John Hough is a multitalented director with a diverse career spanning over four decades. Born on November 21st, 1941, in London, England, Hough began his career in his early twenties, working on various London TV productions, including the popular cult TV series, The Avengers.
Hough's early work includes directing episodes of The Avengers, as well as his feature debut, Wolfshead: The Legend of Robin Hood, in 1973. He followed this with the stylish thriller, Sudden Terror, and the Hammer chiller, Twins of Evil, in 1971.
In the 1970s, Hough continued to showcase his versatility with the supernatural shocker, The Legend of Hell House, and the drive-in car chase hit, Dirty Mary Crazy Larry. He also demonstrated his range with the delightful Disney sci-fi adventure, Escape to Witch Mountain, and its sequel, Return from Witch Mountain.
However, Hough's consistent track record faltered in the 1980s, starting with the uneven The Watcher in the Woods. He bounced back with the creepy The Incubus and the amusing American Gothic, although the tepid Biggles: Adventures in Time and the cruddy Howling IV: The Original Nightmare were lackluster offerings.
Hough's last credit as a director was the gory Jack the Ripper tale, Bad Karma, in 2001. Outside of his film work, Hough has directed several made-for-TV pictures and episodes of various TV shows, including Dempsey and Makepeace, The Wonderful World of Disney, The New Avengers, The Protectors, The Zoo Gang, and Fox Mystery Theater.
Hough's son, Paul Hough, is also a writer, director, editor, and cinematographer.
