Mark Robson (December 4, 1913 – June 20, 1978) was a Canadian-born film director, producer and editor. Robson began his 45-year career in Hollywood as a film editor. He later began working as a director and producer. He directed thirty-four films during his career including The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1955), Peyton Place (1957), for which he earned his first Academy Award nomination, Von Ryan's Express (1965), and Valley of the Dolls (1967).Robson died of a heart attack after shooting his final film, Avalanche Express, in 1978. The film was released a year after his death.
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.
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Co-founded, with Robert Wise, Aspen Pictures, a film production company,.
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Died during post-production of his final film, Avalanche Express (1979).
$1.1 Million
