Program Notes
Program Notes: The Sand Pebbles (1966)
Robert Wise wasn’t a “personal” filmmaker. Instead, he was a journeyman director who brought insight and competence to almost every genre. But if there is a truly personal film on his resume, it is The Sand Pebbles.
Program Notes: I Want to Live! (1958)
I Want to Live! (1958) is the heavily fictionalized story of Barbara Graham's unhappy life and dramatic death. It's another example of director Robert Wise’s skill in tackling noirish subject matter.
Program Notes: Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)
When your resume features two of the most beloved movie musicals of all time (West Side Story, The Sound of Music) you can excuse the public for thinking of you as a director of musicals. But Robert Wise excelled at many genres. Especially film noir.
Program Notes: Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
Not knowing what we really want is very much the subject of Vicky Cristina Barcelona, by many accounts Woody Allen’s best film in a decade. This comedy is sexy, thoughtful, occasionally fiery and almost always amusing.
Program Notes: Tribute to a Bad Man (1956)
Robert Wise’s Tribute to a Bad Man (1956) rests firmly in the tradition of psychological Westerns. James Cagney stars as Jeremy Rodock, a man who has what his ranch hands call “hanging sickness”... he’s obsessed with stringing up his enemies.
