Nicholas Ray
Director
Director of iconic teenage angst films like Johnny Guitar and Rebel Without a Cause. Director Jean-Luc Godard was heavily influenced by his work, especially Bitter Victory.
He moved to New York to act in radio and in Eli Kazan's stage plays after studying art at Frank Lloyd Wright's artist's colony in Wisconsin.
His professional success peaked with Rebel Without a Cause, which starred James Dean in his iconic performance. An addiction to drugs and alcohol forced him to retire from filmmaking and spend the rest of his working life as a professor.
He was born in Galesville, Wisconsin, a descendant of German and Norwegian immigrants.
He cast James Dean as the hero of Rebel Without a Cause. Dean died a few days before the film's release, contributing to both the film's legacy and his own legacy.