Dorothy Spencer (February 3, 1909 – May 23, 2002), known as Dot Spencer, was an American

film editor Film editing is both a creative and a technical part of the post-production process of filmmaking. The term is derived from the traditional process of working with film which increasingly involves the use of digital technology. The film edit ...

with 75 feature film credits from a career that spanned more than 50 years. Nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Film Editing The Academy Award for Best Film Editing is one of the annual awards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Nominations for this award are closely correlated with the Academy Award for Best Picture. For 33 consecutive years, ...

on four occasions, she is remembered for editing three of director

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

's best known movies, including '' Stagecoach'' (1939) and ''

My Darling Clementine ''My Darling Clementine'' is a 1946 American Western film directed by John Ford and starring Henry Fonda as Wyatt Earp during the period leading up to the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. The ensemble cast also features Victor Mature (as Doc Holl ...

'' (1946), which film critic

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

called "Ford's greatest

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

Career

Spencer was born in

Covington, Kentucky Covington is a home rule-class city in Kenton County, Kentucky, United States, located at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking Rivers. Cincinnati, Ohio, lies to its immediate north across the Ohio and Newport, to its east across the Licking ...

in 1909. She entered the film industry at age 15 when she joined Consolidated-Aller Lab in 1924. She moved to Fox, becoming a member of the editorial department. Worked at First National Studios assisting editors including Louis Loeffler and Irene Morra. At Fox, she and Loeffler were part of an editorial team that also included, at one time or another,

Barbara McLean Barbara "Bobby" McLean (November 16, 1903 – March 28, 1996) was an American film editor with 62 film credits. In the period Darryl F. Zanuck was dominant at the 20th Century Fox Studio, from the 1930s through the 1960s, McLean was the studi ...

, Robert Simpson, William Reynolds and Hugh S. Fowler. In the 1940s, Spencer edited

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

's '' Foreign Correspondent'' (1940) and '' Lifeboat'' (1944); the latter featured a particularly feisty and well-edited

Tallulah Bankhead Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (January 31, 1902 – December 12, 1968) was an American actress. Primarily an actress of the stage, Bankhead also appeared in several prominent films including an award-winning performance in Alfred Hitchcock's ''Lif ...

performance. Spencer edited four films with director

Ernst Lubitsch Ernst Lubitsch (; January 29, 1892November 30, 1947) was a German-born American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His urbane comedies of manners gave him the reputation of being Hollywood's most elegant and sophisticated director; as ...

, commencing with '' To Be or Not to Be'' (1942), and now considered "one of film's great farces", and concluding with Lubitsch's last, posthumous credit ''

That Lady in Ermine ''That Lady in Ermine'' is a 1948 American Technicolor musical film directed by Ernst Lubitsch. The screenplay by Samson Raphaelson is based on the 1919 operetta ''Die Frau im Hermelin'' by Rudolph Schanzer and Ernst Welisch. Although Lubitsch ...

'' (1948). Spencer also edited director Elia Kazan's feature film debut, '' A Tree Grows in Brooklyn'' (1945). Spencer edited the disaster film '' Earthquake'' (1974), which was the last of her eight collaborations with director Mark Robson. ''Varietys Eileen Kowalski notes that, "Indeed, many of the editorial greats have been women:

Dede Allen Dorothea Corothers "Dede" Allen (December 3, 1923 – April 17, 2010) This obituary incorrectly states that she was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was subsequently acknowledged in an online correction. was an American film editor, well-known " ...

Verna Fields Verna Fields (née Hellman; March 21, 1918 – November 30, 1982) was an American film editor, film and television sound editor, educator, and entertainment industry executive. In the first phase of her career, from 1954 through to about 1970, F ...

Thelma Schoonmaker Thelma Schoonmaker (; born January 3, 1940) is an American film editor, known for her over five decades of work with frequent director Martin Scorsese. She started working with Scorsese on his debut feature film ''Who's That Knocking at My Door' ...

, Anne V. Coates and Dorothy Spencer."(Editor) "Tina Hirsch" By Eileen Kowalski ''Variety'' 14 November 2001 (subscription)
/ref> Spencer was nominated for an

for '' Earthquake'', which was her fourth and final nomination. It followed her nomination for what still reigns as the most expensive movie ever made, ''

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler. ...

'' (1963). Spencer had previously been nominated for ''

Decision Before Dawn ''Decision Before Dawn'' is a 1951 American war film directed by Anatole Litvak, starring Richard Basehart, Oskar Werner, and Hans Christian Blech. It tells the story of the American Army using potentially unreliable German prisoners of war to g ...

'' (directed by

Anatole Litvak Anatoly Mikhailovich Litvak (russian: Анатолий Михайлович Литвак; 21 May 1902 – 15 December 1974), better known as Anatole Litvak, was a Ukrainian-born American filmmaker who wrote, directed, and produced films in vari ...

, 1951) and, with

Otho Lovering Otho Lovering (December 1, 1892 – October 25, 1968) was an American filmmaker with about eighty editing credits on feature films and television programs. Biography Born in 1892, he was the son of Frank Lovering, a stenographer, and Georgie Lov ...

, for '' Stagecoach'' (directed by John Ford, 1939). Spencer was awarded the

American Cinema Editors Career Achievement Award The American Cinema Editors (ACE) gives one or more Career Achievement Awards each year. The first awards were given in 1988. Article indicates that Milford received the ACE Career Achievement Award in 1987; the actual award year appears to be 1988. ...

in 1989, and was among the first four editors to receive the Award. She retired to

Encinitas, California Encinitas ( Spanish for "Small Oaks") is a beach city in the North County area of San Diego County, California. Located within Southern California, it is approximately north of San Diego, between Solana Beach and Carlsbad, and about south o ...

. She had disconnected from Hollywood so much that her death, decades later, was not noted in the press of the time.

Partial filmography

This filmography is based on the listing at the Internet Movie Database.

As assistant editor

*'' The Strong Man'' (1926) assistant editor (directed by

Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-born American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s ...

) *''

Long Pants ''Long Pants'' (also known as ''Johnny Newcomer'') is a 1927 American silent comedy film directed by Frank Capra and starring Harry Langdon. Additional cast members include Gladys Brockwell, Alan Roscoe, and Priscilla Bonner. Plot The sile ...

'' (1927) assistant editor (directed by

) *'' Four Married Men'' (1929) assistant editor (directed by Marcel Silver) *''

In Old Arizona ''In Old Arizona'' is a 1928 American pre-Code Western film directed by Raoul Walsh and Irving Cummings, nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The film, which was based on the character of the Cisco Kid in the 1907 story " ...

'' (1929) assistant editor (directed by Raoul Walsh) *''

Married In Hollywood ''Married in Hollywood'' (1929) is an American musical film. The only footage known to survive is the final reel, filmed in Multicolor, held by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. The film is based on two Oscar Straus operettas. Plot A showg ...

'' (1929) assistant editor (directed by Marcel Silver) *''

Nix on Dames Nix or NIX may refer to: Places * Nix, Alabama, an unincorporated community, United States * Nix, Texas, a ghost town in southwestern Lampasas County, Texas, United States * Nix (moon), a moon of Pluto People * Nix (surname), listing people wit ...

'' (1929) assistant editor (directed by

Donald Gallaher Donald Gallaher (June 25, 1895 – August 14, 1961) was an American actor who appeared in 25 films between 1903 and 1949. He also directed five films, including ''Temple Tower'' (1930). His name is sometimes misspelled "Gallagher". Early years ...

) *'' As Husbands Go'' (1934) assistant editor (directed by

Hamilton MacFadden Hamilton MacFadden (April 26, 1901 – January 1, 1977) was an American actor, screenwriter and film director. MacFadden's parents were Rev. Robert A. MacFadden and Edith Hamilton MacFadden. His father died in 1909, leaving his mother to suppor ...

) *''

Coming Out Party ''Coming Out Party'' is a 1934 American Pre-Code drama film directed by John G. Blystone starring Frances Dee, Gene Raymond, Alison Skipworth and Nigel Bruce. It was produced and distributed by the Fox Film Corporation. Synopsis Joy Stanhope, ...

'' (1934) assistant editor (directed by John Blystone) *''

She Was a Lady ''She Was a Lady'' is the title of a mystery novel by Leslie Charteris featuring his creation, Simon Templar, alias The Saint. The novel was first published in serialized form in the magazine ''Thriller'' in February and March 1930, and after be ...

'' (1934) assistant editor (directed by

) *'' The Case Against Mrs. Ames'' (1936) assistant editor (directed by

William Seiter William Alfred Seiter (June 10, 1890 – July 26, 1964) was an American film director. Life and career Seiter was born in New York City. After attending Hudson River Military Academy, Seiter broke into films in 1915 as a bit player at Mack Sennet ...

) *''

The Luckiest Girl in the World ''The Luckiest Girl in the World'' is a 1936 American comedy film directed Edward Buzzell and written by Herbert Fields and Henry Myers. The film stars Jane Wyatt, Louis Hayward, Nat Pendleton, Eugene Pallette, Catherine Doucet and Phillip Reed. ...

'' (1936) assistant editor (directed by

Edward Buzzell Edward Buzzell (November 13, 1895 – January 11, 1985) was an American film actor and director whose credits include '' Child of Manhattan'' (1933); ''Honolulu'' (1939); the Marx Brothers films ''At the Circus'' (1939) and '' Go West'' (19 ...

) *''

The Moon's Our Home ''The Moon's Our Home'' is a 1936 American comedy film directed by William A. Seiter. It was adapted from a novel of the same name written by Faith Baldwin and first published in serial form in '' Cosmopolitan'' magazine. Plot summary A comedy a ...

'' (1936) assistant editor (directed by

)

As editor

*''

Stand-In A stand-in for film and television is a person who substitutes for the actor before filming, for technical purposes such as lighting and camera setup. Stand-ins are helpful in the initial processes of film and television production. Stand-ins ...

'' (1937) co-edited with

(directed by Tay Garnett) *''

Vogues of 1938 ''Walter Wanger's Vogues of 1938'' (also known by its shortened form, ''Vogues of 1938'') is a 1937 musical comedy film produced by Walter Wanger and distributed by United Artists. It was directed by Irving Cummings, written by Bella Spewack and S ...

'' (1937) co-edited with

(directed by Irving Cummings) *'' Blockade'' (1938) co-edited with

(directed by

William Dieterle William Dieterle (July 15, 1893 – December 9, 1972) was a German-born actor and film director who emigrated to the United States in 1930 to leave a worsening political situation. He worked in Hollywood primarily as a director for much of his ...

) *''

Trade Winds The trade winds or easterlies are the permanent east-to-west prevailing winds that flow in the Earth's equatorial region. The trade winds blow mainly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisph ...

'' (1938) co-edited with

(directed by Tay Garnett) *'' Eternally Yours'' (1939) co-edited with

(directed by Tay Garnett) *'' Stagecoach'' (1939) co-edited with

(directed by

) AAN (Nomination Academy Award) *''

Winter Carnival Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures ...

'' (1939) co-edited with

(directed by

Charles Reisner Charles Francis Reisner (March 14, 1887 – September 24, 1962) was an American film director and actor of the 1920s and 1930s. The German-American directed over 60 films between 1920 and 1950 and acted in over 20 films between 1916 and 1 ...

) *'' Foreign Correspondent'' (1940) co-edited with

(directed by

) *''

The House Across the Bay ''The House Across the Bay'' is a 1940 film directed by Archie Mayo, starring George Raft and Joan Bennett, produced by Walter Wanger, written by Myles Connolly and Kathryn Scola, and released by United Artists. The supporting cast features Lloyd N ...

'' (1940) co-edited with

(directed by

Archie Mayo Archibald L. Mayo (January 29, 1891 – December 4, 1968) was a film director, screenwriter and actor. Early years The son of a tailor, Mayo was born in New York City. After attending the city's public schools, he studied at Columbia Unive ...

) *''

Slightly Honorable ''Slightly Honorable'' is a 1939 American film directed by Tay Garnett. The film was based on the 1939 novel ''Send Another Coffin'' by Frank Gilmore Presnell, Jr. (1906–1967).Frank Gilmore Presnell, Jr. (24 June 1906 (Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico ...

'' (1940) co-edited with

(directed by Tay Garnett) *'' Sundown'' (1941) (directed by

Henry Hathaway Henry Hathaway (March 13, 1898 – February 11, 1985) was an American film director and producer. He is best known as a director of Westerns, especially starring Randolph Scott and John Wayne. He directed Gary Cooper in seven films. Backgroun ...

) *'' The Captain from Köpenick'' (completed in 1941, released in 1945) (directed by Richard Oswald) *'' To Be or Not to Be'' (1942) (directed by

) *'' Happy Land'' (1943) (directed by Irving Pichel) *'' Heaven Can Wait'' (1943) (directed by

) *'' Lifeboat'' (1943) (directed by

) *'' Sweet and Low-Down'' (1944) (directed by

) *'' A Royal Scandal'' (1945) (directed by

Otto Preminger Otto Ludwig Preminger ( , ; 5 December 1905 – 23 April 1986) was an Austrian-American theatre and film director, film producer, and actor. He directed more than 35 feature films in a five-decade career after leaving the theatre. He first gai ...

) *'' A Tree Grows in Brooklyn'' (1945) (directed by Elia Kazan) *''

Cluny Brown ''Cluny Brown'' is a 1946 American romantic comedy made by Twentieth Century-Fox, directed and produced by Ernst Lubitsch. The screenplay was written by Samuel Hoffenstein and Elizabeth Reinhardt based on the 1944 novel by Margery Sharp. The mu ...

'' (1946) (directed by

) *'' Dragonwyck'' (1946) (directed by

Joseph L. Mankiewicz Joseph Leo Mankiewicz (; February 11, 1909 – February 5, 1993) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Mankiewicz had a long Hollywood career, and won both the Academy Award for Best Director and the Academy Award for Best A ...

) *''

'' (1946) (directed by

) *'' The Ghost and Mrs. Muir'' (1947) (directed by

) *''

The Snake Pit ''The Snake Pit'' is a 1948 American psychological drama film directed by Anatole Litvak and starring Olivia de Havilland, Mark Stevens, Leo Genn, Celeste Holm, Beulah Bondi, and Lee Patrick. Based on Mary Jane Ward's 1946 semi-autobiograph ...

'' (1948) (directed by

) *''

'' (1948) (directed by

) *'' Down to the Sea in Ships'' (1949) (directed by

) *''

It Happens Every Spring ''It Happens Every Spring'' is a 1949 American comedy film directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring Ray Milland, Jean Peters and Paul Douglas. Plot A college professor is working on a long-term scientific experiment when a baseball comes through the ...

'' (1949) (directed by Lloyd Bacon) co-edited with

Bruce Pierce The English language name Bruce arrived in Scotland with the Normans, from the place name Brix, Manche in Normandy, France, meaning "the willowlands". Initially promulgated via the descendants of king Robert the Bruce (1274−1329), it has been ...

; Spencer left halfway through cutting to work on another picture, Pierce completed cutting *''

Three Came Home ''Three Came Home'' is a 1950 American post-war film directed by Jean Negulesco, based on the memoirs of the same name by writer Agnes Newton Keith. It depicts Keith's life in North Borneo in the period immediately before the Japanese invasi ...

'' (1950) (directed by Jean Negulesco) *'' Under My Skin'' (1950) (directed by Jean Negulesco) *''

'' (1951) (directed by

) AAN (Nomination Academy Award) *'' 14 Hours'' (1951) (directed by

) *''

Lydia Bailey ''Lydia Bailey'' is a 1952 American historical film directed by Jean Negulesco, based on the novel of the same name by Kenneth Roberts. It stars Dale Robertson and Anne Francis. Plot In 1802, lawyer Albion Hamlin travels from Baltimore to Cap ...

'' (1952) (directed by Jean Negulesco) *'' What Price Glory?'' (1952) (directed by

) *''

Man on a Tightrope ''Man on a Tightrope'' is a 1953 American drama directed by Elia Kazan, starring Fredric March and Terry Moore and Gloria Grahame. The screenplay by Robert E. Sherwood was based on a 1952 novel of the same title by Neil Paterson. Paterson base ...

'' (1953) (directed by Elia Kazan) *''

Tonight We Sing ''Tonight We Sing'' is a 1953 American musical biopic film directed by Mitchell Leisen and starring David Wayne, Ezio Pinza and Roberta Peters. It is based on the life and career of the celebrated impresario Sol Hurok. The film is based on the ...

'' (1953) (directed by Mitchell Leisen) *'' Vicky'' (1953) (directed by

Harry Horner Harry Horner (July 24, 1910 – December 5, 1994) was an Austro-Hungarian-born American art director who made a successful career in Hollywood as an Oscar-winning art director and as a feature film and television director. Biography Horner was ...

) *'' Black Widow'' (1954) (directed by

Nunnally Johnson Nunnally Hunter Johnson (December 5, 1897 – March 25, 1977) was an American screenwriter, film director, producer, and playwright. As a filmmaker, he wrote the screenplays to more than fifty films in a career that spanned from 1927 to 1967. He ...

) *''

Demetrius and the Gladiators ''Demetrius and the Gladiators'' is a 1954 American biblical drama film and a sequel to '' The Robe''. The picture was made by 20th Century Fox, directed by Delmer Daves and produced by Frank Ross. The screenplay was written by Philip Dunne ...

'' (1954) (directed by Delmer Daves) co-edited with Robert Fritsch *'' Night People'' (1954) (directed by

) *''

The Left Hand of God ''The Left Hand of God'' is a 1955 American Drama Western film. It was directed by Edward Dmytryk and produced by Buddy Adler, from a screenplay by Alfred Hayes, based on the novel ''The Left Hand of God'', by William Edmund Barrett. Set in ...

'' (1955) (directed by Edward Dmytryk) *''

Prince of Players ''Prince of Players'' is a 1955 20th Century Fox biographical film about the 19th century American actor Edwin Booth. The film was directed and produced by Philip Dunne from a screenplay by Moss Hart, based on the book by Eleanor Ruggles. The m ...

'' (1955) (directed by Philip Dunne) *'' The Rains of Ranchipur'' (1955) (directed by Jean Negulesco) *'' Soldier of Fortune'' (1955) (directed by Edward Dmytryk) *''

The Best Things In Life Are Free "The Best Things in Life Are Free" is a duet between American singers Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson, recorded for the Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis-produced soundtrack to the 1992 American film ''Mo' Money'', starring Damon Wayans. The song was c ...

'' (1956) (directed by Michael Curtiz) *''

The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit ''The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit'' is a 1956 American drama film based on the 1955 novel '' The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit'' by Sloan Wilson. The film focuses on Tom Rath, a young World War II veteran trying to balance his marriage and fami ...

'' (1956) (directed by

) *''

A Hatful of Rain ''A Hatful of Rain'' is a 1957 American drama film about a young married man with a secret morphine addiction, based on a 1955 Broadway play of the same name.Fred Zinnemann) *''

The Young Lions ''The Young Lions'' (1948) is a novel by Irwin Shaw about three soldiers in World War II. Plot Christian Diestl is at first a sympathetic Austrian drawn to Nazism by despair for his future but willing to sacrifice Jews if necessary. Noah Acke ...

'' (1958) (directed by Edward Dmytryk) *'' The Journey'' (1959) (directed by

) edited complete cut;

Bert Bates Bert Bates (18 August 1907 – 23 April 1976) was a British film editor, sometimes credited as A. S. Bates. He worked on more than sixty films during his career. Bates edited his first feature film, ''Many Waters'', in 1931. He went on to be em ...

added sound effects and finished in England *'' A Private Affair'' (1959) (directed by Raoul Walsh) *''

From the Terrace ''From the Terrace'' is a 1960 American DeLuxe Color romantic drama film in CinemaScope directed by Mark Robson from a screenplay by Ernest Lehman, based on the 1958 novel of the same name by John O'Hara. The film stars Paul Newman, Joanne ...

'' (1960) (directed by Mark Robson) *''

North to Alaska ''North to Alaska'' is a 1960 comedic Western/ Northern film directed by Henry Hathaway and John Wayne (uncredited). The picture stars Wayne along with Stewart Granger, Ernie Kovacs, Fabian, and Capucine. The script is based on the 1939 play ...

'' (1960) (directed by

) *''

Seven Thieves ''Seven Thieves'' is a 1960 American film noir heist crime drama film shot in CinemaScope. It stars Edward G. Robinson, Rod Steiger, Joan Collins and Eli Wallach. Directed by Henry Hathaway and produced by Sydney Boehm, it was adapted for th ...

'' (1960) (directed by

) *''

Wild in the Country ''Wild in the Country'' is a 1961 American musical–drama film directed by Philip Dunne and starring Elvis Presley, Hope Lange, Tuesday Weld, and Millie Perkins. Based on the 1958 novel ''The Lost Country'' by J. R. Salamanca, the screenplay c ...

'' (1961) (directed by Philip Dunne) *''

'' (1963) (directed by

) AAN (Nomination Academy Award) *'' Circus World'' (1964) (directed by

) *'' Von Ryan's Express'' (1965) (directed by Mark Robson) *''

Lost Command ''Lost Command'' (aka ''Les Centurions'') is a 1966 American war film directed and produced by Mark Robson and starring Anthony Quinn, Alain Delon, George Segal, Michèle Morgan, Maurice Ronet and Claudia Cardinale. It is based on the best-sel ...

'' (1966) (directed by Mark Robson) *'' A Guide for the Married Man'' (1967) (directed by Gene Kelly) *'' Valley of the Dolls'' (1967) (directed by Mark Robson) *'' Daddy's Gone A-Hunting'' (1969) (directed by Mark Robson) *'' Happy Birthday, Wanda June'' (1971) (directed by Mark Robson) *'' Limbo'' a.k.a. ''Woman In Limbo'' (1972) (directed by Mark Robson) *'' Earthquake'' (1974) (directed by Mark Robson) AAN (Nomination Academy Award) *'' The Concorde ... Airport '79'' (1979)

Career

Partial filmography

As assistant editor

As editor

See also

References

Further reading