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Nicholas Ray

Nicholas Ray

Director, writer and actor, also producer · Died June 16, 1979, aged 67 · Galesville, Wisconsin, USA

Nicholas Ray (born Raymond Nicholas Kienzle; 7 August 1911 – 16 June 1979) was an American film director best known for the films Rebel Without a Cause and Johnny Guitar. Described by the Harvard Film Archive as "Hollywood's last romantic" and "one of postwar American cinema’s supremely gifted and ultimately tragic filmmakers," Ray was considered an iconoclastic auteur director who often clashed with the Hollywood studio system of the time, but would prove highly influential to future generations of filmmakers. His best-known work is the 1955 film Rebel Without a Cause, starring James Dean. He is appreciated for many narrative features produced between 1947 and 1963, including They Live By Night (1948), In A Lonely Place (1950), Johnny Guitar (1954), Bigger Than Life (1956), and King of Kings (1961), as well as an experimental work produced throughout the 1970s titled We Can't Go Home Again, which was unfinished at the time of Ray's death. During his lifetime, Ray was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay 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). Three of his films were ranked by Cahiers du Cinéma in their Annual Top 10 Lists. Ray's compositions within the CinemaScope frame and use of color are particularly well regarded and he was an important influence on the French New Wave, with Jean-Luc Godard famously writing in a review of Bitter Victory, "... there is cinema. And the cinema is Nicholas Ray."

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 7, 1911
Died
June 16, 1979 (aged 67)
From
Galesville, Wisconsin, USA
Works as
Director, writer and actor, also producer
Titles
28 on MovieCove · 41 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 5% in 30 days

What are Nicholas Ray's films like?

Across their 26 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.

Genres

Drama8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 89th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Crime6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 74th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 69th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile
: browse their Biography movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 56th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
28%
Self
22%
Bonds
19%
Society
10%
Power
8%
Survival
7%
Ideas
6%
Ambition4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption3 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 26 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 4 · Serious 10 · Dark 12

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 7 · Stylized 13 · Heightened 6

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 3 · Charged 12 · Intense 11

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 10 · Shifting 14 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 22 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 19 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 8 · Engaged 16 · Full focus 2

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 3 · Affecting 15 · Heavy 8

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 16 · Open-ended 9 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
19
Melancholic
15
Contemplative
6
Dread
5
Bittersweet
6
Other
19

How their films linger

Bittersweet17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet15
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Nicholas Ray's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 28 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Nicholas Ray's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

41 credits, 28 with a MovieCove page; 8 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Wilder Demons #2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Writer

  • Vanity Fair: Jeanette Starion the Pet of the Year (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Actor

  • Lightning Over Water (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Director · Writer · as Self

  • Nicholas Ray: Especially for Pierre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Actor

  • Hair(1979)

    as The General

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Marco (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Director

  • The American Friend(1977)

    as Andrew Pogash Derwatt

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Wet Dreams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Director

  • The Janitor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Director

  • Horizons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Actor

  • We Can't Go Home Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Director · Writer · as Nick Ray

  • Made in U.S.A(1966)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Circus World(1964)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • 55 Days at Peking(1963)

    Director · as US Minister (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • King of Kings(1961)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Savage Innocents(1960)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Party Girl(1958)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Wind Across the Everglades(1958)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Bitter Victory(1957)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The True Story of Jesse James(1957)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Bigger Than Life(1956)

    Director · Additional Writing · Writer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Hot Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Director

  • Rebel Without a Cause(1955)

    Director · Story · as Man in Last Shot (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Run for Cover(1955)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Johnny Guitar(1954)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • General Electric Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Androcles and the Lion(1952)

    Co-Director

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • The Lusty Men(1952)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Macao(1952)

    Co-Director

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • On Dangerous Ground(1951)

    Director · Adaptation

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Flying Leathernecks(1951)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • The Racket(1951)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Born to Be Bad(1950)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • In a Lonely Place(1950)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • They Live by Night(1948)

    Director · Adaptation

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Roseanna McCoy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Co-Director

  • Knock on Any Door(1949)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • A Woman's Secret(1949)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Swing Parade of 1946(1946)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Tuesday in November (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    Assistant Director

  • A Tree Grows in Brooklyn(1945)

    Dialogue · as Bakery Clerk (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 40 titles from 1945 to 2024.

Biggest box office

Hair (1979)

$15M worldwide

Highest rated

In a Lonely Place (1950)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

Film career

  • 1945Screen debut· A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting9 of 40: 5 only acting, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score92ndDirecting29 of 40: 19 only directing, 10 with another role · typical Midcredits score72ndWriting12 of 40: 3 only writing, 9 with another role · typical Midcredits score86thProducing1 of 40: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleOther crew3 of 40: 2 only other crew, 1 with another role

40 titles, 11 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 8 of them.

By decade

1940s7 · 1 acting · 7 crew1950s17 · 1 acting · 17 crew1960s5 · 1 acting · 5 crew1970s8 · 5 acting · 4 crew1980s1 · crew1990s1 · acting2020s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Nicholas Ray's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 72nd percentile, the median of all 28; across their 26 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 76th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Approval · how many liked their films

71stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Reach · how many have seen their films

73rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Midcredits score across 28 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up13
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

None of their 28 titles divides audiences: 17 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Crowd Pleaser17
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed3

Most loved · director

In a Lonely Place (1950)

Midcredits 98th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 69/100 and the pacing 49/100 in their films, across 26 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Nicholas Ray's work okay for kids?

Across up to 6 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity and profanity run lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles33–58 · median 49 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity6 titles9–37 · median 19 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles2–47 · median 5 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles31–52 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 44 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Nicholas Ray work with?

People who share at least 2 of Nicholas Ray's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Philip Yordan shares the most, 4.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles