Critical Essays  Altman, Robert (Vol. 116)   Robert Altman
1925–2006  American filmmaker.  The following entry presents an
overview of Altman's career through 1996. For further
information on his life and works, see CLC, Volume 16.  Robert
Altman enjoyed both critical acclaim and commercial success with
his film M∗A∗S∗H in 1970, but he is known more for his cult
following than for his box office smashes. His signature
techniques, including multiple voices, meandering plots, and
obscure themes, have garnered him critical acclaim for his
innovation, but have prevented him from gaining overwhelming
popular success.  Biographical Information  Altman was born
February 20, 1925, in Kansas City, Missouri, to German immigrant
parents. He attended several schools in the Kansas City area,
including Wentworth Military Academy, before entering the Air
Force to become a co-pilot of B-24 bombers. In the 1940s and
1950s Altman wrote several B-movie screenplays in Los Angeles
and then returned to Kansas City to direct docume