Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
'The Sound of Music' director dies
Robert Wise, director of classics like 'West Side Story' and 'The Sand Pebbles', has died of heart failure.
Sep 15 2005
Robert Wise, the Oscar-winning director of 'West Side Story' and 'The Sound of Music', died of heart failure at the UCLA Medical Centre on Wednesday. He was 91.
The Hollywood legend, who directed 39 films in a career that spanned over 50 years, was nominated for a total of seven Oscars in that time, winning on four occasions.
Starting out in the sound department at RKO, Wise made his name in editing, working on the Orson Welles classics 'Citizen Kane' and 'The Magnificent Ambersons'.
But it was as a director that his career really took flight, working in all manner of genres, from sci-fi ('The Day the Earth Stood Still') and horror ('The Haunting'), to war ('The Sand Pebbles') and sport ('Somebody Up There Likes Me').
Musicals brought Wise his greatest success however, with both 'West Side Story' and 'The Sound of Music' breaking box office records around the world and receiving 15 Oscars between them.
In later years, he also directed the first of the Star Trek films, 'Star Trek - The Motion Picture'.
A legend in the truest sense of the word, Wise was awarded a special Oscar for sustained achievement in 1966 and more recently received the Directors Guild of America's DW Griffith Award in 1988.
User comments on this story
-
- christine johnson said...
- Soundof Music is Robert Wise best film ever many thanks for a lovely film i have seen the film 100 times or more many thanks christine England London Posted on Jun 08 2009 23:41
- Report as inappropriate
-
- christine johnson said...
- usic his Robert Wise best film ever.many thanks for a lovely film which i have seen 100 times or more .many thanks christine England London Posted on Jun 08 2009 23:35
- Report as inappropriate
-
- William Hyun said...
- It's so sad that this dude had to die. but, he was old, so wutever Posted on Dec 02 2007 21:21
- Report as inappropriate
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Hippies who work for The Man
To celebrate George Clooney comedy 'The Men who Stare at Goats', we look back at six memorable onscreen hippies who fought the system from within
Roland Emmerich's guide to disaster movies
Ahead of the release of '2012', Roland Emmerich offers his ten tips on creating the perfect global catastrophe
Grant Heslov: interview
Grant Heslov, director of 'The Men who Stare at Goats' talks about his old pal George Clooney, his interest in the paranormal, and his fond memories of working on 'Happy Days'
The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'
Masters of contrary comedy, Joel and Ethan Coen have struck gold again with their latest, ‘A Serious Man’
Ten inspirations behind 'Avatar'?
Time Out ponders the influences behind James Cameron's anticipated space-opera on the basis of the trailer
Michael Jackson's This Is It: review
Kenny Ortega's posthumous concert film is a rousing eulogy for one of pop's great enigmas
Michael Haneke: The man behind the menace
From Cannes to Munich to London, Dave Calhoun tours Michael Haneke's Palme d'Or winner, 'The White Ribbon'
Lone Scherfig talks 'An Education'
Danish director Lone Scherfig was an unlikely choice for a very English affair like 'An Education'. Cath Clarke meets her
How Jane Campion brought John Keats back to life
Time Out gets Romantic with the ‘difficult’ New Zealander about her new film, 'Bright Star'
Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam
In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations












What do you think?
Post your comment now