Aaron Stell (March 26, 1911 – January 7, 1996, in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

) was an American film editor with one hundred feature film credits and many additional credits for his television work. Stell worked for more than a decade at the start of his career at

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

(1943–1955 credits), which was a major Hollywood studio in that era. Among his most noted films are ''

Touch of Evil ''Touch of Evil'' is a 1958 American film noir written and directed by Orson Welles, who also stars in the film. The screenplay was loosely based on the contemporary Whit Masterson novel ''Badge of Evil'' (1956). The cast included Charlton Hes ...

'' (directed by

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

-1958), ''

To Kill a Mockingbird ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' is a novel by the American author Harper Lee. It was published in 1960 and was instantly successful. In the United States, it is widely read in high schools and middle schools. ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' has become ...

'' (directed by

Robert Mulligan Robert Patrick Mulligan (August 23, 1925 – December 20, 2008) was an American director and producer. He is best known for his humanist dramas, including ''To Kill a Mockingbird (film), To Kill a Mockingbird'' (1962), ''Summer of '42'' (1971), ' ...

-1962), and ''

Silent Running ''Silent Running'' is a 1972 American environmental-themed apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apocalyptic science fiction film. It is the directorial debut of Douglas Trumbull, and stars Bruce Dern, Cliff Potts, Ron Rifkin, and Jesse ...

'' (directed by

Douglas Trumbull Douglas Hunt Trumbull (; April 8, 1942 – February 7, 2022) was an American film director and innovative visual effects supervisor. He pioneered methods in special effects and created scenes for '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'', ''Close Encounters o ...

-1972). ''Touch of Evil'', which was directed by

, 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. Stell had been selected as a member of the

American Cinema Editors Founded in 1950, American Cinema Editors (ACE) is an honorary society of film editors that are voted in based on the qualities of professional achievements, their education of others, and their dedication to editing. Members use the post-nominal ...

. He was nominated for the American Cinema Editors

Eddie award Founded in 1950, American Cinema Editors (ACE) is an honorary society of film editors that are voted in based on the qualities of professional achievements, their education of others, and their dedication to editing. Members use the post-nominal ...

for ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' (1962). He was also nominated for Eddies for his television work on an episode of ''

Ben Casey ''Ben Casey'' is an American medical drama series that aired on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols " ♂, ♀, ✳, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaff ...

'' (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 The Career Achievement Award, also referred to as the Career Achievement Medal, is an award of the Volcanology and Igneous Petrology Division of the Geological Association of Canada. First awarded in 1993, it is given to scientists "in recognition o ...

with

Desmond Marquette Desmond Marquette (November 1, 1908 – August 7, 1999) was a film editor for Crime Ring and others. In 1996 he was co-winner of the American Cinema Editors Career Achievement Award The American Cinema Editors (ACE) gives one or more Career Achiev ...

Selected filmography

* '' Terror Trail'' (1946) * ''

The Son of Rusty ''The Son of Rusty'' is a 1947 American drama film directed by Lew Landers and starring Ted Donaldson, Stephen Dunne and Ann Doran. It was part of Columbia Pictures' eight-film Rusty series about a boy and his valiant German Shepherd. Plot Dann ...

'' (1947) * '' The Last Round-up'' (1947) * '' Sport of Kings'' (1947) *''

Customs Agent ''Customs Agent'' is a 1950 American thriller film directed by Seymour Friedman and starring William Eythe, Marjorie Reynolds and Griff Barnett.Blottner p.263 Synopsis In Shanghai an American customs agent tries to track down a drug-smuggling o ...

'' (1950) * '' Beauty on Parade'' (1950) *''

Gasoline Alley ''Gasoline Alley'' is a comic strip created by Frank King and distributed by Tribune Content Agency. It centers on the lives of patriarch Walt Wallet, his family, and residents in the town of Gasoline Alley, with storylines reflecting traditio ...

'' (1951)

References

External links

* 1911 births 1996 deaths Place of birth missing American film editors {{US-film-editor-stub