Robert Fuest

Robert Fuest (30 September 1927 – 21 March 2012) was an English film director, screenwriter, and production designer who worked mostly in the horror, fantasy and suspense genres.

Robert Fuest
Born(1927-09-30)30 September 1927
London
Died21 March 2012(2012-03-21) (aged 84)
OccupationFilm director, screenwriter, production designer

Biography

Born in London, Fuest served his national service in post-war Germany with the Royal Air Force, air-lifting coal over the Berlin Wall, after which he attended Wimbledon and Hornsey Schools of Art. For a time he lectured at Southampton College of Art. Fuest also spent time as a drummer in a warm-up band for Chris Barber and George Melly.

In the early sixties he designed sets for a variety of different TV programmes, including ITV Play of the Week and Armchair Theatre. It was whilst working on the first season of the new spy series The Avengers for director Peter Hammond that Fuest developed the directing bug. Fuest later admitted (on a DVD commentary for the Avengers episode "Game") that Hammond's visual style proved a major influence, and opened him up to the stylistic possibilities of film and TV.[1]

In 1965, he contributed material to the Peter Cook and Dudley Moore comedy sketch show Not Only... But Also.

His first film was Just Like a Woman made in 1967, starring Wendy Craig. He also wrote it. His work on this film brought him to the attention of Avengers producer Albert Fennell, who offered him the chance to direct episodes. He directed seven episodes in total: "My Wildest Dream", "Game", "They Keep Killing Steed", "The Rotters", "Take Me to Your Leader", "Pandora" and "Take Over". When the series was later revived as The New Avengers, Fuest was invited back to direct two more episodes, namely "The Midas Touch" and "The Tale of the Big Why".

In further television work, Fuest handled productions on both sides of the Atlantic, including Revenge of the Stepford Wives, ABC Weekend Special, ABC Afterschool Specials, The Doombolt Chase, C.A.T.S. Eyes and Worlds Beyond.

Fuest's most highly praised and popular films, which feature strong black comedy elements, include cult favorites The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971), Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972) (which he co-wrote), and The Final Programme (also known as The Last Days of Man on Earth; 1973). In addition to directing The Final Programme, he also wrote the screenplay and designed the sets.

His other films include And Soon the Darkness (1970), a suspense thriller that received considerable critical acclaim but little commercial success, written by Avengers writers Brian Clemens and Terry Nation, and The Devil's Rain (1975), a horror film shot in Mexico. The latter movie received such scathing reviews[2] it may arguably have killed off his once promising career,[3] as Fuest immediately thereafter found himself relegated to directing fairly anonymous television work. His only subsequent theatrical release was Aphrodite (1982), a softcore sex movie filmed in Greece.

During his retirement, he focused on his passion for painting (he had exhibited at the Royal Academy since 1951) and also lectured at the London International Film School.

Selected filmography

References
  1. The Avengers - Series 6, Episode "Game", Optimum releasing, DVD Commentary 2010
  2. "The Devil's Rain". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 15 July 2007.
  3. Fuest, Robert. The Devil's Rain DVD, Dark Sky, 2006, audio commentary.

Bibliography
  • Gerosa, Mario (2010). Robert Fuest e l'abominevole Dottor Phibes. Alessandria: Edizioni Falsopiano. ISBN 978-88-89782-13-2.
  • Humphreys, Justin, with contributions by Mark Ferelli, Sam Irvin, and David Taylor (2018). The Dr. Phibes Companion. Albany, Georgia: BearManor Media. ISBN 978-1-62933-293-2.
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