Profile: John Hughes

John Hughes was born on February 18, 1950 in Lansing, Michigan. He was an American film director, producer and writer.

His mother volunteered for charity work while his father John Hughes, Sr., worked in sales. John Jr. was a 1968 graduate of Glenbrook North high School in Northbrook, Illinois. He met Nancy Ludwig in high school and were married in 1970. They had two boys John Hughes III (1976), and James Hughes (1979).

John began his career as an advertising copywriter in 1970. This was after dropping out the University of Arizona. He created the "credit card shaving tests" ad campaign.

His first comedy writing was selling jokes to Rodney Dangerfield and Joan Rivers. He then wrote a story inspired by childhood trips, which later became his calling card and allowed him entry into National Lampoon magazine.

His first credited screenplay was Class Reunion while he was still working for the magazine. John's next screenplay, National Lampoon's Vacation, put Lampoon on the map.

He first directed Sixteen Candles in 1984 and it won unanimous praise. the next following successes were: The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Weird Science, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

His favorite music was from the Beatles and some of the songs were even sung by characters in his movies.

Getting away from teen comedies, John branched out and directed a movie starting Steve Martin and John candy called Planes, Trains and Automobiles. His next successes were Uncle Buck and Home Alone. Home Alone was the top grossing film of 1990 and remains his most successful comedy. His last directed movie in 1991 was Curly Sue.

John retired from the public eyes in 1994 and moved to Wisconsin. He rarely granted interviews and photographs. He recorded an audio commentary for the 1999 DVD release for Ferries Bueller's Day Off.

In later years of his life, John was a farmer in Illinois. He died of a heart attack on August 6, 2009 while visiting family in Manhattan. He is survived by his widow, two sons and four grandchildren.

RESOURCES:

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Hughes_(director)&printable=yes

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000455/bio