Kicking off our fifth season are the films of Robert Wise, arguably the most important director of the sixties – that is if you’re going by box office profits. Despite the musical genre not being one he ever associated with before this decade, Wise almost single-handedly shaped the evolution of the Hollywood Musical. Previously known for his noirs and a few notable sci-fi and horror films, by the 1960s he became the director for two of the biggest movie musicals of all time.

In this episode, Bart and Jenna cover these two Best Picture-winning films along with several other notable films that he made this decade – a couple of which are a highly prized by film lovers as his two mega-blockbusters. Though widely regarded as a gifted director with many beloved classics to his name, it’s hard to put a finger on any distinct personality or trademarks he brings to his uniformly solid but varied films. Bart and Jenna attempt to pinpoint what, if anything, makes a film identifiably “Wisean” – a tought feat when you’re trying to link up The Sound of Music with a depressingly realistic, toxic love and divorce drama.

The following films are discussed:• West Side Story (1961) Directed by Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins Starring Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Rita Moreno

• Two for the Seesaw (1962) Directed by Robert Wise Starring Robert Mitchum, Shirley MacLaine, Edmon Ryan

• The Haunting (1963) Directed by Robert Wise Starring Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Russ Tamblyn

• The Sound of Music (1965) Directed by Robert Wise Starring Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Eleanor Parker

• The Sand Pebbles (1966) Directed by Robert Wise Starring Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough, Mako

• Star! (1968) Directed by Robert Wise Starring Julie Andrews, Richard Crenna, Michael Craig