Robert Aldrich was a producer and director of films from the 1950's through to the early 1980's. He started his career at RKO and was second Assistant DIrector and Assistant Director on a variety of films in the 1940's and early 1950's before directing his first film Big Leaguer in 1953. During his career he worked for several of the major Hollywood studies as well as Hammer Films and later in his career he had his own production company and studio. He is noted for his meodramasa dn film noirs. He served as President of the DIrector Guild of America.