William Reynolds (film editor)

William H. Reynolds
Born
William Henry Reynolds

(1910-06-14)June 14, 1910
Elmira, New York, U.S.
DiedJuly 16, 1997(1997-07-16) (aged 87)
South Pasadena, California, U.S.
Alma materPrinceton University
OccupationFilm editor

William Henry Reynolds (June 14, 1910 – July 16, 1997) was an American film editor whose career spanned six decades. His credits include notable films such as The Sound of Music, The Godfather, The Sting, and The Turning Point. He also was associated with two box-office bombs, Ishtar and Heaven's Gate, which he was the executive producer.

Biography

Born in Elmira, New York, Reynolds began his career in 1934 as a member of the swing gang at 20th Century Fox. He became a protégé of film editor Robert Simpson, who brought him to Paramount Pictures as his assistant in 1936. The following year, he edited his first project, the musical film 52nd Street.[1] In 1942, he joined 20th Century Fox, where he remained for 28 years. It was there that he frequently collaborated with two notable directors. His wartime service put a temporary halt to his career. However, he did manage to sustain continuity by editing U.S. Army training films from 1942 to 1946.[2] For Robert Wise, he edited The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Sound of Music, The Sand Pebbles, Star!, and Two People. His work for Joshua Logan included Bus Stop, Fanny, and Ensign Pulver.[1]

Additional credits include Algiers; Come to the Stable; Beneath the 12-Mile Reef; Three Coins in the Fountain; Good Morning, Miss Dove; Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing; Carousel; Compulsion; Wild River; Taras Bulba; Hello, Dolly!; The Great White Hope; The Great Waldo Pepper; Nijinsky; Author! Author!; The Little Drummer Girl; Newsies; and the television adaptation of Gypsy.

Reynolds died of cancer in South Pasadena, California at the age of 87.[3]

Filmography

Editor
Year Film Director Notes
1937 52nd Street Harold Young
1938 Algiers John Cromwell First collaboration with John Cromwell
1941 So Ends Our Night Second collaboration with John Cromwell
1942 Moontide Archie Mayo
1947 Carnival in Costa Rica Gregory Ratoff
1948 You Were Meant for Me Lloyd Bacon First collaboration with Lloyd Bacon
Give My Regards to Broadway Second collaboration with Lloyd Bacon
The Street with No Name William Keighley
1949 Mother Is a Freshman Lloyd Bacon Third collaboration with Lloyd Bacon
Come to the Stable Henry Koster First collaboration with Henry Koster
1950 The Big Lift George Seaton
1951 Halls of Montezuma Lewis Milestone
The Frogmen Lloyd Bacon Fourth collaboration with Lloyd Bacon
Take Care of My Little Girl Jean Negulesco First collaboration with Jean Negulesco
The Day the Earth Stood Still Robert Wise First collaboration with Robert Wise
1952 Red Skies of Montana Joseph M. Newman First collaboration with Joseph M. Newman
The Outcasts of Poker Flat Second collaboration with Joseph M. Newman
1953 The Kid from Left Field Harmon Jones
Dangerous Crossing Joseph M. Newman Third collaboration with Joseph M. Newman
Beneath the 12-Mile Reef Robert D. Webb
1954 Three Coins in the Fountain Jean Negulesco Second collaboration with Jean Negulesco
Désirée Henry Koster Second collaboration with Henry Koster
1955 Daddy Long Legs Jean Negulesco Third collaboration with Jean Negulesco
Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing Henry King First collaboration with Henry King
Good Morning, Miss Dove Henry Koster Third collaboration with Henry Koster
1956 Carousel Henry King Second collaboration with Henry King
Bus Stop Joshua Logan First collaboration with Joshua Logan
1958 In Love and War Philip Dunne First collaboration with Philip Dunne
1959 Compulsion Richard Fleischer
Blue Denim Philip Dunne Second collaboration with Philip Dunne
Beloved Infidel Henry King Third collaboration with Henry King
1960 Wild River Elia Kazan
1961 Fanny Joshua Logan Second collaboration with Joshua Logan
1962 Tender Is the Night Henry King Fourth collaboration with Henry King
Taras Bulba J. Lee Thompson First collaboration with J. Lee Thompson
1963 Kings of the Sun Second collaboration with J. Lee Thompson
1964 Ensign Pulver Joshua Logan Third collaboration with Joshua Logan
1965 The Sound of Music Robert Wise Second collaboration with Robert Wise
1966 Our Man Flint Daniel Mann
The Sand Pebbles Robert Wise Third collaboration with Robert Wise
1968 Star! Fourth collaboration with Robert Wise
1969 Hello, Dolly! Gene Kelly
1970 The Great White Hope Martin Ritt
1971 What's the Matter with Helen? Curtis Harrington
1972 The Godfather Francis Ford Coppola
1973 Two People Robert Wise Fifth collaboration with Robert Wise
The Sting George Roy Hill First collaboration with George Roy Hill
1975 The Great Waldo Pepper Second collaboration with George Roy Hill
The Master Gunfighter Tom Laughlin
1977 The Turning Point Herbert Ross Second collaboration with Herbert Ross
1979 Old Boyfriends Joan Tewkesbury
A Little Romance George Roy Hill Third collaboration with George Roy Hill
1980 Nijinsky Herbert Ross Third collaboration with Herbert Ross
Heaven's Gate Michael Cimino
1982 Making Love Arthur Hiller First collaboration with Arthur Hiller
Author! Author! Second collaboration with Arthur Hiller
1983 Yellowbeard Mel Damski
1984 The Lonely Guy Arthur Hiller Third collaboration with Arthur Hiller
The Little Drummer Girl George Roy Hill Fourth collaboration with George Roy Hill
1986 Pirates Roman Polanski
1987 Ishtar Elaine May
Dancers Herbert Ross Fourth collaboration with Herbert Ross
1988 A New Life Alan Alda
1989 Rooftops Robert Wise Sixth collaboration with Robert Wise
1990 Taking Care of Business Arthur Hiller Fourth collaboration with Arthur Hiller
1992 Newsies Kenny Ortega
1996 Carpool Arthur Hiller Fifth collaboration with Arthur Hiller
Editorial department
Year Film Director Role Notes Other notes
1935 The Gay Deception William Wyler Apprentice editor
Uncredited
1936 Her Master's Voice Joseph Santley Assistant editor
Big Brown Eyes Raoul Walsh First collaboration with Raoul Walsh
Palm Springs Aubrey Scotto
Spendthrift Raoul Walsh Second collaboration with Raoul Walsh
1976 The Seven-Per-Cent Solution Herbert Ross Supervising editor First collaboration with Herbert Ross
Producer
Year Film Director Credit
1957 Time Limit Karl Malden Producer
Production manager
Year Film Director Role
1980 Heaven's Gate Michael Cimino Executive in charge of post-production
Documentaries
Editor
Year Film Director Notes
1946 Let There Be Light John Huston
Uncredited
TV movies
Editor
Year Film Director
1975 The Entertainer Donald Wrye
1993 Gypsy Emile Ardolino

Awards and listings

Reynolds was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing seven times and won for The Sound of Music and The Sting. He received the American Cinema Editors Career Achievement Award in 1991.

In 2012, the Motion Picture Editors Guild published a list of the best-edited films of all time. Two films edited by Reynolds appeared on the list. The Godfather was ranked sixth and The Sound of Music was sixty-fourth.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Gallagher, John A. (2000). "William H. Reynolds". In Pendergast, Tom; Pendergast, Sara (eds.). International Dictionary of Film and Filmmakers. Vol. 4. St. James Press. ISBN 978-1-55862-449-8.
  2. ^ William Reynolds Dies at 87; Oscar Winner for Film Editing. The New York Times via Internet Archive. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  3. ^ Pace, Eric (July 22, 1997). "William Reynolds Dies at 87; Oscar Winner for Film Editing". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 7, 2010. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  4. ^ "The 75 Best Edited Films". Editors Guild Magazine. 1 (3). May 2012. Archived from the original on March 17, 2015. Retrieved March 25, 2024.