George Tomasini
George Tomasini | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | April 20, 1909 |
| Died | November 22, 1964(aged 55) Hanford, California,U.S. |
| Occupation | Film editor |
| Years active | 1947–1964 |
| Spouse | |
George Tomasini(April 20, 1909 – November 22, 1964) was an Americanfilm editor,born inSpringfield, Massachusetts,who had adecade long collaborationwithdirectorAlfred Hitchcock,editing nine of his movies between 1954 and 1964.[1]Tomasini edited many of Hitchcock's best-known works, such asRear Window(1954),Vertigo(1958),North by Northwest(1959),Psycho(1960), andThe Birds(1963), as well as other well-received films such asCape Fear(1962). On a 2012 listing of the 75 best edited films of all time, compiled by theMotion Picture Editors Guildbased on a survey of its members, four films edited by Tomasini for Hitchcock appear. No other editor appeared more than three times on this listing. The listed films werePsycho,Vertigo,Rear Window,andNorth by Northwest.[2]
George Tomasini was known for his innovativefilm editingwhich, together with Hitchcock's stunning techniques, redefined cinematic language. Tomasini's cutting was always stylish and experimental, all the while pursuing the focus of the story and the characters.[citation needed]Hitchcock and Tomasini's editing ofRear Windowhas been treated at length in Valerie Orpen's monograph,Film Editing: The Art of the Expressive.[3]His dialogue overlapping and use ofjump cutsfor exclamation points was dynamic and innovative (such as in the scene inThe Birdswhere the car blows up at the gas station andTippi Hedren's character watches from a window, as well as the infamous "shower scene" inPsycho). George Tomasini's techniques would influence many subsequentfilm editorsandfilmmakers.[4]
George Tomasini was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Film EditingforNorth by Northwest,butBen-Hur's editors won the award that year.
In November 22, 1964, while he was editingIn Harm's Way,Tomasini died of a massive heart attack. He was 55 years old.[5][6]He left behind Mary Brian, his wife of 17 years and no children.[citation needed]
Filmography as film editor
[edit]Tomasini's most important work withHitchcockwas the memorable shower scene inPsycho(1960). Its aesthetic and dramatic accomplishment was achieved largely through the editor's skill. The completed forty-five second sequence that Hitchcock originally storyboarded was compiled by Tomasini from footage shot over several days that utilized a total of over seventy camera setups. From that mass of footage, Tomasini selected sixty different shots, some of them very short, through which he elected to rely heavily on the techniques of 'associative editing'.
–Paul Monaco[4]
The director of each film is indicated in parentheses:
- Wild Harvest(1947 –Garnett)
- The Turning Point(1952 –Dieterle)
- Stalag 17(1953 –Wilder)
- Houdini(1953 –Marshall)
- Elephant Walk(1954 – Dieterle)
- Rear Window(1954 –Hitchcock)
- To Catch a Thief(1955 – Hitchcock)
- The Man Who Knew Too Much(1956 – Hitchcock)
- The Wrong Man(1956 – Hitchcock)
- Hear Me Good(1957 -McGuire)
- Vertigo(1958 – Hitchcock)
- I Married a Monster from Outer Space(1958 -Fowler)
- North by Northwest(1959 – Hitchcock)
- The Time Machine(1960 –Pal)
- Psycho(1960 – Hitchcock)
- The Misfits(1961 –Huston)
- Cape Fear(1962 –Thompson)
- The Birds(1963 – Hitchcock)
- Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?(1963 –Mann)
- Marnie(1964 – Hitchcock)
- 7 Faces of Dr. Lao(1964 – Pal)
- In Harm's Way(1965 –Preminger)
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^Brennan, Sandra."George Tomasini".allmovie.
- ^"The 75 Best Edited Films".Editors Guild Magazine.1(3). May 2012. Archived fromthe originalon 2015-09-27.Retrieved2015-08-02.
- ^Orpen, Valerie (2003).Film Editing: The Art of the Expressive.Wallflower Press.ISBN978-1-903364-53-6.OCLC51068299.
- ^abMonaco, Paul (2003). Harpole, Charles (ed.).The Sixties.History of the American Cinema. Vol. 8. University of California Press. pp. 94–96.ISBN0-520-23804-4.
- ^"In Memoriam".The Film Daily.Wid's Films and Film Folk Incorporated. November 1964. p. 12.RetrievedMarch 20,2024.
- ^Smith, Fredrick Y., ed. (1971). "In Memoriam".ACE Second Decade Anniversary Book.American Cinema Editors, Inc. p. 73.
Further reading
[edit]- Igel, Rachel (1996–1997)."I'll Let The Film Pile Up For You: An Interview With Mary Tomasini".Directory of Members 1996–1997.Motion Picture Editors Guild. Archived fromthe originalon 2013-04-16.Retrieved2013-04-16.This interview with Tomasini's wife appears to be unique as a source of biographical information about Tomasini.
- O'Steen, Bobbie (2009).The Invisible Cut.Michael Wiese Productions. pp. 136–150.ISBN9781615930227.Bobbie O'Steen provides a frame-by-frame analysis of an important scene fromRear Window.
External links
[edit]| International | |
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| National | |
