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Aaron Stell
Aaron Stell
Aaron Stell
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Aaron Stell (March 26, 1911 – January 7, 1996) was an American film editor with one hundred feature film credits and many additional credits for his television work. He is best known for his work on Touch of Evil (directed by Orson Welles-1958), To Kill a Mockingbird (directed by Robert Mulligan-1962), and Silent Running (directed by Douglas Trumbull-1972).[1][2][3]

Key Information

Early life

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Aaron Stell was born on March 26, 1911. After graduating from Los Angeles High School, he worked as a postmaster for Fox Film in the late 1920s.[4]

Career

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Stell's earliest editing career was for Columbia Pictures, where he worked at from 1943 to 1955. He then worked for other Hollywood studios for the rest of his career. Touch of Evil, which was directed by Orson Welles, proved difficult for Stell; he was not the initial editor but instead chosen for re-editing, and he noted that Welles became "ill, depressed, and unhappy with the studio's impatience" in the process.[5]

Stell had been selected as a member of the American Cinema Editors. He was nominated for the American Cinema Editors Eddie Award for To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). He was also nominated for Eddies for his television work on an episode of Ben Casey (1961) and on the mini-series Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones (1980). In 1996 he shared the American Cinema Editors Career Achievement Award with Desmond Marquette.

Personal life and death

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Since the early 1940s, Stell worked as an oil painter. By 1964, he has painted over 50 paintings.[6] Stell died in Los Angeles at age 84.[7]

Selected filmography

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Editor
Year Film Director Notes Other notes
1943 Cowboy in the Clouds Benjamin H. Kline First collaboration with Benjamin H. Kline
1944 Cowboy Canteen Lew Landers First collaboration with Lew Landers
Sundown Valley Benjamin H. Kline Second collaboration with Benjamin H. Kline
She's a Soldier Too William Castle First collaboration with William Castle
Swing in the Saddle Lew Landers Second collaboration with Lew Landers
Cowboy from Lonesome River Benjamin H. Kline Third collaboration with Benjamin H. Kline
Cyclone Prairie Rangers Fourth collaboration with Benjamin H. Kline
Saddle Leather Law Fifth collaboration with Benjamin H. Kline
1945 I Love a Mystery Henry Levin
Sagebrush Heroes Benjamin H. Kline Sixth collaboration with Benjamin H. Kline
Sing Me a Song of Texas Vernon Keays First collaboration with Vernon Keays
Rough Ridin' Justice Derwin Abrahams First collaboration with Derwin Abrahams
The Return of the Durango Kid Second collaboration with Derwin Abrahams
Boston Blackie's Rendezvous Arthur Dreifuss First collaboration with Arthur Dreifuss
Rustlers of the Badlands Derwin Abrahams Third collaboration with Derwin Abrahams
Outlaws of the Rockies Ray Nazarro First collaboration with Ray Nazarro
Blazing the Western Trail Vernon Keays Second collaboration with Vernon Keays
Uncredited
Prison Ship Arthur Dreifuss Second collaboration with Arthur Dreifuss
1946 Frontier Gunlaw Derwin Abrahams Fourth collaboration with Derwin Abrahams
Blondie's Lucky Day Abby Berlin First collaboration with Abby Berlin
It's Great to Be Young Del Lord First collaboration with Del Lord
Blondie Knows Best Abby Berlin Second collaboration with Abby Berlin
Terror Trail Ray Nazarro Second collaboration with Ray Nazarro
Alias Mr. Twilight John Sturges First collaboration with John Sturges
Singin' in the Corn Del Lord Second collaboration with Del Lord
1947 Millie's Daughter Sidney Salkow First collaboration with Sidney Salkow
Bulldog Drummond at Bay Second collaboration with Sidney Salkow
Sport of Kings Robert Gordon
The Son of Rusty Lew Landers Third collaboration with Lew Landers
The Last Round-Up John English First collaboration with John English
1948 The Sign of the Ram John Sturges Second collaboration with John Sturges
Song of Idaho Ray Nazarro Third collaboration with Ray Nazarro
Jungle Jim William Berke First collaboration with William Berke
Loaded Pistols John English Second collaboration with John English
1949 Riders of the Whistling Pines Third collaboration with John English
The Lost Tribe William Berke Second collaboration with William Berke
Rim of the Canyon John English Fourth collaboration with John English
1950 Blondie's Hero Edward Bernds First collaboration with Edward Bernds
The Palomino Ray Nazarro Third collaboration with Ray Nazarro
Beauty on Parade Lew Landers Fourth collaboration with Lew Landers
Customs Agent Seymour Friedman First collaboration with Seymour Friedman
On the Isle of Samoa William Berke Third collaboration with William Berke
Rookie Fireman Seymour Friedman Second collaboration with Seymour Friedman
Chain Gang Lew Landers Fifth collaboration with Lew Landers
The Tougher They Come Ray Nazarro Fourth collaboration with Ray Nazarro
Counterspy Meets Scotland Yard Seymour Friedman Third collaboration with Seymour Friedman
1951 Gasoline Alley Edward Bernds Second collaboration with Edward Bernds
The Big Gusher Lew Landers Sixth collaboration with Lew Landers
Chain of Circumstance Will Jason
The Barefoot Mailman Earl McEvoy
1952 The Sniper Edward Dmytryk First collaboration with Edward Dmytryk
A Yank in Indo-China Wallace Grissell
Brave Warrior Spencer Gordon Bennet First collaboration with Spencer Gordon Bennet
Eight Iron Men Edward Dmytryk Second collaboration with Edward Dmytryk
1953 Jack McCall, Desperado Sidney Salkow Third collaboration with Sidney Salkow
Ambush at Tomahawk Gap Fred F. Sears First collaboration with Fred F. Sears
The Juggler Edward Dmytryk Third collaboration with Edward Dmytryk
1954 Massacre Canyon Fred F. Sears Second collaboration with Fred F. Sears
The Outlaw Stallion Third collaboration with Fred F. Sears
The Law vs. Billy the Kid William Castle Second collaboration with William Castle
Human Desire Fritz Lang
The Black Dakotas Ray Nazarro Fifth collaboration with Ray Nazarro
1955 Creature with the Atom Brain Edward L. Cahn
Devil Goddess Spencer Gordon Bennet Second collaboration with Spencer Gordon Bennet
Hell's Horizon Tom Gries
1956 The Bold and the Brave Lewis R. Foster
5 Steps to Danger Henry S. Kesler
1957 Fear Strikes Out Robert Mulligan First collaboration with Robert Mulligan
Beginning of the End Bert I. Gordon
Time Limit Karl Malden
1958 Touch of Evil Orson Welles
The Proud Rebel Michael Curtiz
Tarzan's Fight for Life H. Bruce Humberstone
Lonelyhearts Vincent J. Donehue
1959 The Giant Gila Monster Ray Kellogg First collaboration with Ray Kellogg
The Killer Shrews Second collaboration with Ray Kellogg
1960 My Dog, Buddy Third collaboration with Ray Kellogg
Wake Me When It's Over Mervyn LeRoy
1961 The Secret Ways Phil Karlson
1962 Six Black Horses Harry Keller
To Kill a Mockingbird Robert Mulligan Second collaboration with Robert Mulligan
1963 Love with the Proper Stranger Third collaboration with Robert Mulligan
1965 Baby the Rain Must Fall Fourth collaboration with Robert Mulligan
Inside Daisy Clover Fifth collaboration with Robert Mulligan
1966 Not with My Wife, You Don't! Norman Panama
1967 Welcome to Hard Times Burt Kennedy First collaboration with Burt Kennedy
1968 The Stalking Moon Robert Mulligan Sixth collaboration with Robert Mulligan
1969 Flareup James Neilson
1970 The Grasshopper Jerry Paris
1972 Silent Running Douglas Trumbull
The Trial of the Catonsville Nine Gordon Davidson
1973 Your Three Minutes Are Up Douglas Schwartz
Willie Dynamite Gilbert Moses
1974 The Take Robert Hartford-Davis
1975 Lepke Menahem Golan
Cornbread, Earl and Me Joseph Manduke
The Four Deuces William H. Bushnell
1976 The Killer Inside Me Burt Kennedy Second collaboration with Burt Kennedy
1986 Native Son Jerrold Freeman
Director
Year Film Notes
1964 The Gallant One Also writer and producer
2004 Remnants of Auric Healing
Shorts
Editor
Year Film Director
1948 Go Chase Yourself Jules White
1952 Corny Casanovas
He Cooked His Goose
TV movies
Editor
Year Film Director
1970 But I Don't Want to Get Married! Jerry Paris
Wild Women Don Taylor
Crowhaven Farm Walter Grauman
1972 The Couple Takes a Wife Jerry Paris
1973 Fade In Jud Taylor
1975 The Trial of Chaplain Jensen Robert Day
Shell Game Glenn Jordan
1976 One of My Wives Is Missing
1977 Night Terror E. W. Swackhamer
The Amazing Howard Hughes William A. Graham
1978 Deadman's Curve Richard Compton
Steel Cowboy Harvey Laidman
One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story William A. Graham
1979 Can You Hear the Laughter? The Story of Freddie Prinze Burt Brinckerhoff
Orphan Train William A. Graham
1980 Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones
Rage!
My Kidnapper, My Love Sam Wanamaker
1981 Isabel's Choice Guy Green
Incident at Crestridge Jud Taylor
1982 A Question of Honor
American Eagle William A. Graham
TV pilots
Editor
Year Film Director
1965 My Island Family Henry Koster
1977 The Displaced Person Glenn Jordan
TV series
Editor
Year Title Notes
1954 Ford Theatre 4 episodes
Father Knows Best 2 episodes
1954−55 The Adventures of Rin-Tin-Tin 6 episodes
1956 The People's Choice 3 episodes
The Count of Monte Cristo 9 episodes
1957 The New Adventures of Charlie Chan 2 episodes
1959 Death Valley Days
1963 Ben Casey 1 episode
1970 The Most Deadly Game
1977 The Amazing Howard Hughes 2 episodes
The Amazing Spider-Man 1 episode
Space Academy
1978 The Paper Chase
1980 Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones 2 episodes
1985 Otherworld 1 episode

References

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[edit]
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Aaron Stell

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from Grokipedia
Aaron Stell is an American film editor known for his contributions to classic Hollywood cinema, particularly his work on the critically acclaimed films Touch of Evil (1958) and To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). His editing career spanned several decades, beginning in the 1940s at Columbia Pictures, where he contributed to numerous feature films through the mid-1950s. He later worked with Universal Studios and Pakula-Mulligan Productions, editing notable projects such as Silent Running (1972), and also directed the feature The Gallant One (1964). Stell transitioned extensively into television editing during the 1970s and 1980s, working on movies and series episodes including Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones (1980) and earning a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing for his work on Ben Casey (1963). Born on March 26, 1911, in Pennsylvania, he remained active in the industry until later years and died on January 7, 1996, in Los Angeles, California. His body of work reflects a versatile editor who shaped narratives across genres, from film noir and drama to science fiction and television productions.

Early life

Birth and entry into the film industry

Aaron Stell was born on March 26, 1911, in Pennsylvania, USA. He entered the film industry in 1943 when he began working at Columbia Pictures, marking the start of his career as a film editor.

Feature film career

Columbia Pictures period (1943–1955)

Aaron Stell began his career as a film editor at Columbia Pictures in 1943, embarking on a prolific twelve-year association with the studio that established him within the Hollywood system. During this period, he contributed to a wide range of the studio's output, including B-movies, comedy series, westerns, and short subjects, demonstrating versatility across genres. His early credits included work on entries in popular series, such as the family comedy Blondie's Lucky Day (1946), directed by Abby Berlin and part of Columbia's long-running Blondie franchise. He also edited the Gene Autry western Loaded Pistols (1948), showcasing his involvement in the studio's musical western productions. In the early 1950s, Stell edited several more substantial features for Columbia, including the film noir thriller The Sniper (1952), directed by Edward Dmytryk and produced by Stanley Kramer. That same year, he worked on Eight Iron Men (1952), another Kramer production featuring intense dramatic performances by actors such as Lee Marvin. He also edited the Three Stooges comedy shorts He Cooked His Goose (1952) and Corny Casanovas (1952), produced by Jules White for Columbia's short subjects division. These projects reflected his steady role as a reliable editor within Columbia's contract system, handling both light entertainment and more serious dramatic material. In 1955, Stell left Columbia Pictures to pursue freelance opportunities in Hollywood.

Major Hollywood features (1956–1969)

Following his tenure at Columbia Pictures, Aaron Stell worked as a freelance film editor on a variety of Hollywood productions during the late 1950s and 1960s, contributing to both genre films and more prestigious dramas. One of his most prominent credits in this era was Touch of Evil (1958), directed by Orson Welles, where Stell served as editor. The film is renowned for its innovative three-minute opening tracking shot and has since been recognized as a landmark of cinematic style, despite initial mixed reviews and box-office struggles. Stell formed a significant and recurring collaboration with director Robert Mulligan during this period. He edited several of Mulligan's films, including To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), which stands as one of his most critically acclaimed contributions. Stell's editing on To Kill a Mockingbird was noted for its fluid execution of the director's and cinematographer's design, advancing the narrative inexorably without drawing attention to pacing. The film's deliberate use of techniques like dissolves for time passage and rapid cuts during tense sequences—such as the climactic attack in the woods—supported its restricted point-of-view storytelling and built suspense effectively. Stell's partnership with Mulligan extended to other notable features, including Love with the Proper Stranger (1963), Baby the Rain Must Fall (1965), Inside Daisy Clover (1965), and The Stalking Moon (1968). These projects showcased his versatility across dramatic and character-driven material during his peak Hollywood years.

Later features and genre work (1970–1986)

In the later phase of his career, Aaron Stell focused on editing feature films across various genres, including science fiction, crime, and drama, while his overall output increasingly incorporated television projects during the same period. He edited Silent Running (1972), a science fiction feature directed by Douglas Trumbull in his debut as a director, which emphasized ecological themes and innovative special effects in its depiction of a Botanist preserving plant life aboard a spaceship. In 1975, Stell served as co-editor on Lepke, a biographical crime film directed by Menahem Golan and starring Tony Curtis as gangster Louis "Lepke" Buchalter, chronicling the rise and fall of Murder, Inc. He also edited The Amazing Spider-Man (1977), a live-action superhero production that originated as a television movie pilot but received some international theatrical exposure in certain markets. Stell's final feature credit came with Native Son (1986), a drama adapted from Richard Wright's novel and directed by Jerrold Freeman, featuring Victor Love as Bigger Thomas alongside Matt Dillon and Oprah Winfrey in her film debut. These works highlight his versatility in handling genre-driven narratives during this era.

Television career

TV movies and specials (1970s–1980s)

During the 1970s and 1980s, Aaron Stell edited a substantial number of made-for-television movies, marking a significant portion of his later career output alongside occasional feature work. His television credits during this period were prolific, encompassing biographical dramas, social issue stories, and other dramatic formats typical of the era's TV landscape. Among his notable television projects were Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones (1980), a two-part dramatization of the Jonestown events; Rage! (1980), Incident at Crestridge (1981), and A Question of Honor (1982). These films exemplified his engagement with high-profile, topical material broadcast on major networks. Earlier in the decade, he contributed to titles such as Crowhaven Farm (1970), Wild Women (1970), The Amazing Howard Hughes (1977), and Orphan Train (1979), demonstrating a consistent presence in the made-for-TV format. Stell's television work also included occasional series episodes, such as those for The Paper Chase (1978) and Otherworld (1985), though the majority of his credits in this period consisted of standalone TV movies rather than ongoing series or specials.

Other contributions

Directing credits

Although best known for his career as a film editor, Aaron Stell also took on directing roles in a limited capacity. He directed the short film The Soundman (1950), a behind-the-scenes featurette produced at Columbia Pictures as part of the "The Movies and You" series co-produced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and funded by the Association of Motion Picture Producers. The film provided a historical overview of sound in motion pictures and showcased the operations of studio sound departments in the late 1940s, with Stell identified as director in historical documentation despite receiving no on-screen credit. Stell's most substantial directing credit is the feature film The Gallant One (1964), which he also wrote. This 65-minute drama, shot in Peru and produced by Gillman, centers on a young boy cared for by his uncle after his father is wrongfully arrested, involving themes of hardship and justice. These two confirmed projects represent the entirety of his verified directing work.

Recognition

Awards and industry honors

Aaron Stell was honored with the Career Achievement Award by American Cinema Editors in 1996, which he shared with Desmond Marquette. This lifetime achievement recognition acknowledged his long career as a prolific film and television editor. The award was presented in the same year as his death on January 7, 1996. Earlier in his career, Stell earned a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing for Television in 1963 for his work on the series Ben Casey.

Death and legacy

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