The Director's Chair - Part I - Robert Wise

Robert Wise began his career in film as an editor, racking up experience on twelve motion pictures, earning an Academy Award for his expertise on Citizen Kane in 1941. His work on the 1939 version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame played no small part in the movie's legendary status - it's certainly among my favourite horror-ish dramas of all time.

Wise then went on to direct dozens of notable films from the mid-40's until 2000, among them many of my faves of all time: Curse of the Cat People, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Run Silent Run Deep, The Haunting, and The Andromeda Strain. The Day the Earth Stood Still to this day remains a classic of science fiction, a prime example of restrained tension and superb storytelling, all thanks to Wise's expert direction. The same goes for those other movies, especially The Haunting - a quiet yet chilling ghost story - and Run Silent, Run Deep - a nerve-wracking submarine war thriller. 

The Body Snatcher was an atmospheric horror tale about a doctor who coerced a pair of grave-robbers to bring him fresh specimens for his experimental work. Naturally, the morbid subject matter works for me, and with big names of that era (this was from 1945) like Karloff and Lugosi, it simply could not fail. Wise's deft touch was instrumental in the movie's success.

A departure from the ghoulish brought Robert Wise to the WWII adventure The Desert Rats, a very fun flick that I really enjoyed. And I'd sure like to revisit it sometime, to bask again in the gritty realism of James Mason and Richard Burton's performances. 

Yup, you all know this one...

Though Wise was not afraid to dabble in genres such as noir, war, westerns, science fiction, fantasy, and horror, he also turned out memorable and entertaining musicals and dramas that appealed to more mainstream audiences. Few people besides film buffs could tell you that Wise was responsible for legendary 60's movies like The Sound of Music, West Side Story, and The Sand Pebbles... all of which earned him many Academy Awards and Golden Globes, not to mention several more nominations. 

Unfortunately, Wise faced a bit of a flop with Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), which was poorly received upon release. As time passed, the movie gained a little more status among the Trekkie legions, yet it is inferior to most of its sequels. Hey, the title alone is a good indication of just how clunky this is. A neat story idea... just not executed with the best results. 

Star Trek aside, Wise enjoyed quite the prolific career, directing dozens of movies, many of which are considered influential and essential to the art form. 

Robert Wise is revered today as a master of cinema. I've long been a fan, both knowingly and unknowingly... hey, I loved Day the Earth Stood Still and Hunchback of Notre Dame when I was a kid, too young to even pay attention to the film credits. 

And... action!