# Corey Allen > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Corey_Allen > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Corey_Allen.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corey_Allen > Source revision: 1356614707 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) American director, writer and actor For those of a similar name, see [Cory Allen (disambiguation)](/source/Cory_Allen_(disambiguation)). Corey Allen Allen in an episode of Medic (1954) Born Alan Cohen (1934-06-29)June 29, 1934 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. Died June 27, 2010(2010-06-27) (aged 75) Los Angeles, California, U.S. Resting place Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery Alma mater UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television Occupations Actor director producer writer Years active 1954–2009 Children 1[1] Father Carl Cohen **Corey Allen** (born **Alan Cohen**; June 29, 1934 – June 27, 2010) was an American film and television director, writer, producer, and actor. He began his career as an actor but eventually became a television director. He is best known for playing the character Buzz Gunderson in [Nicholas Ray](/source/Nicholas_Ray)'s *[Rebel Without a Cause](/source/Rebel_Without_a_Cause)* (1955). He was the son of [Carl Cohen](/source/Carl_Cohen_(businessman)). ## Early life Allen was born as Alan Cohen in [Cleveland](/source/Cleveland), Ohio, on June 29, 1934 to a [Jewish](/source/Jews) family. He was the son of [Carl](/source/Carl_Cohen_(businessman)) and Frances ([née](/source/Birth_name#Maiden_and_married_names) Freudenreich) Cohen; his father was an illegal bookie and gambling operator for the [Mayfield Road Mob](/source/Mayfield_Road_Mob) in Cleveland,[2] and later became an important gambling executive at the [Sands Hotel and Casino](/source/Sands_Hotel_and_Casino) in [Las Vegas](/source/Las_Vegas), Nevada.[3][4] Cohen attended the [University of California, Los Angeles](/source/University_of_California%2C_Los_Angeles), where he received his start in acting and was awarded a [Bachelor of Fine Arts](/source/Bachelor_of_Fine_Arts) in 1954.[4] ## Career Allen was best known for his role as gang leader Buzz Gunderson in [Nicholas Ray](/source/Nicholas_Ray)'s 1955 film *[Rebel Without A Cause](/source/Rebel_Without_A_Cause)*. [James Dean](/source/James_Dean) starred as Jim Stark, a disaffected teenager who has moved to Los Angeles to start a new life, only to find more problems in his new home. After a show at the [Griffith Observatory](/source/Griffith_Observatory), Buzz challenges Jim to a [knife fight](/source/Knife_fight), which Stark wins by subduing Buzz with his [switchblade](/source/Switchblade). During the filming of the knife fight both Allen and Dean, aficionados of [method acting](/source/Method_acting), used real knives and Dean was injured when Allen lunged at him with his knife.[4] The gang challenges Jim to a [chicken run](/source/Chicken_(game)), in which two stolen cars will be raced towards a cliff and the winner will be the last one to jump out.[4] Before the two embark on their death race, Buzz and Jim stand at the edge of the cliff, looking down at the fall they might face if they remain in their cars to the end. Buzz, realizing Jim’s moxie in accepting the car challenge and actually besting him in the earlier knife confrontation, discloses Jim has earned his respect, that he “likes him.” It’s a poignant moment where social acceptance is within the grasp of perpetual misfit Jim Stark. Jim had passed an initiation where he would be accepted in with the “wheels.” Jim thus questions why then go ahead with this race. Buzz underwhelmingly responds, "You got to do *something*, don't you".[1] Allen would later recall that his classic line was "the underlying question of each generation. Here we are: What do we do?".[5] As the cars are heading to the cliff, Buzz attempts to jump out but is unable to escape when his leather jacket gets caught on the car door handle; he is killed in the crash on the beach below.[4] He appeared in some minor film roles before *Rebel* and afterward was seen in *[The Chapman Report](/source/The_Chapman_Report)*, *[Darby's Rangers](/source/Darby's_Rangers_(1958_film))*, *[Juvenile Jungle (film)](/source/Juvenile_Jungle_(film))*, *[Party Girl](/source/Party_Girl_(1958_film))*, *[Sweet Bird of Youth](/source/Sweet_Bird_of_Youth)*, in addition to guest appearances on *[Bonanza](/source/Bonanza)*, *[Dr. Kildare](/source/Dr._Kildare_(TV_series))*, *[Gunsmoke](/source/Gunsmoke)*, *[Have Gun, Will Travel](/source/Have_Gun%2C_Will_Travel)* and *[Perry Mason](/source/Perry_Mason_(1957_TV_series))*.[1] In 1960 Allen played murderer Rennie Foster in "The Case of the Red Riding Boots", and in 1962 he played murder victim Lester Menke in "The Case of the Borrowed Baby". He was actively involved in theatrical productions in the Los Angeles area, creating the touring company Freeway Circuit Inc. in 1959 and the Actors Theater in 1965. He was also involved in teaching theater at [The Actors Workshop](/source/The_Actors_Workshop).[1] Allen turned to directing starting in the 1960s, where he worked on such television programs as *[Dallas](/source/Dallas_(TV_series))*, *[Hawaii Five-O](/source/Hawaii_Five-O_(1968_TV_series))*, *[Hill Street Blues](/source/Hill_Street_Blues)*, *[Ironside](/source/Ironside_(1967_TV_series))*, *[Mannix](/source/Mannix)*, *[Murder, She Wrote](/source/Murder%2C_She_Wrote)*, *[Police Woman](/source/Police_Woman_(TV_series))*, *[The Rockford Files](/source/The_Rockford_Files)*, *[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine](/source/Star_Trek%3A_Deep_Space_Nine)*, *[Star Trek: The Next Generation](/source/Star_Trek%3A_The_Next_Generation)* and *[The Streets of San Francisco](/source/The_Streets_of_San_Francisco)*.[4] He won an [Emmy Award](/source/Emmy_Award), in 1984, for directing an episode of *Hill Street Blues*.[6] In 1967, Corey and his business partner Gary Stromberg met with [Charles Manson](/source/Charles_Manson) early in both of their careers, as new director and cult leader respectively. Manson was invited to help them write a film treatment called *Black Jesus* ([later produced by an Italian company in 1968](/source/Black_Jesus_(film))) and Manson's "family" was allowed to live briefly in Corey's small acting studio on Western Avenue in Los Angeles. After Corey's then-girlfriend expressed her concerns about Manson, he broke ties with him.[7] ## Personal life Toward the end of his life, a fire burnt his home in the [Hollywoods Hills](/source/Hollywood_Hills) above the [Sunset Strip](/source/Sunset_Strip), and all of his belongings were lost. The only thing that the fire department recovered from the flames was his molten Emmy.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] ## Death Allen died from complications of [Parkinson's disease](/source/Parkinson's_disease) at his home in Hollywood on June 27, 2010, two days before his 76th birthday.[1][4] He is buried in [Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery](/source/Hillside_Memorial_Park_Cemetery) in Los Angeles.[8] ## Filmography ### As director - *[The Cosby Mysteries](/source/The_Cosby_Mysteries)* - *[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine](/source/Star_Trek%3A_Deep_Space_Nine)* - episode [The Maquis: Part 2](/source/The_Maquis_(DS9_episode)) - episode [Paradise](/source/Paradise_(DS9_episode)) - episode [The Circle](/source/The_Circle_(DS9_episode)) - episode [Captive Pursuit](/source/Captive_Pursuit_(DS9_episode)) - *[Star Trek: The Next Generation](/source/Star_Trek%3A_The_Next_Generation)* - episode "[Journey's End](/source/Journey's_End_(TNG_episode))" - episode "[The Game](/source/The_Game_(Star_Trek%3A_The_Next_Generation))" - episode "[Final Mission](/source/Final_Mission)" - episode "[Home Soil](/source/Home_Soil)" - episode "[Encounter at Farpoint](/source/Encounter_at_Farpoint)" - *[The Search](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Search_(1994_film)&action=edit&redlink=1)* (1994) - *[Men Who Hate Women & the Women Who Love Them](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Men_Who_Hate_Women_%26_the_Women_Who_Love_Them&action=edit&redlink=1)* (1994) - *[Moment of Truth](/source/Moment_of_Truth_(film_series)) Stalking Back* (1993) - *[FBI: The Untold Stories](/source/FBI%3A_The_Untold_Stories)* - *[Unsub](/source/Unsub_(TV_series))* - *[The New Lassie](/source/The_New_Lassie)* - *[Supercarrier](/source/Supercarrier_(TV_series))* - *[The Ann Jillian Story](/source/The_Ann_Jillian_Story)* (1988) - *[J.J. Starbuck](/source/J.J._Starbuck)* - *[CBS Summer Playhouse](/source/CBS_Summer_Playhouse)* - episode *[Infiltrator](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Infiltrator_(film)&action=edit&redlink=1)* (1987) - *Destination America* (1987) - *The Last Fling* (1987) - *[I-Man](/source/I-Man)* (1986) - *[Beverly Hills Cowgirl Blues](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Beverly_Hills_Cowgirl_Blues&action=edit&redlink=1)* (1985) - *[Brass](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Brass_(1985_film)&action=edit&redlink=1)* (1985) - *[Code Name: Foxfire](/source/Code_Name%3A_Foxfire)* (1985) - *[Otherworld](/source/Otherworld)* - *[Murder, She Wrote](/source/Murder%2C_She_Wrote)* - episode "Deadly Lady" - pilot episode "[The Murder of Sherlock Holmes](/source/The_Murder_of_Sherlock_Holmes)" (1984) - *[Jessie](/source/Jessie_(1984_TV_series))* - *[Hunter](/source/Hunter_(1984_U.S._TV_series))* - *[The Paper Chase](/source/The_Paper_Chase_(TV_series))* - episode "Billy Pierce" - *[Hill Street Blues](/source/Hill_Street_Blues)* - episode "Hair Apparent" - episode "Goodbye, Mr. Scripps" - episode "Jungle Madness" - *[Legmen](/source/Legmen)* - *[Scarecrow and Mrs. King](/source/Scarecrow_and_Mrs._King)* - episode "Always Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth" - *[Whiz Kids](/source/Whiz_Kids_(TV_series))* - episode "Programmed for Murder" - episode "Fatal Error" - episode "Deadly Access" - *[Gavilan](/source/Gavilan_(TV_series))* - *[Tucker's Witch](/source/Tucker's_Witch)* - *[Matt Houston](/source/Matt_Houston)* - *[The Powers of Matthew Star](/source/The_Powers_of_Matthew_Star)* - *[Capitol](/source/Capitol_(TV_series))* - *[Simon & Simon](/source/Simon_%26_Simon)* - *[McClain's Law](/source/McClain's_Law)* - *[Magnum, P.I.](/source/Magnum%2C_P.I.)* - *[The Return of Frank Cannon](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Return_of_Frank_Cannon&action=edit&redlink=1)* (1980) - *[Stone](/source/Stone_(TV_series))* - *[The Man in the Santa Claus Suit](/source/The_Man_in_the_Santa_Claus_Suit)* (1979) - *[The Rockford Files](/source/The_Rockford_Files)* - episode "No-Fault Affair" - episode "The Man Who Saw the Alligators" - episode "The Empty Frame" - *[Trapper John, M.D.](/source/Trapper_John%2C_M.D.)* - episode "The Shattered Image" - *[Stone](/source/Stone_(TV_series))* (1979) - *[Avalanche](/source/Avalanche_(1978_film))* (1978) - *[Police Woman](/source/Police_Woman_(TV_series))* - episode "The Young and the Fair" - episode "Do You Still Beat Your Wife?" - episode "The Lifeline Agency" - episode "Broken Angels" - *[Lou Grant](/source/Lou_Grant_(TV_series))* - *[Thunder and Lightning](/source/Thunder_and_Lightning_(1977_film))* (1977) - *[Yesterday's Child](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yesterday%27s_Child&action=edit&redlink=1)* [[fr](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yesterday%27s_Child)] (1977) - *[Quincy, M.E.](/source/Quincy%2C_M.E.)* (1976) - *[Executive Suite](/source/Executive_Suite_(TV_series))* - *[Bronk](/source/Bronk_(TV_series))* - *[Kate McShane](/source/Kate_McShane)* - *[The Family Holvak](/source/The_Family_Holvak)* - *[Cry Rape](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cry_Rape&action=edit&redlink=1)* (1973) - *[Police Story](/source/Police_Story_(1973_TV_series))* (1973) - *[Barnaby Jones](/source/Barnaby_Jones)* (1973) - *[The Streets of San Francisco](/source/The_Streets_of_San_Francisco)* - *[Ironside](/source/Ironside_(1967_TV_series))* - episode "But When She Was Bad" - episode "Too Many Victims" - *[See the Man Run](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=See_the_Man_Run&action=edit&redlink=1)* (1971) - *[Cannon](/source/Cannon_(TV_series))* - *[The Erotic Adventures of Pinocchio](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Erotic_Adventures_of_Pinocchio&action=edit&redlink=1)* [[pl](https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erotyczne_przygody_Pinokia)] (1971) - *[The High Chaparral](/source/The_High_Chaparral)* - episode "A Good Sound Profit" - *[Mannix](/source/Mannix)* - episode "Time Out of Mind" - episode "The Sound of Darkness" - *[The New People](/source/The_New_People)* - *[Then Came Bronson](/source/Then_Came_Bronson)* - *[Lancer](/source/Lancer_(TV_series))* - episode "Child of Rock and Sunlight" - *[Hawaii Five-O](/source/Hawaii_Five-O_(1968_TV_series))* - *[Sea Hunt](/source/Sea_Hunt)* (1961) Season 4, Episode 21: "Quicksand" ### As actor Title Year Role Notes The Mad Magician 1954 Gus the Stagehand Uncredited A Time Out of War 1954 Connor Short The Bridges at Toko-Ri 1954 Enlisted Man Uncredited The Night of the Hunter 1955 Young Man in Town Uncredited Rebel Without a Cause 1955 Buzz Gunderson Alfred Hitchcock Presents 1956 Gil Dalliford Season 2 Episode 10: "Jonathan" The Shadow on the Window 1957 Gil Ramsey The Big Caper 1957 Roy The Restless Gun 1958 George Episode "Friend in Need" Darby's Rangers 1958 Private Pittsburgh Tony Sutherland Juvenile Jungle 1958 Hal McQueen Party Girl 1958 Cookie La Motte Private Property 1960 Duke Top Card Lead Billing Key Witness 1960 Magician Sea Hunt 1961 Young Episode: "Quicksand" Sweet Bird of Youth 1962 Scotty The Chapman Report 1962 Wash Dillon Combat! 1964 Private Garrett Episode: A Rare Vintage Original: Do Not Project 1972 Psychiatrist The Works 2004 Mr. M Quarantined 2009 Mr. Eagle Voice, (final film role) ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-latimes.com_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-latimes.com_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-latimes.com_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-latimes.com_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-latimes.com_1-4) ["Corey Allen dies at 75; actor played gang leader in 'Rebel Without a Cause'"](https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-xpm-2010-jun-30-la-me-corey-allen-20100630-story.html). *Los Angeles Times*. June 30, 2010. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Levy, Shawn (1999). [*Rat Pack Confidential: Frank, Dean, Sammy, Peter, Joey and the Last Great Show Biz Party*](https://books.google.com/books?id=g_YJULARirQC&pg=PT77). Crown/Archetype. p. 77. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0385500254](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0385500254). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Levy (1999), pp. 78-79. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-NYTObit_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-NYTObit_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-NYTObit_4-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-NYTObit_4-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-NYTObit_4-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-NYTObit_4-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-NYTObit_4-6) Nagourney, Eric. ["Corey Allen, Actor and Director, Dies at 75"](https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/01/arts/01allen.html), *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*, June 30, 2010. Accessed July 1, 2010. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Fujiwara, Chris. ["The Rebel: Fifty years ago, Nicholas Ray's 'Rebel Without a Cause' changed American culture. But did it call for rebellion, conformity, or both?"](https://web.archive.org/web/20051203020950/http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2005/10/30/the_rebel/), *[The Boston Globe](/source/The_Boston_Globe)*, October 30, 2005. Accessed July 1, 2010. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Corey Allen Obituary"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100703160527/http://www.einsiders.com/hollywood-obituaries/rebel-without-a-cause-actor-corey-allen-dies-june-27-2010.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.einsiders.com/hollywood-obituaries/rebel-without-a-cause-actor-corey-allen-dies-june-27-2010.html) on July 3, 2010. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Are Any Rebel Without a Cause Cast Members Still Alive?"](https://movieweb.com/rebel-without-a-cause-living-cast-members/). *MovieWeb*. October 27, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2022. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More than 14000 Famous Persons (entry 181) by Scott Wilson ## External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Corey Allen](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Corey_Allen). - [Corey Allen](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001904/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) - [Corey Allen](https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/54252497) at [Find a Grave](/source/Find_a_Grave) - [Corey Allen](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Corey_Allen) at [Memory Alpha](/source/Memory_Alpha) v t e Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Jack Smight (1959) Robert Mulligan (1960) George Schaefer (1961) Franklin J. Schaffner (1962) Stuart Rosenberg (1963) Tom Gries (1964) Paul Bogart (1965) Sydney Pollack (1966) Alex Segal (1967) Paul Bogart (1968) David Greene (1969) Paul Bogart (1970) Daryl Duke (1971) Alexander Singer (1972) Jerry Thorpe (1973) Robert Butler (1974) Bill Bain (1975) David Greene (1976) David Greene (1977) Marvin J. Chomsky (1978) Jackie Cooper (1979) Roger Young (1980) Robert Butler (1981) Harry Harris (1982) Jeff Bleckner (1983) Corey Allen (1984) Karen Arthur (1985) Georg Stanford Brown (1986) Gregory Hoblit (1987) Mark Tinker (1988) Robert Altman (1989) Thomas Carter / Scott Winant (1990) Thomas Carter (1991) Eric Laneuville (1992) Barry Levinson (1993) Daniel Sackheim (1994) Mimi Leder (1995) Jeremy Kagan (1996) Mark Tinker (1997) Mark Tinker (1998) Paris Barclay (1999) Thomas Schlamme (2000) Thomas Schlamme (2001) Alan Ball (2002) Christopher Misiano (2003) Walter Hill (2004) J. J. Abrams (2005) Jon Cassar (2006) Alan Taylor (2007) Greg Yaitanes (2008) Rod Holcomb (2009) Steve Shill (2010) Martin Scorsese (2011) Tim Van Patten (2012) David Fincher (2013) Cary Joji Fukunaga (2014) David Nutter (2015) Miguel Sapochnik (2016) Reed Morano (2017) Stephen Daldry (2018) Jason Bateman (2019) Andrij Parekh (2020) Jessica Hobbs (2021) Hwang Dong-hyuk (2022) Mark Mylod (2023) Frederick E. O. Toye (2024) Adam Randall (2025) Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF WorldCat National United States France BnF data Spain Netherlands Korea Poland Artists Emmy Awards Other IdRef SNAC Yale LUX --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Corey Allen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corey_Allen) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corey_Allen?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.