Why John Huston Called Marlon Brando a True Genius
John Huston singled out Marlon Brando as the only actor he ever called a genius, praising Brando’s raw intensity and unforgettable presence. Their working relationship was as complex as Brando’s performances.
For more than forty years, John Huston was a mainstay in Hollywood, known for his knack for jumping between genres as if he was picking them out of a hat. One minute he’d be behind a western, the next a musical, then a sports yarn or a black comedy. With that sort of range, it’s no wonder every actor in town was keen to work with him. Huston even helped his own dad, Walter, nab an Oscar for The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and decades later, he did the same for his daughter, Anjelica, in Prizzi’s Honour. His films were packed with big names—Jack Nicholson, Jeff Bridges, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Carol Burnett—the list goes on. But there was one performer who, in Huston’s eyes, outshone the rest.
Brando’s Unmatched Presence
In a 1986 chat with Playboy, Huston was asked who he thought were true geniuses in their fields. He rattled off writers like Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner, artists such as Henry Moore and Mark Rothko, but when it came to actors, he only mentioned one: Marlon Brando.
“Brando was something else entirely,”
Huston said.
“Brando had an explosive thing; you felt something smouldering, dangerous, about to ignite at times. Did you see Julius Caesar? Christ! I will never forget that; it was like a furnace door opening – the heat came off the screen. I don’t know another actor who could do that.”
Working with Brando: A Wild Ride
Huston had the chance to direct Brando in the offbeat, fever-dream-like drama Reflections in a Golden Eye. He got a front-row seat to Brando’s unpredictable, often intense approach to acting. Brando was a bundle of raw emotion, never holding back, and what you saw on screen was exactly what he was feeling inside. He delivered some of the most memorable performances ever, but also took on roles that left punters scratching their heads.
Despite the talent, their collaborations were far from smooth sailing. Reflections in a Golden Eye topped the box office, but critics weren’t exactly raving. Most of the buzz was about the film’s bold sexual themes, which were a fair bit more upfront than what was usually on offer at the time. The story’s original author, Carson McCullers, passed away just a fortnight after the film’s release—not that it had anything to do with the film itself.
Hits, Misses, and Lasting Impact
Then there was Candy, a sex comedy where both Brando and Huston appeared as actors. That one was a flop, and not exactly a great look for Brando’s career. Even now, years after his passing and long after his heyday, Brando still splits opinion. You might not reckon he was a genius, but there’s no denying he left a mark that’s hard to ignore.