Editing Robert M. Young

''¡Alambrista!'' was the first of eight films Young made with actor [[w:Edward James Olmos|Edward James Olmos]]: ''[[w:The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (film)|The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez]]'' (1982), ''Saving Grace'' (1986), ''[[w:Triumph of the Spirit|Triumph of the Spirit]]'' (1989), ''Talent for the Game'' (1991), ''[[w:Roosters (1993 film)|Roosters]]'' (1993), the television film ''Slave of Dreams'' (1995), and ''[[w:Caught (1996 film)|Caught]]'' (1996).<ref group="external" name="thr_young_obit_olmos_eight_films">{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/robert-m-young-dead-extremities-dominick-eugene-1235823595/#:~:text=The%20two%20then%20reteamed%20for%20The%20Ballad%20of%20Gregorio%20Cortez|title=Robert M. Young, 'Extremities' and 'Dominick and Eugene' Director, Dies at 99|author=Barnes, Mike|publisher=The Hollywood Reporter|date=February 13, 2024|accessdate=22 May 2026}}</ref> Olmos later described the directorial philosophy he learned from Young: "I always brought the aesthetic I brought from Bob. The aesthetic was simple. You don't romanticize. You don't glamorize. You don't exploit. You don't manipulate."<ref group="commentary" name="criterion_olmos_aesthetic_quote">{{cite web|url=https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/8385-the-independent-spirit-of-robert-m-young#:~:text=I%20always%20brought%20the%20aesthetic%20I%20brought%20from%20Bob.%20The%20aesthetic%20was%20simple.%20You%20don%27t%20romanticize|title=The Independent Spirit of Robert M. Young|author=Hudson, David|publisher=The Criterion Collection|date=February 2024|accessdate=22 May 2026}}</ref> Young also produced Olmos's directorial debut, ''[[w:American Me|American Me]]'' (1992).<ref group="external" name="thr_young_obit_american_me_producer">{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/robert-m-young-dead-extremities-dominick-eugene-1235823595/#:~:text=He%20also%20produced%20Olmos%27%20directorial%20debut%2C%20American%20Me|title=Robert M. Young, 'Extremities' and 'Dominick and Eugene' Director, Dies at 99|author=Barnes, Mike|publisher=The Hollywood Reporter|date=February 13, 2024|accessdate=22 May 2026}}</ref>

Young directed five episodes of the [[Re-imagined Series]] across four seasons between 2004 and 2009.<ref group="external" name="imdb_young_bsg_five_episodes">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0950005/#:~:text=Battlestar%20Galactica|title=Robert M. Young|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=22 May 2026}}</ref> Executive producer [[Ronald D. Moore]] attributed Young's casting to his documentary background. On the podcast for "[[Final Cut]]", Moore explained: "Robert Young, who directed this episode and also directed last year's 'Six Degrees of Separation', is a noted documentarian. Has done many feature films and many actual documentaries in his day and will tell you fascinating stories about being with the Eskimos and living with them and doing all sorts of wild, crazy things — and it felt like a natural fit to have Robert do this, 'cause he understood what a documentarian was looking for and how the scene would be staged."<ref group="production" name="moore_podcast_final_cut_young_hire">{{cite podcast|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Podcast:Final_Cut#:~:text=Robert%20Young%2C%20who%20directed%20this%20episode%20and%20also%20directed%20last%20year%27s%20%22Six%20Degrees%20of%20Separation%22%20is%20a%20noted%20documentarian|title=Podcast: Final Cut|publisher=BattlestarWiki / Ronald D. Moore|date=2005}}</ref>

For "[[Final Cut]]", Moore and Young agreed the episode should be shot in genuine documentary style, with a working cameraman rather than an actor operating the in-universe camera. Young held auditions, filming cameramen and actors handling a camera in live scenes and screening the results with Moore, before casting a working cameraman in the part.<ref group="production" name="moore_podcast_final_cut_cameraman_auditions">{{cite podcast|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Podcast:Final_Cut#:~:text=Bob%20Young%20did%20tests-%20he%20got%20a%20bunch%20of%20ca-%20actors%20and%20cameramen%20and%20had%20them%20audition%20with%20the%20camera|title=Podcast: Final Cut|publisher=BattlestarWiki / Ronald D. Moore|date=2005}}</ref>

For "[[Unfinished Business]]", Moore recalled visiting the hangar deck set during production: "I remember coming down to the set when Bob was shooting this — and walking to the hangar deck and really hoping that I was gonna feel like I'd walked into a boxing match. And when I walked in there it was just like — it felt so perfect. And the way everybody was hanging out around the boxing set — felt authentic." Moore described Young as "a remarkable human being and just an amazing man," adding that he had "really put 'em on the map, in a certain way."<ref group="production" name="moore_podcast_unfinished_business_young_hangar">{{cite podcast|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Podcast:Unfinished_Business#:~:text=I%20remember%20coming%20down%20to%20the%20set%20when%20Bob%20was%20shooting%20this|title=Podcast: Unfinished Business|publisher=BattlestarWiki / Ronald D. Moore|date=2006}}</ref> [[w:Edward James Olmos|Edward James Olmos]], who had worked with Young on eight feature films, cited "Unfinished Business" as one of his most memorable episodes: "The reason I liked this one so much was because, one I got to work with Robert Young, who I have admired and love to watch him work, with actors."<ref group="production" name="olmos_ejo_unfinished_business_scifiworld">{{cite web|url=https://www.thescifiworld.net/interviews/bodie_olmos_01.htm#:~:text=My%20most%20memorable%2C%20was%20probably%2C%20Unfinished%20Business|title=Bodie Olmos interview — Hot Dog Battlestar Galactica|author=Nuytens, Gilles|publisher=The Scifi World|date=January 20, 2007|accessdate=22 May 2026}}</ref>

For "[[The Son Also Rises]]", Young objected to the cat written into the role of defense attorney [[Romo Lampkin]], pressing Moore repeatedly to cut the animal from the script. Moore's wife Terry noted on the podcast that one should never shoot with a cat; Moore kept the cat regardless.<ref group="production" name="moore_podcast_son_also_rises_cat">{{cite podcast|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Podcast:The_Son_Also_Rises#:~:text=Bob%20Young%2C%20who%20directed%20this%20episode%2C%20however%2C%20hated%20the%20cat|title=Podcast: The Son Also Rises|publisher=BattlestarWiki / Ronald D. Moore|date=2007}}</ref>

For "[[Deadlock]]", Moore noted that the director's cut needed very little adjustment: "Bob Young directed this episode and he has just a natural feel for where the drama in the scene is. He shoots everything from the psychological standpoint — meaning, going to where the emotion is and where the intention is of a scene or a character — and you can just feel, as we go through it, it's pretty much a seamless piece."<ref group="production" name="moore_podcast_deadlock_young_instincts">{{cite podcast|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Podcast:Deadlock#:~:text=Bob%20Young%20directed%20this%20episode%20and%20he%20has-%20just%20a%20natural%20feel%20for%20where%20the%20drama%20in%20the%20scene%20is|title=Podcast: Deadlock|publisher=BattlestarWiki / Ronald D. Moore|date=2009}}</ref>

Young was born in the Bronx and raised on [[w:Long Island|Long Island]].<ref group="external" name="thr_young_obit_bronx_long_island">{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/robert-m-young-dead-extremities-dominick-eugene-1235823595/#:~:text=Robert%20Milton%20Young%20was%20born%20in%20the%20Bronx%20on%20Nov.%2022%2C%201924%2C%20and%20raised%20on%20Long%20Island|title=Robert M. Young, 'Extremities' and 'Dominick and Eugene' Director, Dies at 99|author=Barnes, Mike|publisher=The Hollywood Reporter|date=February 13, 2024|accessdate=22 May 2026}}</ref> He was married to Lili Partridge from 1975 until his death.<ref group="external" name="imdb_young_spouse_lili">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0950005/#:~:text=Lili%20Partridge|title=Robert M. Young|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=22 May 2026}}</ref> His son Andrew Young is also a filmmaker. On his father's death, Andrew stated that Young had given him his first camera and his first job on a film set, describing him as "a rebel in the industry who made the films he dreamed of and lived the life he wanted, whether it was trekking through the Congo, swimming with sharks or plumbing the depths of the human experience."<ref group="external" name="thr_young_obit_andrew_statement">{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/robert-m-young-dead-extremities-dominick-eugene-1235823595/#:~:text=%22He%20gave%20me%20my%20first%20camera%2C%20my%20first%20job%20on%20set%2C%20and%20inspired%20me%20to%20go%20out%20and%20tell%20my%20own%20stories%22|title=Robert M. Young, 'Extremities' and 'Dominick and Eugene' Director, Dies at 99|author=Barnes, Mike|publisher=The Hollywood Reporter|date=February 13, 2024|accessdate=22 May 2026}}</ref> His younger brother, [[w:Irwin Young|Irwin Young]], who produced ''Nothing But a Man'' and ''¡Alambrista!'' and ran DuArt Film Laboratories, died in 2022.<ref group="external" name="thr_young_obit_irwin_brother">{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/robert-m-young-dead-extremities-dominick-eugene-1235823595/#:~:text=His%20younger%20brother%2C%20Irwin%20Young%2C%20who%20produced%20Nothing%20but%20a%20Man%20and%20Alambrista%21%2C%20died%20in%202022|title=Robert M. Young, 'Extremities' and 'Dominick and Eugene' Director, Dies at 99|author=Barnes, Mike|publisher=The Hollywood Reporter|date=February 13, 2024|accessdate=22 May 2026}}</ref>