Apart from the great directors we have featured so far in this series, the Wisconsin-born Nicholas Ray is one of the most interesting. He was born in 1911, but was not involved in the film industry until he reached his mid-30s. Initially he set out to be an architect and studied under the doyen of American architects Frank Lloyd Wright. Afterwards he worked in the New York theatre and became embroiled in radical politics.
His first film was Lovers of the Night, made in 1945, under the tutelage of his great friend Elia Kazan. However, the 1950s was really Nicholas Ray's most productive decade. During this time he made movies of the calibre of Born to be Bad, Flying Leathernecks, Johnny Guitar and possibly the pick of the bunch Rebel Without a Cause in 1955. This was the film that really kick-started the short but brilliant career of James Dean. Rebel was also undoubtedly Mr Ray's greatest film and still appears fresh, angry and relevant today, over 50 years after it was first released.
During the early 1960s Mr Ray directed two blockbuster features: King of Kings in 1961, starring another short-lived movie actor, Jeffrey Hunter, and 55 Days at Peking with Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner and David Niven. Actually he was sort of fired from this last mentioned film after being taken ill on the set during shooting.
Nicholas Ray led a colourful life. Although bisexual he was married four times and at one time even took the actress Natalie Wood as his mistress. His last wife was another actress, Gloria Grahame, whom he married in 1948 and divorced four years later. His only son - by a previous marriage - Anthony Ray was later to marry Ms Grahame himself, adding a whole new meaning to the expression "Keeping it in the family."
Nicholas Ray was a director who could suggest unbridled eroticism and passion on the screen; this at a time when couples sharing a bed in a movie had to keep one foot on the floor... whatever they were supposed to be getting up to. Mr Ray was also an actor, appearing in his own movie 55 Days at Peking and also in the Milos Forman film Hair.
Mr Ray was diagnosed with cerebral cancer in 1977 - and this together with decades of alcohol abuse and heavy smoking eventually took their toll. Nicholas Ray died in New York City in 1979 at the age of 68.
His first film was Lovers of the Night, made in 1945, under the tutelage of his great friend Elia Kazan. However, the 1950s was really Nicholas Ray's most productive decade. During this time he made movies of the calibre of Born to be Bad, Flying Leathernecks, Johnny Guitar and possibly the pick of the bunch Rebel Without a Cause in 1955. This was the film that really kick-started the short but brilliant career of James Dean. Rebel was also undoubtedly Mr Ray's greatest film and still appears fresh, angry and relevant today, over 50 years after it was first released.
During the early 1960s Mr Ray directed two blockbuster features: King of Kings in 1961, starring another short-lived movie actor, Jeffrey Hunter, and 55 Days at Peking with Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner and David Niven. Actually he was sort of fired from this last mentioned film after being taken ill on the set during shooting.
Nicholas Ray led a colourful life. Although bisexual he was married four times and at one time even took the actress Natalie Wood as his mistress. His last wife was another actress, Gloria Grahame, whom he married in 1948 and divorced four years later. His only son - by a previous marriage - Anthony Ray was later to marry Ms Grahame himself, adding a whole new meaning to the expression "Keeping it in the family."
Nicholas Ray was a director who could suggest unbridled eroticism and passion on the screen; this at a time when couples sharing a bed in a movie had to keep one foot on the floor... whatever they were supposed to be getting up to. Mr Ray was also an actor, appearing in his own movie 55 Days at Peking and also in the Milos Forman film Hair.
Mr Ray was diagnosed with cerebral cancer in 1977 - and this together with decades of alcohol abuse and heavy smoking eventually took their toll. Nicholas Ray died in New York City in 1979 at the age of 68.