Willard Miller Huyck, Jr. (born September 8, 1945) is an American retired screenwriter, director and producer,[1] best known for his association with George Lucas.[2]
Willard Huyck | |
|---|---|
| Born | Willard Miller Huyck, Jr. September 8, 1945 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Screenwriter, film director |
| Years active | 1969–2013 |
| Spouse | |
| Awards | National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay 1973 American Graffiti New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay 1973 American Graffiti |
Career
editHuyck and Lucas met as students at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and became members of Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope group of filmmakers. Along with his wife Gloria Katz, Huyck wrote screenplays for films including American Graffiti, Lucky Lady, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Radioland Murders,.[1] They also performed uncredited script polishing on the original Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope.[3][4]
Huyck also directed four films, which he co-wrote with Gloria Katz: Messiah of Evil, French Postcards, Best Defense, and Howard the Duck.[2] The latter film received universally negative reviews at its release, but in subsequent years has become a cult classic.[5] Katz and Huyck also wrote and produced the NBC television films "A Father's Homecoming" and "American River." Willard Huyck is a current member of the Writers Guild of America and Directors Guild of America.
In addition to their work in the film industry, Katz and Huyck are well known as art collectors, having collected Indian miniature paintings beginning in the 1970s. This collection was sold at a Sotheby's auction in New York City in 2001. In subsequent years, they amassed a collection of Japanese photography that spanned from the late 1850s to the present. This collection was acquired in 2018 by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art.[6] The couple also wrote a photographic catalogue of the collection entitled "Views of Japan," designed and edited by Manfred Heiting and published by Steidl. Huyck is a member of the J. Paul Getty Museum Photography Council.
Personal life
editHuyck married Katz in 1969.[7] They remained married until her death in 2018. They have one daughter, Rebecca, born in 1983.
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | The Devil's 8 | No | Yes | |
| 1973 | American Graffiti | No | Yes | |
| 1974 | Messiah of Evil | Yes | Yes | Also uncredited producer and actor Role: Zombie in a car |
| 1975 | Lucky Lady | No | Yes | |
| 1979 | French Postcards | Yes | Yes | |
| 1984 | Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom | No | Yes | |
| Best Defense | Yes | Yes | ||
| 1986 | Howard the Duck | Yes | Yes | |
| 1994 | Radioland Murders | No | Yes |
Other credits
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Star Wars | Script doctor | Uncredited |
| 1979 | More American Graffiti | Based on the characters created by | |
| 2009 | Remembering Messiah of Evil | Special thanks | Video documentary short |
| 2013 | A Fuller Life | Thanks | Documentary film |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Writer | Executive producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | A Father's Homecoming | Yes | Yes | |
| 1989 | Mothers, Daughters and Lovers | Yes | Yes | |
| 2008 | Secrets of a Hollywood Nurse | Yes | No | Also actor Role: Electronic Larynx Man |
References
edit- ^ a b "Willard Huyck". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2014. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014.
- ^ a b James, Caryn (August 1, 1986). "Howard the Duck (1986) SCREEN: FROM GEORGE LUCAS, 'HOWARD THE DUCK'". The New York Times.
- ^ Laurent Bouzereau. Star Wars - The Annotated Screenplays.
- ^ "Star Wars: The Adventures of Luke Starkiller (Revised Fourth Draft)".
- ^ Parker, Ryan (July 26, 2021). "'Howard the Duck' Turns 35: Stars Revisit Notorious Bomb Amid New Fervor for Marvel Character". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
- ^ Institution, Smithsonian. "Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck Collection of Japanese Photographs Acquired by Smithsonian's Freer|Sackler". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
- ^ "Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck's Best Defense Against Critics Is Their Screenwriting Track Record" By Donald G. McNeil Jr. August 20, 1984 People Magazine Archived January 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine accessed 22 April 2015