Carol Sue Littleton, (born October 23, 1942) is an American

film editor Film editing is both a creative and a technical part of the post-production process of filmmaking. The term is derived from the traditional process of working with film which increasingly involves the use of digital technology. The film edit ...

. Her work includes ''

Body Heat Thermoregulation is the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries, even when the surrounding temperature is very different. A thermoconforming organism, by contrast, simply adopts the surrounding temperature ...

'' (1981), ''

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (or simply ''E.T.'') is a 1982 American science fiction film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Melissa Mathison. It tells the story of Elliott, a boy who befriends an extraterrestrial, d ...

'' (1982), and ''

The Big Chill Big Chill can refer to: *The Big Chill (music festival), an annual music and comedy festival held in England * ''The Big Chill'' (film), a 1983 American film directed by Lawrence Kasdan *The Big Chill at the Big House, a 2010 U.S. college ice hock ...

'' (1983). Littleton was the recipient of an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

for Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing (for a TV Miniseries, Movie or a Special) for ''

Tuesdays with Morrie ''Tuesdays with Morrie'' is a memoir by American author Mitch Albom about a series of visits Albom made to his former sociology professor Morrie Schwartz, as Schwartz gradually dies of ALS. The book topped the ''New York Times'' Non-Fiction Bes ...

'' (1999). Littleton served as president of the

Motion Picture Editors Guild The Motion Picture Editors Guild (MPEG; IATSE Local 700) is the guild that represents freelance and staff motion picture film and television editors and other post-production professionals and story analysts throughout the United States. The Moti ...

from 1988 to 1991, and as vice president from 1994 to 2001, as well as from 2005 to 2007. Littleton has been elected 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 ...

, and serves as ACE vice president since 2019. She is also a current member of the board of governors of the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motio ...

(Film Editors Branch). Carol Littleton is married to cinematographer John Bailey.

Life and career

Carol Littleton was born 1942 in

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...

but her family later moved to

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

in Northeastern Oklahoma, where she grew up.
An Interview with Carol Littleton, ACE
'. In: medium.com, February 3, 2017 She attended the University of Oklahoma College of Arts & Sciences, obtaining her bachelor's degree in 1965 and her master's in 1970. Her obsession with film editing started in France, when Littleton became acquainted with

French New Wave French New Wave (french: La Nouvelle Vague) is a French art film movement that emerged in the late 1950s. The movement was characterized by its rejection of traditional filmmaking conventions in favor of experimentation and a spirit of iconocla ...

cinema. During the 1970s, Carol Littleton owned a production company that made commercials. She moved into working as a film editor with director

Karen Arthur Karen Arthur (born August 24, 1941) is an American film director, producer, and actress. Arthur has directed three feature films, including ''Lady Beware'' (1987) and ''The Mafu Cage'' (1978), but the majority of her work has been in television ...

on ''Legacy'' (1975). Other films were to follow and Littleton received an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

nomination for editing Steven Spielberg's ''

'' (1982). Commencing with ''

'' (1981), Littleton had an extended collaboration with the director

Lawrence Kasdan Lawrence Edward Kasdan (born January 14, 1949) is an American filmmaker. He is the co-writer of the ''Star Wars'' films ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980), ''Return of the Jedi'' (1983), ''The Force Awakens'' (2015), and ''Solo: A Star Wars Stor ...

. Kasdan hired Littleton for ''Body Heat'' not only for her skill, but specifically because she was a woman. He believed only a woman editor could bring the eroticism he wanted in the film. Of the 11 films that Kasdan has directed, Littleton has edited nine. In the late 1980s, Carol Littleton was elected and served as the president of the

. Littleton is one of the major editors that author Gabriella Oldham interview for her book ''First Cut: Conversations with Film Editors'' (1992).

Filmography

Unless noted otherwise, all productions below are feature-length fiction films that had a cinema release.

Accolades

Academy Award nominations

*1983 – ''

'', nominated for Best Film Editing

Other awards and nominations

* 2000 – ''

'', won for

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

Award - Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special * 1999 – ''

Beloved Beloved may refer to: Books * ''Beloved'' (novel), a 1987 novel by Toni Morrison * ''The Beloved'' (Faulkner novel), a 2012 novel by Australian author Annah Faulkner *''Beloved'', a 1993 historical romance about Zenobia, by Bertrice Small Film ...

'', nominated for

Satellite Awards The Satellite Awards are annual awards given by the International Press Academy that are commonly noted in entertainment industry journals and blogs. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards. The award ceremonies take place ...

(

International Press Academy The International Press Academy (IPA) is an American association of professional entertainment journalists, representing both domestic and foreign markets in print, television, radio, cable and new media outlets. Its members have annually been gi ...

) Golden Satellite Award - Best Motion Picture Film Editing (w/ co-editor Andy Keir) * 1983 – ''

'', nominated for

ACE Eddie - Best Edited Feature Film * 1983 – ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'', nominated for BAFTA Film Award - Best Film Editing

References

External links

*
Focus on Editing: Emmy Winner — Carol Littleton, A. C. E.)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Littleton, Carol 1942 births American Cinema Editors American film editors American women film editors Living people Artists from Oklahoma City 21st-century American women