John Houseman's Main TV Roles Show Character(s) The Winds of War Aaron Jastrow The Paper Chase Professor C…

Main Movie Roles 1988 - Another Woman 1988 - Bright Lights, Big City 1988 - Scrooged 1981 - Ghost Story 1980 - The Fog 1980 - Wholly Moses 1980 - My Bodyguard 1978 - The Cheap Detective 1976 - St. Ives 1975 - Rollerball 1975 - Three Days of the Condor 1973 - The Paper Chase 1964 - Seven Days in May

BIOGRAPHY:

Academy Award-winning actor John Houseman's main contribution to American culture was not his own performances on film but rather, his role as a midwife to one of the greatest actor-directors-cinematic geniuses his adopted country ever produced (Orson Welles) and as a midwife to a whole generation of actors as head of the Julliard School.

Born Jacques Haussmann on September 22, 1902, in Bucharest, Romania, he was educated in England and emigrated to America, establishing himself in New York City, where he directed "Four Saints in Three Acts" for the theater in 1934. He founded the Mercury Theatre along with Orson Welles (whom he affectionately called "The Dog-Faced Boy"). Their most important success was a modern-dress version of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," in which the spectre of Hitler and Mussolini's Fascist states were evoked.

As a producer assigned to Unit 891 of the Federal Theater Project funded by the government's Works Progress Administration, he produced the legendary production "Cradle Will Rock," a musical about the tyranny of capitalism, with music by Marc Blitzstein, creative input from Welles, and starring leftists Howard Da Silva and Will Geer. The production was so controversial, it was banned before its debut, although the did manage to stage one performance.

On Broadway, apart from the Mercury Theatre and the WPA, Houseman directed "The Devil and Daniel Webster" (1939) and "Liberty Jones" and produced "Native Son" (1941). During World War Two, Houseman went to work for the Office of War Information and was involved in broadcasting radio propaganda for the Voice of America. After the war, Houseman returned to directing and produced Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's 1953 version of Julius Caesar (1953).

He had produced his first film, Orson Welles' Too Much Johnson (1938), while with the Mercury Theatre. He was involved with the pre-production of Citizen Kane (1941) but fell out with Welles due to the Dog-Faced Boy's massive ego. He produced a score of major films and was involved in three television series before devoting his life to teaching.

He helped establish the acting program at New York's famous Julliard School for the Arts, where he influenced a new generation of actors. Ironically, he had appeared in only one major movie, in a supporting role, before being tapped to replace James Mason (I) in The Paper Chase (1973). He won an Oscar for the role and began a 15-year career as a highly sought after supporting player.

Houseman, who wrote three volumes of memoirs, Run-Through (1972), Front and Center (1979) and Final Dress (1983), died in 1988 after making major contributions to the theater and film.


TRIVIA:

• Houseman was a producer of unit 891, the government theatre project funded by the WPA. He was producer of the legendary "Cradle Will Rock" which sent shock waves of paranoia from New York to Washington D.C.
• Member of the jury at the Venice Film Festival in 1962
• Co-founded the Theatre Group at the University of California at Los Angeles, with 'Robert Ryan (I)' (qv) and 'Sidney Harmon' (qv) in 1959.
• Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume Two, 1986-1990, pages 435-437. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1999.
• Is portrayed by 'Simeon Andrews' (qv) in _RKO 281 (1999) (TV)_ (qv), and by 'Cary Elwes' (qv) in _Cradle Will Rock (1999)_ (qv).
• He and 'Orson Welles' (qv) were the founders of the famous Mercury Theatre Players.
• Taught acting at Julliard School of Fine Arts for awhile.
• During his teaching days at Julliard, one of his students was 'Robin Williams (I)' (qv), whom Houseman admired. The actor later advised the future comedian that he should quit Julliard since he was wasting his talent, and strike out on his own as a comedian which Williams soon did.