Christian Nyby

Nyby trained as a film editor and worked his way up through the industry cutting several major studio pictures before receiving a rare opportunity to direct, credited on a production overseen closely by its far more experienced producer.

An editor making his directorial debut, credited alone, decades of testimony from cast and crew nonetheless credit producer Howard Hawks as the film's true guiding hand. He had worked as an editor on several of Hawks's earlier films before receiving his sole directing credit on this project, and the extent of his actual creative control has remained a subject of film-history debate ever since.

He continued working primarily in television directing for the remainder of his career, never again receiving a major feature directing credit of comparable stature.