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Aldo Ray
1926-1991
Updated 7/16/2007.
biography
Born Aldo DaRe in Pen Argyl, Pennsylvannia, in September 1926, movie heavy Aldo Ray entered the Navy at age 18, during World War II. After his discharge, Ray attended college. In 1950, Ray was working as a peace officer in Crockett, California, when he was discovered for films. By chance Ray landed a role in the Columbia drama Saturday's Hero (1951; with John Derek), and his performance was good enough for Columbia to sign him to a contract.
Photos of Aldo Ray, circa 1950s
His husky voice and tough demeanor made him a natural in such war films as Battle Cry (1955; with Tab Hunter and Dorothy Malone). He also gave good performances in several comedies, including Let's Do It Again (1953; with Jane Wyman and Ray Milland) and We're No Angels (1955; with Humphrey Bogart and Joan Bennett).
After a brief first marriage, Ray married actress Jeff Donnell in 1954, but they parted ways two years later. Ray wed his third wife in 1960.
the films of aldo ray
The Marrying Kind (1952)
From Columbia's bittersweet comedy The Marrying Kind with Judy Holliday
Miss Sadie Thompson (1953)
From Columbia's Miss Sadie Thompson with Rita Hayworth
Battle Cry (1955)
Ray romances window Nancy Olson in the Warner Bros. World War II drama Battle Cry
Three Stripes in the Sun (1955)
With Chuck Connors and Dick York in the war-themed romance Three Stripes in the Sun
Nightfall (1957)
Columbia released the film noir thriller Nightfall. Ray is pictured with Anne Bancroft
The Naked and the Dead (1958)
From the World War II drama The Naked and the Dead. LEFT: With Cliff Robertson. CENTER and RIGHT: With Barbara Nichols
The Day They Robbed the Bank of England (1960)
From MGM's late noir release The Day They Robbed the Bank of England. LEFT: With Albert Sharpe and Kieron Moore. RIGHT: Lobby card images
Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round (1966)
Ray and James Coburn star in Columbia's crime caper Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round
What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966)
From Blake Edwards' war comedy What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? with James Coburn
Riot on Sunset Strip (1967)
From American International's juvenile delinquent drama Riot on Sunset Strip with Laurie Mock
Kill a Dragon (1967)
From the low-budget action picture Kill a Dragon with Jack Palance
And Hope to Die (1972)
From the French crime drama And Hope to Die
later years
Ray found good roles hard to come by in the 1970s and 1980s, but somehow he managed to keep working in exploitation and horror films; Ray even acted (but remained clothed) in a late 1970s porno titled Sweet Savage (1979; with Carol Connors). Some of his films from the 1980s include Bog (1983; with Marshall Thompson), Vultures (1983; with Yvonne De Carlo), Evils of the Night (1985; with Tina Louise and Julie Newmar), and Terror Night (1987; with John Ireland and Cameron Mitchell). In the late 1980s, Ray was diagnosed with cancer and passed away in March 1991, just two months after the release of his final film, Shock 'Em Dead (1991; with Troy Donahue and Traci Lords). Ray was survived by his three children.
Pat And Mike [DVD](1952) DVD
Crisp direction from George Cukor and "cherce" Ruth Gordon/Garson Kanin dialogue highlight this comedy about shady sports promoter Spencer Tracy and his latest find, college gym teacher Katharine Hepburn. With William Ching, Aldo Ray, and early appearances by Charles Bronson and Chuck Connors. 95 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, French; theatrical trailers.
We're No Angels [DVD](1955) DVD
Classic offbeat comedy focuses on a trio of convicts (Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray and Peter Ustinov) who escapes from Devil's Island and seeks refuge with a bumbling French shopkeeper (Leo G. Carroll) and his family. As they get mixed up in a plan to help Carroll get out from under the boot of his domineering cousin and boss (Basil Rathbone), the boys begin to wonder if life was easier on the inside. Joan Bennett, Gloria Talbott also star. 105 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English.
Battle Cry [DVD](1955) DVD
Gritty war saga, based on the Leon Uris novel, follows a group of marines from basic training to combat fighting during World War II. Van Heflin is the disciplinarian major who whips his men into shape, while Aldo Ray and Tab Hunter are among the jarheads prepping for battle and dealing with domestic predicaments. Mona Freeman, Nancy Olson, James Whitmore, Raymond Massey and John Lupton also star; directed by Raoul Walsh ("White Heat"). 149 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Thai.
The Green Berets [DVD](1968) DVD
First major Hollywood production to deal with war in Vietnam. John Wayne leads the Special Forces troops against the deadly and determined enemy. Flame throwers, helicopter crashes, jungle tortures and strafing. 135 min. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English, French, Spanish; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish; filmographies; production notes; scene access; theatrical trailers; documentary.
The Bad Bunch [VHS](1973) VHS
Gritty urban action film set in the streets of Watts, where one white man faces an uphill battle in his efforts to communicate with a black street gang. Stars Tom Johnigarn, Aldo Ray. 82 min.
Legends Of The West, Vol. 2 [DVD] DVD
Twenty-nine classic Westerns are included in this eight-disc set that features eight volumes of "The Great American Western" series. Includes "Kansas Pacific," "Santa Fe Trail," "Vengeance Valley," "One-Eyed Jacks," "The Over-the-Hill Gang," "The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again," "The Deadly Companions," "Against a Crooked Sky," "Battles of Chief Pontiac," "Sitting Bull," "The Sundowners" (1950), "The Gatling Gun," "The Bushwhackers," "The Gun and the Pulpit," "Boot Hill," "My Outlaw Brother," "Little Moon and Jud McGraw," "Jory," "The Brothers O'Toole," "The Jackals," "Seven Alone," "Pioneer Woman," "The Proud Rebel," "Buckskin Frontier," "Fighting Caravans," "The Woman of the Town," "The Proud and the Damned," "Savage Guns," and "The Outlaw." Also includes the documentaries "The Great Indian Wars," "Gunfighters," and "The Old West Cowboy." 47 3/4 hrs. total.
Seven Alone [DVD](1974) DVD
After their parents die en route from Missouri to Oregon in the mid-1800s, seven children are determined to complete the 2,000-mile trek themselves. Based on a true story that inspired the book by Honore Morrow, this marvelous family adventure stars Stewart Peterson, Dewey Martin, Aldo Ray. 95 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1.
Seven Alone [VHS](1975) VHS
After their parents die en route from Missouri to Oregon in the mid-1800s, seven children are determined to complete the 2,000-mile trek themselves. Based on a true story that inspired the book by Honore Morrow, this marvelous family adventure stars Stewart Peterson, Dewey Martin, Aldo Ray. 97 min.
The Father Kino Story [DVD](1977) DVD
An all-star cast brings to life the struggle between the Spanish conquistadors ruling California and the Indians they were killing off to conquer the land. Only one man, a simple Jesuit missionary, stands between the forces in this exciting clash of guns and wills. Richard Egan, Ricardo Montalban, Cesar Romero, Rory Calhoun, and Aldo Ray star. AKA: "Mission to Glory: A True Story," "Padre on Horseback: The Legendary Story of Father Kino," "Savage Hunter." 92 min. Soundtrack: English.
Search And Destroy (1979)/The Glove [DVD](1979) DVD
First, a Vietnam vet (Perry King) accused of killing the members of his old unit must find the real culprit before he can complete his "Search and Destroy" mission. Don Stroud, Tisa Farrow and George Kennedy co-star. Next, a professional bounty hunter (John Saxon) faces his biggest challenge when he tracks down an escaped convict (Rosey Grier) who is armed with "The Glove," a steel-enhanced gauntlet. And remember, if the glove fits, the action don't quit. With Joanna Cassidy, Jack Carter, Aldo Ray. AKA: "The Glove: Lethal Terminator." 185 min. total. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono.
The Lucifer Complex [VHS](1978) VHS
A secret island prison is the headquarters for a scheme to replace the world's leaders with identical clones. Shocks, suspense and action, with Robert Vaughn, Keenan Wynn star. 91 min.
Straight Jacket [VHS](1980) VHS
A recovering alcoholic returns home after a series of psychic impressions and emotional disturbances, but soon finds things are equally unsettling in her house. Things get even creepier when she meets a former detective who once investigated a gruesome murder in the house. Aldo Ray, Kory Clark and Chuck Jamison star. 89 min.
3 The Hard Way...Again [DVD] DVD
A megalomaniacal madman has gotten hold of a "freeze bomb" that could destroy the world, and only Jim Kelly can stop him, in the amazing martial arts actioner "Kill Factor" (1980). George Lazenby, Harold Sakata and Aldo Ray also star. And, a sewage worker transforms himself into a deadly, black-clad ninja when he becomes caught up in the international war between the Chinese Shanghai gang and the Japanese Yakuza, in "Mafia vs. Ninja" (1984). Alexander Lou, Charlema Hsu star. Two-disc set also includes "Pacific Inferno" and "White Fire." 6 2/3 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo.
Don't Go Near The Park [DVD](1981) DVD
A brother and sister, cursed thousands of years ago with an eternity of old age that can be only briefly reversed with human blood and cannibalism, seek a mortal woman for the man to impregnate, so that the child can be sacrificed and end their horrific existence. Bizarre shocker filled with witchcraft, zombies, gore, and laser-beam eyes stars Crackers Phinn, Tamara Taylor, Linnea Quigley, and Aldo Ray. AKA: "Curse of the Living Dead," "Nightstalker," "Sanctuary of Evil." 84 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English; audio commentary; deleted scenes; outtakes; photo gallery; theatrical trailers; TV spot.
The Secret Of NIMH (Family Fun Edition) [DVD](1982) DVD
An animated, fascinating family favorite about a widowed mouse who seeks the help of a young crow, a wise owl, and some mysterious, intelligent rats who are indebted to her late husband to save her family's home from a farmer's plow. Features the vocal talents of Peter Strauss, Dom DeLuise and Hermione Baddeley; listen for the voice of Shannen Doherty as Teresa. 82 min. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital Surround, Spanish Dolby Digital Surround, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish; audio commentary; featurette; games. Two-disc set.
Bog [DVD](1983) DVD
BOG! Creature of the swamp! BOG! Coming to eat you up! BOG! Look out--he's gonna get you, wow! BOG! Ain't no stopping it now! BOG--write up this shocker in your horror flick blog! Gloria De Haven, Aldo Ray, Marshall Thompson star. 90 min.
Biohazard [DVD](1984) DVD
Sci-fi shocks meet softcore thrills in Fred Olen Ray's space odyssey in which psychic Angelique Pettyjohn makes contact with an alien craft and mentally guides it to Earth. But Angelique didn't know there's a miniature monstrosity on board! Aldo Ray also stars. 84 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; photo gallery; audio commentary.
Evils Of The Night [DVD](1985) DVD
Spine-tingling sci-fi chiller finds a trio of aliens landing on Earth and setting out to capture teenagers and drain them of their life-giving blood. Luckily, the woods near their base are filled with sex-crazed adolescents oblivious to the danger around them! John Carradine, Tina Louise, Julie Newmar, Aldo Ray, and future XXX icons Jerry Butler and Amber Lynn star. 85 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; photo gallery; theatrical trailer.
Frankenstein's Great-Aunt Tillie [VHS](1985) VHS
After a Transylvania town claims to own Frankenstein's castle, young Victor (Donald Pleasence), a buxom babe (June Wilkinson) and Victor's ancient aunt (Yvonne Furneaux) decide they have to take back the property by finding hidden loot. Zsa Zsa Gabor also stars in this loopy horror farce, a Mexican-British-American production.
The Sicilian [DVD](1987) DVD
Michael Cimino brings to the screen Mario Puzo's gripping tale of intrigue and power in post-WWII Sicily. Christopher Lambert is the outlaw whose drive for his homeland's independence from Italy pits him against the government, the Church and the Mafia. Co-stars Terence Stamp, John Turturro, Joss Ackland, and Barbara Sukowa. Unrated director's cut; 146 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo.
Bloody Movie [DVD](1987) DVD
A deranged killer gets to live out his crazed fantasies while roaming around the abandoned Hollywood estate of a late matinee idol in this witty and underrated 1980s slasher flick. Taking on the guises of the beloved actor's greatest characters, the mysterious madman teaches a variety of victims that life in Tinseltown can be murder. Cameron Mitchell, John Ireland, Aldo Ray, and--in his final film role--Alan Hale, Jr. star. AKA: "Terror Night." 90 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; theatrical trailer.
Star Slammer [DVD](1988) DVD
Outer space action and thrills, as a voluptuous "star babe" is sentenced to a prison ship and must face an array of extraterrestrial horrors before she gets her chance at revenge. Sandy Brooke, Ross Hagen, Aldo Ray, John Carradine star. AKA: "Prison Ship," "Adventures of Taura," "Star Slammer: The Escape." 86 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital Surround.
aldo ray films available from amazon.com
filmography
FILM
Shock 'Em Dead (1991) with Traci Lords and Troy Donahue
Crime of Crimes (1989) with David Carradine
Shooters (1989)
Blood Red (1989) with Eric Roberts, Dennis Hopper, Carlin Glynn, and Michael Madsen
Hollywood Cop (1988) with Jim Mitchum, Cameron Mitchell, and Troy Donahue
Hateman (1987) with Cameron Mitchell and Chuck Mitchell
Bloody Movie (1987) with Cameron Mitchell, Michelle Bauer, Dan Haggerty, Alan Hale Jr., and John Ireland
The Sicilian (1987) with Christopher Lambert, Terence Stamp, and John Turturro
Terror on Alcatraz (1986)
Evils of the Night (1985) with Neville Brand, Tina Louise, John Carradine, and Julie Newmar
Flesh and Bullets (1985) with Yvonne De Carlo, Cornel Wilde, and Cesar Romero
To Kill a Stranger (1985) with Dean Stockwell and Donald Pleasence
Biohazard (1984) with Angelique Pettyjohn, Carroll Borland, and Fred Olen Ray
The Executioner, Part II (1984) with Christopher Mitchum
Frankenstein's Great Aunt Tillie (1984) with Donald Pleasence, Yvonne Furneaux, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and June Wilkinson
Star Slammer (1984) with Ross Hagen and Vivian Schilling
Vultures (1983) with Stuart Whitman, Yvonne De Carlo, Greg Mullavy, Meredith MacRae, and Jim Bailey
Bog (1983) with Gloria DeHaven and Marshall Thompson
Boxoffice (1982) with Eddie Constantine and Edie Adams
Dark Sanity (1982)
Mongrel (1982)
Sanctuary for Evil (1981) with Linnea Quigley
When I Am King (1981) with Stuart Whitman
Human Experiments (1980) with Jackie Coogan, Geoffrey Lewis, and Lurene Tuttle
The Haunted (1979) with Virginia Mayo
Sweet Savage (1979) with Carol Connors
Death Dimension (1978) with Jim Kelly, Harold Sakata, George Lazenby, and Terry Moore; directed by Al Adamson
The Glove: Lethal Terminator (1978) with John Saxon, Rosey Grier, Joanna Cassidy, Joan Blondell, Jack Carter, and Keenan Wynn
The Great Skycopter Rescue (1978) with Russell Johnson
The Lucifer Complex (1978) with Robert Vaughn and Keenan Wynn
Haunts (1977) with May Britt and Cameron Mitchell
The Father Kino Story (1977) with Richard Egan, Ricardo Montalban, John Ireland,
Cesar Romero, Rory Calhoun, Keenan Wynn, John Russell, and Victor Jory
The Man Who Would Not Die (1976) with Dorothy Malone and Keenan Wynn
Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
Little Moon and Jud McGraw (1975) with James Caan, Stefanie Powers, Robert Walker Jr., and Sammy Davis Jr.
Psychic Killer (1975) with Paul Burke, Jim Hutton, Julie Adams, Neville Brand, Rod Cameron, Whit Bissell, and Greydon Clark; directed by Ray Danton
Inside Out (1975) with Telly Savalas, Robert Culp, and James Mason
Promise Him Anything (1975) with Eddie Albert, Frederic Forrest, Meg Foster, Tom Ewell, and Joyce Jameson
Seven Alone (1974) with Dewey Martin
The Centerfold Girls (1974) with Ray Danton, Jeremy Slate, Andrew Prine, Tiffany Bolling, and Francine York
The Bad Bunch (1973) with Jock Mahoney, Greydon Clark, and Jacqueline Cole; directed by Greydon Clark
The Dynamite Brothers (1973) with Carol Speed
And Hope to Die (1972) with Robert Ryan and Tisa Farrow
Angel Unchained (1970) with Don Stroud, Tyne Daly, and Bill McKinney
Deadlock (1969) with Roger Bowen, Ruby Dee, Dana Elcar, Max Julien, Leslie Nielsen, and Fred Williamson
Suicide Commandos (1968)
The Green Berets (1968) with John Wayne, David Janssen, Jim Hutton, Bruce Cabot, Jack Soo, Patrick Wayne, Jason Evers, and Mike Henry
The Power (1968) with George Hamilton, Suzanne Pleshette, Richard Carlson, Yvonne De Carlo, Earl Holliman, Gary Merrill, Barbara Nichols, and Michael Rennie
Kill a Dragon (1967) with Jack Palance and Fernando Lamas
The Violent Ones (1967) with Fernando Lamas, Tommy Sands, David Carradine, and Lisa Gaye
Welcome to Hard Times (1967) with Henry Fonda, Janice Rule, Keenan Wynn, Janis Paige, Warren Oates, Fay Spain, Edgar Buchanan, Denver Pyle, and Lon Chaney Jr.
Riot on Sunset Strip (1967) with Mimsy Farmer, Tim Rooney, and Hortense Petra
Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round (1966) with James Coburn and Todd Armstrong
What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966) with James Coburn, Dick Shawn, Harry Morgan, and Carroll O'Connor
Nightmare in the Sun (1965) with Ursula Andress, John Derek, Sammy Davis Jr., Robert Duvall, Chick Chandler, George Tobias, Lurene Tuttle, and Keenan Wynn
Sylvia (1965) with Carroll Baker, George Maharis, Joanne Dru, Peter Lawford, Viveca Lindfors, Edmond O'Brien, Ann Sothern, Lloyd Bochner, and Nancy Kovack
Johnny Nobody (1961) with William Bendix
Musketeers of the Sea (1960) with Pier Angeli and Robert Alda
The Day They Robbed the Bank of England (1960) with Peter O'Toole and Kieron Moore
Four Desperate Men (1959)
God's Little Acre (1958) with Robert Ryan, Buddy Hackett, Jack Lord, Fay Spain, Tina Louise, Vic Morrow, Lance Fuller, and Michael Landon
The Naked and the Dead (1958) with Cliff Robertson, Raymond Massey, Lili St. Cyr, Barbara Nichols, William Campbell, James Best, Joey Bishop, and Max Showalter
Men in War (1957) with Robert Ryan
Nightfall (1957) with Brian Keith, Anne Bancroft, James Gregory, and Frank Albertson
Three Stripes in the Sun (1955) with Philip Carey, Dick York, and Chuck Connors
We're No Angels (1955) with Humphrey Bogart, Peter Ustinov, Joan Bennett, Basil Rathbone, Leo G. Carroll, and Gloria Talbott
Battle Cry (1955) with Van Heflin, Mona Freeman, Nancy Olson, James Whitmore, Raymond Massey, Tab Hunter, Dorothy Malone, Anne Francis, William Campbell, and John Lupton
Miss Sadie Thompso (1953) with Rita Hayworth, Jose Ferrer, Peggy Converse, and Charles Bronson
Let's Do It Again (1953) with Jane Wyman and Ray Milland
Pat and Mike (1952) with Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn
The Marrying Kind (1952) with Judy Holliday and Mickey Shaughnessy
Saturday's Hero (1951) with John Derek and Donna Reed
My True Story (1951)
TELEVISION SERIES
The Houndcats, 1972-1973 NBC animated TV series. Ray voiced the role of Muscle Mutt
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This page premiered September 9, 2004.
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