Rex Ingram (director)

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This article is about the director. See also Rex Ingram (actor).

Rex Ingram & Alice Terry

Rex Ingram (January 12, 1893 – July 21, 1950) was a film director, producer, writer and actor.

Born Reginald Ingram Montgomery Hitchcock in Dublin, Ireland, the son of a clergyman. He was educated at Saint Columba's College, near Rathfarnam, County Dublin. He spent most of his adolescent life living in the Old Rectory, Kinnity, Birr, County Offaly where his father was The Church of Ireland rector. He emigrated to the United States in 1911. His brother Francis Clere Hitchcock went on to join the English army and fought during World War I where he was awarded the military cross and rose to the rank of Colonel. Ingram studied sculpture at the Yale University School of Art, but soon moved into film. First taking acting work from 1913 and then writing, producing and directing. His first work as producer-director was in 1916 on the romantic drama The Great Problem. He worked for Edison Studios, Fox Film Corporation, Vitagraph Studios, and then MGM, directing mainly action or supernatural films.

He married twice, first to actress Doris Pawn in 1917 that ended in divorce in 1920. He then married Alice Terry in 1921 with whom he remained for the rest of his life. In 1925 Ingram co-directed the hugely successful Ben-Hur epic, filming parts of it in Italy. He and his wife decided to move to the French Riviera where they set up a small studio in Nice and made several films on location in North Africa, Spain, and Italy for MGM and others.

Amongst others to work for Ingram at MGM lot on the Riviera during this period was the young Michael Powell, who later went on to direct (with Emric Pressburger) 'The Red Shoes and other classics. By Powell's own account Ingram was a major influence on him. Indeed Ingram's influence on Powell's later work can be detected, especially in its themes in illusion, dreaming, magic and the surreal.

Unimpressed with sound, Rex Ingram made only one talkie, Baroud, filmed for Gaumont British Pictures in Morocco. The film was a not a commercial success and Ingram left the film business, returning to Los Angeles to work as a sculptor and writer.

Rex Ingram's films were considered by many comtempory directors to be artistic and skillful, with an imaginative and bold visual style. In 1949, the Directors Guild of America bestowed an Honorary Life Member Award on him. For his contribution to the motion picture industry he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1651 Vine Street.

Rex Ingram died in 1950 and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.