Biography
A one-time child actor for
John Ford, Robert Parrish returned as a bit player and later assistant editor and sound editor under Ford in the '30s, and worked under Ford during his time in the navy during World War II, as an editor on several documentaries. He shared an Oscar in 1947 for his editing of the drama
Body and Soul, and moved into directing in 1951 with the fascinating film noir
Cry Danger. Other highlights of his career include
The Wonderful Country (1959),
Up from the Beach (1965), a sort-of sequel to
The Longest Day, and
Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969), a fascinating and underrated science-fiction film. Since the mid '60s, he has worked largely in Europe and in the '80s turned toward the documentary field. His final film
Mississippi Blues (1983), which he made in conjunction with
Bertrand Tavernier, ranks among his most notable entries from this period. In Hollywood from the mid-'teens until his death in 1995, Parrish possessed a unique perspective on Hollywood history, and among his colleagues he was renowned for telling fascinating stories and anecdotes, many of which he put into two books, Growing Up in Hollywood and Hollywood Doesn't Live Here Anymore. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide