John Huston

John Huston publicity photo for the 1974 film “Chinatown”

Birth Name: John Marcellus Huston

Date of Birth: August 5, 1906

Place of Birth: Nevada, Vernon, Missouri, U.S.

Date of Death: August 28, 1987

Place of Death: Middletown, Rhode Island, U.S.

Ethnicity: Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, English, Scottish, distant Welsh and German, 1/512 Portuguese

John Huston was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and fine art painter. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948). He also directed the films The Maltese Falcon (1941), In This Our Life, Across the Pacific, which he co-directed; The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Key Largo, We Were Strangers, The Asphalt Jungle, The Red Badge of Courage, The African Queen, Moulin Rouge (1952), Beat the Devil, Moby Dick (1956), Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison; The Barbarian and the Geisha, The Roots of Heaven, The Unforgiven (1960), The Misfits, Freud: The Secret Passion, The List of Adrian Messenger, The Night of the Iguana, The Bible: In the Beginning… (1966), Casino Royale (1967), which he co-directed; Reflections in a Golden Eye, Sinful Davey, A Walk with Love and Death, The Kremlin Letter, Fat City, The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, The Mackintosh Man, The Man Who Would Be King (1975), Independence (1976), Wise Blood, Phobia (1980), Victory (1981), Let There Be Light, Annie (1982), Under the Volcano, Prizzi’s Honor, and The Dead (1987). He wrote or co-wrote most of his films, as well as other movies. His acting roles include the films The Cardinal and Chinatown.

He was the son of Rhea Catherine/Catharine (Gore), a sports editor, and Walter Huston (Walter Thomas Huston), who was a Canadian-born, Oscar-winning actor, as well as a singer, and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for John’s film The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. He had a son with his former wife, actress Evelyn Keyes; two children, actor, writer, and assistant director Tony Huston and actress, director, and model Anjelica Huston, with his former wife, socialite, model, and prima-ballerina Enrica “Ricki” Soma; and a son, actor, writer, and director Danny Huston, with actress and author Zoe Sallis. Anjelica won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for his film Prizzi’s Honor. Among his grandchildren is actor Jack Huston.

His father was of Northern Irish and Scottish descent. His mother had English, as well as Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, distant Welsh and German, and remote Portuguese, ancestry; John was of 1/512 Portuguese ancestry, through his descent from a Portuguese immigrant named Domingo Madeiras/Madeiros.

John lived in France, Mexico, and Ireland, for significant periods of time. He renounced his U.S. citizenship to become an Irish citizen in 1964.

John’s paternal grandfather was Robert Moore Huston (the son of Alexander Huston and Margaret Moore). Robert was born in Haldimand, Ontario, Canada, to Irish parents. Alexander was the son of Samuel Huston and Mary Elizabeth Miller, or of Robert Hudston and Mary Mathews. Margaret was born the daughter of Robert Moore and Mary.

John’s paternal grandmother was Elizabeth McGibbon (the daughter of Donald Dugald/Dougald McGibbon and Mary/Mary Janet Stewart). Elizabeth was born in Caledon Township, Peel, Ontario, Canada, to Scottish parents. Donald was born in Kilmodan, Argyllshire, the son of Donald Dugald McGibbon and Mary Brown, or of James McGibbon and Jean McKellar. John’s great-grandmother Mary was born in Argyllshire, Scotland.

John’s maternal grandfather was John Marcellus Gore (the son of William Carroll Gore and Jane Unicia Farley). John’s grandfather John was born in Henry or Tipton County, Indiana. William was the son of James Gore. Jane was the daughter of Matthew Farley and Esther McMullen.

John’s maternal grandmother was Adelia Frances Richardson (the daughter of William Pitt Richardson and Sarah Elizabeth Smith). Adelia was born in Woodsfield, Monroe, Ohio. William was the son of Isaac Richardson and Nancy Williams. Sarah was the daughter of Edward Smith and Catherine James.

John’s matrilineal line can be traced back to Martha Sallow, who was born c. 1725.

A DNA test of John’s daughter Anjelica whose results were displayed on the show Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2019) stated that Anjelica’s genetic ancestry consists of:

*36.8% British & Irish
*18.7% French & German
*16.2% Broadly Northwestern Europe
*9.1% Italy
*5.1% Broadly Southern Europe
*4.6% Broadly European
*3.4% Scandinavian
*3.1% Iberian
*2.7% Ashkenazi Jewish
*0.2% Unmatched
*0.1% Native American

John was a fifth cousin, twice removed, of Vice President of the United States Al Gore, through their shared ancestors, John Gore and Mary Madeiras/Madares.

Sources: Genealogies of John Huston – http://www.geni.com
http://www.wikitree.com

Information about John’s maternal seven times great-grandfather, Domingo Madeiras/Madeiros – http://www.genealogy.com