ROTTEN TOMATOES: Hollywood Giant Robert Wise Passes Away at 91

Hollywood Giant Robert Wise Passes Away at 91

by Scott Weinberg | September 15, 2005

Discuss Article | Blog Article | Email To A Friend

Master filmmaker and 4-time Oscar winner Robert Wise has died at the age of 91. Probably best known as the director of films like "The Sound of Music," "West Side Story," and "The Haunting," Mr. Wise was also the editor of Orson Welles' "The Magnificent Ambersons" and "Citizen Kane."

Wise's four Oscars were awarded for "The Sound of Music" and "West Side Story" (best director & best picture on both), but he was also nominated for editing "Citizen Kane," directing "I Want to Live!" in 1958, and producing "The Sand Pebbles" in 1966. Recipient of the 1967 Irving J. Thalberg Memorial Award, Mr. Wise also directed films as varied as "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951), "Executive Suite" (1954), "Run Silent Run Deep" (1948), "The Andromeda Strain" (1971), "The Hindenburg" (1975), "Audrey Rose" (1977), and "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (1979).

The Director's Guild of America awarded Mr. Wise their highest honor, the D.W. Griffith Award, in 1988. He also served as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and the DGA.

Related Items

Celeb:	Robert Wise
	Orson Welles
Movie:	West Side Story
	Star Trek: The Motion Picture
	The Sound of Music
	The Sand Pebbles
	Run Silent, Run Deep
	The Magnificent Ambersons
	I Want to Live!
	The Hindenburg
	The Haunting
	Executive Suite
	Day the Earth Stood Still
	Citizen Kane
	Audrey Rose
	The Andromeda Strain

(1-6 of 6 posts) | Reply

admira_thrawn writes:
on Sep 15 2005 08:44 AM

R.I.P

(Reply to this)

skletonkee writes:
on Sep 15 2005 06:36 PM

[b]a legend...[/b]
West Side Story is the best musical, period!!

(Reply to this)

vic40186 writes:
on Sep 15 2005 08:04 PM

[b]Great sense of direction[/b]
It's sad because he was a good director. He's not my favorite but he directed many remarkable pieces, the best: The Sound of Music.

(Reply to this)

ABKman18 writes:
on Sep 15 2005 09:06 PM

NO, his best film was The Day The Earth Stood Still. It is one of the most earnest and powerful achievements in Science-fiction filmmaking ever. I would have to second The Haunting as right up there as well. Just a great director and not always spoken for. He really was just a great genre-jumping filmmaker--and what a class act as well! He really could conquer anything and pull it off extremely well. Should be mentioned with the likes of Billy Wilder and Howard Hawks as one of the best hollywood ever offered.

(Reply to this)

skletonkee writes:
on Sep 16 2005 06:56 PM

[b]diversity[/b]
What fascinates me is how diverse his catalog is.....To have two musicals that can be argued as the best of all times..to have great sci-fi films (cult and mainstream) showed how great his craft was..

and it amazes me that critics fault his not having his own "visual style"....the art of storytelling doesnt need a visual style..it just needs to be good.

(Reply to this)

skletonkee writes:
on Sep 21 2005 06:36 AM

[b]zelwigged out gets 9 responces?[/b]
and poor wise gets six? (three of which are mine?)..

errr...

(Reply to this)