"The Sound of Music" wins 5 Academy Awards 1966

Robert Wise's musical classic The Sound of Music was nominated for ten Academy Awards and won five at the annual ceremony held April 18, 1966.  Doctor Zhivago, another successful movie, was also nominated for ten Oscars and won five.

The Sound of Music won Best Picture (Robert Wise, producer) and Best Directing for Robert Wise, beating Doctor Zhivago.  It won Best Music (Scoring of Music-Adaption or Treatment) for Irwin Kostal. It won Best Sound for James Corcoran and Fred Hynes, and Best Film Editing for William Reynolds.

Julie Andrews was nominated for Best Actress, but Christopher Plummer did not receive a nomination for his work. Neither did Omar Sharif. Hmmm.... Peggy Wood was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Mother Abbess.  The Sound of Music was nominated for Best Art Direction (Color) for Boris Leven, Walter Scott and Ruby Levitt.  It was nominated for Best Cinematography (Color) for Ted McCord, and Best Costume Design (Color) for Dorothy Jenkins.  

One of my favorite comedies The Great Race was nominated for five Oscars and won Best Sound Effects for Treg Brown.

Maggie Smith received her first Academy Award nomination.  She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her work as Desdemona in Othello. 

"The Day the Earth Stood Still" wins Golden Globe 1952

One of the most beloved and iconic science-fiction movies of all time, The Day the Earth Stood Still, released in 1951 barely got a nod from the Golden Globe awards ceremony held February 21, 1952.  Many great movies were released that year but few of them have had the staying power of Robert Wise's masterpiece.

It won a Golden Globe for Promoting International Understanding.  Huh?  That's not a category any more.  It received a nomination for Best Music, Original Score for Bernard Herrmann, but lost to September Affair. Herrmann's music is eerie and perfect for an alien encounter.  

The Day the Earth Stood Still was selected for preservation in the Library of Congress' National Film Registry in 1995. 

"The Andromeda Strain" released 1971

Michael Crichton's best-selling novel The Andromeda Strain was brought to the big screen by director Robert Wise March 12, 1971.  It starred Arthur Hill, David Wayne, James Olson and Kate Reid. 

It was nominated for 2 Oscars: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration; Best Film Editing.

"The Day The Earth Stood Still" premieres 1951

Director Robert Wise's science-fiction classic The Day the Earth Stood Still was released September 18, 1951.  It starred a relatively unknown Michael Rennie and Patricia Neal. Although it was not a roaring success when released, it has become a classic, one of the best movies ever made says the New York Times. 

It won a Golden Globe in 1952 for Best Film Promoting International Understanding.  In 1995, it was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry as "culturally, historical, or aesthetically significant".

It is ranked #82 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills, the fifth best science-fiction film, 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains (for Klaatu in the heroes category), and 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes for "Gort! Klaatu barada nikto!".

Star Trek episode "Balance of Terror" airs 1966

The fourteenth episode of the first season of the original Star Trek series, Balance of Terror, aired December 15, 1966.  The episode is a classic since it introduced audiences to a new race: Romulans.  It also was the first appearance of Mark Lenard, who went on to play Sarek, Spock's father and a Klingon in Star Trek: The Motion Picture.  That makes him the first actor to play three major aliens: Romulan, Vulcan and Klingon.

The plot was inspired by two WWII-era submarine movies: The Enemy Below and Run Silent, Run Deep.  Robert Wise directed Run Silent, Run Deep and Star Trek: The Motion Picture.