W. Ray Johnston

W. Ray Johnston was born on Jan 02, 1892 in USA. W. Ray Johnston's big-screen debut came with Our Mutual Girl directed by Oscar Eagle in 1914, strarring Jack Stuyvesant (as Mr. Johnston).

W. Ray Johnston had years of silent film production experience (at Florida's Thanhouser Company and Syndicate Pictures) behind him when he became an independent producer, founding Big Productions Corp. in 1924 and, later, Rayart. These companies paved the way for his entry into sound pictures at the dawn of the Great Depression, forming Monogram Pictures in October of 1929. Falling back on his distribution background, Johnston set about lining up a group of film exchanges covering 39 key geographical areas of North America. For an independent film producer, distribution to rural and second-run theaters was crucial for success (typically a first-run "B" picture would be shown with an older second-run major studio release, or a smaller theater would choose two new Bs as a double feature. In those pre-TV days, theaters would change their bills completely three times a week! The demand for product in second-run theaters was insatiable until the end of WWII). Johnston assigned production responsibilities to his longtime friend and partner