Robert Wise has passed away
 

Not sure if something like this typically makes the Industry News on this board, but the man's body of work has been so substantial and the chance that he's somehow influenced many readers on this board somehow are probably so high I thought I'd mention it.

Here's the CNN article:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Movi....ap/index.html

Here's the IMDB link:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0936404/

What a significant passing, this makes me sad... he edited Citizen Kane, directed Sand Pebbles, Sound of Music, so many of my favorite classics. He was an important icon.

I just recently gave "The Sand Pebbles" to a friend of mine to help him pass the time in a hospital bed.

His career really spanned a lot of genres too. To scifi nerds he is best known for "The Day The Earth Stood Still" and "Star Trek: The Motion Picture".

Looking over his list of films gives you a - - "That's right, I'd forgotten he directed that one too" feeling. He was unique. A real artist and craftsman.

My favorites are "The Haunting" and "The Body Snatcher" -- that scene at the end where the doctor is driving the horse carriage and he imagines it's Karloff's corpse falling against him amidst the blinding lightning storm, that's great stuff.

No school like the old school.... good stuff. Rest in peace.

I had something of an indirect link through Mr. Wise, since I was a student of his long-time screenwriter Nelson Gidding (who also passed away recently). Bob Wise continued to be a mentor of many students at USC and I know from friends who worked with him that he was as giving a teacher as he was talented an artist.