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Once called "the world's greatest director" by his close friend (and our favorite ogre of a director) Erich von Stroheim, this Friday's filmmaker had some pretty magnificent accomplishments. You know what they say about the luck o' the Irish!
1892 - 1950
Reginald Ingram Montgomery Hitchcock was born in Dublin, Ireland. His father was a reverend, and the rector of the Church of Ireland. As a teen, he attended an elite boys' school but was constantly getting in trouble due to his rebellious nature. Rex was not afraid to challenge his teachers to a fight on several occasions! You know what they say about preacher's kids! Sorry not sorry. Rex's mother passed away when he was 15, and he later honored her by taking her last name (Ingram). He immigrated to the United States in 1911.
Rex studied sculpture at Yale University, and contributed to their campus humor magazine. He never graduated, but was given an honorary degree much later (after his success in movies). In 1913, he got a job at Edison Studios (after befriending Thomas' Edison's son, Charles) and did odd jobs at the studio, as well as acting in film (with a face like that, why not). Rex quickly moved into writing, producing and of course, directing. After his time with Edison, he worked as an actor at Vitagraph Studios, and then moved on to Fox.
One of Rex's early triumphs in screenwriting!
It was at Fox that he became known as "Rex Ingram", and began writing scripts - one of which was The Galley Slave (1915) for the early movie queen Theda Bara! Unfortunately, his famously feisty nature led to clashes with the higher-ups at Fox, and he was off to Carl Laemmle's Universal, where he began directing - first in New York, then in Los Angeles when Universal headed West. During this time, he worked with a gifted cameraman named Duke Hayward, who inspired him with the tremendous impact of cinematography, how lighting and angles could make a film a work of art. As many others in early filmmaking, Rex understood and appreciated the artistic value of film! Things were going along swimmingly - until....he (again) clashed with his bosses, and was forced to move on. Sheesh, Rex. Chill.
ABOVE: Advertising for the movie that made the man!
ABOVE: L-R; Rudolph Valentino, June Mathis and Rex, goofing around on set with actor Josef Swickard (laying down)
After some shuffling around with theatrical productions and briefly joining the Royal Canadian Flying Corps, Rex ended up at *drumroll, please* Metro (pre-MGM), in 1920. And as it would turn out, Metro would be where he hit his jackpot. He was put under the supervision of our favorite writing queen/girl boss, June Mathis. There may have been a brief romance between them, for any gossip hounds interested! During this time, June insisted that he direct the film that would launch his career as a successful director: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, featuring a new actor that June was certain would go far, Rudolph Valentino. It was a gamble to put two fairly unknown "rookies" in important roles for the film, but the gamble paid off. In this instance, June's feminine intuition was SPOT ON for both men!
ABOVE: The newlyweds, on the set of "The Prisoner of Zenda" (1921)
BELOW: Miss Alice in the driver's seat, with Rex as passenger (year unknown)
In 1921, during the production of "The Prisoner of Zenda", Rex eloped with lead actress Alice Terry. Remember her? The "cover" for the handsome gay actor, Ramon Novarro. Alice would be his second wife, and the two remained together for the rest of their lives. Rex frequently starred his wife in his films during the early 1920's, often alongside Ramon. But he was becoming weary of the streamlined, formulaic way of making a film that the studio executives limited him to, as well as the changes that took place when Metro became MGM (enter: Louis B. Mayer. 'Nuff said). In 1923, Rex, Alice and a number of Rex's favorite crew members left Hollywood and moved to the French Riviera to set up their company at a studio in Nice, with the help of their friend Marcus Loew - who arranged to have MGM renovate the studio at their expense AND finance Rex's films there! Talk about a good friend!
Rex made several films for MGM (often starring Alice) in France, but also in North Africa, Spain and Italy. While filming on location in Tunisia, the couple met a street child, named Kada-Abd-el-Kader. He told them he was an orphan, and they ended up adopting him. He may have told them he was a lot younger than he actually was...but we don't have a lot of facts about it!
Things were going well....until that jerk Louis demanded that Rex change the ending for his latest film, "The Garden of Allah". Rex refused. That was all it took for MGM (*ahem* Louis) to cut him loose, and Rex was on his own. He bought the studio himself, and then shot another silent film, which would end up being released after sound was introduced - thus making less profit than hoped for.
Rex and Alice co-directed and acted in one sound film for Gaumont British Pictures called Baroud (1932), but it was not very successful. Like so many key players in the silent movie industry, the advent of sound films marked the end of an era. So rather than try again to make a go of "talkies", Rex chose to close his Nice studio and get out of the business. He eventually returned to Los Angeles and began focusing on the other passions of his life - sculpture, travel and writing! He published 2 novels in the 1930's (after his retirement from film), and his artwork is now owned by numerous art collectors, several of which are registered with the Smithsonian Institute! After returning to Los Angeles, Rex and Alice began having trouble with their son, who was on a bit of a "Hollywood high", racing around with fast women in fast cars. The couple sent him to Morocco to finish school - but supposedly he never did, and instead became a tour guide!
In 1950, Rex passed away from a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 58, survived by the lovely Alice, who lived another 37 years after! He was laid to rest in Glendale, California. Apparently, Alice invited 4 of Rex's mistresses to the funeral! When someone asked her how she could invite them, she casually said, "Who cares? I'm the only one who can call herself Mrs. Rex Ingram."
Rex, a truly artistic individual with a particular style of directing, inspired many young hopeful directors. Even today, his films inspire modern audiences, and remind us that art is timeless! Have a look at his best-known work, The Four Horses of the Apocalypse, below!
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