John Hughes, 59, 80s Teen Flick Writer & Director, Dies from Heart Attack

Writer-director John Hughes, best known as the Hollywood impresario who captured the teen and preteen market with such movie hits as "Home Alone," "The Breakfast Club" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," died. Hughes, 59, died of a heart attack during a morning walk in Manhattan. He was reportedly in New York to visit family.

Hughes, who is a native of Lansing, Mich., rose from ad writer to comedy writer to silver screen champion with his affectionate and idealized portraits of teens, whether the romantic and sexual insecurity of "Sixteen Candles," or the rebellion against conformity in "The Breakfast Club." His comedies helped launch the successful careers of Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy, John Cusack, Judd Nelson, Steve Carell and Macaulay Culkin. He wrote or directed hits such as "Pretty in Pink," "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" and "Uncle Buck."

Though Hughes retreated from public life as he advanced into middle age, he still left an indelible mark on the preteen and teen movie markets. He will be sorely missed.