Walter Huston

Walter Huston, 66, one of the modern theater’s greatest actors, died yesterday in his suite in the Beverly Hills Hotel. The veteran actor was in excellent spirits and felt fine when he awoke Thursday—his 66th birthday. He attended a birthday luncheon with some old friends, including Paul Kohner, his agent; Charles Kern, Robert Gordon and Kohner’s 13-year-old daughter, Lupita. He laughed and told stories and was the life of the party. It did, and his birthday was toasted by his son John, screen writer and producer, and by more old friends, Broadway Producer Jed Harris, Actor Spencer Tracy, Writer Charles Grayson and Producer Sam Spiegel. The party shuttled back and forth between the restaurant, where it was held, and the Huston hotel suite. His widow, Actress Nan Sunderland, who costarred with Huston in one of his greatest stage successes, “Dodsworth,” was notified of his death in New York and last night was on the way here. Huston was frequently referred to as one of the most beloved performers in the entertainment field. His friends included stagehands and extras as well as actors, writers and directors. His range in roles was amazing. With equal facility, he played comedy and drama and character parts. In recent years he had played a song and dance man and had starred in a musical show. In motion pictures his greatest roles were those of Abraham Lincoln in the D.W. Griffith production of that title, the Devil in “All That Money Can Buy,” and the sourdough prospector in “The Treasure of Sierra Madre.” He was given the Academy Award Oscar for this latter performance. The motion picture was written and directed by his son John, who won two Academy Awards for it. Huston had been one of the most eminent actors on the Broadway stage since his first starring role as Marshall Pitt in “Mr. Pitt” in 1924. He starred in many of the early Eugene O’Neill plays including his famous role of Ephraim Cabot in “Desire Under the Elms.” Audiences still remember his characterization of blusty Nifty Miller in “The Barker” in 1927 and his soft-voiced Sam Dodsworth in 1935. Huston had made his home in California since 1929 but he was always only an occasional resident of Los Angeles. During recent years, when not at work on a motion picture, he had divided his time between his mountain lodge at Running Springs near Lake Arrowhead, and his 8000-acre ranch in the White River country near Porterville. “I imitated him one day in church, waving my arms around and aping his gestures,” Huston told an interviewer. “That was my first public appearance. The only applause I got was a spanking.” He finished his last picture, “The Furies,” three weeks ago and took a New York vacation with Mrs. Huston. He was in New York when his friend, Kurt Weill, composer, died last week. Mrs. Huston has been staying at the Weill home with the composer’s widow. Huston returned here Tuesday and was scheduled to begin a new picture, “Old 880,” at 20th Century-Fox studios next Monday. He was tested for the part and had costume fittings Wednesday. He was a member of the Lambs Club, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, the Actors’ Betterment Association and Actors’ Equity. During the war he headed the motion picture division of the Treasury Department’s $1,000,000,000 bond drive and was a tireless speaker and performer at rallies for the war effort. His first motion picture was “Gentlemen of the Press.” Others include “Rhodes,” “The Virginian,” “The Criminal Code,” “The Light That Failed,” “Rain,” “Gabriel Over the White House,” “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” “The Shanghai Gesture,” “The Outlaw,” “Mission to Moscow,” “The North Star” and “Dragon Seed.” Funeral arrangements will be made after the arrival of Mrs. Huston. Pierce Bros. Beverly Hills Mortuary will be in charge. Guns have been in motion pictures since the start. ‘Rust’ is only the latest to have a gun death Josh Grisetti, Broadway actor also known for ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,’ dies at 44