Robert Wise was an American movie director and producer, best known for "West Side Story" and "The Sound of Music", as well as his early career at RKO Pictures, wherein he infamously re-edited and directed a scene in Orson Welles' "The Magnificent Ambersons". This collection comprises primarily film files of twenty-six completed as well as proposed projects including "The Sound of Music", "West Side Story", and "The Haunting". It also contains awards and ephemera, correspondence, personal papers and publications, and leather-bound scripts of thirty titles.

Robert Wise, born September 10, 1914, was an American movie director and producer, best known for such works as "West Side Story", "The Sound of Music", and "The Haunting". Wise grew up in Connersville, Indiana and went to school at Franklin College for journalism. After the Great Depression impacted his education, Wise left for Hollywood in 1933, where he began working at RKO Pictures in the film-shipping room. Wise moved up in rank, working as an assistant editor in the fields of sound, music, and special effects. By 1939, Wise had earned the title of editor on such films as "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "My Favorite Wife" and gained an Academy Award nomination for his work on "Citizen Kane". Wise also re-edited and directed a scene in the 1942 film "The Magnificent Ambersons" after RKO took over creative control from Orson Welles. Wise's official directing debut came in 1944 as a replacement director on "The Curse of the Cat People". Wise's last film for RKO was 1949's "The Set-Up".

69.65 Linear Feet 55 boxes

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