Nicholas Ray (born Raymond Nicholas Kienzle) (August 7, 1911-June 16, 1979) was an American film director. Coming from a radio background, Ray directed his first and only Broadway production, the Duke Ellington musical "Beggar's Holiday", in 1946. One year later, he directed his first film, "They Live By Night". It was released two years later due to the chaotic conditions surrounding Howard Hughes' takeover of RKO Pictures. Wikipedia
That Nicholas Ray's professional name was derived from an inversion of his first two surnames sounds fitting for a filmmaking career that proceeded backwards by conventional standards, beginning in relative conformity and ending in rebellious independence www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/directors/02/raynick.html
The definitive Wikipedia entry for Nicholas Ray. Wikipedia is the biggest multilingual free-content encyclopedia on the Internet. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Ray
