
John Milius
Known for Writing · 39 credits
- Born
- 1944-04-11 (age 82)
- Place of birth
- St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Also known as
- Walter Kurtz · John Frederick Milius
Biography
John Frederick Milius is an American filmmaker. He was one of the writers for the first two Dirty Harry films, received an Academy Award nomination as screenwriter of Apocalypse Now, and wrote and directed The Wind and the Lion, Conan the Barbarian and Red Dawn.
He wrote a number of iconic film lines such as "Charlie don't surf" and "I love the smell of napalm in the morning," from Apocalypse Now, and the famous Dirty Harry one-liners delivered by Clint Eastwood, including "Go ahead, make my day" and "Ask yourself one question, 'do I feel lucky?' Well, do you, punk?". Milius also wrote the USS Indianapolis monologue in the film Jaws; the sequence performed by Robert Shaw. After his work on Rough Riders (1997), Milius became an instrumental force in lobbying Congress to award President Theodore Roosevelt the Medal of Honor (posthumously), for acts of conspicuous gallantry while in combat on San Juan Hill. Milius made two films featuring Roosevelt: The Wind and the Lion (where he was played by Brian Keith) and the made-for-TV film Rough Riders (where Tom Berenger took the role).
The character of John Milner from the 1973 George Lucas film American Graffiti was inspired by Milius, who was a good friend of Lucas while they were at USC film school. Likewise, the character Walter Sobchak in the 1998 film The Big Lebowski, made by his friends the Coen Brothers, was partly based on Milius. The novella "Blind Jozef Pronek and Dead Souls" by Aleksandar Hemon features an episode with Milius, who is described as "sitting at a desk sucking on a cigar as long as a walking stick."
In 2013 a documentary about his life, titled Milius, was released.
Writer Nat Segaloff called Milius:
Known For

Conan the Barbarian
1982
as Foodseller in Old City (uncredited)

Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood
2003
as Self

Riding Giants
2004
as John Milius

Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse
1991
as Self

Deadhead Miles
1972
as State Trooper

Crazy Mama
1975
as Cop (uncredited)
Movies (39)

Conan the Barbarian
1982
as Foodseller in Old City (uncredited)

Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood
2003
as Self

Riding Giants
2004
as John Milius

Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse
1991
as Self

Deadhead Miles
1972
as State Trooper

Crazy Mama
1975
as Cop (uncredited)

A Riddle of Steel: The Definitive History of Conan the Barbarian
2019
as Self (archive footage)

A Legacy of Filmmakers: The Early Years of American Zoetrope
2004
as Self

Iron and Beyond
2002
as Self - Director

An Opera of Violence
2003
as Self - Filmmaker

Sword-and-Sandal: The Story of the Period Epic
2019
as Self - Filmmaker

Milius
2013
as Self

The Long Shadow of Dirty Harry
2008
as Self
Dino De Laurentiis: The Last Movie Mogul
2001
as Self

Shotgun Freeway: Drives Through Lost L.A.
1995
as self

A Moral Right: The Politics of Dirty Harry
2008
as Self
The Lion Roars Again
1975
as Self

Conan Unchained: The Making of 'Conan'
2000
as Self

The Craft of Dirty Harry
2008
as Self

The Business End: Violence in Cinema
2008
as Self

The Evolution of Clint Eastwood
2008
as Self

Discovering Treasure: The Story of 'The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'
2003
as Narrator (voice)

The Making of '1941'
1996
as Self

The Wages of Sin
2003
as Self - Filmmaker

Hell Hath No Fury: The Making of The Outlaw Josey Wales
1999
as Narrator

Dirty Harry: The Original
2001
as Self - Screenwriter

Jaws: The Inside Story
2010
as Self

In the Teeth of Jaws
1997
as Self

The Emperor
1967
as Self

Something to Do with Death
2003
as Self - Filmmaker

First Works
1989
as Self

Frazetta: Painting with Fire
2003
as Self

The Bridge on the River Kwai: An Appreciation by Filmmaker John Milius
2000
as Self
Hollywood Gangster
2008
as Self

A Turning of the Earth: John Ford, John Wayne and 'The Searchers'
1998
as Self (voice)

Between the Lines: The True Story of Surfers and the Vietnam War
2008
as Narrator

The Searchers: An Appreciation
2006
as Self

Mackendrick: The Man Who Walked Away
1986
as Self

Made in Hollywood: Die Welt des Raoul Walsh
2017
as Self
About John Milius
John Frederick Milius is an American filmmaker. He was one of the writers for the first two Dirty Harry films, received an Academy Award nomination as screenwriter of Apocalypse Now, and wrote and directed The Wind and the Lion, Conan the Barbarian and Red Dawn. He wrote a number of iconic film lines such as "Charlie don't surf" and "I love the smell of napalm in the morning," from Apocalypse Now, and the famous Dirty Harry one-liners delivered by Clint Eastwood, including "Go ahead, make my day" and "Ask yourself one question, 'do I feel luck… With 39 credits spanning from 1967 to 2019, John Milius has appeared in 39 films and 0 TV shows.
Fans searching for John Milius movies, John Milius filmography, or the latest projects starring John Milius can stream many of these titles on CineFlixo, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular John Milius Movies
- Conan the Barbarian (1982) — as Foodseller in Old City (uncredited)
- Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood (2003) — as Self
- Riding Giants (2004) — as John Milius
- Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1991) — as Self
- Deadhead Miles (1972) — as State Trooper
Where to Watch John Milius Films
Most John Milius movies and series are available to stream on CineFlixo in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring John Milius, check our movies catalogue and browse page.