Alan Jaggs

Alan Jaggs is a British film editor known for his contributions to science fiction cinema, particularly through his editing work on Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) in the Planet of the Apes franchise. ^[1] Born on 19 February 1918 in Exmouth, Devon, England, he began his career in the British film industry before serving during World War II. ^[2] He later transitioned to American productions, taking on roles as an editor, associate producer, and occasionally in special effects or editorial departments. ^[3] Jaggs' career spanned several decades, bridging early British film work with Hollywood projects in the 1970s. ^[1] He passed away in 2008. ^[1]

Early life

Birth and entry into film

Alan Jaggs was born on February 19, 1918, in Exmouth, Devon, England, UK. ^[1] He is sometimes credited as Alan L. Jaggs or Allan Jaggs. ^[1] Jaggs entered the British film industry as a film editor in 1938 at the age of 20, marking the start of his career in feature film editing. ^[2] In his oral history interview with the Television Academy Foundation, he recalled his early experiences in the British film industry, including hands-on editing work using a Moviola machine. ^{[2] [4]} His initial credits include The Return of the Frog (1938), Meet Maxwell Archer (1940), Dangerous Moonlight (1941), Alibi (1942), We'll Meet Again (1943), Happidrome (1943), Rhythm Serenade (1943), English Without Tears (1944), Mr. Emmanuel (1944), Men of Two Worlds (1946), The October Man (1947), Hungry Hill (1947), Escape (1948), and Cardboard Cavalier (1949). ^[1] These early projects established him as a contributor to British cinema during the late 1930s and 1940s. ^[2] After serving in World War II, he returned to editing features in Britain. ^[2] A photograph from the production of Hungry Hill (1947) shows Jaggs using a Moviola to review footage from the previous day's shooting. ^[5]

World War II service

Military service

Alan Jaggs served in the British armed forces during World War II. ^[2] In his interview with the Television Academy Foundation, he discussed his military service as part of his recollections of that period. ^[2] Following the conclusion of the war, Jaggs returned to England and resumed his career in film editing. ^[2]

British film career

Feature editing in the UK

After World War II, Alan Jaggs resumed his career in feature film editing in the United Kingdom, picking up where he had left off before the war. His post-war credits included Men of Two Worlds (1946), Hungry Hill (1947), and The October Man (1947). He was credited as Alan L. Jaggs on the drama Escape (1948).^[1] He followed this with Cardboard Cavalier (1949), a comedy starring Sid Field, on which he served as editor.^[1] Jaggs' final feature editing work in Britain was Treasure Island (1950), credited as Alan L. Jaggs.^[1] This Walt Disney production, an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's novel filmed on location in England, represented his last major project linked to the UK film industry before his relocation to the United States.^[1]

Relocation to the United States

Move to America and Disney association

In 1950, Alan Jaggs immigrated to the United States following an opportune meeting with Walt Disney.^[2] This encounter enabled him to relocate and work directly for Disney, where he edited feature films for the studio.^[2] He had previously edited Disney's first fully live-action feature, Treasure Island (1950), which was produced by RKO Walt Disney British Productions and filmed in England.^[6][1] Jaggs later received associate producer credits on several Disney television and short-form projects, including The Adventures of Clint and Mac (1957–1958), Mickey Mouse Club (1958), the People and Places short Wales (1958), Third Man on the Mountain (1959), and Magical World of Disney (1959–1963).^[1][7]

Television career

Editing and music supervision on American series

After his tenure at Walt Disney Productions, Alan Jaggs transitioned into American television work in the early 1960s, where he applied his editing expertise to both music and picture roles across several popular series. ^[2] He began as a music editor, a position focused on selecting, editing, and integrating musical elements into episodes, contributing to The Andy Griffith Show in that capacity for 63 episodes from 1961 to 1962 and to one episode of The Joey Bishop Show in 1961. ^[8] Jaggs soon expanded into picture editing and occasional supervising duties, returning to The Andy Griffith Show as editor for 15 episodes from 1963 to 1964—including one episode credited as supervising editor—and editing 6 episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show in 1963. ^[8] His credits grew to include film editor roles on 3 episodes of The Baileys of Balboa from 1964 to 1965, 36 episodes of The Wild Wild West from 1965 to 1969, and 12 episodes of Get Smart from 1969 to 1970. ^[8] He also edited the 1964 television movie Duncan Be Careful. ^[8] In the 1970s, Jaggs continued editing with 4 episodes of The Waltons from 1973 to 1974, 2 episodes of Doc Elliot in 1974, and 1 episode of Apple's Way in 1974. ^[8] In a 2001 interview, he reflected on his post-Disney television career, specifically discussing his editorial contributions to series including The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Wild Wild West, Get Smart, and The Waltons. ^[2]

Later feature work

Hollywood films and documentaries

Alan Jaggs' work in Hollywood during the 1970s focused on feature film and documentary editing credits.^[9] He edited the nature documentary The African Elephant (1971), directed by Simon Trevor and produced in the United States.^[9] He subsequently served as film editor on Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972), receiving credit as Allan Jaggs on this science fiction feature directed by J. Lee Thompson.^[9] Jaggs then edited Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973), credited as Alan L. Jaggs, the final installment in the original Planet of the Apes series also directed by J. Lee Thompson.^[9] These projects marked his contributions to American feature filmmaking in the decade, following his earlier television editing work.^[9] Name variations such as Allan Jaggs and Alan L. Jaggs appear in the credits for the Planet of the Apes films.^[9]

Personal life and death

Family, retirement, and legacy

Public information about Jaggs' family life remains limited. In retirement, he fulfilled a lifelong dream by sailing around the South Pacific. ^[2] Jaggs died on April 28, 2008, in Mill Valley, California, at the age of 90. ^[1] In a 2001 interview with the Television Academy Foundation, Jaggs reflected on his career, noting significant changes in editing technology over the decades and offering advice to aspiring editors on the importance of adaptability and storytelling. ^[2] These reflections provide insight into his perspective on his contributions to the field. ^[2]