John Milius

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John Milius
John Frederick Milius Born April 11, 1944 (age 69) St. Louis, Missouri, United States

Alma mater

University of Southern California

Occupation

Screenwriter Film director

Film producer 1966present

Years active

John Frederick Milius (born April 11, 1944) is an American screenwriter, director, and producer of motion pictures. He co-wrote the first two Dirty Harry films, received an Academy Award nomination as screenwriter of Apocalypse Now, and wrote and directed The Wind and the Lion, Conan the Barbarian and Red Dawn.

Contents

1 Early life 2 Early career 3 Director 4 Influence 5 Personal life 6 Selected credits o 6.1 Unmade Scripts o 6.2 Novel 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External links

Early life
Milius was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the youngest of three children to Elizabeth (ne Roe) and William Styx Milius, who was a shoe manufacturer.[1] When Milius was seven his father sold his business, retired and moved to California, where Milius became an enthusiastic surfer. When he was fourteen his parents sent him to a small private school, the Lowell Whiteman School, in the mountains of Steamboat Springs, Colorado "because I was a juvenile delinquent."[2] Milius became a voracious reader and started to write short stories. "I had learned very early, to write in almost any style. I could write in fluent Hemingway, or in fluent Melville, or Conrad, or Jack Kerouac, and whatever."[3] He says he was also influenced by the oral story telling of surfers at the time, who had a beatnik tradition.[4] At one stage Milius considered becoming an artist or historian. During a rainy day on a summer vacation in Hawaii, he stumbled upon a movie theatre showing a film by Akira Kurosawa and fell in love with cinema.[5] He studied film at the University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television where his classmates included George Lucas, Basil Poledouris, Randal Kleiser and Don Glut. Milius reflected that: My ambitions stopped at B Westerns... I thought that was a good life. I never wanted to be Hitchcock or some big mogul, I didn't want to be Louis B. Mayer. I wanted to be, I don't know what, Budd Boetticher or something... John Ford, that's who I wanted to be.[6]

He made an animated short called Marcello I'm Bored (1967) with John Strawbridge which was edited by his classmate George Lucas and won best animation at the National Student Film Festival.[7] Marcello screened around the country in various festivals and was praised by Vincent Canby of the New York Times.[8][9] He received a job offer to work in animation but Milius was not interested in that field as he could not see himself "sitting there drawing cell after cell."[10] Milius attempted to join the Marine Corps and volunteer for Vietnam service in the late 1960s, but was rejected due to a chronic and sometimes disabling case of asthma. "It was totally demoralizing," he said later. "I missed going to my war. It probably caused me to be obsessed with war ever since."[11] So Milius commenced his filmmaking career.

Early career
Milius then got a summer job working at the story department of American International Pictures through a student colleague of his who had begun working there, Willard Huyck. Huyck and Milius worked at AIP under producer Larry Gordin, reading scripts and eventually collaborating on the script for an action film, The Devil's 8.[12] Milius' first original scripts were Los Gringos and Last Resort. In 1968 his name had been mentioned in a Time magazine article about the new generation of Hollywood filmmakers, which also referred to George Lucas and Martin Scorcese. This was read by Mike Medavoy who became Milius' agent. Medavoy called Milius "a badboy mad genius in a teenager's body, but he was a good and fast writer with original ideas."[13] Milius then wrote Truck Driver, Jeremiah Johnson and Apocalypse Now.[3] Apocalypse Now was an adaptation of Heart of Darkness set in the Vietnam War which George Lucas intended to direct as a follow up to his first feature THX-1138 (1969).[14] However the commercial failure of that movie delayed production plans. Nonetheless Milius's writing career went from strength to strength. He sold his script for Jeremiah Johnson to Warner Bros for what became a record amount[15] then followed this up by doing an uncredited draft of Dirty Harry. He sold his script The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean for another high amount, which was compensation for not being allowed to direct. He then wrote the Dirty Harry sequel, Magnum Force.[16]

Director
By now Milius was one of the most sought after screenwriters in Hollywood. His profile was higher than most writers because he was seen as a colourful character with a talent for lively interviews, and his self-styled "Zen Anarchist"/"American samurai" persona made him stand out in Hollywood.[17] For instance, he only rewrote Dirty Harry on the proviso he was given an expensive gun.[18] Milius wanted to move behind the camera and offered American International Pictures his script to Dillinger for a fraction of his regular fee if they would let him direct it as well.[19][20] The movie was moderately successful and launched Milius's directing career. Contemporary film writers grouped him in with the emerging "movie brats" generation

of filmmakers that also including Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Terence Malick and Martin Scorsese.[21] Milius next directed the popular adventure film The Wind and the Lion (1975), the success of which enabled him to get backing for an autobiographical surfing picture, Big Wednesday (1978). This was a major commercial disappointment although it has gone on to be a cult film. Milius' script for Apocalypse Now had been eventually filmed by Francis Ford Coppola and was released in 1979 to great acclaim. Milius' friendship with George Lucas saw him given a percentage of the profits for Star Wars, which Mike Medavoy estimated earned Milius $1.5 million - in exchange Milius gave Lucas a percentage of the profits for Big Wednesday which amounted to nothing.[22] With Buzz Feitshans he formed his own production company The A Team and also turned producer. acted as an early mentor for Robert Zemeckis producing some of that director's earliest films[23] as well as producing films by friends Paul Schrader and Steven Spielberg. Spielberg said in 1978 that he was key to the group of young filmmakers known as the New Hollywood, which included himself, Lucas, and Coppola: John is our scoutmaster. He's the one who will tell you to go on a trip and only take enough food, enough water for one day, and make you stay out longer than that. He's the one who says, 'Be a man. I don't want to see any tears.' He's a terrific raconteur, a wonderful story teller. John has more life than all the rest of us put together.[24] Milius enjoyed his greatest commercial success as a director with Conan the Barbarian (1982).[25] This was followed by Red Dawn (1984). However his career was hurt by the box office failure of two expensive adventure films, Farewell to the King and Flight of the Intruder. He created the HBO/BBC television series Rome. In 2007, Milius was the recipient of the Austin Film Festival's Distinguished Screenwriter Award.[26] In March 2011, Milius was a story consultant for the video game Homefront,[27][28] about a North Korean conquest of America. Mickey Rourke has been in talks with Milius to star in a biopic of Genghis Khan.[29] Milius has also had talks to adapt the novel Aztec into a miniseries.[30]

Influence
Milius has long claimed to be an outsider in Hollywood. In 2001 he stated: I've always been considered a nut. They kind of tolerate me. It's certainly affected me. I've been blacklisted for a large part of my career because of my politicsas surely as any writer was blacklisted back in the 1950s. It's just that my politics are from the other side, and Hollywood always veers left.[31]

Nonetheless, Milius has made a considerable impact as a filmmaker. wrote a number of iconic film quotations such as "Charlie don't surf" and "I love the smell of napalm in the morning," from Apocalypse Now, and the famous Dirty Harry one-liners delivered by Clint Eastwood, including "Go ahead, make my day" and "Do you feel lucky?" Milius also had a hand in the USS Indianapolis monologue in the film Jaws.[24] When Spielberg asked him to punch up the screenplay for Saving Private Ryan, Milius suggested the Normandy cemetery bookends where Ryan, now an elderly hero of World War II, in a moment of survivor guilt, asks his wife "Did I live a good life?" After his work on Rough Riders (1997), Milius became an instrumental force in lobbying Congress to award President Theodore Roosevelt the Medal of Honor (posthumously), for acts of conspicuous gallantry while in combat on San Juan Hill.[32] Milius made two films featuring Roosevelt: The Wind and the Lion (where he was played by Brian Keith) and the made-for-TV film Rough Riders (where Tom Berenger took the role). The John Milner character in the 1973 George Lucas film American Graffiti was inspired by Lucas's good friend from USC film school John Milius. Likewise, the Walter Sobchak character in the 1998 film The Big Lebowski, made by his friends the Coen Brothers, was based on Milius.[33] Aleksandar Hemon's novella "Blind Jozef Pronek and Dead Souls" features an episode with Milius, who is described as "sitting at a desk suckling on a cigar as long as a walking stick." Milius was also instrumental during the startup of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) organization: it was his idea to use the octagon-shaped cage, and his association with UFC helped provide interest and investors to the startup UFC.[34] In 2013 a documentary about his life, Milius was released.[35][36] Writer Nat Segaloff called Milius: The best writer of the co-called USC Mafia, a tight-knit group that resuscitatedsome say homogenised American cinema in the 1970s... Raised on Ford, Hawks, Lean and Kurosawa, shaped by filmmakers as disparate as Fellini and Delmer Daves, Milius favours history books over comic books, character over special effects, and heroes with roots in reality, time, place and customs. Milius' stories reflect his own deeply held ethic, which embraces the values of tradition, adventure, spiritualism, honour and an intense loyalty to friends... Although he privately chafes at his public image as a guntoting, liberal baiting provocateur, he allows himself to be painted as such, at times even holding the brush. He plays the Hollywood game like a pro, yet sticks to his own rules; he is a romantic filmmaker who avoids love scenes; his movies contain violence, yet no death in them is without meaning.[37]

Personal life
Milius is a self-proclaimed Zen anarchist, but he also publicly aligns himself with conservative factions in Hollywood and he was interviewed in the documentary Rated R: Republicans in Hollywood. Consistent with his conservative leanings, he has also been consultant to a military think tank, the Institute for Creative Technologies.[31] Milius:

Im not a reactionary Im just a right-wing extremist so far beyond the Christian Identity people like that and stuff, that they cant even imagine. Im so far beyond that Im a Maoist. Im an anarchist. Ive always been an anarchist. Any true, real rightwinger if he goes far enough hates all form of government, because government should be done to cattle and not human beings.[38] For years Milius was a member of the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association, where he was a leader (with the late Charlton Heston). An avid firearms collector, shooter and a renowned authority on firearms, and a vocal opponent of gun control legislation, Milius is a popular personality amongst gun hobbyists.[citation needed] Milius's filmmaking role models are John Ford and Akira Kurosawa. He has also mentioned Sam Peckinpah, Sergio Leone, David Lean, and his friend and mentor John Huston as important influences. His favorite films are reportedly Red River, The Battle of Algiers, They Died With Their Boots On, The Searchers, They Were Expendable, The Wild Bunch, Seven Samurai, Sunset Boulevard, La Dolce Vita, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Lawrence of Arabia and Citizen Kane.[citation needed] Milius is Jewish[39] and has been married three times.[40] His current marriage (since 1992) is to actress Elan Oberon (who appeared in Red Dawn as the woman behind the counter at the store, his 1989 film Farewell to the King and who is seenand heard singing Garryowen in Rough Riders). He has two children by his first wife, Renee Fabri (m. 7 January 1967), and one child by his second wife, Celia Kaye (m. 26 February 1978). Milius suffered financial reversals when a good friend absconded with his money. He also had a stroke which left him unable to speak or walk. However, he recovered.[41]

Selected credits

The Reversal of Richard Sun (1966) (short) - writer, director Marcello, I'm So Bored (1967) (short) - co-director Glut (1967) (short) - writer, director Viking Women Don't Care (1967) (short) - writer, director The Emperor (1967) (short documentary) - writer - directed by George Lucas about Bob "The Emperor" Hudson The Devil's 8 (1968) - writer Dirty Harry (1971) - uncredited writer Evel Knievel (1971) - writer The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972) - writer Jeremiah Johnson (1972) - writer with Edward Anhalt Magnum Force (1973) - writer Dillinger (1973) - writer, director Melvin Purvis: G-Man (1974) (TV movie) The Wind and the Lion (1975) - writer, director Jaws (1975) - uncredited writer Big Wednesday (1978) - writer, director I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978) - executive producer Hardcore (1979) - executive producer Apocalypse Now (1979) - writer (first draft written in 1969)

1941 (1979) - story, executive producer Used Cars (1980) - executive producer Conan the Barbarian (1982) - writer, director Uncommon Valor (1983) - producer Lone Wolf McQuade (1983) - "spiritual adviser" Red Dawn (1984) - writer, director The New Twilight Zone (1985) (TV series) episode "Opening Day" - writer, director Miami Vice (1987) (TV series) episode "Viking Bikers from Hell" - story Extreme Prejudice (1987) - writer (Milius wrote this in the 1970s and was announced as director originally[42]) Men Who Ride Mountains (1989) (documentary)[43] Farewell to the King (1989) - writer, director The Hunt for Red October (1990) - uncredited writer Flight of the Intruder (1991) - director, uncredited writer Geronimo: An American Legend (1993) - writer Clear and Present Danger (1994) - writer Motorcycle Gang (1994) - director Rough Riders (1997) - writer, director Texas Rangers (2001) - wrote original drafts in 1991 and 1993 Delta (2003) (TV pilot) - executive producer Rome (2005) (TV series) - co-creator, co-executive producer

Milius also made cameo appearances in The New Twilight Zone, Conan the Barbarian, Big Wednesday, Crazy Mama, The Wind and the Lion and Deadhead Miles.

Unmade Scripts

Los Gringos (1968) - his first completed script - "It actually wasn't bad. It was sort of like The Wild Bunch ... there was a lot of killing and shooting and riding and dust... sombreros.... It was a pretty good idea, actually. It had everything, and it was certainly as original as The Wild Bunch, but it wasn't as skillfully written as later stuff."[44] The Last Resort (1969)[45] - the second script he ever wrote The Texans (1969) - a contemporary version of Red River written for Al Ruddy[46] - announced in 1979 to be made with Sam Peckinpah[47] The Haul (1971)[48] - originally called The Truck Driver, Milius's third script The Life and Times of Joe McCarthy (mid-1970s)[49] Give Your Heart to the Hawks (1970s) - about mountain men in the 1820s based on a novel by Winfred Blevins[50] biopic on Jedediah Smith[51] East of Suez (1978)[52] Sgt Rock (1993) Mexico (1990s) Manila John (2000) - about John Basilone King Conan: Crown of Iron (200102) - sequel to Conan the Barbarian[53][54] The Northmen (1990s) The Son Tay Raid - about the Son Tay Raid Genghis Kahn (circa 2010) - three hour biopic on the famous leader[2] Pharaoh - proposed 2010 TV series[55]

Curtis LeMay biography

Novel

The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972) - based on his script The Wind and the Lion (1975) - based on his script Homefront: The Voice of Freedom (2011) - based on the video game

References
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Jump up ^ "John Milius Biography (1944-)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 2012-10-31. ^ Jump up to: a b Thom Patterson, "Apocalypse writer: Most scripts today 'are garbage' ", CNN, 9 March 2009 accessed 2012 ^ Jump up to: a b IGN interview accessed 5 January 2012 Jump up ^ Segaloff p 280 Jump up ^ Segaloff p 276-277 Jump up ^ IGN interview p 6 accessed 5 January 2012 Jump up ^ ANNUAL COMPETITION: 'A' GRADES FOR FILM FESTIVAL STUDENTS FILM FESTIVAL Thomas, Kevin. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 22 Jan 1968: c1. Jump up ^ Honored Student Movies Shown Here By VINCENT CANBY. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 18 Apr 1968: 58 Jump up ^ AT MUSEUM OF ART: ANIMATED FILMS ENTER THE CINEMA LIMELIGHT Thomas, Kevin. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 24 May 1968: c1 Jump up ^ Segaloff p 281 Jump up ^ Ken Plume, "Interview with John Milius", IGN, 7 May 2003 accessed 5 January 2012 Jump up ^ Segaloff p 282 Jump up ^ Medavoy p 6 Jump up ^ Movies Leaving 'Hollywood' Behind: Studio System Passe Film Forges Ahead By MEL GUSSOW Special to The New York Times. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 27 May 1970: 36. Jump up ^ Red Hot and Redford By A.H. WEILER. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 09 Aug 1970: 77. Jump up ^ MOVIE CALL SHEET: MCCARTHY, RAQUEL TO COSTAR IN 'BOMBER' Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 26 Apr 1972: h12 Jump up ^ What's So Super About This Superdirector?: Superdirector? By STEPHEN FARBER. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 16 Sep 1973: 135. Jump up ^ Hollywood's Script Door: Tom Mankiewicz, Tonic for Ailing Screenplays The Script Doctor By Paul Attanssio Washington Post Staff WriterLOS ANGELES. The Washington Post (1974-Current file) [Washington, D.C] 03 Mar 1985: G1. Jump up ^ The dime-store way to make movies-and money By Aljean Harmetz. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 04 Aug 1974: 202. Jump up ^ "An Interview with John Milius - IGN". Au.movies.ign.com. 2003-05-07. Retrieved 2012-10-31. Jump up ^ Alumni of Film School Now 'Star' as Directors: 24,000 Students On '10. Best' Lists Wayne vs. Godard A Different Mood' By PAUL GARDNER. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 30 Jan 1974: 24. Jump up ^ Medavoy p 8 Jump up ^ ZEMECKIS PUTS HIS HEART AND SOUL IN 'ROMANCING THE STONE' Pollock, Dale. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 29 Mar 1984: m1. ^ Jump up to: a b THE NEW NEW WAVE OF FILM MAKERS: A YOUNG GROUP OF WRITER-DIRECTORS HAS MOVED INTO POSITIONS OF POWER IN HOLLYWOOD. ALL FRIENDS THEY TRADE IDEAS, HELP ONE ANOTHER TO GET JOBS, AND EVEN SHARE IN PROFITS FROM ONE ANOTHER'S FILMS. FILM MAKERS By Robert Lindsey. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 28 May 1978: SM3.

8. 9.

10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

15. 16. 17. 18.

19. 20. 21.

22. 23. 24.

25. Jump up ^ MILIUS: MIGHT MAKES A RITE: JOHN MILIUS Pollock, Dale. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 14 May 1982: h1. 26. Jump up ^ Austin Film Festival[dead link] 27. Jump up ^ Good, Owen. "Red Dawn's Writer Didn't Actually Write Homefront's Script, Say Ex-Developers [UPDATE]". Kotaku. 28. Jump up ^ "'Apocalypse Now' And 'Red Dawn' Scribe John Milius Writing THQ's 'Homefront'". G4tv. 29. Jump up ^ "Mickey Rourke to Star in John Milius' Genghis Khan". Reelz Channel. 30. Jump up ^ David Wharton. "John Milius In Talks To Adapt Aztec Novel Into Miniseries". Television Blend. 31. ^ Jump up to: a b David D'Arcy, "Go ahead, pinko liberals, make my day", The Guardian, 8 November 2001 accessed 5 January 2012 32. Jump up ^ Ken Plume (May 7, 2003). "An Interview with John Milius, page 15". IGN. 33. Jump up ^ "One of the inspirations for the character of Walter is the Coen Brothers' friend, writer-director John Milius, an infamously bombastic right-winger with an obsession with all things militaristic."http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118715/trivia 34. Jump up ^ A Man Named Milius, and His Imprint on The UFC[dead link] 35. Jump up ^ "Quint says the SXSW 2013 documentary about John MILIUS is what is best in life!", Ain't It Cool News, March 15, 2013 accessed 2 May 2013 36. Jump up ^ SXSW Film explores wild life of a Hollywood iconoclast By Shawn Badgley, Austin Chronicle 5 March 2013 accessed 2 May 2013 37. Jump up ^ Segaloff p 275-276 38. Jump up ^ JOY IN THE STRUGGLE: A LOOK AT JOHN MILIUS Film Threat, 8 March 1999 accessed 5 January 2012 39. Jump up ^ by Ken P. "An Interview with John Milius - Movies Feature at IGN". Uk.movies.ign.com. Retrieved 2010-05-22. 40. Jump up ^ Biography for John Milius at the Internet Movie Database 41. Jump up ^ Milius review at Hollywood Reporter 2 May 2013 42. Jump up ^ FILM CLIPS: 'TELEFON' TO LINK BRONSON, SIEGEL Kilday, Gregg. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 30 Aug 1976: f7. 43. Jump up ^ "Back to the Beach" by Leonard Klady Los Angeles Times 4 Dec 1988 accessed 2 May 2013 44. Jump up ^ IGN interview with Milius accessed 5 January 2012 45. Jump up ^ MOVIE CALL SHEET: 'BARQUERO' ROLE TO MATHEWS Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 14 June 1969: a9. 46. Jump up ^ Medavoy p 173 47. Jump up ^ Chow Tells $60 Million Film Schedule Thomas, Kevin. Los Angeles Times (1923Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 05 Oct 1979: f39. 48. Jump up ^ MOVIE CALL SHEET: 'BIG' ROLE FOR CAROL WHITE Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 19 Feb 1971: i9. 49. Jump up ^ News of the Screen: Machines and Man From Bartram Book Czech Director Looks at 'Cuckoo' Carol Burnett Plans Own Movie 'Life and Times Of Joe McCarthy' By A. H. WEILER. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 13 Oct 1974: 78 50. Jump up ^ MOVIE CALL SHEET: MILIUS TACKLES A NEW MOUNTAIN Murphy, Mary. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 11 June 1975: e20. 51. Jump up ^ 'Wind and the Lion'--a look behind MGM epic: Comments from its 'superstars' and its writer-director Deliberate distortion? False image? By David Sterritt. The Christian Science Monitor (1908-Current file) [Boston, Mass] 28 July 1975: 26. 52. Jump up ^ Travolta the Producer Signs 2-Film Pact: Percentage of 'Fever' By ALJEAN HARMETZ Special to The New York Times. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 29 Mar 1978: C21. 53. Jump up ^ http://www.geeksofdoom.com/2012/10/26/arnold-schwarzenegger-set-to-return-asthe-cimmerian-warrior-in-the-legend-of-conan 54. Jump up ^ http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/5-things-you-might-not-know-about-johnmilius-conan-the-barbarian-20120514 55. Jump up ^ Hopewell, John; Keslassy, Elsa (April 9, 2010). "Milius moves back in time with 'Pharaoh'.". Variety.

Further reading

Medavoy, Mike with Josh Young, You're Only as Good as Your Next One, Astria, 2002 Segaloff, Nat, "John Milius: The Good Fights", Backstory 4: Interviews with Screenwriters of the 1970s and 1980s, Ed. Patrick McGilligan, Uni of California 2006 p 274-316

External links

John Milius's filmography John Milius at the Internet Movie Database Foco - Revista de Cinema, special edition devoted to John Milius

Films directed by John Milius

Dillinger (1973) The Wind and the Lion (1975) Big Wednesday (1978) Conan the Barbarian (1982) Red Dawn (1984) Farewell to the King (1989) Flight of the Intruder (1991) Rough Riders (1997)

WorldCat VIAF: 24796511 LCCN: n87142834 ISNI: 0000 0001 0880 2399 GND: 113332939 BNF: cb13985726m

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Source Material: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Milius More Info: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0587518/