Nicholas Ray

24 films · 1947 to 1978

Born 7 August 1911, La Crosse · Died 16 June 1979

Nicholas Ray was an American film director, screenwriter, and actor. Considered one of postwar American's most gifted, and ultimately, tragic filmmakers, he often clashed with the Hollywood studio system of the 1940s and 1950s, but would ultimately, influence future generations of filmmakers. His best known work is Rebel Without a Cause (1955), starring James Dean, in his final role. He also directed They Live By Night (1948), In a Lonely Place (1950), Johnny Guitar (1954), Bigger Than Life (1956), and King of Kings (1961). Throughout the 1970s, he produced the experimental We Can't Go Home Again (1973), which was unfinished at the time of his death. During his lifetime, Ray was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Story for Rebel Without a Cause, twice for the Golden Lion, for Bigger Than Life (1956) and Bitter Victory (1957), and a Palme d'Or for The Savage Innocents (1960).

Biography adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.

Critical context from Senses of Cinema