Walter Huston (; April 6, 1884 – April 7, 1950) was a
Canadian-born American actor. He was the father of director
John Huston and the grandfather of actress
Anjelica Huston and actor
Danny Huston.
Career
Born
Walter Houghston in
Toronto,
Ontario to an
Ulster-Scottish father and a
Scottish Canadian mother, he began his
Broadway career in 1924, he achieved fame in character roles once talkies began in
Hollywood. 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.
Partial filmography (with co-stars)
Academy Awards and nominations
In popular culture
