RIP Robert Wise

Posted by: The Dude

Nobody ever likes to eulogize. That's not my intention with this, really, but I would like to draw attention to the passing of one of the greatest filmmakers, Robert Wise.

Robert Wise has directed numerous film, the most well known being The Day The Earth Stood Still, The Haunting (the original, not the crappy Jan DeBont remake), West Side Story, The Sound of Music, The Andromeda Strain, and Star Trek The Motion Picture. Each of these films stand apart as greats of the genre. Most sci-fi lists place The Day The Earth Stood Still as the best sci-fi film. The Sound of Music was the top grosser of the year. West Side Story is still great, and the choreography can clearly be seen paid homage to in Michael Jackson's Thriller video, amongst many other films. The Haunting is still considered a horror classic. The man made solid films, and knew his craft. (My favorite of his films is The Sand Pebbles, a Steve McQueen film with a great soundtrack. Thanks to my old mentor Miguel for introducing this film to me).

Wise began his career as an editor on none other than Citizen Kane. Working again with Orson Welles, he edited The Magnificent Ambersons, and then re-edited it to meet RKO's specifications behind Welle's back. This led to a rift between the two men, but it didn't stop Wise from rising to director, with his first film The Curse of the Cat People. (co-director, actually, but still). Robert Wise directed 9 actors to Oscar nominated performances, with three of them (Rita Moreno, Susan Hayward, and George Chakiris won the coveted award). Wise himself won for best director twice, for West Side Story (which he shared with Jerome Robbins) and The Sound of Music.

Wise was president of the Director's Guild of America in the 1970s and was president of the MPAA in the late 1980s. He was also the last surviving crew member of Citizen Kane until Thursday morning. Robert Wise died of heart failure at the age of 91.

His films will live on, as films often do. I would recommend catching a few of them this weekend in memory of the man. It's not heavily MTV edited, and it takes time in establishing story and character, something missing from a vast majority of films today. Truly one of the greatest talents Hollywood has seen, even if he never gets the credit. Celebrate a great director and a great man. Godspeed Robert Wise, you will be missed.

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