The 1966 war film The Sand Pebbles, based on the 1962 novel of the same name by author Richard McKenna, was a passion project that director Robert Wise had wanted to do almost immediately after the novel was published. However, the film companies were reluctant to finance it. Eventually it did find financing though principal photography didn't begin for over a year because its production required extensive location scouting and pre-production work, as well as being monsoon-affected in Taipei (During this delay Wise directed The Sound of Music as a "fill-in" project at the insistence of the film company). The film would go on to be a massive success both critically and commercially. And Wise was so proud of this movie that he held yearly parties with surviving cast members to celebrate it. I'd say he earned it. Stay tuned!
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