Robert Fuest

Who was Robert Fuest?

Robert Fuest was an English film director, screenwriter, and production designer who worked mostly in the horror, fantasy and suspense genres.

Born in London, he served a period of time in post-war Germany with the Royal Air Force in National Service 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 all the stylistic possibilities of film and TV.

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. Not only did he direct the film but he also wrote it. It was due to this film that he came to the attention of The Avengers producer Albert Fennell who offered him the chance to direct episodes. He would go on to direct seven episodes in total, including 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 episode, namely The Midas Touch and The Tale of The Big Why.