Happy 67th Birthday!!!! Director of RED DAWN!!

John Frederick Milius (born April 11, 1944) is an American screenwriter, director, and producer of motion pictures. The character Walter Sobchak in the film The Big Lebowski, made by his friends the Coen Brothers, was based on Milius.

Milius coined the famous "Charlie don't surf" and "I love the smell of napalm in the morning" lines from Apocalypse Now. He was also involved in creating the famous USS Indianapolis monologue in the movie Jaws and the famous Dirty Harry one-liners delivered by Clint Eastwood, including "Go ahead, make my day" and "Do I feel lucky?" monologue.

Graduated from USC School of Cinema-Television (1967). Is an avid gun collector. Wrote the line, "Go ahead, make my day," for Clint Eastwood's "Dirty Harry" character in Sudden Impact (1983). Wrote "U.S.S. Indianapolis" scene in Jaws (1975). Member of the NRA Board of Directors from 1995-2001. He currently serves on the Public Affairs and Shotgun Committees. Is a personal friend of the Coen brothers and was the inspiration for the character of Walter in the The Big Lebowski (1998). Milius, an avid gun collector, insisted that part of his payment for writing Jeremiah Johnson (1972) be in antique weapons.

Film Work

Director,The Reversal of Richard Sun,1966

Director,Marcello, I'm Bored,1966

Director,Dillinger,American International, 1973

Director,The Wind and the Lion,Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1975

Director,Big Wednesday(also known asSummer of Innocence), Warner Bros., 1978

Executive producer,1941,Universal, 1979

Executive producer,Hardcore(also known asThe Hardcore Life), Columbia, 1979

Executive producer,Used Cars,Columbia, 1980

Director,Conan the Barbarian,Universal, 1982

(With Buzz Feitshans) Producer,Uncommon Valor,Paramount, 1983

Director,Red Dawn,Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1984

Executive producer,Fatal Beauty,Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1987

Director,Farewell to the King,Orion, 1989

Director,Flight of the Intruder,Paramount, 1991

Director,The Northmen,1999

Director,The Son Tay Raid,2004

WRITINGS

Screenplays

The Reversal of Richard Sun,1966

Glut,1967

The Emperor,1967

(With James Gordon White and Willard Huyck)The Devil's 8,American International, 1969

(With Alan Caillou)Evel Knievel,Fanfare, 1971

(Uncredited)Dirty Harry,Warner Bros., 1972

(With Edward Anhalt)Jeremiah Johnson(adapted fromMountain Man,a novel by Vardis Fisher, and "Crow Killer," a story by Raymond W. Thorp and Robert Bunker), Warner Bros., 1972

The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean,National General, 1972

(With Michael Cimino)Magnum Force,Warner Bros., 1973

Dillinger,American International, 1973

The Wind and the Lion,Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1975

(Uncredited; Indianapolis monologue)Jaws,1975

(With Dennis Aaberg)Big Wednesday(also known asSummer of Innocence), Warner Bros., 1978

(With Francis Ford Coppola)Apocalypse Now,United Artists, 1979

(Story only)1941,1979

(With Oliver Stone)Conan the Barbarian,Universal, 1982

(With Kevin Reynolds)Red Dawn,Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1984

(Story only)Extreme Prejudice,1987

Farewell to the King,Orion, 1989

(With Larry Gross)Geronimo: An American Legend(based on a storyby Milius), Columbia, 1993

(With Donald Stewart and Steven Zaillian)Clear and Present Danger(based on the novel by Tom Clancy), Paramount, 1994

The Northmen,1999

Mexico,1999

The Son Tay Raid,2004

Through his work, on Rough Riders (1997) (TV), he was instrumental in causing President Theodore Roosevelt to be posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for acts of conspicuous gallantry on San Juan Hill. Is one of the original founders of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Was Sergio Leone's first choice to write Once Upon a Time in America (1984). But due to scheduling problems, and Leone's struggle to acquire the rights of Harry Grey's book The Hoods, Milius passed on the project. Considers himself as a "zen anarchist". Despite his political beliefs, he is an avid fan of director Spike Lee. His favourites films are Howard Hawks' Red River (1948), Gillo Pontecorvo's The Battle of Algiers (1966) (aka Battle of Algiers), Raoul Walsh's They Died with Their Boots On (1941), John Ford's The Searchers (1956) and They Were Expendable (1945), Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch (1969), Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954) (aka Seven Samurai), Billy Wilder's Sunset Blvd. (1950), Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita (1960), John Huston's The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948), David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia (1962), and Orson Welles' Citizen Kane (1941). Is a close friend of MMA legends Rorion Gracie and Rickson Gracie and Jennifer Salt. Was the inspiration for drag-racer John Milner (played by Paul Le Mat) in American Graffiti (1973). Made an honorary member of the Sioux Nation, after his filming of The Rough Riders. Turned down the role of Jack Lipnick in Barton Fink (1991). Cigar smoker. Despite making two films about Theodore Roosevelt, The Wind and the Lion (1975) and Rough Riders (1997) (TV), he considers himself too enamored with Roosevelt to ever make an actual biographical film about his life.