Film directorFilm producerFilm editorAmerican

Mark Robson (film director)

Mark Robson was a Canadian-American film director, producer, and editor who significantly contributed to Hollywood cinema from the 1940s to the 1970s, helming 34 films and earning Academy Award nominations.

1. Early life and education

Mark Robson was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on December 4, 1913. He received his early education at Roslyn Elementary School and Westmount High School in Montreal. Later, he pursued higher education in the United States, studying at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Pacific Coast University School of Law. Robson began his professional career in the film industry by working in the prop department at 20th Century Fox studios. He then moved to RKO Pictures, where he commenced his training as a film editor, laying the groundwork for his extensive career in Hollywood.

2. Career

Mark Robson's 45-year career in filmmaking spanned various crucial roles, beginning as a film editor, progressing through influential collaborations, and culminating in his prominent work as a director and producer.

2.1. Editor

Robson's initial phase in Hollywood was primarily as a film editor. In 1940, he served as an assistant to Robert Wise on the editing of Citizen Kane, the groundbreaking film debut of Orson Welles. He and Wise continued their collaboration, editing Welles' subsequent film, The Magnificent Ambersons (1942). During this project, they made significant cuts to the film's ending, a decision Welles strongly disagreed with. Robson was then promoted to a full editor for The Falcon's Brother (1942), an RKO B-picture. He also edited Journey into Fear (1943), a film produced by Orson Welles' company, with the editing process again proceeding without Welles' direct involvement.

2.2. Work with Val Lewton

A pivotal period in Robson's early career involved his collaboration with producer and screenwriter Val Lewton at RKO Pictures. Both Robson and Robert Wise greatly benefited from Lewton's supervision of a series of low-budget horror films that would later achieve legendary status. Robson served as editor for Lewton's first horror film, Cat People (1942), directed by Jacques Tourneur. He went on to edit two more of Lewton's films, both also directed by Tourneur: I Walked with a Zombie (1943) and The Leopard Man (1943).

Impressed by Robson's work, Lewton promoted him to director for The Seventh Victim (1943). The positive reception of this film led Robson to direct another Lewton production, The Ghost Ship (1943). Lewton also provided Robert Wise with his first directing opportunity on The Curse of the Cat People (1944). Lewton's desire to expand beyond the horror genre led RKO to allow him to produce Youth Runs Wild (1944), a story about juvenile delinquency, which Robson directed. However, this film did not achieve commercial success. More popular was Isle of the Dead (1945), starring Boris Karloff. Lewton, Karloff, and Robson reunited for Bedlam (1946), which unfortunately lost money at the box office and marked Lewton's final horror movie production.

2.3. Director

Robson's success at RKO led to opportunities to work on major film projects outside the studio. In 1949, he received a Directors Guild of America Award nomination for his direction of the film noir Champion, produced by Stanley Kramer. Robson directed another film for Kramer, Home of the Brave (1949), which was one of the pioneering films to address the sensitive issue of racism in the United States.

Following these projects, Robson directed Roughshod (1949), a Western, for RKO, and My Foolish Heart (1949), a melodrama produced by Samuel Goldwyn. Goldwyn continued to work with Robson on Edge of Doom (1950) and I Want You (1951). However, Robson later described his period working with Goldwyn as "one of the worst periods of my career."

At Universal, Robson directed Bright Victory (1951). He briefly partnered with Val Lewton and Robert Wise for film and television production, though Lewton, who was ailing, was dropped from the partnership without explanation after a few months. Robson and Wise went on to produce Return to Paradise (1953), starring Gary Cooper. For Warwick Films, Robson directed Alan Ladd in Hell Below Zero (1954). He then directed the comedy Phffft (1954) at Columbia Pictures. One of the biggest hits of his career came with The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954), which earned him another DGA nomination. Warwick Films again enlisted him to direct A Prize of Gold (1955). He moved to MGM to direct Trial (1955). His boxing film, The Harder They Fall (1956), was based on a novel by Budd Schulberg.

The Little Hut (1957), also for MGM, was a significant box office success. Even more successful was Peyton Place (1957), produced for 20th Century Fox, for which Robson received his first Academy Award for Best Director nomination. He earned a second Academy Award nomination the following year for directing Ingrid Bergman in The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958). For these two films, he also received his third and fourth Directors Guild of America nominations.

On set of Valley of the Dolls (1967), from left to right: Patty Duke, Mark Robson, Lee Grant, David Weisbart (producer), Jacqueline Susann (author), and Barbara Parkins.
On set of Valley of the Dolls (1967), from left to right: Patty Duke, Mark Robson, Lee Grant, David Weisbart (producer), Jacqueline Susann (author), and Barbara Parkins.

2.4. Producer

Beyond his directorial duties, Mark Robson also took on significant roles as a film producer. He produced and directed From the Terrace (1960), which starred Paul Newman. He also served as a producer for The Inspector (1962) and both produced and directed Nine Hours to Rama (1963). After completing Nine Hours to Rama, Robson concluded his five-year association with 20th Century Fox.

Robson and Newman collaborated again on The Prize (1963) for MGM, which was a hit. Another success was Von Ryan's Express (1965), starring Frank Sinatra, which brought Robson back to Fox. He produced and directed Lost Command (1966), a film about the French Foreign Legion. In 1967, he directed and produced Valley of the Dolls, a film that, despite being panned by critics, became a commercial success. His later films, including Daddy's Gone A-Hunting (1969), Happy Birthday, Wanda June (1971), Earthquake (1974), and Avalanche Express (1979), also saw him take on both directing and producing credits.

2.5. Later films

In the later stages of his career, Mark Robson directed a series of films that experienced varied commercial success. Daddy's Gone A-Hunting (1969), Happy Birthday, Wanda June (1971), and Limbo (1972) were commercially disappointing. However, in 1974, he directed Earthquake, a disaster film notable for introducing the innovative sound system known as "Sensurround", which enhanced the cinematic experience by adding powerful, low-frequency sounds. His final film, Avalanche Express, was released posthumously.

3. Personal life

Mark Robson was married to Sarah Naomi Riskind starting in 1936. Their marriage lasted until his death in 1978. The couple had three children. Robson is interred in Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.

4. Awards and recognition

Mark Robson received significant recognition for his contributions to the film industry throughout his career.

  • He was nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Director:
    • For Peyton Place (1957)
    • For The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958)
  • He received four nominations for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing in Feature Films.
  • Two of his films were nominated for the prestigious Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
  • In 1960, Mark Robson was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his achievements in the motion picture industry. His star is located at 1722 Vine Street.

5. Death

Mark Robson died on June 20, 1978, at the age of 64, in London, England. His death was caused by a heart attack. He had completed his final film, Avalanche Express, shortly before his passing. The film was subsequently released a year after his death, in 1979.

6. Filmography

Mark Robson's extensive filmography showcases his versatility across various roles in cinematic productions.

6.1. Editor

  • Citizen Kane (1941, assistant editor, uncredited)
  • The Magnificent Ambersons (1942, assistant editor, uncredited)
  • Mail Trouble (1942)
  • The Falcon's Brother (1942)
  • Cat People (1942)
  • Journey into Fear (1943)
  • I Walked with a Zombie (1943)
  • The Leopard Man (1943)

6.2. Director

  • The Seventh Victim (1943)
  • The Ghost Ship (1943)
  • Youth Runs Wild (1944)
  • Isle of the Dead (1945)
  • Bedlam (1946, also screenwriter)
  • Champion (1949)
  • Roughshod (1949)
  • Home of the Brave (1949)
  • My Foolish Heart (1949)
  • Edge of Doom (1950)
  • Bright Victory (1951)
  • I Want You (1951)
  • Return to Paradise (1953, also producer)
  • Hell Below Zero (1954)
  • Phffft (1954)
  • The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1955)
  • A Prize of Gold (1955)
  • Trial (1955)
  • The Harder They Fall (1956)
  • The Little Hut (1957, also producer)
  • Peyton Place (1957)
  • The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958)
  • From the Terrace (1960, also producer)
  • The Inspector (1962, producer only)
  • Nine Hours to Rama (1963, also producer)
  • The Prize (1963)
  • Von Ryan's Express (1965)
  • Lost Command (1966, also producer)
  • Valley of the Dolls (1967, also producer)
  • Daddy's Gone A-Hunting (1969, also producer)
  • Happy Birthday, Wanda June (1971, also producer)
  • Limbo (1972)
  • Earthquake (1974, also producer)
  • Avalanche Express (1979, also producer)