Robert Clifford Jones (March 30, 1936 – February 1, 2021) was an American film editor, screenwriter, and educator. He received an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for the screenplay of the film '' Coming Home'' (1978). As an editor, Jones had notable collaborations with the directors

Arthur Hiller Arthur Hiller, (November 22, 1923 – August 17, 2016) was a Canadian-American television and film director with over 33 films to his credit during a 50-year career. He began his career directing television in Canada and later in the U.S. By t ...

(seven films from 1967 to 1992) and

Hal Ashby William Hal Ashby (September 2, 1929 – December 27, 1988) was an American film director and editor associated with the New Hollywood wave of filmmaking. Before his career as a director Ashby edited films for Norman Jewison, notably ''The R ...

(four films from 1973 to 1982). Jones was nominated three times 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, ...

: ''

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World ''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'' is a 1963 American comedy film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer with a story and screenplay by William Rose and Tania Rose. The film, starring Spencer Tracy with an all-star cast of comedians, is a ...

'' (1963), '' Guess Who's Coming to Dinner'' (1967), and '' Bound for Glory'' (1976).

Early life

Jones was born in Los Angeles on March 30, 1936. His father,

Harmon Jones Harmon Clifford Jones (June 3, 1911 – July 10, 1972) was a Canadian-born film editor and director who worked for many years at the 20th Century-Fox studio in Southern California. He is credited as the editor for about 20 feature films through ...

, was a Canadian-born film editor who was nominated for an Oscar for his work on ''

Gentleman's Agreement A gentlemen's agreement, or gentleman's agreement, is an informal and legally non-binding agreement between two or more parties. It is typically oral, but it may be written or simply understood as part of an unspoken agreement by convention or th ...

''. Jones enrolled in college, but subsequently dropped out and worked at a shipping room for

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...

. He started off as an assistant film editor for movies like '' Untamed'' (1955) and '' The Long, Hot Summer'' (1958). He described his job as "magic", adding that it had "opened my eyes to what my dad had done". After being drafted into the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

, Jones worked at the Army Pictorial Center from 1958 to 1960. Even though he did not attend film school or have any formal training in editing, he was thrust into the role of a film editor. He was responsible for editing Army training films, documentaries, and several segments of '' The Big Picture'' television program. He credits this stint for giving him the "experience and confidence" needed to pursue a career in film editing.

Career

Upon his return from military service, Jones collaborated with Gene Fowler Jr. to edit '' A Child Is Waiting'' and ''

'' (both released in 1963). He was nominated for the

for the latter film. He then increased his editing credentials by working on '' The Tiger Makes Out'' (1967) and '' Paint Your Wagon'' (1969). His work in '' Guess Who's Coming to Dinner'' (1967) earned him his second Oscar nomination for Best Film Editing. Almost a decade elapsed before he received his third Academy Award editing nomination for the musical drama '' Bound for Glory'' (1976). Jones was also involved in writing film scripts. He initially declined to work on '' Coming Home'' (1978) as editor when

asked him. However, he relented and joined as a screenwriter after Waldo Salt suffered a heart attack two months before the start of production. That film ultimately won the 1979 Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, which he shared with Salt and

Nancy Dowd Nancy Dowd (born 1945) is an Academy Award-winning screenwriter most famous for her films ''Slap Shot'' and '' Coming Home''. Career Dowd is a graduate of the UCLA Film School. Her brother Ned Dowd inspired the story behind ''Slap Shot'' base ...

. Jones was surprised by the win and stated that going on stage to receive the award marked the first time he met Salt and Dowd. He was then the co-screenwriter for ''

Being There ''Being There'' is a 1979 American satire film directed by Hal Ashby. Based on the 1970 novel of the same name by Jerzy Kosiński, it was adapted for the screen by Kosiński and the uncredited Robert C. Jones. The film stars Peter Sellers an ...

'' (1979), which his daughter said he rewrote. Although he was originally granted credit by the studio (

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stu ...

–

Lorimar Productions Lorimar Productions, Inc., later known as Lorimar Television and Lorimar Distribution, was an American production company that was later a subsidiary of Warner Bros., active from 1969 until 1993, when it was folded into Warner Bros. Televisi ...

), the Writers Guild reversed that in an

arbitration Arbitration is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) that resolves disputes outside the judiciary courts. The dispute will be decided by one or more persons (the 'arbitrators', 'arbiters' or 'arbitral tribunal'), which renders the ...

decision and awarded credit only to

Jerzy Kosiński Jerzy Kosiński (born Józef Lewinkopf; ; June 14, 1933 – May 3, 1991) was a Polish-American novelist and two-time President of the American Chapter of P.E.N., who wrote primarily in English. Born in Poland, he survived World War II and, as a ...

, the author of the book that the movie was based on. Jones believed that his "writing career would have been a whole lot different if ehad gotten screen credit" and that "it was a dark day in my life". He consequently focused on editing for the remainder of his career. The final film Jones edited was ''

Unconditional Love Unconditional love is known as affection without any limitations, or love without conditions. This term is sometimes associated with other terms such as true altruism or complete love. Each area of expertise has a certain way of describing uncon ...

'', released in 2002. After retiring from the film industry, he became a professor at the

School of Cinematic Arts The University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) houses seven academic divisions: Film & Television Production; Cinema & Media Studies; John C. Hench Division of Animation + Digital Arts; John Wells Division of Writing for S ...

of the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

(USC), serving in that capacity for 15 years. He was presented with 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 February 2014.

Personal life

Jones was married to Sylvia Hirsch Jones, a professor of psychology, for 59 years until his death. Together, they had two daughters: Hayley and Leslie, who followed her father's footsteps and was nominated for the

. She assisted Jones during the early part of her career on films like ''

See No Evil, Hear No Evil ''See No Evil, Hear No Evil'' is a 1989 American comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller. The film stars Richard Pryor as a blind man and Gene Wilder as a deaf man who work together to thwart a trio of murderous thieves. This is the third film (in ...

'' and ''

The Babe ''The Babe'' is a 1992 American biographical sports drama film about the life of famed baseball player Babe Ruth, who is portrayed by John Goodman. Directed by Arthur Hiller, written by John Fusco, it was released in the United States on Apri ...

''. Jones died on February 1, 2021, at his home in Los Angeles. He was 84, and suffered from

Lewy body dementia Lewy body dementias are two similar and common subtypes of dementia— dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD). Both are characterized by changes in thinking, movement, behavior, and mood. The two conditions have s ...

in the time leading up to his death.

Filmography

The director for each film is indicated in parentheses.

Writer

:*''

'' ''(Uncredited)'' (Hal Ashby – 1979) :*'' Coming Home'' (Hal Ashby – 1978). Academy Award and Writers Guild Award for Best Screenplay.

Editor

* 2000s :*''

'' (

P. J. Hogan Paul John "P. J." Hogan (born 30 November 1962) is an AACTA Award-winning Australian film director and writer. Early life Hogan was born in Brisbane, Queensland. As a teenager, he lived on the North Coast of New South Wales and attended Mt S ...

– 2002) * 1990s **''

Crazy in Alabama ''Crazy in Alabama'' is a 1999 American comedy-drama film directed by Antonio Banderas and based on Mark Childress' 1993 novel of the same name. The film stars Melanie Griffith as an abused housewife who becomes an actress, while her nephew deals ...

'' (

Antonio Banderas José Antonio Domínguez Bandera (born 10 August 1960), known professionally as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish actor and singer. Known for his work in films of several genres, he has received various accolades, including a Cannes Film Festival ...

– 1999) **''

Bulworth ''Bulworth'' is a 1998 American political satire black comedy film co-written, co-produced, directed by, and starring Warren Beatty. It co-stars Halle Berry, Oliver Platt, Don Cheadle, Paul Sorvino, Jack Warden, and Isaiah Washington. The film fo ...

'' (

Warren Beatty Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker, whose career spans over six decades. He was nominated for 15 Academy Awards, including four for Best Actor, four for Best Picture, two for Best Director, ...

– 1998) :*''

City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

'' (

Harold Becker Harold Becker (born September 25, 1928) is an American film and television director, producer, and photographer from New York City, associated with the New Hollywood movement and best known for his work in the thriller genre. His body of work ...

– 1996) :*'' Love Affair'' ( Glenn Gordon Caron – 1994) :*''

'' (

– 1992) :*'' Beyond the Law'' (

Larry Ferguson Larry P Ferguson (March 19, 1940 – May 31, 2015) was a college football player for the University of Iowa. He was named a first-team All-American in 1960 and played one season for the Detroit Lions. He has six kids Darrick, Lori, Larry Jr., ...

– 1992) :*''

Married to It ''Married to It'' is a 1991 film directed by Arthur Hiller starring Beau Bridges, Stockard Channing, Robert Sean Leonard, Mary Stuart Masterson, Cybill Shepherd and Ron Silver. The film is about three New York City couples with disparate careers, a ...

'' (Arthur Hiller – 1991) :*''

Days of Thunder ''Days of Thunder'' is a 1990 American sports action drama film released by Paramount Pictures, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Tony Scott. The cast includes Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Ca ...

'' (

Tony Scott Anthony David Leighton Scott (21 June 1944 – 19 August 2012) was an English film director and producer. He was known for directing highly successful action and thriller films such as '' Top Gun'' (1986), '' Beverly Hills Cop II'' (1987), ''D ...

– 1990) * 1980s :*''

'' (Arthur Hiller – 1989) :*'' Twice in a Lifetime'' (

Bud Yorkin Alan David "Bud" Yorkin (February 22, 1926 – August 18, 2015) was an American film and television producer, director, screenwriter, and actor. Biography Yorkin was born in Washington, Pennsylvania, to Jewish parents. He earned a deg ...

– 1985) :*''

Lookin' to Get Out ''Lookin’ to Get Out'' is a 1982 American comedy film, directed by Hal Ashby and written by Al Schwartz and Jon Voight, who also stars. The film also stars Ann-Margret and Burt Young. Voight's daughter, Angelina Jolie, then seven years old, ...

'' (

– 1982) * 1970s :*'' Heaven Can Wait'' (Warren Beatty and

Buck Henry Buck Henry (born Henry Zuckerman; December 9, 1930 – January 8, 2020) was an American actor, screenwriter, and director. Henry's contributions to film included his work as a co-writer for Mike Nichols's ''The Graduate'' (1967) for which he r ...

– 1978) :*'' Bound for Glory'' (Hal Ashby – 1976). Nominated for Best Editing Oscar. :*''

Shampoo Shampoo () is a hair care product, typically in the form of a viscous liquid, that is used for cleaning hair. Less commonly, shampoo is available in solid bar format. Shampoo is used by applying it to wet hair, massaging the product into the ...

'' (Hal Ashby – 1975) :*'' The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder'' (1974) :*''

The Last Detail ''The Last Detail'' is a 1973 American comedy-drama film directed by Hal Ashby, from a screenplay by Robert Towne, based on the 1970 novel of the same name by Darryl Ponicsan. The film stars Jack Nicholson, Otis Young, Randy Quaid, Clifton James ...

'' (Hal Ashby – 1973) :*''

Man of La Mancha ''Man of La Mancha'' is a 1965 musical with a book by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh, and lyrics by Joe Darion. It is adapted from Wasserman's non-musical 1959 teleplay '' I, Don Quixote'', which was in turn inspired by Miguel de Cerva ...

'' (Arthur Hiller – 1972) :*''

The New Centurions ''The New Centurions'' is a 1972 American Panavision neo-noir action crime film based on the 1971 novel of the same name by policeman turned author Joseph Wambaugh. It stars George C. Scott, Stacy Keach, Scott Wilson, Jane Alexander, Rosalin ...

'' (

Richard Fleischer Richard O. Fleischer (; December 8, 1916 – March 25, 2006) was an American film director whose career spanned more than four decades, beginning at the height of the Golden Age of Hollywood and lasting through the American New Wave. Though h ...

– 1972) :*''

Cisco Pike ''Cisco Pike'' is a 1972 American drama film that was written and directed by Bill L. Norton, and released by Columbia Pictures. The film stars Kris Kristofferson as a musician who, having fallen on hard times, turns to the selling of marijuana ...

'' (

Bill L. Norton Bill L. Norton is an American film director, writer and producer. Among many projects, he is the writer-director of ''Cisco Pike'' and ''More American Graffiti''. Career Norton is most notable as a film director, including his first feature film ...

– 1972) :*''

Love Story Love Story or A Love Story may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres * Romance (love) ** Romance film ** Romance novel Films * ''Love Story'' (1925 film), German silent film * ''Love Story'' (1942 film), Italian drama film * ''Love ...

'' (Arthur Hiller – 1970) * 1960s :*'' Paint Your Wagon'' (

Joshua Logan Joshua Lockwood Logan III (October 5, 1908 – July 12, 1988) was an American director, writer, and actor. He shared a Pulitzer Prize for co-writing the musical ''South Pacific'' and was involved in writing other musicals. Early years Logan w ...

– 1969) :*''

I Love You, Alice B. Toklas ''I Love You, Alice B. Toklas'' is a 1968 American romantic comedy film directed by Hy Averback and starring Peter Sellers. The film is set in the counterculture of the 1960s. The cast includes Joyce Van Patten, David Arkin, Jo Van Fleet, Leig ...

'' ( Hy Averback – 1968) :*'' Guess Who's Coming to Dinner'' (

Stanley Kramer Stanley Earl Kramer (September 29, 1913February 19, 2001) was an American film director and producer, responsible for making many of Hollywood's most famous "message picture, message films" (he would call his movies ''heavy dramas'') and a libera ...

– 1967). Nominated for Best Editing Oscar and for ACE Eddie. :*'' The Tiger Makes Out'' (Arthur Hiller – 1967) :*''

Tobruk Tobruk or Tobruck (; grc, Ἀντίπυργος, ''Antipyrgos''; la, Antipyrgus; it, Tobruch; ar, طبرق, Tubruq ''Ṭubruq''; also transliterated as ''Tobruch'' and ''Tubruk'') is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near ...

'' (Arthur Hiller – 1967) :*'' Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title'' (

– 1966) :*'' The Trouble with Angels'' ( Ida Lupino – 1966) :*''

Ship of Fools The ship of fools is an allegory, originating from Book VI of Plato's ''Republic'', about a ship with a dysfunctional crew. The allegory is intended to represent the problems of governance prevailing in a political system not based on expert kn ...

'' (Stanley Kramer – 1965) :*''

Invitation to a Gunfighter ''Invitation to a Gunfighter'' is a 1964 DeLuxe Color Western film directed by Richard Wilson, starring Yul Brynner and George Segal. It was based on a 1957 teleplay by Larry Klein that appeared on ''Playhouse 90''. A lone Creole gunfighter, J ...

'' (Richard Wilson – 1964) :*''

'' (Stanley Kramer – 1963). Nominated for Best Editing Oscar and for ACE Eddie. :*'' A Child Is Waiting'' (

John Cassavetes John Nicholas Cassavetes ( ; December 9, 1929 – February 3, 1989) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. First known as a television and film actor, Cassavetes also helped pioneer American independent cinema, writing and direc ...

– 1963)

Academy Awards

Notes

References

External links

*
Robert C. Jones at Imsdb.comRobert C. Jones Awards
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Robert C. 1936 births 2021 deaths American film editors American male screenwriters Best Original Screenplay Academy Award winners Film people from Los Angeles Military personnel from California Deaths from dementia in California Deaths from Lewy body dementia

Early life

Career

Personal life

Filmography

Writer

Editor

Academy Awards

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

External links