Good night, DeDe

I, like others, need to note Saturday's passing of the great film editor Dede Allen at the age of 86 only days after she had suffered a stroke. I have posted her greatest achievement on this page. The Los Angeles Times said her work on this 1967 film "brought a startling new approach to imagery, sound and pace in American movies".She was nominated for Academy Awards for her editing of Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Reds (1981) and Wonder Boys (2000).

From the Times' obit:

"Allen departed from the standard Hollywood way of cutting -- making smooth transitions starting with wide shots establishing place and characters and going on to medium shots and finally close-ups -- by beginning with close-ups or jump cuts. Although these editing methods had been pioneered by the French new wave and some British directors, Allen is generally credited with being the first to use and shape them in American film."

She was also the first editor to begin the sound from the next scene while the previous scene was still playing, a technique that now is widely used.

The actual section of the scene shown here in which Bonnie and Clyde are killed lasts less than a minute, but contains more than 50 cuts. It is truly a work of art and a marvelous example of the film editor's craft.