Robert D. Webb: Difference between revisions

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King asked him to work as second unit director, and so Webb did that on King's ''[[Margie (film)|Margie]]'' (1946), ''[[Captain from Castile]]'' (1947), and ''[[Prince of Foxes (film)|Prince of Foxes]]'' (1949), the latter two being expensive epics. Webb did second unit for [[Fritz Lang]] on ''[[American Guerrilla in the Philippines]]'' (1950) and [[Lloyd Bacon]] on ''[[The Frogmen]]'' (1951) before being reunited with King on ''[[David and Bathsheba (film)|David and Bathsheba]]'' (1951). He worked with [[Henry Hathaway]] on ''[[The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel]]'' (1951), [[Joseph M Newman]] on ''[[Red Skies of Montana]]'' (1952), and [[Jean Negulesco]] on ''[[Lydia Bailey]]'' (1952) and ''[[Lure of the Wilderness]]'' (1952). He did some uncredited directing on ''[[Way of a Gaucho]]'' (1952).
King asked him to work as second unit director, and so Webb did that on King's ''[[Margie (film)|Margie]]'' (1946), ''[[Captain from Castile]]'' (1947), and ''[[Prince of Foxes (film)|Prince of Foxes]]'' (1949), the latter two being expensive epics. Webb did second unit for [[Fritz Lang]] on ''[[American Guerrilla in the Philippines]]'' (1950) and [[Lloyd Bacon]] on ''[[The Frogmen]]'' (1951) before being reunited with King on ''[[David and Bathsheba (film)|David and Bathsheba]]'' (1951). He worked with [[Henry Hathaway]] on ''[[The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel]]'' (1951), [[Joseph M Newman]] on ''[[Red Skies of Montana]]'' (1952), and [[Jean Negulesco]] on ''[[Lydia Bailey]]'' (1952) and ''[[Lure of the Wilderness]]'' (1952). He did some uncredited directing on ''[[Way of a Gaucho]]'' (1952).
===Director===
===Director===
Fox allowed Webb to return to directing with ''[[The Glory Brigade]]'' (1953). He then directed ''[[Beneath the 12-Mile Reef]]'' (1953) which became a big hit by being the third movie shot in CinemaScope.
Fox allowed Webb to return to directing with ''[[The Glory Brigade]]'' (1953), a World War Two film with [[Victor Mature]].

He then directed the treasure hunting film ''[[Beneath the 12-Mile Reef]]'' (1953), with [[Robert Wagner]], which became a big hit by being the third movie shot in CinemaScope. This was followed by ''[[Seven Cities of Gold (film)|Seven Cities of Gold]]'' (1955), a historical adventure film with [[Richard Egan]]; ''[[White Feather (film)|White Feather]]'' (1955), a Western with Wagner, Jeffrey Hunter and [[Debra Paget]]<ref>FOX TO RELEASE 'WHITE FEATHER': Last of 10 Movies Made by Panoramic Is a Western to Be Directed by Webb
By THOMAS M. PRYORSpecial to The New York Times.. 05 June 1954: 11. </ref> ; ''[[The Proud Ones]]'' (1956), a Western with Hunter and Robert Ryan; and ''[[On the Threshold of Space]]'' (1956), a science fiction film with Guy Madison.

Webb directed [[Elvis Presley]]'s first film, ''[[Love Me Tender (film)|Love Me Tender]]'' (1956), a Western where Presley was billed after Egan and Paget. It became a huge hit.

Webb directed ''[[The Way to the Gold]]'' (1957), a Western with Hunter. He did an episode of ''[[Rawhide (TV series)|Rawhide]]'' then was hired by [[Alan Ladd]] to do a Western for Ladd's own company, ''[[Guns of the Timberland]]'' (1960) the first dramatic movie for singer [[Frankie Avalon]].

Webb directed a swashbuckler for [[Sam Katzman]] at Fox, ''[[Pirates of Tortuga]]'' (1961) and did a low budget woman in prison film, ''[[Seven Women from Hell]]'' (1961).
===Second Unit Directing===
Webb returned to second unit directing with ''[[A Gathering of Eagles]]'' (1963) fro [[Delbert Mann]]. He did ''[[Captain Newman, M.D.]]'' (1963) for David Miller then directed an episode of ''[[Temple Houston (TV series)|Temple Houston]]'' starring Hunter, before returning to second unit with ''[[The Agony and the Ecstasy (film)|The Agony and the Ecstasy]]'' (1965) and ''[[Assault on a Queen]]'' (1966).
===Final Films===
Webb returned to directing with two films shot for Fox in South Africa, both remakes of old Fox films: ''[[The Jackals]]'' (1967) and ''[[The Cape Town Affair]]'' (1967).


==Selected filmography==
==Selected filmography==

Revision as of 23:28, 7 January 2019

Robert D. Webb
Born(1903-01-08)January 8, 1903
Clay City, Kentucky
DiedApril 18, 1990(1990-04-18) (aged 87)
Newport Beach, California
NationalityAmerican
OccupationFilm director
Years active1936-1970
SpouseBarbara McLean (1951–1990)

Robert D. Webb (January 8, 1903 – April 18, 1990) was an Academy Award–winning film director. He directed 16 films between 1945 and 1968.

He won an Oscar for Best Assistant Director for In Old Chicago, the last time that category was offered.[1]

Biography

Webb was born in Kentucky.

Assistant Director

Webb went to work at 20th Century Fox as an assistant director. One of his earliest credits was The Country Doctor (1936), directed by Henry King with whom Webb would become strongly associated.

He was assistant director on Sins of Man (1936), directed by Otto Brower, then five films in a row with King: Ramona (1936), Lloyd's of London (1936), Seventh Heaven (1937), Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938) and In Old Chicago (1938). These were the studio's most prestigious projects.

After Just Around the Corner (1938) with Irving Cummings he went back to working for King on Jesse James (1939), Stanley and Livingstone (1939), Little Old New York (1940), Maryland (1940) and Chad Hanna (1940).

Webb assisted Robert Mamoulian in Blood and Sand (1941) and Henry Hathaway on Ten Gentlemen from West Point (1942), and worked with King on A Yank in the R.A.F. (1941), The Black Swan (1942), and The Song of Bernadette (1943).

Early Features as Director

Webb wanted to direct and the studio gave him a short, No Escape (1943). It was sufficiently well received that they entursted him with two low budget features, The Caribbean Mystery (1945) and The Spider (1945).

Second Unit

King asked him to work as second unit director, and so Webb did that on King's Margie (1946), Captain from Castile (1947), and Prince of Foxes (1949), the latter two being expensive epics. Webb did second unit for Fritz Lang on American Guerrilla in the Philippines (1950) and Lloyd Bacon on The Frogmen (1951) before being reunited with King on David and Bathsheba (1951). He worked with Henry Hathaway on The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951), Joseph M Newman on Red Skies of Montana (1952), and Jean Negulesco on Lydia Bailey (1952) and Lure of the Wilderness (1952). He did some uncredited directing on Way of a Gaucho (1952).

Director

Fox allowed Webb to return to directing with The Glory Brigade (1953), a World War Two film with Victor Mature.

He then directed the treasure hunting film Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953), with Robert Wagner, which became a big hit by being the third movie shot in CinemaScope. This was followed by Seven Cities of Gold (1955), a historical adventure film with Richard Egan; White Feather (1955), a Western with Wagner, Jeffrey Hunter and Debra Paget[2] ; The Proud Ones (1956), a Western with Hunter and Robert Ryan; and On the Threshold of Space (1956), a science fiction film with Guy Madison.

Webb directed Elvis Presley's first film, Love Me Tender (1956), a Western where Presley was billed after Egan and Paget. It became a huge hit.

Webb directed The Way to the Gold (1957), a Western with Hunter. He did an episode of Rawhide then was hired by Alan Ladd to do a Western for Ladd's own company, Guns of the Timberland (1960) the first dramatic movie for singer Frankie Avalon.

Webb directed a swashbuckler for Sam Katzman at Fox, Pirates of Tortuga (1961) and did a low budget woman in prison film, Seven Women from Hell (1961).

Second Unit Directing

Webb returned to second unit directing with A Gathering of Eagles (1963) fro Delbert Mann. He did Captain Newman, M.D. (1963) for David Miller then directed an episode of Temple Houston starring Hunter, before returning to second unit with The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965) and Assault on a Queen (1966).

Final Films

Webb returned to directing with two films shot for Fox in South Africa, both remakes of old Fox films: The Jackals (1967) and The Cape Town Affair (1967).

Selected filmography

References

  1. ^ Robert D. Webb; Oscar Winner as Assistant Film Director: [Home Edition] Los Angeles Times 22 June 1990: 26.
  2. ^ FOX TO RELEASE 'WHITE FEATHER': Last of 10 Movies Made by Panoramic Is a Western to Be Directed by Webb By THOMAS M. PRYORSpecial to The New York Times.. 05 June 1954: 11.
  3. ^ "The 10th Academy Awards (1938) Nominees and Winners". Oscars.org (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences). Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved August 9, 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ ALAN LADD FILM NAMES DIRECTOR: Robert Webb Is Signed for 'Guns of Timberland' -- Columbia Adds Writers Special to The New York Times. New York Times 24 Mar 1959: 45.

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