John Hughes The Shocking Place He Died and His Grave | Iconic 80’s Director
Published 2023-04-02
Follow my Instagram www.instagram.com/scottontape
If you would like to help support my travels and films you can PayPal me at www.paypal.me/scottontape99
Join my Facebook group Scottontape
Music Childhood by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au
#famousgraves #johnhughes #thebreakfastclub
Originally hailing from Lansing, MI, where he was born February 18, 1950, Hughes was 13 when he moved with his family to the Chicago suburbs. His adopted city would figure largely in his films, providing both a source of inspiration and a familiar setting for his stories. Hughes also found a good deal of inspiration in old Three Stooges movies, and hoped to one day bring his own spin on the Stooges' brand of slapstick to his own movies. His dreams of providing such slapstick for future generations were interrupted by a brief stint at Arizona State University (he dropped out during his junior year) and a subsequent job as an advertising copywriter, although he spent much of his spare time writing short stories, magazine articles, some unpublished novels, and jokes for stand-up comedians. In 1979, Hughes was made the editor of National Lampoon magazine, which at the time was basking in the warm glow of the success of joyfully ribald National Lampoon's Animal House (1978). The film's popularity led Hollywood to recruit various Lampoon writers to come up with movie ideas, which effectively provided Hughes with his first break as a professional screenwriter.
While penning scripts for National Lampoon's Class Reunion (1982), Mr. Mom (1983), and National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) -- the last of which was based on a short story he had written about his family's own disastrous vacation -- Hughes saw a number of early '80s teen films, including WarGames (1983) and Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), and decided that he had the ability to produce teen films of superior quality. In 1984, he entered the arena and emerged triumphant with his directorial debut, Sixteen Candles. Starring Molly Ringwald as its embattled teen heroine, the film was funny but never condescending in its treatment of the woes of Ringwald's protagonist, a girl whose 16th birthday is ignored as her family prepares for her older sister's wedding. Sixteen Candles launched the career of both its director and its star, and laid the foundation for the niche Hughes went on to build for himself as the foremost purveyor of '80s adolescent misery.
The following year, Hughes entered into a multiple-picture contract with Paramount and began producing films under his own banner, the John Hughes Company. He scored a double hit that year as the director, writer, and producer of Weird Science and The Breakfast Club, the latter of which was written before Sixteen Candles.
Hughes scored his next major triumph with Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986). On the heels of Ferris, Hughes added two more classic teen dramas to his resumé, as the screenwriter and producer for Pretty In Pink (1986) and Some Kind of Wonderful (1987), both of which were directed by Howard Deutch, who would also collaborate with Hughes on The Great Outdoors (1988). He then shifted gears to make films that focused on adult characters, most notably the critically acclaimed farce Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987), which starred Steve Martin and John Candy, and Uncle Buck (1989), which featured Candy as the title character, a disorganized yet somehow endearing slob called upon to babysit for his three young nieces and nephew.
Hughes began the 1990s on an exceptionally positive note as the screenwriter and producer of Chris Columbus' Home Alone (1990), a hugely popular family comedy that launched the tumultuous career of Macaulay Culkin. However, many of Hughes' subsequent projects, which were largely family oriented, were nowhere near as successful; his only two directorial projects of the decade, Curly Sue (1991) and What Have I Written (1996), failed to make much of a financial or critical impact. Two films that Hughes scripted, Beethoven (1992) and 101 Dalmatians (1996), did provide additional plumes for the filmmaker's hat, but in general, his work throughout the 1990s was nowhere near as successful as that of the previous decade.
On August 5, 2009, Hughes and his wife traveled to New York City to visit their son James and their new grandson. James said his father appeared to be in good health that night and that the family had made plans for the next day. On the morning of August 6, Hughes was taking a walk close to his hotel on West 55th Street in Manhattan when he suffered a heart attack. He was rushed to Roosevelt Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at age 59. Hughes's funeral was held on August 11 in Chicago; he was buried at Lake Forest Cemetery. It was attended by his wife, two children, and his grandchildren.
All Comments (21)
-
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” --- RIP JH
-
His movies will forever remind me of a time when the world was a much better place. Iconic and absolutely timeless. RIP Mr Hughes..Thank you for everything you did.
-
I had no idea John Hughs died like that. His movies were iconic. I don’t know what the 80’s would have been the same without his movies. He was very talented!
-
John Hughes defined the 1980s of suburban America. His movies have stood the test of time. I like how he walked away from Hollywood once he was done.
-
I believe Dave out of nowhere quoting Ferris Buellers Day off was John validating your video. John left his mark on the world, and will never be forgotten. Thank You Scott
-
His films will live on. What a talented movie maker.
-
I am a huge fan of all his movies. He made my growing up in the 80s amazing. I was so sad to hear about his passing. I love that a whole new generation is loving his films bc they all where amazing. RIP Legend ❤
-
SO sad! I grew up on his movies and still watch them today at age 52. May he rest in peace.
-
He made the 80's!!! Thank you Scott. He was a movie genius. I still can't believe he's gone. Really appreciate this one Scott. Thank you!! 🕊️❤️🙏
-
Just rewatched The Breakfast Club and it still holds up for the most part to this very day. He really made some iconic films in his career that will no doubt live on forever. RIP John Hughes 🙏🏻 Great vid Scott 😎
-
He’s a national treasure. Amazing catalog of films.
-
His films are the 80s. Artifacts of America and a time when life was simpler. Those of us that were young and loved back then had no idea how lucky we were.
-
Us Chicagoans truly hold John Hughes near to our hearts. Great video as always, Scott!! Thank you!! His movies are just timeless
-
Such, a tragic loss to the film industry at such a young age. Imagine what he could have done. He definitely made some classics. As always great job Scott. ❤❤
-
John Hughes, helped my awkward, goofy self get through the 80’s. He will forever hold a special spot in my heart. RIP
-
It feels odd because knowing who he is, yet theres nothing left there, not a plaque to commemorate him. Nothing there to say that is where he passed. Forgotten. Thank you for this video. I wasnt aware of how he passed. Rest in peace, Hughes
-
The quote that always hits the hardest for me personally is from 'Some Kind Of Wonderful' .. Dad "You're only 18 years old for Christs sake" Keith "Then I’m nineteen, then I’m twenty, when does my life belong to me?” That scene brings tears to my eyes every time I see it. John Hughes was a master at making you not feel alone and that everything somehow would be OK, like every movie was somehow a part of your story. Very much missed and his films will always be some of my most watched. R.I.P Mr Hughes 🥀
-
One can only hope that the temporary time spent here leaves an impact lasting forever. I believe he achieved such a legacy. 😊
-
I'm 43 and when I get hit with nostalgia from my youth, one of the things that immediately hits is John Hughes. His movies are perfect comfort food if you're feeling down.
-
Such an amazing man. His movies were incredible. So very sorry he left this world so soon. Imagine what else he could have accomplished. So glad we have so many movies to remember him for.❤️😞
