Henry Hathaway

  1. Sam Fuller, The Last Movie,1969.      Or: The Last Movie or Boo Hoo in Tinseltown! “Old Henry” agreed to risk being forced into 85 takes by director Dennis Hopper, who wanted the veteran director to play the veteran director of the film within the film. “Then, his health wasn’t good enough. I’d liked a lot of Sam Fuller’s films…” During From Hell To Texas, 1958, Hathaway famously blacklisted Hopper after they collided during85takes of a scene “until I broke down, cracked and did every gesture, every line-reading, the way Hathaway wanted – and the 86th was the only take he printed.”  “Kid, you’ll never work in this town again.” And he didn’t. Not for another seven years until, of all people, it was Hathaway who hired him for The Sons of Katie Elder, 1965; the way the  indigenous natives re-enacted the movie-making was the inspiration for  Movie.  Henry and Dennis became a mutual admiration society. At the director’s 1985 funeral, his widow told Hopper: “Henry loved you so much and talked about you all the time.” Said Dennids: “I learned more from him than any other director.”

 Birth year: 1898 Death year: 1985 Other name:  Usual occupation: Film director Casting Calls:  1