Howard Hawks

Birth Name: Howard Winchester Hawks

Date of Birth: May 30, 1896

Place of Birth: Goshen, Indiana, U.S.

Date of Death: December 26, 1977

Place of Death: Palm Springs, California, U.S.

Ethnicity: English, Scottish, Dutch, Manx

Howard Hawks was an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He directed the silent films The Road to Glory (1926); which he co-wrote, Fig Leaves, Cradle Snatchers, Paid to Love, A Girl in Every Port, Fazil, and Trent’s Last Case; and then the talking pictures The Air Circus, The Dawn Patrol, which he co-wrote; The Criminal Code, Scarface (1932), The Crowd Roars, Tiger Shark, Today We Live, Twentieth Century, Barbary Coast, Ceiling Zero, The Road to Glory (1936), Come and Get It, Bringing Up Baby, Only Angels Have Wings, His Girl Friday, Sergeant York, Ball of Fire, Air Force (1943), To Have and Have Not (1944), The Big Sleep, Red River, A Song Is Born, I Was a Male War Bride, The Big Sky, Monkey Business (1952), a segment of O. Henry’s Full House; Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Land of the Pharaohs, Rio Bravo, Hatari!, Man’s Favorite Sport?, Red Line 7000, El Dorado (1966), and Rio Lobo.

Howard was the son of Helen Brown (Howard) and Franklin Winchester Hawks, a paper manufacturer. He was the brother of film director and producer Kenneth Hawks and film producer William Hawks. He was raised partly in Neenah, Wisconsin, where his father worked for Howard’s maternal grandfather, C. W. Howard,’s paper company, and Glendora, and Pasadena, in California.

Howard had two children with his former wife, Canadian-American actress and socialite Athole Shearer; a daughter, interior designer Kitty Hawks, with his former wife, socialite and fashion icon Slim Keith; and a son with his former wife, actress Dee Hartford. Athole was the sister of actress Norma Shearer. Howard’s brother Kenneth was married to actress Mary Astor, until his death. Howard’s brother William was married to American-British actress Bessie Love, with whom he had a daughter.

Howard’s paternal grandfather was Eleazer Hawks (the son of Cephas Hawks and Chloe Case). Eleazer was born in Phelphs, Ontario County, New York, to parents from Massachusetts, and had Colonial American (English) ancestry. Cephas was born in Deerfield, Franklin, the son of Paul Hawks and Lois Wait.

Howard’s paternal grandmother was Jennie L. Goff (who likely was the daughter of Schuyler Goff and Sarah Mariah Balch). Jennie was born in Akron, Erie, New York.

Howard’s maternal grandfather was Charles W. Howard (the son of Charles Howard and Hannah Hopkins). Howard’s grandfather Charles was born in South Jefferson, Lincoln, Maine, and was a wealthy homesteader and industrialist, having made his fortune in Neenah, Wisconsin’s paper mill, among other works, with the Howard Paper Company. Howard’s great-grandfather Howard was born on the Isle of Man. Hannah was born in Maine.

Howard’s maternal grandmother was named Euphemia M. Brown (the daughter of John Brown and Ellen). Euphemia was born in Rossie, St. Lawrence, New York, to Scottish parents.

Sources: Genealogies of Howard Hawks – https://famouskin.com
https://www.geni.com
https://www.findagrave.com

Howard Hawks on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org