Robert Aldrich was a renowned American film director, writer, and producer, notable for his work on films such as Kiss Me Deadly, The Big Knife, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, and The Dirty Dozen.
Born in Cranston, Rhode Island, Aldrich was the son of Lora Lawson and newspaper publisher Edward Burgess Aldrich. His grandfather was U.S. Senator Nelson W. Aldrich, and he was a cousin of Nelson Rockefeller. He studied economics at the University of Virginia before dropping out in 1941 to work at RKO Radio Pictures for $50 a week.
Aldrich quickly rose through the ranks of film production, working as an assistant director for renowned directors such as Jean Renoir, Abraham Polonsky, Robert Rossen, Joseph Losey, and Charlie Chaplin on the film Limelight. He transitioned to television direction in the 1950s and directed his first feature film, Big Leaguer, in 1953.
Throughout the 1950s, Aldrich directed a range of films, including action movies like Apache and Vera Cruz, as well as films noir like Kiss Me Deadly. He gained recognition as an auteur filmmaker, depicting his liberal humanist thematic vision in many genres, including Attack, a WWII infantry combat film.
In the 1960s, Aldrich directed several commercially successful films, including the gothic horror stories What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? and Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte. He also directed the controversial The Killing of Sister George and the popular war film The Dirty Dozen.
The success of The Dirty Dozen allowed Aldrich to establish his own production studio, but he eventually returned to working on conventionally commercial Hollywood films. Nevertheless, his humanist themes continued to emerge in films like The Longest Yard and Ulzana's Raid.
Aldrich was married to Harriet Foster from 1941 until their divorce in 1965, and they had four children, all of whom work in the film industry. Aldrich died of kidney failure on December 5, 1983, in a Los Angeles hospital.
Film critic John Patterson summarized Aldrich's career, describing him as a "punchy, caustic, macho and pessimistic director" who depicted corruption and evil unflinchingly and pushed limits on violence throughout his career.
