Robert Gist

Robert Marion Gist October 1 1917 May 21 1998 was an American actor and film director Gist was reared around the stockyards of Chicago Illinois during the Great Depression Reform schoolbound after injuring another boy in a fistfight Gist instead ended up at Chicagos Hull House a settlement house originally established by social worker Jane Addams There he first became interested in acting Work in Chicago radio was followed by stage acting roles in Chicago and on Broadway in the longrunning Harvey with Josephine Hullcitation needed While acting in Harvey he made his motion picture debut in 20th CenturyFoxs Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street 1947 Gist was also seen on Broadway in director Charles Laughtons The Caine Mutiny Court Martial 1954 with Henry Fonda and John Hodiak While shooting Operation Petticoat 1959 Gist told director Blake Edwards that he was interested in directing Edwards later hired Gist to helm episodes of the TV series Peter Gunn Gist also directed episodes of TV shows Naked City The Twilight Zone Route 66 and many others