The female editors behind cinema’s poetry

Behind every great director, to coin a phrase, is a great editor — and the tributes paid earlier this month to the late Marcia Lucas, Oscar-winning editor of Star Wars: Episodes IV to VI, and former wife of creator George Lucas, reminded us that editor is often a woman.

In a historically male-dominated industry this familiar Hollywood dynamic goes back decades, with figures such as Dede Allen, Thelma Schoonmaker, Anne V Coates and Anne Bauchens shaping landmark films. The received wisdom is that women came to occupy the editing suite while being excluded from other creative roles, as it was assumed that editing was monotonous, unskilled labour.

JE Smyth challenges that: "During the studio system, editing was not considered unskilled labour," she says. "Women were the best editors in the studio system; many had musical backgrounds which helped them with finding a flow." Editors could exert significant creative influence: "Barbara McLean...

United States, Hollywood

marcia lucas, star wars, george lucas, thelma schoonmaker, dede allen, anne v, anne bauchens, film editing, female editors, studio system