Gene Milford

Summary

Arthur Eugene Milford (January 19, 1902 – December 23, 1991) was an American film and television editor with about one hundred feature film credits. Among his most noted films are Lost Horizon (directed by Frank Capra - 1937), On the Waterfront (directed by Elia Kazan - 1954), A Face in the Crowd (Kazan - 1957), and Wait Until Dark (directed by Terence Young - 1967).[1]

Gene Milford
Born
Arthur Eugene Milford

(1902-01-19)January 19, 1902
Lamar, Colorado, United States
DiedDecember 23, 1991(1991-12-23) (aged 89)
Santa Monica, California, United States
Occupation(s)Film and television editor
Years active1926–1979
Known forOne hundred feature film credits
Notable workLost Horizon - 1937
On the Waterfront - 1954
A Face in the Crowd - 1957
Wait Until Dark - 1967
AwardsAcademy Award for Best Film Editing for Lost Horizon

Milford won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for Lost Horizon (with Gene Havlick) and for On the Waterfront; he was also nominated for an Academy Award for One Night of Love (directed by Victor Schertzinger - 1934). He had been elected to the American Cinema Editors, and he and Barbara McLean received its inaugural Career Achievement Awards in 1988.

Partial filmography edit

 
Marlon Brando and Eva Marie Saint in the trailer for the 1954 film On the Waterfront, for which Milford won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing

References edit

  1. ^ Honan, William H. (January 7, 1992). "Arthur Milford, 89, Film Editor, Is Dead; Winner of 2 Oscars". The New York Times.

Further reading edit

  • Braudy, Leo (2005). On the Waterfront. British Film Institute Classics. Vol. 78. Macmillan. p. 34. ISBN 9781844570720. Of course, all traditional narrative films try to make the cuts invisible and create the illusion of a continuous space. But here particularly that illusion is connected to the ethos of a community, the illusory comfort of D 'n D and the embrace of the group. An appreciation of the editing of this film, which is possibly the most influential film that Milford edited.
  • Gallagher, John A. (2000). "Ralph Rosenblum". In Pendergast, Tom; Pendergast, Sara (eds.). International Dictionary of Film and Filmmakers, Edition 4. St. James Press. ISBN 978-1-55862-449-8. OCLC 44818539. After cutting a short-lived TV series, The Search, Rosenblum and Sid Katz set up their own editorial service, and were joined by veteran editor Gene Milford, for years the chief editor at Columbia Pictures. Their company, MKR films, became quite successful cutting spots, promotionals, industrials and corporate films, TV pilots, and the acclaimed TV series Omnibus and the popular Guy Lombardo Show. It was truly a wonderful training ground, and Rosenblum was frequently called upon to transform a shapeless mass of footage into a coherent whole.
  • LoBrutto, Vincent (2012). "On the Waterfront (1954)". The Art of Motion Picture Editing: An Essential Guide to Methods, Principles, Processes, and Terminology. Skyhorse Publishing Inc. p. 112. ISBN 9781581158816. Milford had to understand the changing role of acting in American film. After a career of cutting more conventional actors, and a more mannered Hollywood style of performance, the editor working with Kazan learned how to apply the right editing strategy to sustain and capture the method style of On the Waterfront. LoBrutto discusses the editing of On the Waterfront in terms of the transition between styles of acting, with the earlier style reflecting the persona of the actor, and the successor "method" style reflecting an interpretation of the character.
  • McBride, Joseph (2011). Frank Capra: The Catastrophe of Success. Univ. Press of Mississippi. p. 362. ISBN 9781604738384. Discussion of the editing of Lost Horizon. The preview of the film's first cut to an audience in Santa Barbara had been a disaster, and subsequent cuts were very different.
  • Piper, Jim (2001). Get the Picture?: The Movie Lover's Guide to Watching Movies. Skyhorse Publishing. p. 63. ISBN 9781581150810. Piper uses a scene from On the Waterfront to illustrate editing technique. During a speech to stevedores by the local catholic priest, Milford intercut the reactions of listeners with shots of the priest himself.

External links edit

  • Gene Milford at IMDb