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H O M E P A G E
JANE'S MOVIE WORLD:
JANE'S MUSIC WORLD:
MUSIC TRIBUTES: JANE'S ART WORLD: |
Established 1999
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Robert Wise is a
director who lets the story lead the movie, rather than his own personality. Many
films that I have enjoyed over the years and that have become part of our culture were
directed by him and yet, I am sure, many average moviegoers do not know his name.
This is despite the fact that he has directed a wide range of films, including war
stories, westerns, musicals, and science fiction, all with great taste and finesse and
some Oscar wins.
He started at RKO at 19 and became a protege of a the head sound effects editor. He began his career as a film editor with such major film as "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Citizen Kane". "The Curse of the Cat People" began his directing career. During the 50's his career blossomed with films such as "The Day the Earth Stood Still", "The Desert Rats", "Somebody Up There Likes Me", and "I Want to Live". His fine touch on the movie versions of "West Side Story" and "The Sound of Music" won him directing Oscars. One of my favorite is the original filming of "The Haunting" a truly classic ghost story. He has served in the past as a president of both the Directors Guild of America and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Shelley Winters describes him in her biography, "Shelley II: The Middle of My Century" as "an extraordinary director" and as "quite an elegant gentlemen." The liner notes for the movie, "Run Silent, Run Deep" gives another tribute to Wise:
An on the set occurrence showed that Gable held his director in equally high regard. When the set-up for a difficult shot involving cascading water took an entire afternoon to complete, Wise asked Gable's assistants to inquire if the star would stay after five o'clock to complete the shot, Gable agreed. 'I've never seen him do that before, no matter who,' said one of the assistants.
This is a tribute to a classy man who films have stood the test of time. He passed in 2005, but his movies will live on. The following list doesn't include all his movies, but some of the ones that I have personally enjoyed.
RECOMMENDED FILMS directed by Robert Wise: |
| The Curse of the Cat People - A wonderfully haunting film about a mysterious little girl and her strange visions. |
| The Day the Earth Stood Still - Klaatu brada nikto - Unforgettable film about a visitor from space and his warning message for all of us. |
| The Desert Rats - Fine World War II story of the battles in North Africa. |
| So Big - A warm film based on a Edna Ferber story of pioneers. |
| Executive Suite - Large cast of stars high light story of a company's power struggle. |
| Somebody Up There Likes Me - Wonder performance by Paul Newman as Rocky Graziano's rise from the streets to boxing champ. |
| Until They Sail - Soap opera of New Zealand sisters romantic involvement with soldiers during World War II |
| Run Silent Run Deep - World War II submarine tale of conflict between an older and younger officer ably played by Clark Cable and Burt Lancaster. |
| I Want to Live - Susan Hayward won an Oscar for her performance of the party girl who was executed for murder. |
| West Side Story - The classic Broadway hit telling of "Romeo and Juliet" set in the streets of New York, became an Oscar-winning film. Despite the casting of non-singers in the title roles, it is unforgettable due to the energy of the dance numbers and the classic Bernstein-Sondheim score. |
| The Haunting - A ghost story that proves that what we can imagine is always more scary than reality. (Please don't confuse with the recent lame remake done in color.) |
| The Sound of Music - What can I say? - Rogers and Hammerstein songs, Nazis, love story, cute kids who sing, Julie Andrews, and glorious Technicolor - it has it all! One of the most beloved musicals of all times. |
| The Sand Pebbles - Steve McQueen gives a great performance as a sailor on a U.S. gunboat in 1920's China with parallels to Viet Nam. It is an overlooked, but very solid movie with a memorable supporting performance by Richard Crenna as the boat's captain. |
| The Andromeda Strain - Sci Fi story of scientists battling a virus from outer space. |
| The Hindenberg - One of the lesser of the 1970's disaster movies, but has a good cast including George C. Scott and is, of course, based on the actual disaster and incorporates some of the actual footage of the event. |
| Audrey Rose - Anthony Hopkins plays a tortured man who believes that a couple's daughter is the reincarnation of his lost child. His performance is a precursor to the performances we have come to know from him. |
| Star Trek: The Movie - I am including this film not because I believe it was such a total success in itself, but it did spawn the new series of Star Trek movies that we fans have come to love. |