Born in Montréal, Québec, Canada; educated at UCLA (political science and economics) and Pacific Coast University (law). Entered films in 1932 as a property boy at Fox and later worked as an assistant at the studio's art department. He joined RKO in 1935 and worked for that studio in various capacities, eventually becoming an editor. He collaborated with Robert Wise on the editing of Orson Welles' CITIZEN KANE (1941) but did not receive screen credit for his work. With Wise again, he co-edited Welles' THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS (1942) and was solo editor on JOURNEY INTO FEAR (1942). After cutting CAT PEOPLE (1942) for Val Lewton, he was entrusted with the direction of five of the producer's horror thrillers (THE SEVENTH VICTIM and GHOST SHIP, both 1943; YOUTH RUNS WILD, 1944; ISLE OF THE DEAD, 1945; and BEDLAM, 1946). He later worked for various producers and studios in a variety of genres and styles, demonstrating technical proficiency and directorial skill but no particular personal taste or point of view. Among his more successful productions in the post-Lewton period were the boxing dramas CHAMPION (1949) and THE HARDER THEY FALL (1956) and the racial drama HOME OF THE BRAVE (1949). Among his commercial hits were PEYTON PLACE (1957) and EARTHQUAKE (1974). Some of his later films included NINE HOURS TO RAMA and THE PRIZE (both 1963), VON RYAN'S EXPRESS (1965), LOST COMMAND (1966), VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (1967), DADDY'S GONE A-HUNTING (1969), HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WANDA JUNE (1971) and LIMBO (1972). Beginning in the late 1950s, Robson produced several of his own films. In 1971 he formed a production corporation, The Filmmakers Group, with Robert Wise and Bernard Donnenfeld. In 1974 they formed a partnership, the Tripar Group, in place of the corporation. In June of 1978 Robson collapsed of a heart attack while completing the film AVALANCHE EXPRESS (1979) on location in northern Italy. He died 10 days later in a London hospital.  Nominated for Directing 1957: PEYTON PLACE  Nominated for Directing 1958: THE INN OF THE SIXTH HAPPINESS 2 nominations