Raymond Stross (22 May 1916 – 31 July 1988) was a British film producer.[1][2] His work was notable in part for its relatively frank sexual content and his long professional association with wife actor Anne Heywood.[3]
Early life and education
Stross was born on 22 May 1916 in Leeds. He was educated at Roynd Hay High School and Abingdon School from 1929 until 1933 and was a member of the second XV rugby team.[4]
Film
Stross left school at age sixteen at went to work at Shepperton Studios. He started Sturt Stross Film Productions in 1937 becoming the second youngest director-producer in the country at the time. His company's first production was a film called The Show's the Thing[5] He also directed the 1937 film The Reverse Be My Lot.
He then went to work for various distributors and became branch manager in Northern Ireland for Columbia pictures. Stross bought a cimema in Belfast and bought up a chain. Then he bought another chain at Norwich. In 1948 Stross travelled to the US to increase his knowledge and prepare for the move into production.[6]
Stross' first film as producer was the 1951 production of Hell is Sold Out, which included Richard Attenborough in his first comedy role.[7][2][8] He soon became an "international" producer, frequently using American stars in his movies in order to make them more appealing to the world market.[6]
Ray Stiles, bassist with Mud and The Hollies, called himself Stross in tribute.
Stross had a huge box office success with The Fox (1967).[9]
Personal life
Stross was married to an American with whom he had a daughter, Laraine. He then married actress Clare Corey-James in March 1955 and attend the premiere of As Long as They's Happy that night.[10]
In July 1959 Stross announced he would marry actress Anne Heywood, who he met making A Terrible Beauty. "It was love at first sight," said Heywood. Stross apparently proposed the day after they met. He was still married to Corey-James who was by then a literary agent.[11] He cited David Deutsch as a co-respondent in the divorce case.[12] Stross was granted a divorce on account of adultery between Deutsch and his second wife.[13] Corey-James later announced she would marry Deutsch.[14]
Stross and Heywood married on 12 February 1960[15] and they had a son and daughter.[2] He died in 1988 at his home in Beverly Hills, California.[2]
