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 melodramas and film noirs. He served as President of the Director Guild of America.
Robert Aldrich came from a wealthy and influential family. He went to university in Virginia, but dropped out, moved to California and obtained a low level job at RKO. This led to his falling out with his family and being disinherited. He worked as assistant director on a number of films including Charlie Chaplain’s Limelight. Unable to get a directing job in films, he directed a number of television episodes. This led to him directing his first feature film at MGM, Big Leaguer. Whilst his second film, World for Ransom, was not a big success it got him noticed in the industry, which led to him directing Apache, which was unusual for the time being a western that was sympathetic to native Americans. Vera Cruz was a very influential western that influenced other directors like Sergio Leone and Sam Peckinpah. It was also noted for using actor that were older and later in their careers. On the back of this success he he created his own studio, The Associates and Aldrich. The first film to come out of it was the film noir Kiss Me Deadly, with Ralph Meeker playing the violent and sadistic Mike Hammer. The scene where the box they are looking for is opened and a light glows from it has been used by other directors in later films. The Angry Hills was another war film, but was made in Greece. Like many of his films, he was interested in the motives of the characters as much as the plot and action. The Last Sunset was a move back to a violent Mexican western, but with complex relationships between the characters. He followed this with What Ever Happened To Baby Jane featuring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford as bickering aging stars. This reinvigorated the careers of him and the two stars in what had disturbing characters and in places almost a horror movie. Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte was in a way the follow up to Baby Jane and was originally to feature Joan Crawford. But tensions were such that she was replaced by Olivia de Haviland. this film is partly about what can you trust, what is real and what is imagined which Aldrich helped by using some surreal lighting. The Flight Of The Phoenix is another film using more veteran actors and is about how all the different characters have to work together to survive. The Dirty Dozen had a mix of action and humour and is another film that has influenced many subsequent directors. The Longest Yard is a sports film , but set in a prison as the prisoners take on the guards in an American football game. His final major film was the comedy western, The Frisco Kid.
