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Comedy director John Hughes dies Comedy director John Hughes dies
(about 5 hours later)
The US film director and writer John Hughes, who created some of the most famous comedies of the 1980s and 1990s, has died at the age of 59. The US film director and writer, John Hughes, who created some of the most famous comedies of the 1980s and 1990s, has died at the age of 59.
The director died after a heart attack in New York, his spokeswoman said.The director died after a heart attack in New York, his spokeswoman said.
Mr Hughes was the director of such successful films as Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Breakfast Club, and Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Hughes was the director of such successful films as Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Breakfast Club, and Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
He was also a leading script writer, penning films such as Pretty in Pink and Home Alone.He was also a leading script writer, penning films such as Pretty in Pink and Home Alone.
Prolific Over the past decade, Hughes withdrew from Hollywood and became a farmer in the Midwestern state of Illinois.
The spokeswoman, Michelle Bega, told Associated Press news agency Mr Hughes had been in Manhattan on a family visit and died after suffering the heart attack during a morning walk. Hughes had been in Manhattan on a family visit when he died.
Mr Hughes lived in Illinois, with many of his films set in and around Chicago. 1980s zeitgeist
Among the other films he directed were Weird Science, Uncle Buck and Curly Sue. The BBC's Vincent Dowd says Hughes had not directed a film since Curly Sue in 1991, but it did not matter - his early movies had become part of the 1980s zeitgeist.
His writing and producing credits were prolific and included Flubber, National Lampoon's Vacation and Some Kind of Wonderful. John Hughes in 1984, the year he directed Sixteen Candles
In his later years he continued to write under the pseudonym of Edmond Dantes, a character in the Alexandre Dumas novel, The Count of Monte Cristo. If, in 1986, Ferris Bueller's Day Off owed something to the on-screen energy of the young Matthew Broderick, it also benefited from Hughes' sharp script and direction, our correspondent says.
His credits under the name include the Beethoven series and Maid in Manhattan. He worked well with young talent, as he had already shown the year before in The Breakfast Club starring Emilio Estevez and Mollie Ringwald, he adds.
In the high-school story, our correspondent says, Hughes cleverly portrayed teen America to itself - and the box office was enormous.
What are your memories of John Hughes? Which of his movies is your favourite? Send us your comments using the form below: "Many filmmakers portray teenagers as immoral and ignorant, with pursuits that are pretty base," Hughes told the Chicago Tribune newspaper in 1985.
A selection of your comments may be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below. "They seem to think that teenagers aren't very bright. But I haven't found that to be the case. I listen to kids. I respect them. I don't discount anything they have to say just because they're only 16 years old," he added.
name="say"> 'Quintessential filmmaker'
The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/terms/">Terms & Conditions Born in 1950 in Michigan, where he set many of his films, Mr Hughes started out as a journalist and advertising copywriter before trying out script writing.
I am truly shocked and saddened by the news about my old friend Matthew Broderick
His biggest hit of all came in 1990 with Home Alone, which he wrote and produced, but did not direct.
The film made the central character, a then 10-year-old Macaulay Culkin, the biggest child star for decades and grossed almost $500m (£300m) worldwide.
"I was a fan of both his work and a fan of him as a person," Culkin said. "The world has lost not only a quintessential filmmaker whose influence will be felt for generations, but a great and decent man."
In a statement, Matthew Broderick said: "I am truly shocked and saddened by the news about my old friend John Hughes. He was a wonderful, very talented guy and my heart goes out to his family."
By the mid-1990s, Mr Hughes had disappeared from the public eye almost totally, though he continued to produce and write screenplays.
He wrote under the pseudonym of Edmond Dantes, a character in the Alexandre Dumas novel, The Count of Monte Cristo.
His credits under the name include Beethoven and Maid in Manhattan.
Our correspondent says Mr Hughes will above all be remembered for a small number of movies which perfectly captured the spirit of 1980s America.