Margaret Booth
Encyclopedia
Margaret Booth was an American
film editor.
Born in Los Angeles, California
, she started her Hollywood career as a 'patcher', editing films by D. W. Griffith, around 1915. Later she worked for Louis B. Mayer
when he was an independent film producer
.
When Mayer merged with others to form Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
in 1924, she worked as a director's assistant with that company. She edited several films starring Greta Garbo
.
Among films she edited were Mutiny on the Bounty
(1935, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award
), The Way We Were
(1973), and The Goodbye Girl
(1977). She also produced several films, including The Slugger's Wife
in 1985 at age 87.
Booth received an Academy Honorary Award
from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
in 1978 for her work in film editing. She is the longest-lived person ever to have been given an Oscar. In 1983 she was awarded the Women in Film Crystal Award for outstanding women who, through their endurance and the excellence of their work, have helped to expand the role of women within the entertainment industry. In 1990, Booth was honored with the American Cinema Editors Career Achievement Award
. Interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood California.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film editor.
Born in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, she started her Hollywood career as a 'patcher', editing films by D. W. Griffith, around 1915. Later she worked for Louis B. Mayer
Louis B. Mayer
Louis Burt Mayer born Lazar Meir was an American film producer. He is generally cited as the creator of the "star system" within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in its golden years. Known always as Louis B...
when he was an independent film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
.
When Mayer merged with others to form Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
in 1924, she worked as a director's assistant with that company. She edited several films starring Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo , born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson, was a Swedish film actress. Garbo was an international star and icon during Hollywood's silent and classic periods. Many of Garbo's films were sensational hits, and all but three were profitable...
.
Among films she edited were Mutiny on the Bounty
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935 film)
Mutiny on the Bounty is a 1935 film starring Charles Laughton and Clark Gable, and directed by Frank Lloyd based on the Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall novel Mutiny on the Bounty.The film was one of the biggest hits of its time...
(1935, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award
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...
), The Way We Were
The Way We Were
The Way We Were is a 1973 American romantic dramatic film co-starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford, directed by Sydney Pollack. The screenplay by Arthur Laurents was based on his college days at Cornell University and his experiences with the House Un-American Activities Committee.A box...
(1973), and The Goodbye Girl
The Goodbye Girl
The Goodbye Girl is a 1977 American romantic comedy-drama film. Directed by Herbert Ross, the film stars Richard Dreyfuss, Marsha Mason, Quinn Cummings, and Paul Benedict...
(1977). She also produced several films, including The Slugger's Wife
The Slugger's Wife
The Slugger's Wife is a 1985 romantic comedy about a baseball star who falls for a singer. Written by Neil Simon, directed by Hal Ashby and produced by Ray Stark, the film stars Michael O'Keefe, Rebecca De Mornay and Randy Quaid. It was distributed by Columbia Pictures and released on March 29,...
in 1985 at age 87.
Booth received an Academy Honorary Award
Academy Honorary Award
The Academy Honorary Award, instituted in 1948 for the 21st Academy Awards , is given by the discretion of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to celebrate motion picture achievements that are not covered by existing Academy Awards, although prior winners of...
from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
in 1978 for her work in film editing. She is the longest-lived person ever to have been given an Oscar. In 1983 she was awarded the Women in Film Crystal Award for outstanding women who, through their endurance and the excellence of their work, have helped to expand the role of women within the entertainment industry. In 1990, Booth was honored with the American Cinema Editors Career Achievement Award
American Cinema Editors Career Achievement Award
The American Cinema Editors gives one or more Career Achievement Awards each year. The first awards were given in 1987; the winners have been:*2011: Michael Kahn and Michael Brown*2010: Paul LaMastra and Neil Travis*2009: Sidney Katz and Arthur Schmidt...
. Interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood California.
External links
- Brownlow, Kevin (2002). "Margaret Booth: Tough, unsentimental film editor who began her career 'patching' during the First World War", The Guardian November 2, 2002.
- Gomery, Douglas (2000). "Margaret Booth," in Tom Pendergast and Sara Pendergast (editors), International Dictionary of Film and Filmmakers, Edition 4 (St. James Press), ISBN 978-1558624498. Online version of article retrieved December 24, 2007.
- Lewis, Kevin (2006). "The Moviola Mavens and the Moguls: Three Pioneering Women Editors Who Had the Respect of Early Hollywood's Power-Brokers", in Editors Guild Magazine, Vol 27, No. 2 (March–April 2006). Archived at WebCite from this original URL 2008-06-22.