About

Known credits:
38
Birthday:
1915-03-10
Place of birth:
Schenectady, New York, USA
Website:
N/A

Ranald MacDougall

Overview

Ranald MacDougall (March 10, 1915 – December 12, 1973) was an American screenwriter who scripted such films as Mildred Pierce (1945), The Unsuspected (1947), June Bride (1948), and The Naked Jungle (1954), and shared screenwriting credit for 1963's Cleopatra. He also directed a number of films, including 1957's Man on Fire with Bing Crosby and 1959's The World, the Flesh and the Devil, both of which featured actress Inger Stevens.

Born in Schenectady, New York, MacDougall came from an impoverished working-class family. His father was a crane operator and union organizer, whose frequent strikes forced MacDougall to leave school before finishing the eighth grade to help support the family. He held a variety of odd jobs and during the Great Depression found work as an usher at Radio City Music Hall.

He saw greater potential across the street in Rockefeller Center, where he was hired as a page, working alongside Gregory Peck. As a page MacDougall had the opportunity to closely observe the radio industry, and in his spare time he wrote and submitted scripts to his boss under pseudonyms, and was finally hired as a staff writer for NBC Radio despite being underage at the time.

Known for

Directing
1970 The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County Directing Director 59
Average
1961 Go Naked in the World Directing Director 58
Average
1960 The Subterraneans Directing Director 58
Average
1959 The World, the Flesh and the Devil Directing Director 59
Average
1957 Man on Fire Directing Director 59
Average
1955 Queen Bee Directing Director 59
Average

Writing
1989 We're No Angels Writing Original Film Writer 59
Average
1973 That Man Bolt Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1972 Magic Carpet Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1970 The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County Writing Writer 59
Average
1968 Dark of the Sun Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1966 Fame Is the Name of the Game Writing Teleplay 59
Average
1963 Cleopatra Writing Screenplay 65
Fair
1961 Go Naked in the World Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1959 The World, the Flesh and the Devil Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1957 Man on Fire Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1956 The Mountain Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1955 Queen Bee Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1955 We're No Angels Writing Screenplay 62
Fair
1954 Secret of the Incas Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1954 The Naked Jungle Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1951 The House in the Square Writing Writer 59
Average
1951 Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1950 The Breaking Point Writing Writer 60
Fair
1950 Bright Leaf Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1949 The Hasty Heart Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1948 The Decision of Christopher Blake Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1948 June Bride Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1947 The Unsuspected Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1947 Possessed Writing Screenplay 60
Fair
1945 Mildred Pierce Writing Screenplay 66
Fair
1945 Objective, Burma! Writing Screenplay 60
Fair

Production
1972 Magic Carpet Production Producer N/A
N/A
1970 The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County Production Producer 59
Average
1968 Jigsaw Production Producer 59
Average
1966 Fame Is the Name of the Game Production Producer 59
Average
1948 The Decision of Christopher Blake Production Producer 58
Average

Crew
1950 Stage Fright Crew Additional Writing 62
Fair