Ernst Ragnar Rolf (December 31, 1931 – July 14, 2014), better known as Tom Rolf, was a Swedish-born American
film editor who worked on at least 48 feature films in a career spanning over fifty years. Most notable among these films are
Martin Scorsese's ''
Taxi Driver'', for which he was nominated for the 1976
BAFTA Award for
Best Editing
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress# ...
, and
Philip Kaufman's ''
The Right Stuff'', for which he and his editing team won the 1983
Oscar for
Best Film Editing. Other notable films he edited include ''
WarGames'', ''
Jacob's Ladder'', ''
Heat
In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is ...
'' and ''
The Horse Whisperer''.
A member of the
American Cinema Editors (ACE) since the mid-1950s,
Rolf served two terms as president of that guild. He also served on the Board of Governors at the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motion ...
for five terms (15 years), representing the editing branch from 1992 through 2007.
[ He received the ACE Career Achievement Award in 2003.][ Rolf's age when he died is incorrect in the headline.]
Personal life
Ernst R. Rolf was born in Stockholm, Stockholm County
Stockholm County ( sv, Stockholms län, link=no ) is a county or '' län'' (in Swedish) on the Baltic Sea coast of Sweden. It borders Uppsala County and Södermanland County. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stoc ...
, Sweden on New Year's Eve, 1931, the son of actor Ernst Rolf and Norwegian-born actress Tutta Rolf. After his father's death in 1932, Tutta married American director and choreographer Jack Donohue, who advised the young Ernst to go into film editing.[
Rolf worked as a ski patrolman and was a seaman for the Norwegian Merchant Marine before emigrating to the ]United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
, after which he spent three years in the United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through ...
.[ He considered pursuing a career as a ]film director
A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, ...
like his step-father, but Donohue convinced him to first try his hand at film editing, telling him he would "learn everything about directing by being a film editor first."
On July 14, 2014, Rolf died at his home in France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
due to complications following hip surgery. He was 82.
Editing career
Early years, Levy-Gardiner-Laven and first films of the '70s
At the start of his career, Rolf spent a then-required eight years serving as an apprentice and assistant editor.[ One of Rolf's earliest jobs as an editor was the 1959 Swedish-American co-production '']Space Invasion of Lapland
''Invasion of the Animal People'' (''Rymdinvasion i Lappland'' in Sweden and ''Terror in the Midnight Sun'' internationally) is a 1959 Swedish-American black-and-white science fiction-monster film released to Swedish cinemas on August 19, 1959. T ...
''. Among the films he worked on as an assistant editor was Levy-Gardner-Laven's 1962 Western ''Geronimo
Geronimo ( apm, Goyaałé, , ; June 16, 1829 – February 17, 1909) was a prominent leader and medicine man from the Bedonkohe band of the Ndendahe Apache people. From 1850 to 1886, Geronimo joined with members of three other Central Apache ...
''. Levy-Gardner-Laven later made Rolf one of the head editors of their 1965 Western, '' The Glory Guys''; Rolf's editing partner on this film was Melvin Shapiro, with whom Rolf would work again on '' Taxi Driver'' over ten years later.
When Levy-Gardner-Laven began production on the Western television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed ...
'' The Big Valley'', they brought in Rolf to serve as one of the editors of the show. He edited nine episodes of the first season, which ran from 1965 to 1966. At the start of the second season, in 1966, he became the show's editorial coordinator, a position he held until the series ended in 1969.[ In 1967, starting with the third season of ''The Big Valley'', he took on the name "Tom Rolf."
Rolf's first feature film as a solo editor was another Levy-Gardner-Laven production, the 1967 ]Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
picture '' Clambake''. Rolf worked on a few more Levy-Gardner-Laven productions, including the 1970 releases ''Underground'' (which, like ''Clambake'', was directed by Arthur H. Nadel
Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more wi ...
) and '' The McKenzie Break''. The latter was the first of four films Rolf would edit for director Lamont Johnson; their subsequent collaborations were '' The Last American Hero'' (1973), '' Visit to a Chief's Son'' (1974) and the 1975 TV movie ''Fear on Trial''. Rolf also edited two 1973 releases for Richard C. Sarafian: '' Lolly-Madonna XXX'' and '' The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing''.
Mid-to-late 1970s: Scorsese, Schrader and Frankenheimer
The turning point in Rolf's career came in 1975 when he and Melvin Shapiro were recruited by director Martin Scorsese to edit his crime drama ''Taxi Driver''.[ Released in 1976, ''Taxi Driver'' was nominated for four ]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 in ...
s, including Best Picture, and has come to be considered one of the greatest films of all time. The film also received three BAFTA Awards and four BAFTA nominations, including one for Rolf, Shapiro, and Marcia Lucas for Best Editing
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress# ...
. Scorsese hired Rolf again for his next film, the 1977 musical ''New York, New York
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
'', before Scorsese began working with his regular editor, Thelma Schoonmaker.
Paul Schrader, the writer of ''Taxi Driver'', was so impressed with Rolf that he hired him for his directorial debut, the 1978 drama film ''Blue Collar
A blue-collar worker is a working class person who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled labor. The type of work may involving manufacturing, warehousing, mining, excavation, electricity generation and ...
'', and recruited Rolf again for his second feature, '' Hardcore''. Rolf also edited three films for director John Frankenheimer in the mid-to-late 1970s: ''French Connection II
''French Connection II'' is a 1975 American action thriller film starring Gene Hackman and directed by John Frankenheimer. It is a sequel to the 1971 Academy Award for Best Picture winner '' The French Connection''. The film continues the story o ...
'' (1975), '' Black Sunday'' (1977) and ''Prophecy
In religion, a prophecy is a message that has been communicated to a person (typically called a '' prophet'') by a supernatural entity. Prophecies are a feature of many cultures and belief systems and usually contain divine will or law, or pre ...
'' (1979).
The 1980s and beyond
After co-editing Michael Cimino's infamous box office flop
A box-office bomb, or box-office disaster, is a film that is unprofitable or considered highly unsuccessful during its theatrical run. Although any film for which the production, marketing, and distribution costs combined exceed the revenue after ...
'' Heaven's Gate'', Rolf joined the editing team of Philip Kaufman's space race
The Space Race was a 20th-century competition between two Cold War rivals, the United States and the Soviet Union, to achieve superior spaceflight capability. It had its origins in the ballistic missile-based nuclear arms race between the ...
drama '' The Right Stuff''. The film was a critical (if not commercial) success and picked up four Academy Awards, including Best Editing
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress# ...
for Rolf and his fellow editors, Glenn Farr, Lisa Fruchtman, Stephen A. Rotter
Stephen A. Rotter is a film editor who won at the 56th Academy Awards in the category of Best Film Editing. He was one of the five film editors to win for the film '' The Right Stuff''. He shared it with Glenn Farr, Lisa Fruchtman, Tom Rolf and ...
and Douglas Stewart.
Rolf and the ''Right Stuff'' editing team were also nominated for an "Eddie" Award from American Cinema Editors (ACE). Although they did not win the award, Rolf himself won that year for his solo work on John Badham's '' WarGames''. According to editor Mark Goldblatt, Rolf's very first cut of ''WarGames'' so satisfied Badham that the director signed off on it immediately with no additional notes for the editor. Badham later recruited Rolf for his 1987 crime-comedy '' Stakeout'', though this time the editor was paired up with Michael Ripps
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...
.
For director Adrian Lyne
Adrian Lyne (born 4 March 1941) is an English film director, writer and producer. Having begun his career directing 1970s television commercials, Lyne made well-received short films which were entries in the London Film Festival. He started ma ...
, Rolf edited 1986's '' 9½ Weeks'' and 1990's '' Jacob's Ladder''. The latter is considered by some, including author and film scholar Vincent LoBrutto
Vincent ( la, Vincentius) is a male given name derived from the Roman name Vincentius, which is derived from the Latin word (''to conquer'').
People with the given name Artists
* Vincent Apap (1909–2003), Maltese sculptor
* Vincent van Gog ...
, to be a landmark in film editing due to the intricacies and complexities involved in cutting the picture and because it "furthered the montage style of editing and allowed filmmakers to strive for new forms." In 2010, Rolf told ''The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...
'' that ''Jacob's Ladder'' was the film he enjoyed working on the most, stating he was "very proud of that one."[
Rolf also edited or co-edited two films each for Douglas Day Stewart ('']Thief of Hearts
''Thief of Hearts'' is a 1984 American erotic drama film produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. It was written and directed by Douglas Day Stewart.
It stars Steven Bauer, Barbara Williams, John Getz and David Caruso.
Plot
A burglar, Sc ...
'' and ''Quicksilver
Quicksilver may refer to:
* Quicksilver (metal), the chemical element mercury
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Quicksilver, a bluegrass band fronted by Doyle Lawson
* "Quicksilver" (song), a 1950 hit for Bing Crosby
* ''Quicksilver'' (sound ...
'') and Alan J. Pakula ('' The Pelican Brief'' and '' The Devil's Own''). Additionally, he edited two television productions for Lawrence Schiller: the 1981 movie '' The Executioner's Song'' and the 2000 miniseries '' Perfect Murder, Perfect Town''. Other notable films which were edited or co-edited by Rolf include Ridley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades th ...
's '' Black Rain'' (1989), Michael Mann
Michael Kenneth Mann (born February 5, 1943) is an American film director, director, screenwriter, and Film producer, producer of film and television who is best known for his distinctive style of crime drama. His most acclaimed works include ...
's ''Heat
In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is ...
'' (1995), Robert Redford's '' The Horse Whisperer'' (1998), John Woo
John Woo Yu-Sen SBS (; born September 22, 1946) is a Hong Kong filmmaker, known as a highly-influential figure in the action film genre. He was a pioneer of heroic bloodshed films (a crime action film genre involving Chinese triads) and the gu ...
's '' Windtalkers'' and Kurt Wimmer's '' Equilibrium'' (both 2002).
In 2003, Rolf re-teamed with ''Blue Collar'' and ''Hardcore'' director Paul Schrader to work on '' Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist''.[ It was released in 2005, though Rolf did not receive on-screen credit. The last film Rolf edited was the Russian ]Alexander Kolchak
Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak (russian: link=no, Александр Васильевич Колчак; – 7 February 1920) was an Imperial Russian admiral, military leader and polar explorer who served in the Imperial Russian Navy and fough ...
biopic '' Admiral'', released in 2008.
Selected filmography
*''Space Invasion of Lapland
''Invasion of the Animal People'' (''Rymdinvasion i Lappland'' in Sweden and ''Terror in the Midnight Sun'' internationally) is a 1959 Swedish-American black-and-white science fiction-monster film released to Swedish cinemas on August 19, 1959. T ...
'' (1959)
*''Geronimo
Geronimo ( apm, Goyaałé, , ; June 16, 1829 – February 17, 1909) was a prominent leader and medicine man from the Bedonkohe band of the Ndendahe Apache people. From 1850 to 1886, Geronimo joined with members of three other Central Apache ...
'' (1962) (as assistant editor)
*'' Behold a Pale Horse'' (1964) (as assistant editor)
*'' The Glory Guys'' (1965)
*'' The Big Valley'' - TV series (as editor, 1965–1967; as production coordinator, 1966–1969)
*'' Clambake'' (1967)
*'' The McKenzie Break'' (1970)
*'' The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler'' (1971) (as writer)
*'' The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing'' (1973)
*'' The Trial of Billy Jack'' (1974)
*''French Connection II
''French Connection II'' is a 1975 American action thriller film starring Gene Hackman and directed by John Frankenheimer. It is a sequel to the 1971 Academy Award for Best Picture winner '' The French Connection''. The film continues the story o ...
'' (1975)
*'' Taxi Driver'' (1976)
*'' Black Sunday'' (1977)
*''New York, New York
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
'' (1977)
*''Blue Collar
A blue-collar worker is a working class person who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled labor. The type of work may involving manufacturing, warehousing, mining, excavation, electricity generation and ...
'' (1978)
*'' Hardcore'' (1979)
*'' Heaven's Gate'' (1980)
*'' Ghost Story'' (1981)
*'' The Executioner's Song'' (1981) - TV movie
*'' WarGames'' (1983)
*'' The Right Stuff'' (1983)
*'' 9½ Weeks'' (1986)
*'' Outrageous Fortune'' (1987)
*'' Stakeout'' (1987)
*'' The Great Outdoors'' (1988)
*'' Black Rain'' (1989)
*'' Jacob's Ladder'' (1990)
*''Sneakers
Sneakers (also called trainers, athletic shoes, tennis shoes, gym shoes, kicks, sport shoes, flats, running shoes, or runners) are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise, but which are now also widely used fo ...
'' (1992)
*'' Mr. Jones'' (1993)
*'' The Pelican Brief'' (1993)
*'' Dangerous Minds'' (1995)
*''Heat
In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is ...
'' (1995)
*'' The Devil's Own'' (1997)
*'' The Horse Whisperer'' (1998)
*'' Perfect Murder, Perfect Town'' (2000) - TV miniseries
*'' Windtalkers'' (2002)
*'' Equilibrium'' (2002)
*'' Admiral'' (2008)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rolf, Tom
1931 births
2014 deaths
Best Film Editing Academy Award winners
Swedish film editors
Swedish emigrants to the United States
Artists from Stockholm
American film editors