Christian Nyby, a television and movie director, was born on September 1, 1913, in Los Angeles, California. He initially gained recognition as a film editor, working alongside renowned director Howard Hawks during the 1940s. Nyby's editing skills earned him an Academy Award nomination for his work on Hawks' classic Western, Red River (1948). His collaboration with Hawks began at Warner Bros., where they worked together on the adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's novel, To Have and Have Not (1944). Nyby also edited The Big Sleep (1946),both the original 1944 version and the recut version that emphasized the starring roles of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.
In a scenario reminiscent of Robert Wise's editing of Orson Welles's The Magnificent Ambersons (1942),Nyby had to edit Red River (1948) independently when Hawks was forced to travel to Europe to complete another project. Nyby shortened Hawks' original cut and eliminated scenes that producer Howard Hughes believed plagiarized his own Western, The Outlaw (1943). Although the original Nyby cut is regarded as a genre classic, the original cut that Nyby made under Hawks' supervision was released during the 1960s, further solidifying the film's reputation.
Nyby transitioned to directing with the sci-fi movie The Thing from Another World (1951),which is widely regarded as a classic. However, credit for the direction of the film is generally attributed to Hawks, as he was reportedly present on set every day as the producer and the film bears his stylistic signature. Nyby's subsequent directorial output in film and television was mediocre, unlike his debut. Some speculate that Hawks was ashamed to be associated with a low-budget sci-fi film, while others believe that Hawks helmed the film himself but allowed Nyby to take the director's credit to receive membership in the Directors Guild.
Regardless of the truth, The Thing is generally credited to Hawks in fact or in spirit, given the strong influence of his style on the film. Nyby went on to direct B-movies, including First to Fight (1967),and episodic television, never again achieving the promise he showed as director of The Thing. He passed away on September 17, 1993, at the age of 80.
