vitória” (1942). Mas seu melhor trabalho é, em minha opinião, como o protagonista de “Fogo de Outono” (1936). Para os Huston, tudo começou com Walter.

Of all the Hustons, Walter is my favorite. He is great in small but heavily emotional roles, like in “Yankee Doodle Dandy” (1942). But his best work is, in my opinion, as the lead in “Dodsworth” (1936). For the Hustons, everything started with Walter.

This is my contribution to the 2017 O Canada Blogathon, hosted by Ruth and Kristina at Silver Screenings and Speakeasy.

9 comments:

  1. Fascinating overview of the Huston family, who have certainly contributed much to Hollywood history. I'd never really read much about them as a family before, so I was glad you contributed this research to the blogathon. Thanks for joining us! :)

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  2. I had no idea about John's drunk driving incident!! Always interesting to hear about grandchildren of famous actors or directors.

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  3. I've read about John's experiences in WW2, both behind the camera, shooting war footage, and his personal life. He struck me as being not entirely likeable, despite the good work he did in the war, but what the hell. They can't all be angels.

    Nice choice of photo. He was the spitting image of his dad, wasn't he?

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  4. Really interesting post! Definitely was not aware of some aspects you discussed in the family history, including the drunk driving incident. I have to add that Jack Huston's portrayal of Richard Harrow in "Boardwalk Empire" is absolutely amazing. His character was definitely my favourite on the show. If you have not yet watched the series, I highly recommend it!

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  5. John directed and Angelica acted in "The Dead" based on a James Joyce story, a movie that was nominated for a couple of Oscars itself. It is my favorite appearance by Angelica. My favorite John Huston appearance, however, was as the evil old father in "Chinatown". And as for Walter, I think "Treasure" is the only movie I've seen him in.

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  6. The Huston family certainly has a theatrical flair about everything they do. It is quite a checkered and fascinating legacy. You shared an amazing amount of information in your wonderful article.

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  7. I need to watch more films with this amazing family- so many iconic contributions to the film world! I think my faovirte is the Asphalt jungle, but I have yet to see Treasure of the Sierra Madree! Awesome Entry!

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  8. Really enjoyed reading this! A family with so many great and lasting contributions to the movies. Thanks so much for being part of the bloagthon, always nice to have you along.

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  9. Hi! A few months ago, you commented on my blog that I should host a Franchot Tone Blogathon. I just wanted to let you know that I am this April! Thanks so much for the suggestion. If you would like to participate, just go to my blog at http://franchottone.blogspot.com/2017/02/announcing-franchot-tone-blogathon.html

    Thanks,
    Emily

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