John Hughes was an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter. He is credited with creating some of the most memorable comedy films of the 1980s and 1990s, during the height of his career. He had a talent for writing coming-of-age stories and depicting fairly realistic adolescent characters.
John Hughes was born in 1950 in Lansing, Michigan, a city known for its manufacturing plants and headquarters of companies such as Oldsmobile and REO Motor Car Company. His father, John Hughes Sr., was a salesman, and his mother, Marion Crawford, worked as a volunteer for charity organizations. Hughes had three sisters and no brothers, and his family moved often throughout his childhood.
As a child, Hughes was the only boy in his neighborhood and was often surrounded by girls and "old people." He spent a lot of time alone, using his active imagination to keep himself entertained. This experience would later influence his writing of teen-themed films.
In 1963, the Hughes family moved to Northbrook, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Hughes attended the Grove Middle School and then Glenbrook North High School, where his high school experiences reportedly provided inspiration for his teen-themed films. According to interviews with Hughes' friends, he had a poor relationship with his parents, who often criticized him.
As an adolescent, Hughes felt the need to escape his problems and became an avid film fan, finding that films satisfied his need for escapism. He was a fan of the Rat Pack and the music group The Beatles.
After graduating high school, Hughes enrolled in the University of Arizona but eventually dropped out and tried to make a living as a comedy writer. He wrote jokes for professional comedians, such as Rodney Dangerfield and Joan Rivers.
In 1970, Hughes was hired by the advertising company Needham Harper & Steers, where he worked for several years. In 1974, he was hired by the advertising agency Leo Burnett Worldwide, where he handled the account for Virginia Slims, a brand of cigarettes produced by Philip Morris. During this time, he visited the offices of the humor magazine "National Lampoon" in New York City and successfully negotiated a new position as a regular contributor to the magazine.
Hughes impressed the magazine's editors with his quality work and fast pace, and among his first short stories was "Vacation '58," based on his recollections of his family's vacations during his childhood. The story was eventually adapted into the road comedy film "National Lampoon's Vacation" (1983).
Hughes went on to write the scripts for several successful films, including "National Lampoon's Class Reunion" (1982),"National Lampoon's Vacation" (1983),and "Mr. Mom" (1983). He then signed a contract with Universal Pictures and made his directing debut with the coming-of-age comedy film "Sixteen Candles" (1984).
Hughes quickly established himself as a leading director of teen films, and his films "The Breakfast Club" (1985),"Weird Science" (1985),and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" (1986) are considered classics of the genre. He also directed "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" (1987) and "Uncle Buck" (1989).
In the 1990s, Hughes found success as a screenwriter, scripting several box office hits, including "Home Alone" (1990),"Beethoven" (1992),and "Dennis the Menace" (1993). He also co-founded the production company Great Oaks Entertainment and handled the scripting of several Disney-produced films, including "101 Dalmatians" (1996) and "Flubber" (1997).
In 1997, Hughes severed his partnership with Ricardo Mestres, and his final co-production, "Reach the Rock," was released. He only scripted three more films in the 2000s, the most notable being the romantic drama "Maid in Manhattan" (2002).
John Hughes died on August 6, 2009, at the age of 59, after suffering a heart attack while walking in Manhattan. He was buried in Lake Forest Cemetery, a rural cemetery located in Lake Forest, Illinois.
