John Dunning (film editor)
Encyclopedia
John "Jack" D. Dunning (May 5, 1916 – February 25, 1991) was an American
film editor who worked on several large-scale Hollywood movie
s from 1947 to 1970. He was an editor contracted to MGM Studios.
He first garnered attention when the low-budget war film Battleground
became a sleeper hit
in 1949, earning critical praise and several Oscar nominations, including one for Best Film Editing
.
Dunning worked on the remake
of Show Boat
(1951); Joseph L. Mankiewicz
's Julius Caesar
, an adaptation of Shakespeare
's play
(1953); and the Southern epic Raintree County
(1957). In 1959 he won an Oscar for Best Film Editing, shared with Ralph E. Winters
, for Ben-Hur
.
Dunning then moved to television, where he edited The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
.
John retired in 1970. John was married to Ruth Dunning (née Dansen). Together they had three children, John Dunning, Robert Dunning and Barbara Dunning. John (retired) and Robert Dunning run a winery in Paso Robles, California which Robert began on his father's property in Malibu. Barbara Dunning followed her father into the editing business, working as a freelance editor on films such as "Cocktail", "Green Card" and "Die Hard 2".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film editor who worked on several large-scale Hollywood movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s from 1947 to 1970. He was an editor contracted to MGM Studios.
He first garnered attention when the low-budget war film Battleground
Battleground (1949 film)
Battleground is a 1949 American war film that tells the story of the 2nd Squad, 3rd Platoon of Item Company, 327th Glider Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, trying to cope with the Siege of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. It stars Van Johnson, John Hodiak, Ricardo...
became a sleeper hit
Sleeper hit
A sleeper hit, a.k.a. surprise hit , refers to a film, book, single, album, TV show, or video game that gains unexpected success or recognition...
in 1949, earning critical praise and several Oscar nominations, including one for Best Film Editing
Academy Award for Film Editing
The Academy Award for Film Editing is one of the annual awards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Nominations for this award are closely correlated with the Academy Award for Best Picture. Since 1981, every film selected as Best Picture has also been nominated for the Film Editing...
.
Dunning worked on the remake
Remake
A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...
of Show Boat
Show Boat (1951 film)
Show Boat is a 1951 Technicolor film based on the musical by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II and the novel by Edna Ferber....
(1951); Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Joseph Leo Mankiewicz was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Mankiewicz had a long Hollywood career and is best known as the writer-director of All About Eve , which was nominated for 14 Academy Awards and won six. He was brother to screenwriter and drama critic Herman J...
's Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar (1953 film)
Julius Caesar is an 1953 MGM film adaptation of the play by Shakespeare, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, who also wrote the uncredited screenplay, and produced by John Houseman. The original music score is by Miklós Rózsa...
, an adaptation of Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's play
Julius Caesar (play)
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, also known simply as Julius Caesar, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1599. It portrays the 44 BC conspiracy against...
(1953); and the Southern epic Raintree County
Raintree County (film)
Raintree County is a 1957 Technicolor film drama about the American Civil War. It was directed by Edward Dmytryk. The film stars Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor, Eva Marie Saint, and Lee Marvin....
(1957). In 1959 he won an Oscar for Best Film Editing, shared with Ralph E. Winters
Ralph E. Winters
Ralph E. Winters , born in Canada, was one of the industry's leading film editors.After cutting his teeth on a series of B movies in the early 1940s, including several in the Dr...
, for Ben-Hur
Ben-Hur (1959 film)
Ben-Hur is a 1959 American epic film directed by William Wyler and starring Charlton Heston in the title role, the third film adaptation of Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The screenplay was written by Karl Tunberg, Gore Vidal, and Christopher Fry. The score was composed by...
.
Dunning then moved to television, where he edited The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is an American television series that was broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1964, to January 15, 1968. It follows the exploits of two secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a fictitious secret international espionage and law-enforcement...
.
John retired in 1970. John was married to Ruth Dunning (née Dansen). Together they had three children, John Dunning, Robert Dunning and Barbara Dunning. John (retired) and Robert Dunning run a winery in Paso Robles, California which Robert began on his father's property in Malibu. Barbara Dunning followed her father into the editing business, working as a freelance editor on films such as "Cocktail", "Green Card" and "Die Hard 2".