Daniel Richard "Dann" Cahn (April 9, 1923 – November 21, 2012) was 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 ...

who received the Career Achievement Award from 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 ...

(ACE). Cahn was best known as the head editor of the TV series, ''

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along with ...

'' and for his work as the head of post-production of

Desilu Playhouse ''Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse'' is an American television anthology series produced by Desilu Productions. The show ran on the Columbia Broadcasting System between 1958 and 1960. Three of its 48 episodes served as pilots for the 1950s television ...

. Cahn would also go on to edit several more movies and TV series such as ''

The Beverly Hillbillies ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from 1962 to 1971. It had an ensemble cast featuring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer Jr. as the Clampetts, a poor, backwoods family from ...

''. Cahn worked with

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 ...

Russ Meyer Russell Albion Meyer (March 21, 1922 – September 18, 2004) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, and editor. He is known primarily for writing and directing a series of successful sexploitation films that fea ...

and others.

Early life

Cahn was born and raised in Hollywood. His parents were Philip and Gertrude (Barsha) Cahn. Some members of the Cahn family were already in the film business at the time Danny Cahn was born. His family (his grandparents and his father, a baby at the time) had migrated from

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

and Russia to

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, before settling in New York on the lower east side of

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

. The Cahn family would later move to Hollywood, where his uncle Edward L. "Eddy" Cahn had managed to join the film business in 1913. Eddy Cahn worked first as a prop man and then later moved up to become one of the top

s at

Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

. Dann Cahn's father, Philip Cahn, tried ranching in

North Hollywood North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North ...

on a piece of property that he bought with proceeds he had saved and money earned from his wife Gertrude's dress shop ("Gertrude's" on

Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It begins in the east at Sunset Boulevard in the Los Feliz district and proceeds to the west as a major thoroughfare through Little Armenia and Thai Town, Hollywoo ...

). The ranch property was located at the junction of Vineland and Aqua Vista in North Hollywood next to the

Los Angeles River , name_etymology = , image = File:Los Angeles River from Fletcher Drive Bridge 2019.jpg , image_caption = L.A. River from Fletcher Drive Bridge , image_size = 300 , map = LARmap.jpg , map_size ...

. His father purchased 2,500 baby chicks. But one night the electricity gave out and the incubators went cold. The baby chicks didn't make it. Soon after, Philip Cahn would also join his brother in the film business as a film editor. Dann Cahn's father Philip edited '' Imitation of Life'' with

Claudette Colbert Claudette Colbert ( ; born Émilie Claudette Chauchoin; September 13, 1903July 30, 1996) was an American actress. Colbert began her career in Broadway productions during the late 1920s and progressed to films with the advent of talking pictures ...

. With an uncle and father in the film business, young Danny Cahn grew up in Hollywood and would hang around his father's sets prior to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Dann also got the itch to work on movies. Fascinated by the ''

Dead End Kids The Dead End Kids were a group of young actors from New York City who appeared in Sidney Kingsley's Broadway play ''Dead End'' in 1935. In 1937, producer Samuel Goldwyn brought all of them to Hollywood and turned the play into a film. They prov ...

'' pictures that were popular at the time and having acted in a few high school plays, young Danny Cahn thought he might like to become an actor. Cahn got his

SAG SAG, SAg, or sag may refer to: Land formations * Sag (geology), or ''trough'', a depressed, persistent, low area * Sag pond, a body of water collected in the lowest parts of a depression People * Ivan Sag (1949–2013), American linguist ...

card and worked on bit parts in several B-movies before deciding that most actors were starving and that he wanted a "real paying gig". During

, Dann Cahn was among the hundreds of actors, directors, producers, writers, editors, cameramen, makeup artists and even musicians enlisted in the armed services who found themselves stationed not in the European front or the

Pacific theater The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

, but at the old

Hal Roach Studios Hal Roach Studios was an American motion picture and television production studio. Known as ''The Laugh Factory to the World'', it was founded by producer Hal Roach and business partners Dan Linthicum and I.H. Nance as the Rolin Film Company on Ju ...

Culver City Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most ...

. As members of the

First Motion Picture Unit The 18th AAF Base Unit (Motion Picture Unit), originally known as the First Motion Picture Unit, Army Air Forces, was the primary film production unit of the U.S. Army Air Forces (AAF) during World War II, and was the first military unit mad ...

, these soldiers contributed to the war effort by making more than 400 training films and documentaries. Of making films for the military, Cahn said, "I was an editor in the unit and two of us were sent to the

Pentagon In geometry, a pentagon (from the Greek πέντε ''pente'' meaning ''five'' and γωνία ''gonia'' meaning ''angle'') is any five-sided polygon or 5-gon. The sum of the internal angles in a simple pentagon is 540°. A pentagon may be simpl ...

for a year and we made

newsreel A newsreel is a form of short documentary film, containing news stories and items of topical interest, that was prevalent between the 1910s and the mid 1970s. Typically presented in a cinema, newsreels were a source of current affairs, informa ...

s. We were all in for 3½ years, and most of us got a world of experience." Cahn is the middle part of one of the only three-generation families in ACE editing history. His father, Philip Cahn, had a long career at Universal, mainly cutting

Abbott and Costello Abbott may refer to: People *Abbott (surname) *Abbott Handerson Thayer (1849–1921), American painter and naturalist * Abbott and Costello, famous American vaudeville act Places Argentina * Abbott, Buenos Aires United States * Abbott, Arkansas ...

comedies. His son, Danny Cahn Jr., ACE, is also picture editor on features and TV series, and was elected president of the Motion Picture Editor's Guild at the beginning of 2011.

Career highlights

Dann Cahn started out working in a film library and then later moved up as an assistant editor on motion pictures. His first job in television came in 1949, the ''Lucky Strike Showtime''. Most notably, Cahn worked at

Desilu Desilu Productions () was an American television production company founded and co-owned by husband and wife Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. The company is best known for shows such as ''I Love Lucy'', ''The Lucy Show'', ''Mannix'', ''The Untouchabl ...

on the TV series, ''

''. Cahn also edited ''

The Untouchables Untouchables or The Untouchables may refer to: American history * Untouchables (law enforcement), a 1930s American law enforcement unit led by Eliot Ness * ''The Untouchables'' (book), an autobiography by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley * ''The U ...

'', and ''

The Loretta Young Show ''The Loretta Young Show'' (originally known as ''Letter to Loretta'') is an American anthology drama television series broadcast on Sunday nights from September 2, 1953, to June 4, 1961, on NBC for a total of 165 episodes. The series was hosted ...

''. Dann Cahn also worked at Glenn Larson Productions as head of post production. ''

'' was the first sitcom to shoot with three cameras and ship in 35 mm instead of kinescopes. Cahn was one of the first editors to master cutting on a film

Moviola A Moviola () is a device that allows a film editor to view a film while editing. It was the first machine for motion picture editing when it was invented by Iwan Serrurier in 1924. History Iwan Serrurier's original 1917 concept for the Moviola ...

with four heads (three for picture and one for sound). Cahn's work on ''I Love Lucy'' is featured in the

Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center The Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum,, formally The Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum & Center for Comedy and commonly known as the Lucy Desi Museum, is a museum at 2 West 3rd Street, Jamestown, New York that is affiliated with the nearby National Co ...

Jamestown, New York Jamestown is a city in southern Chautauqua County, in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 28,712 at the 2020 census. Situated between Lake Erie to the north and the Allegheny National Forest to the south, Jamestown is the largest pop ...

, which has an exhibit including his "three-headed monster" editing machine. At

Desilu Studios The Culver Studios is a movie studio in Culver City, California. Originally created by silent movie pioneer Thomas H. Ince, classics from Hollywood's Golden Age were filmed there. It is currently owned by Hackman Capital Partners, which completely ...

, Cahn mentored several ''

'' team members, editors Gary Freund and Ted Rich both started as his apprentices. His other apprentices included Bud Molin and a fourth, "the one I had to nurse the longest..." Cahn said, "that was Michael Kahn, ACE, and he is now the number one editor in town, doing all of

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...

's shows." Cahn would go on to work with several notable feature film directors, including

(''Fountain of Youth'') and the notorious

(''

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls ''Beyond the Valley of the Dolls'' is a 1970 American satirical musical melodrama film starring Dolly Read, Cynthia Myers, Marcia McBroom, Phyllis Davis, John LaZar, Michael Blodgett, and David Gurian. The film was directed by Russ Meyer and scr ...

''). Cahn would also direct at least one episode of the classic TV series, '' Leave It to Beaver'' and would also produce and/or direct several other films or television shows.

Personal life

In 1953, Cahn married former

pro golfer A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...

Judy Cahn (1929–2010). They had two children. His son Daniel T. Cahn is also an editor.Peter Tonguette:
Editorial Patriarch: Philip Cahn (1894–1984)
'. In: cinemontage.org, May 1, 2012. His daughter Dana died 1973 in a car accident.''Coed, 17, Killed When Car Plunges From Palisades''. In: Los Angeles Times, January 10, 1973, p. 3. Cahn's hobby was collecting exotic birds.

Death

Cahn died of

natural causes In many legal jurisdictions, the manner of death is a determination, typically made by the coroner, medical examiner, police, or similar officials, and recorded as a vital statistic. Within the United States and the United Kingdom, a distinct ...

at his

West Los Angeles West Los Angeles is an area within the city of Los Angeles, California. The residential and commercial neighborhood is divided by the Interstate 405 freeway, and each side is sometimes treated as a distinct neighborhood, mapped differently by di ...

home on November 21, 2012 at the age of 89. His remains were interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

Selected filmography

*''I Love Lucy's 50th Anniversary Special'' (2001) (TV) (consultant) *''Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus'' (1991) (TV) *''Jake Spanner, Private Eye'' (1989) (TV) *'' Bates Motel (film), Bates Motel'' (1987) (TV) *''

My Sister Sam ''My Sister Sam'' is an American television sitcom starring Pam Dawber and Rebecca Schaeffer that aired on CBS from October 6, 1986, to April 12, 1988. Synopsis The sitcom follows the lives of a 29-year-old San Francisco freelance photographer n ...

'' (1986) TV series *'' Tough Enough'' (1983) *''

Remington Steele ''Remington Steele'' is an American television series co-created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason. The series, starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan, was produced by MTM Enterprises and first broadcast on the NBC network from Oc ...

'' (1982) TV series *''

The Fall Guy ''The Fall Guy'' is an American action/adventure television series produced for ABC and originally broadcast from November 4, 1981, to May 2, 1986. It starred Lee Majors, Douglas Barr, and Heather Thomas as Hollywood stunt performers who moonli ...

'' (1981) TV series *''

The Octagon The Octagon may refer to: *The Octagon, Christchurch, a former church in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand *The Octagon, Dunedin, the city centre of Dunedin, New Zealand *The Octagon (Egypt), the headquarters of the Egyptian Ministry of ...

'' (1980) *''

Man from Atlantis ''Man from Atlantis'' is a short-lived American science fiction/fantasy television series that ran for 13 episodes on the NBC network during the 1977–78 season, following four television films that had aired earlier in 1977. Ratings success by ...

'' (1977) TV series *'' Shaft'' TV series (associate producer) (3 episodes, 1974) *'' Police Woman'' (1974–1975) TV series *''

The Most Deadly Game ''The Most Deadly Game'' is an American television series that ran for 12 episodes from 1970 to 1971. The series was produced by Aaron Spelling Productions, with Aaron Spelling as the executive producer. It stars Yvette Mimieux, Ralph Bellamy, ...

'' (1970) TV series *''

'' (1970) *''

'' (28 episodes, 1963–1964) *'' Leave It to Beaver'' (1 episode, 1961) Director *''

The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour ''The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour'' is a collection of thirteen black-and-white one-hour specials airing occasionally from 1957 to 1960 (as opposed to the thirty-minute regular series, ''I Love Lucy''). The first five were shown as specials during t ...

'' (1959) *''Frances Langford Presents'' (1959) TV series (writer) *''

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse ''Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse'' is an American television anthology series produced by Desilu Productions. The show ran on the Columbia Broadcasting System between 1958 and 1960. Three of its 48 episodes served as pilots for the 1950s television ...

'' (1 episode, 1959) Director *''The Scarface Mob'' (1959) (TV) (second unit director) *''

The Fountain of Youth The Fountain of Youth is a mythical spring which allegedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks or bathes in its waters. Tales of such a fountain have been recounted around the world for thousands of years, appearing in the writings of Herod ...

'' (1958) (TV) (editorial supervisor) *'' The Californians'' (1957) TV series (editorial supervisor) *''

'' (editorial supervisor) (106 episodes, 1952–1957) *''

Cavalcade of America ''Cavalcade of America'' is an anthology drama series that was sponsored by the DuPont Company, although it occasionally presented musicals, such as an adaptation of ''Show Boat'', and condensed biographies of popular composers. It was initially ...

'' (2 episodes, 1956–1957) *''

Make Room for Daddy ''The Danny Thomas Show'' (titled ''Make Room for Daddy'' for its first three seasons) is an American sitcom that ran from 1953 to 1957 on ABC and from 1957 to 1964 on CBS. Starring Danny Thomas as a successful night club entertainer, the show fo ...

'' (1953) TV series *''I Love Lucy'' film (1953) *''

'' (33 episodes, 1951–1952) *''

Our Miss Brooks ''Our Miss Brooks'' is an American sitcom starring Eve Arden as a sardonic high-school English teacher. It began as a radio show broadcast on CBS from 1948 to 1957. When the show was adapted to television (1952–56), it became one of the medi ...

'' (1952) TV series *''Airborne Lifeboat'' (1945)

References

External links

* *
Editor's Guild Magazine "MPEG Veterans Days: Honoring Our Retirees"

"Serving their country in wartime – by making films" LA Times, By Susan King, September 27, 2005
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cahn, Dann 1923 births 2012 deaths Death in California American film editors American Cinema Editors United States Army personnel of World War II American television directors American television producers First Motion Picture Unit personnel United States Army Air Forces soldiers Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)