Emmy-Winning Director Corey Allen Dies at 76
The prolific director started out as an actor and continued to work as an acting coach throughout his career.
Corey Allen, who began his career as an actor in such films as the James Dean classic Rebel Without a Cause and went on to become a prolific television director, died June 27, 2010, of natural causes in Hollywood, two days before his 76th birthday.
In Rebel, Allen played Buzz, a popular teenager who challenges James Dean’s character, Jim Stark, to a race in stolen cars, known as a “chickie run,” with tragic consequences. The film co-starred Dennis Hopper, a longtime friend of Allen’s, who died earlier this month.
Allen won a Primetime Emmy Award for directing a 1983 episode of Hill Street Blues. Two years earlier he was nominated for an Emmy for the same series. He earned a CableACE award in 1984 for an episode of The Paper Chase and received Directors Guild nominations for The Streets of San Francisco and Hill Street Blues.
As an actor, his other films included Darby’s Rangers, Party Girl, Private Property, Sweet Bird of Youth and The Chapman Report.
His television roles included episodes of Dragnet, The Millionaire, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Gunsmoke, Have Gun — Will Travel, Studio One, Rawhide, Sea Hunt, Bonanza, Dr. Kildare and Combat!
He began directing in 1969. Other assignments included episodes of Ironside, Police Woman, The Rockford Files, Simon & Simon, Murder, She Wrote (including the pilot), Dallas, Star Trek: The Next Generation (including the pilot and participation in casting Patrick Stewart as Captain Picard) and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Allen also taught at the Actors Workshop and the Margie Haber Studios in Los Angeles. He was presented with an honorary doctorate at Columbia College (Hollywood branch) for helping to create their acting and directing curricula.
Survivors include a daughter, a brother, four grandchildren, two great grandchildren and two nephews.