Barry M. Malkin(October 26, 1938 – April 4, 2019) was an American film editor with about 30 film credits. He is noted for hisextended collaborationwith directorFrancis Ford Coppola,having edited most of Coppola's films from 1969 to 1997. In particular, Malkin worked with Coppola on four of the component and compilation films of theGodfathertrilogy,though he did not edit the first film,The Godfather.Film critic Roger Ebert called the first twoGodfatherfilms a "cultural bedrock".[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Barry Malkin
Born(1938-10-26)October 26, 1938
New York City, U.S.
DiedApril 4, 2019(2019-04-04)(aged 80)
OccupationEditor
Years active1964–2004
SpouseStephanie Byer Malkin

Early career

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Malkin worked as an apprentice to editorDede Allenon the filmAmerica America(directed byElia Kazan-1962), and became acquainted with editorAram Avakian,who was an occasional visitor.[4]Malkin became Avakian's assistant editor onLilith(directed byRobert Rossen-1964). Malkin got his first credits as a full editor onThe Patty Duke Show(TV) and on the "Z movie"The Fat Spy(1966). Francis Ford Coppola heard of Malkin from Avakian, who had edited Coppola's filmYou're a Big Boy Now(1966); it turned out that Malkin and Coppola had been acquainted as teenagers growing up in the sameQueensneighborhood. Coppola engaged Malkin to edit his fourth film as director,The Rain People(1969).[7][8]He worked as an associate editor on two additional films edited byRobert Q. Lovett:End of the Road(directed byAram Avakian-1970), andCotton Comes to Harlem(directed byOssie Davis-1970). Malkin was the editor for the 1973 film directed by Avakian,Cops and Robbers.

The Godfatherand the 1970s

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The Godfatherwas extremely successful artistically and at the box office; among other distinctions, it won theAcademy Award for Best Picturefor 1972. Production of a sequel,The Godfather Part II,started in 1973.William ReynoldsandPeter Zinnerhad editedThe Godfather,and been nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Film Editingfor their work. For the sequel, Malkin andRichard Marksjoined Zinner as co-editors.Godfather Part II,which was released in 1974 and enjoyed success comparable toThe Godfather,is noted for its intercutting between two storylines, one from Sicily in the early 20th century, and a second contemporary story that follows the first film's action. Long afterwards, the film was listed as the 22nd best-edited film of all time in a 2012 survey of members of theMotion Picture Editors Guild.[9]

Coppola subsequently asked Malkin to editThe Godfather Saga(1977), a television miniseries, that was based on the two films. The miniseries incorporated scenes that could not be included in the original versions, and replaced the complex intercutting between time periods of the original films with a more straightforward chronological ordering.[10]

Malkin was an additional editor forApocalypse Now(1979), and a supervising editor for the Coppola-produced filmHammett(directed byWim Wenders,1982). In this period, Malkin also editedFour Friends(1981), which was directed byArthur Penn.Dede Allenhad edited Penn's films sinceBonnie and Clyde(1967), but was unavailable for this film.[11]Stephen Princehas written of the contrast between them: "the difference an editor makes on a director's films is evident by comparing his more linear approach to Dede Allen's fractured and off-center cutting".[12]

1980s and 1990s

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During the 1980s Malkin edited six of Coppola's films, fromRumble Fish(1983) throughThe Godfather Part III(1990). He was joined by his former mentor Robert Q. Lovett forThe Cotton Club(1984), which garnered the two editors a nomination for theAcademy Award.[13]Malkin also edited the filmBig(1988) that was directed byPenny Marshall.By the end of the decade Coppola had agreed to makeThe Godfather Part III(1990), and brought in Malkin,Lisa Fruchtman,andWalter Murchto edit. Malkin and Murch then edited a compilation entitledThe Godfather Trilogy: 1901–1980that was released to video in 1992. The compilation included footage from the theatrically released versions of all three films as well as additional footage.[14]A 1993 review inTimereads, "This trilogy has a novelistic density, a rueful, unhurried lyricism and a depth that, singly, the films could not achieve. Altogether glorious."[15]

In the 1990s, in addition to his work with Coppola onJack(1996) andThe Rainmaker(1997), Malkin edited four films with directorAndrew Bergman.Their first film together,The Freshman(1992), is to some extent a comic "sendup" of the original 1972Godfatherfilm, including a part played byMarlon Brando.Malkin's last credit was forThe Big Bounce(2004), which was directed byGeorge Armitage.

Awards

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Malkin, Marks, and Zinner were nominated for theBAFTA Award for Best EditingforThe Godfather: Part II(1974). The film was listed as the 22nd best-edited film of all time in a 2012 survey of members of theMotion Picture Editors Guild.[9]He and Robert Q. Lovett were nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Film EditingforThe Cotton Club(directed by Francis Ford Coppola-1984). Malkin, Murch, and Fruchtman were nominated for the Academy Award for editingThe Godfather Part III(1990). Malkin was selected for membership in theAmerican Cinema Editors.[16]

Filmography (as editor)

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Filmography based on Oldham's book[4]and the Internet Movie Database.[5]

Editor
Year Film Director Notes
1964 Act of Reprisal
1966 The Fat Spy Joseph Cates
1969 The Rain People Francis Ford Coppola First collaboration with Francis Ford Coppola
1971 Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? Ulu Grosbard
1973 Cops and Robbers Aram Avakian Second collaboration with Aram Avakian
1974 The Godfather Part II Francis Ford Coppola Second collaboration with Francis Ford Coppola
1976 One Summer Love Gilbert Cates
1978 Somebody Killed Her Husband Lamont Johnson
1979 Last Embrace Jonathan Demme
1980 Windows Gordon Willis
One-Trick Pony Robert M. Young
1981 Four Friends Arthur Penn Second collaboration with Arthur Penn
1983 Rumble Fish Francis Ford Coppola Fourth collaboration with Francis Ford Coppola
1984 The Cotton Club Fifth collaboration with Francis Ford Coppola
1986 Peggy Sue Got Married Sixth collaboration with Francis Ford Coppola
1987 Gardens of Stone Seventh collaboration with Francis Ford Coppola
1988 Big Penny Marshall
1989 New York Stories Francis Ford Coppola "Life Without Zoë" segment
Eighth collaboration with Francis Ford Coppola
1990 The Freshman Andrew Bergman First collaboration with Andrew Bergman
The Godfather Part III Francis Ford Coppola Ninth collaboration with Francis Ford Coppola
1992 Honeymoon in Vegas Andrew Bergman Second collaboration with Andrew Bergman
1994 It Could Happen to You Third collaboration with Andrew Bergman
1996 Jack Francis Ford Coppola Tenth collaboration with Francis Ford Coppola
1997 The Rainmaker Eleventh collaboration with Francis Ford Coppola
2000 Isn't She Great Andrew Bergman Fourth collaboration with Andrew Bergman
Lucky Numbers Nora Ephron
2004 The Big Bounce George Armitage
Editorial department
Year Film Director Role Notes
1964 Lilith Robert Rossen Assistant editor
1970 End of the Road Aram Avakian Associate editor First collaboration with Aram Avakian
Cotton Comes to Harlem Ossie Davis
1979 Apocalypse Now Francis Ford Coppola Additional editor Tenth collaboration with Francis Ford Coppola
1982 Hammett Wim Wenders Supervising editor
1990 Meet the Applegates Michael Lehmann Editorial consultant
Additional crew
Year Film Director Role Notes Ref.
1970 Little Big Man Arthur Penn Opening and closing credits First collaboration with Arthur Penn [4]

Direct-to-video films

Editor
Year Film Director
1992 The Godfather Trilogy: 1901–1980 Francis Ford Coppola

TV movies

Editor
Year Film Director
1977 The Godfather Saga Francis Ford Coppola

TV series

Editor
Year Title Notes
1963 The Patty Duke Show 1 episode
1977 The Godfather Saga

References

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  1. ^Moreau, Jordan (April 5, 2019)."Barry Malkin, 'The Godfather: Part II' Editor, Dies at 80".Variety.
  2. ^Barnes, Mike (April 5, 2019)."Barry Malkin, Francis Ford Coppola's Film Editor and Two-Time Oscar Nominee, Dies at 80".The Hollywood Reporter.
  3. ^Malkin worked on thirteen films directed by Coppola in this period; see the filmography in this article. He did not work onThe Godfather(1972),The Conversation(1974),One from the Heart(1982),The Outsiders(1983),Captain EO(1986),Tucker: The Man and his Dream(1988), andBram Stoker's Dracula(1992); for Coppola's filmography see"Francis Ford Coppola > Filmography >> AllMovie".allmovie.Retrieved2009-12-23.
  4. ^abcdOldham, Gabriella (1995).First Cut: Conversations with Film Editors.University of California Press. pp. 323–324.ISBN978-0-520-07588-7.
  5. ^abBarry MalkinatIMDb
  6. ^Ebert, Roger (October 2, 2008)."The Godfather, Part II (1974)".Chicago Sun Times.why is it a 'great movie'? Because it must be seen as a piece with the unqualified greatness of 'The Godfather.' The two can hardly be considered apart ('Part III' is another matter). When the characters in a film take on a virtual reality for us, when a character in another film made 30 years later can say 'The Godfather' contains all the lessons in life you need to know, when an audience understands why that statement could be made, a film has become a cultural bedrock.
  7. ^Oldham, Gabriella (1995).First Cut: Conversations with Film Editors.University of California Press. p. 326.ISBN978-0-520-07588-7.
  8. ^Phillips, Gene D.(2004).Godfather: The Intimate Francis Ford Coppola.University Press of Kentucky. p.56.ISBN978-0-8131-2304-2.Barry Malkin was selected by Coppola as editor for the movie. He was a boyhood acquaintance of the director's from Queens.
  9. ^ab"The 75 Best Edited Films".Editors Guild Magazine.1(3). May 2012. Archived fromthe originalon 2015-03-17.
  10. ^Phillips, Gene D. (2004).Godfather: The Intimate Francis Ford Coppola.University Press of Kentucky. pp.129–130.ISBN978-0-8131-2304-2.Coppola asked Barry Malkin to reassemble the footage of the two films into chronological order.
  11. ^Penn, Arthur; Chaiken, Michael; Cronin, Paul (2008).Arthur Penn: Interviews.University Press of Mississippi. p. 156.ISBN978-1-60473-105-7.I really miss not having Dede Allen, who has edited all my films sinceBonnie and Clyde,but she was working on (Warren Beatty's)Redsat the time. Barry Malkin, who I got to replace her, has had the same training and comes from the same background. He was perfect for the job.
  12. ^Prince, Stephen (2002).A New Pot of Gold: Hollywood Under the Electronic Rainbow 1980-1989 (Volume 10 of History of the American cinema).University of California Press. p. 197.ISBN978-0-520-23266-2.Barry Malkin cut Coppola'sRumble Fish,Cotton Club,Peggy Sue Got Married,andGardens of Stoneas well as the Coppola-producedHammett.He also cutArthur Penn'sFour Friends(1981), and the difference an editor makes on a director's films is evident by comparing his more linear approach toDede Allen's fractured and off-center cutting.
  13. ^In 2017, a restored, longer (139 minutes) version of the film was produced and shown at the Telluride Film Festival. SeeThompson, Anne (September 1, 2017)."Francis Ford Coppola: Why He Spent $500K to Restore His Most Troubled Film, 'The Cotton Club'".IndieWire.
  14. ^Malta, J. Geoff (2006)."The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980".Archived fromthe originalon 2008-03-28.This webpage reproduces material originally distributed with the "home video" release.
  15. ^"Short Takes".Time.March 1, 1993. Archived fromthe originalon October 28, 2010.
  16. ^"American Cinema Editors > Members".American Cinema Editors. Archived fromthe originalon 2008-02-18.
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