Christian Nyby facts for kids

Christian Nyby (born September 1, 1913 – died September 17, 1993) was a talented American film and TV director and editor. He helped create many movies and TV shows.

As an editor, he worked on 17 feature films between 1943 and 1952. Some of his famous editing work includes The Big Sleep (1946) and Red River (1948). Later, from 1953 to 1975, he directed many episodes for popular TV series. These included Gunsmoke and Wagon Train. He is probably most famous for directing the movie The Thing from Another World (1951).

Christian Nyby's Early Career

Christian Nyby was born in Los Angeles, California. His family came from Denmark. He started his career in the 1940s as a film editor. This means he put together all the different shots of a movie to make the final film.

He worked on four films directed by the famous Howard Hawks. These films were To Have and Have Not (1944), The Big Sleep (1946), Red River (1948), and The Big Sky (1952). Christian Nyby was even nominated for an Academy Award for his work on Red River.

He began his journey in the film studios in the carpentry department. He worked hard and moved up to become an editor. His first chance to direct a movie came in 1951. He directed The Thing from Another World, which was produced by Howard Hawks. This movie was a big hit right away.

Directing Movies and TV Shows

After his success with The Thing, Christian Nyby became a very busy director. He directed many TV shows and movies from the 1950s to the 1970s.

He directed episodes for many well-known TV series. These included The Twilight Zone, I Spy, and Lassie. He also directed for Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Adam-12, Perry Mason, The Rockford Files, The Six Million Dollar Man, Ironside, and Kojak.

Christian Nyby did especially great work on Western TV shows. He directed episodes for Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Wagon Train, Whispering Smith, and Rawhide.

Besides TV, he also directed four more feature films. These were Hell on Devil's Island, Young Fury, Operation C.I.A., and First to Fight. Operation C.I.A. was the first movie where Burt Reynolds had a main role.

The Thing from Another World

The most famous film Christian Nyby directed is The Thing from Another World (1951). People still watch this movie and talk about it more than 70 years after it was released. In 2001, it was chosen to be saved in the US National Film Registry. This means it's considered a very important film.

Some people have wondered if Howard Hawks, who produced the film, actually directed it. Howard Hawks was a very famous director and was on set for most of the filming. However, Christian Nyby explained in 1982 that he directed the movie. He said he learned a lot from Hawks and tried to direct in a similar style. He compared it to learning to paint from a master artist like Rembrandt. You would try to paint like your teacher.

Christian Nyby's Family Life

Christian Nyby had two sons. His son, Christian I. Nyby II, also became a very successful television director. His other son, Kirkland Royal Nyby, had a few small acting roles on TV in the early 1970s. After that, he became a lawyer in California. He ended his legal career as a Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner.

Christian Nyby passed away at the age of 80 in Temecula, California.

Movies Directed by Christian Nyby

• The Thing from Another World (1951)
• Light's Diamond Jubilee (1954)
• Hell on Devil's Island (1957)
• Young Fury (1965)
• Operation C.I.A. (1965)
• Elfego Baca: Six Gun Law (1966)
• First to Fight (1967)