He specialized in robust action pictures, particularly westerns. He excelled at bringing to life tautly written stories about tough characters facing difficult circumstances. Conversely, just as often, he failed to redeem poorly written material, turning out an equally inadequate picture. Throughout his career he regularly alternated hits (such as Last Train from Gun Hill (1959), The Magnificent Seven (1960), The Great Escape (1963), The Eagle Has Landed (1976)) with misses (such as The Old Man and the Sea (1958), Onteerd (1961), A Girl Named Tamiko (1962), De whisky karavaan (1965)). He has also been criticized for his lack of stylistic trademarks, though his best films remain exciting to watch.
