Nicholas Ray, American-born film director with such classic films as "In a Lonely Place" (1950), "Johnny Guitar" (1954), "Run for Cover" (1955), "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955), "Party Girl" (1958) or "55 Days at Peking" (1963), died of lung cancer in New York after a two-year illness on this date in 1979.
He was 67 years old.
Nicholas Ray's third wife was his "In a Lonely Place" star, Gloria Grahame from 1948 to 1952.
He caught her in bed at their home with Tony, his 13-year-old son from his first marriage. Nine years later, Tony married his former stepmother in Mexico.
Grahame had two children with him and the union made Tony the stepfather to his half brother Timothy, the child Ray had fathered with Grahame.
The marriage caused a big scandal in Hollywood and Grahame received massive backlash when the public finally learned about her affair with Tony when he was a minor.
Ray's had a severe heart attack during the filming of "55 Days at Peking", bringing his career to a premature end.
Nicholas Ray was interred at Oak Grove Cemetery in Wisconsin.