Director Robert Wise passed away yesterday at the age of 91. He's probably best known as the director of The Sound of Music. I first heard of him when Star Trek: The Motion Picture was being made. When I saw pictures from the set in Starlog Magazine, I remember thinking, "Who's the old guy?" (Hey, I was a kid).
It wasn't until later when I read more film history that I found out that he also directed The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Andromeda Strain...and that's just the sci-fi stuff. He was known to another audience for films like The Sound of Music and West Side Story. He worked with Orson Welles on Citizen Kane, but then their relationship soured when RKO had him edit The Magnificent Ambersons while Welles was out of the country.
I've never really put my finger on a particular "Wise style", but I think it's enough to say that if his name was on it, it was a high-quality film with a great story.
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1 comment:
Tell you what, too: for my money, The Magnificent Ambersons is a better movie than Citizen Kane.
No shit.l
I'll never forget when he got his Thalberg/Lifetime achievement award at the oscars, and Bette Davis came out and, instead of, presumably reading the cue cards, simply waved her hand and said: "The SOUND OF MUSIC....!"
As if that said it all.
Nevertheless, a great talent and he'll be missed.
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