Dorothy Spencer (born 2 February 1909) in Covington, Kentucky, United States, was the multiple Academy Award-nominated American film editor most recognized for editing several of director John Ford's films such as what film critic Roger Ebert calls, "Ford's greatest Western,"^[1]My Darling Clementine, as well as having edited Ford's Stagecoach (1939). She was married to actor Frank McHugh until his death in 1981; McHugh was a contract player at Warner Bros..^[2] February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Year 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area  Ranked 37th  - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Film editing. ... Look up director in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... John Ford (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973) was one of the most accomplished American film directors of the 1930s to 1960s, known particularly as a director of the Westerns, although his tributes to the veterans of World War II and Americana are also equally effective. ... Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films. ... Russ Meyer (left) and Roger Ebert, (1970) Roger Joseph Ebert (June 18, 1942 - ) is an Emmy Award-nominated American television personality, author, and film critic who began writing for the Chicago Sun-Times in 1967. ... i like western films The Western is an American genre in literature and film. ... My Darling Clementine is a 1946 western film which tells the story of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral between the Earp brothers and the Clanton gang. ... Stagecoach is a 1939 western film, starring Claire Trevor and John Wayne in his breakthrough role. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke while waiting between takes during location filming An actor or actress is a person who acts, or plays a role, in a dramatic production. ... Francis Curray McHugh (May 23, 1898 - September 11, 1981) was an American film and television actor. ... Warner Bros. ...

Long Career with Many "Auteur" Directors and Varied Genres

Dorothy Spencer also edited several of Alfred Hitchcock's films such as Foreign Correspondent (1940) and 1944's Lifeboat (featuring a particularly feisty and well-edited Tallulah Bankhead performance). Spencer also edited one of director Elia Kazan's better-known films, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945). During the 1970s, Spencer became the go-to-woman for editing the popular disaster films of the times, including probably the best film in this genre, 1974's Earthquake starring Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner and of course, disaster-film-staple, actor George Kennedy. Variety's 1974 review of the film touted, "... Earthquake is an excellent dramatic exploitation extravaganza, combining brilliant special effects with a multi-character plot line...". .^[3] Dorothy Spencer was nominated for an Oscar for Earthquake, which was her fourth nomination after editing what still reigns as the most expensive movie ever made, 1963's Cleopatra , and prior noms also included, Decision Before Dawn (1951) and the John Ford-directed, Stagecoach (1939). Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE (August 13, 1899 – April 29, 1980) was a highly influential film director and producer who pioneered many techniques in the suspense and thriller genres. ... Foreign Correspondent is a 1940 film which tells the story of an American reporter who becomes involved in espionage in England during the onset of World War II. It stars Joel McCrea, George Sanders, Laraine Day, Herbert Marshall, Albert Bassermann and Robert Benchley. ... Lifeboat is a 1944 World War II movie, directed by Alfred Hitchcock from a story written by John Steinbeck. ... Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (January 31, 1902 - December 12, 1968) was an American actress, talk-show host and bon vivant. ... Look up director in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Elia Kazan, (Greek Ηλίας Καζάν), (September 7, 1909 – September 28, 2003) was a Greek-American film and theatre director and producer. ... This article is about the 1945 film. ... A disaster film is a film that has an impending or ongoing disaster (e. ... Look up genre in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Earthquake is the title of a blockbuster 1974 film that was among several successful so-called disaster films of the 1970s that places an all-star cast in life and death situations. ... Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter on October 4, 1923) is an iconic Academy Award-winning American film actor, best known for playing larger-than-life heroic roles such as Moses in The Ten Commandments and Judah Ben-Hur in Ben-Hur. ... Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an American actress. ... George Kennedy George Kennedy (born February 18, 1925 in New York City, New York) is an actor who has appeared in over 200 film and television productions. ... The term exploitation may carry two distinct meanings: The act of utilizing something for any purpose. ... Special effects (abbreviated SPFX or SFX) are used in the film, television, and entertainment industry to create effects that cannot be achieved by normal means, such as depicting travel to other star systems. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... Earthquake is the title of a blockbuster 1974 film that was among several successful so-called disaster films of the 1970s that places an all-star cast in life and death situations. ... Cleopatra is a 1963 film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. ... Decision Before Dawn is a 1950 war film which tells the story of an American Army, looking for intelligence in the closing days of World War II, which has to rely on potentially unreliable German prisoners to gather information. ... John Ford (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973) was one of the most accomplished American film directors of the 1930s to 1960s, known particularly as a director of the Westerns, although his tributes to the veterans of World War II and Americana are also equally effective. ... Stagecoach is a 1939 western film, starring Claire Trevor and John Wayne in his breakthrough role. ...

One of the Top Female Film Editors

Variety's Eileen Kowalski notes that, "Indeed, many of the editorial greats have been women: Dede Allen, Verna Fields, Thelma Schoonmaker, Anne V. Coates and Dorothy Spencer."^[4] In 1989, Dorothy Spencer was awarded the prestigious ACE Eddie "Career Achievement Award" by the American Cinema Editors. Dede Allen (born Dorothea Carothers Allen, 3 December, 1925, in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American film editor. ... Verna Fields (21 March 1918 - 30 November 1982) was an American film editor and executive. ... Thelma Schoonmaker (born January 3, 1940) is a well-known film editor. ... Anne V. Coates (born 12 December 1925) is a Academy Award winning British film editor with a 40-year-plus career in film editing. ... Founded in 1950, American Cinema Editors (ACE) is an honorary society of film editors that are voted in based on the qualities of professional achievements, their education of others, and their dedication to editing itself. ...

Selected Filmography

• Stagecoach (1939)
• Foreign Correspondent (1940)
• Heaven Can Wait (1943)
• Lifeboat (1944)
• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)
• My Darling Clementine (1946)
• The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)
• Decision Before Dawn (1951)
• The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit (1956)
• Wild in the Country (1961)
• Cleopatra (1963)
• Circus World (1964)
• Valley of the Dolls (1967)
• A Guide for the Married Man (1967)
• Earthquake (1974)
• The Concorde: Airport '79 (1979)

Stagecoach is a 1939 western film, starring Claire Trevor and John Wayne in his breakthrough role. ... Foreign Correspondent is a 1940 film which tells the story of an American reporter who becomes involved in espionage in England during the onset of World War II. It stars Joel McCrea, George Sanders, Laraine Day, Herbert Marshall, Albert Bassermann and Robert Benchley. ... Heaven Can Wait Heaven Can Wait is a 1943 comedy film which tells the story of a man who has to prove he belongs in Hell by telling his life story. ... Lifeboat is a 1944 World War II movie, directed by Alfred Hitchcock from a story written by John Steinbeck. ... This article is about the 1945 film. ... My Darling Clementine is a 1946 western film which tells the story of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral between the Earp brothers and the Clanton gang. ... The Ghost and Mrs. ... Decision Before Dawn is a 1950 war film which tells the story of an American Army, looking for intelligence in the closing days of World War II, which has to rely on potentially unreliable German prisoners to gather information. ... DVD cover The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, by Sloan Wilson, is a novel about the American search for purpose in world dominated by business. ... Wild in the Country is a 1961 film drama starring Elvis Presley in which he portrays a troubled young man from a dysfunctional family who pursues a literary career. ... Cleopatra is a 1963 film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. ... For the defunct Florida theme park, see Circus World Circus World is a 1964 film directed by Henry Hathaway starring John Wayne and Rita Hayworth. ... Valley of the Dolls is the title of a best selling novel by Jacqueline Susann, published in 1966, and the Hollywood film which followed it in 1967. ... A Guide for the Married Man is a 1967 film starring Walter Matthau, Robert Morse, and Inger Stevens. ... Earthquake is the title of a blockbuster 1974 film that was among several successful so-called disaster films of the 1970s that places an all-star cast in life and death situations. ...

References