John 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...

Known For

Career Timeline

1967197019731976197919821985198819911994
  1. 1994
    Clear and Present Danger

    Screenplay • Writing

  2. 1993
  3. 1993
    Geronimo: An American Legend

    Screenplay • Writing

  4. 1989
    Farewell to the King

    Screenplay • Writing

  5. 1987
    Extreme Prejudice

    Story • Writing

  6. 1984
    Red Dawn

    Screenplay • Writing

  7. 1982
    Conan the Barbarian

    Screenplay • Writing

  8. 1979
    Apocalypse Now

    Writer • Writing

John Milius - Aperture