Mark Robson was born in Montreal, Canada, on December 4, 1913. His parents were both British immigrants. His father, Harry, was a watchmaker, and his mother, Annie (née Pearce), was a dressmaker. He had two older sisters, Dorothy and Gladys. He attended West Hill High School and then went on to study at McGill University, where he graduated with a degree in electrical engineering.
Robson began his career in the film industry as an assistant editor at the National Film Board of Canada. He then moved to Hollywood, where he worked as an editor and assistant director on a number of films. In 1941, he made his directorial debut with the film noir The Devil Commands.
Robson’s other films include the war film Home of the Brave (1949), the thriller The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954), the disaster film Valley of the Dolls (1967), and the horror film The Amityville Horror (1979). He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director for Valley of the Dolls.
Robson died of a heart attack on June 30, 1991, at the age of 77.
Robson’s net worth at the time of his death was $5 million.
General Info
Full Name
Mark Robson
Date Of Birth
December 4, 1913
Died
June 20, 1978, London, United Kingdom
Place Of Birth
Montreal, Canada
Profession
Film director, Film producer, Film Editor
Education
University of California, Los AngelesPacific Coast University
Family
Spouse
Joséphine de La Baume
Accomplishments
Awards
Golden Globe Award for Best Film Promoting International Understanding
Nominations
Academy Award for Best Director, Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film
Movies
Valley of the Dolls, Von Ryan's Express, The Seventh Victim, The Bridges at Toko-Ri, Peyton Place, The Harder They Fall, Earthquake, Lost Command, The Prize, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, Isle of the Dead, From the Terrace, Bedlam, The Ghost Ship, Champion, Avalanche Express, Phffft, Hell Below Ze...
Contrary to what has been written elsewhere, his death occurred two days before the scheduled end of filming on "Avalanche Express"; these last days were under the direction of the film's cameraman, Jack Cardiff, a former director. Some people on the film claimed that Robson's heart condition (which he knew to be severe) had been aggravated by filming conditions - notably the heavy drinking by his two argumentative leading men, Lee Marvin and Robert Shaw - and that he had seemed uncharacteristically enervated during shooting. To make matters worse, Shaw then also died, with most of his dialogue needing to be post-synchronized.
2
Co-founded, with Robert Wise, Aspen Pictures, a film production company,.
3
Died during post-production of his final film, Avalanche Express (1979).
