Robert Clifford Jones (March 30, 1936 – February 1, 2021) was an American film editor, screenwriter, and educator. He 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 ...
for the screenplay of the film ''
Coming Home'' (1978). As an editor, Jones had
notable collaborations with the directors
Arthur Hiller
Arthur Hiller, (November 22, 1923 – August 17, 2016) was a Canadian-American television and film director with over 33 films to his credit during a 50-year career. He began his career directing television in Canada and later in the U.S. By t ...
(seven films from 1967 to 1992) and
Hal Ashby (four films from 1973 to 1982).
Jones was nominated three times for the
Academy Award for Best Film Editing: ''
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'' is a 1963 American comedy film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer with a story and screenplay by William Rose and Tania Rose. The film, starring Spencer Tracy with an all-star cast of comedians, is a ...
'' (1963), ''
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner'' is a 1967 American romantic comedy-drama film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer, and written by William Rose. It stars Spencer Tracy (in his final role), Sidney Poitier, and Katharine Hepburn, and featur ...
'' (1967), and ''
Bound for Glory'' (1976).
Early life
Jones was born in Los Angeles on March 30, 1936.
His father,
Harmon Jones, was a Canadian-born film editor who was nominated for an Oscar for his work on ''
Gentleman's Agreement''.
Jones enrolled in college, but subsequently
dropped out
Dropping out refers to leaving high school, college, university or another group for practical reasons, necessities, inability, apathy, or disillusionment with the system from which the individual in question leaves.
Canada
In Canada, most ind ...
and worked at a shipping room for
20th Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
.
He started off as an assistant film editor for movies like ''
Untamed'' (1955) and ''
The Long, Hot Summer
''The Long, Hot Summer'' is a 1958 American drama film directed by Martin Ritt. The screenplay was written by Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank Jr., based in part on three works by William Faulkner: the 1931 novella "Spotted Horses", the 1939 sh ...
'' (1958). He described his job as "magic", adding that it had "opened my eyes to what my dad had done".
[
After being drafted into the U.S. Army, Jones worked at the Army Pictorial Center from 1958 to 1960. Even though he did not attend film school or have any formal training in editing, he was thrust into the role of a film editor.] He was responsible for editing Army training films, documentaries, and several segments of '' The Big Picture'' television program. He credits this stint for giving him the "experience and confidence" needed to pursue a career in film editing.
Career
Upon his return from military service, Jones collaborated with Gene Fowler Jr. to edit '' A Child Is Waiting'' and ''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'' is a 1963 American comedy film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer with a story and screenplay by William Rose and Tania Rose. The film, starring Spencer Tracy with an all-star cast of comedians, is a ...
'' (both released in 1963).[ He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for the latter film.] He then increased his editing credentials by working on '' The Tiger Makes Out'' (1967) and '' Paint Your Wagon'' (1969). His work in ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner'' is a 1967 American romantic comedy-drama film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer, and written by William Rose. It stars Spencer Tracy (in his final role), Sidney Poitier, and Katharine Hepburn, and featur ...
'' (1967) earned him his second Oscar nomination for Best Film Editing.[ Almost a decade elapsed before he received his third Academy Award editing nomination for the musical drama '' Bound for Glory'' (1976).][
Jones was also involved in writing film scripts.][ He initially declined to work on '' Coming Home'' (1978) as editor when Hal Ashby asked him. However, he relented and joined as a screenwriter after Waldo Salt suffered a heart attack two months before the start of production.][ That film ultimately won the 1979 Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, which he shared with Salt and ]Nancy Dowd
Nancy Dowd (born 1945) is an Academy Award-winning screenwriter most famous for her films '' Slap Shot'' and '' Coming Home''.
Career
Dowd is a graduate of the UCLA Film School.
Her brother Ned Dowd inspired the story behind ''Slap Shot'' b ...
. Jones was surprised by the win and stated that going on stage to receive the award marked the first time he met Salt and Dowd.[ He was then the co-screenwriter for '' Being There'' (1979), which his daughter said he rewrote.][ Although he was originally granted credit by the studio (]United Artists
United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studi ...
– Lorimar Productions), the Writers Guild reversed that in an arbitration
Arbitration is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) that resolves disputes outside the judiciary courts. The dispute will be decided by one or more persons (the 'arbitrators', 'arbiters' or 'arbitral tribunal'), which renders the ' ...
decision and awarded credit only to Jerzy Kosiński
Jerzy Kosiński (born Józef Lewinkopf; ; June 14, 1933 – May 3, 1991) was a Polish-American novelist and two-time President of the American Chapter of P.E.N., who wrote primarily in English. Born in Poland, he survived World War II and, as a ...
, the author of the book that the movie was based on. Jones believed that his "writing career would have been a whole lot different if ehad gotten screen credit" and that "it was a dark day in my life". He consequently focused on editing for the remainder of his career.[
The final film Jones edited was '' Unconditional Love'', released in 2002.] After retiring from the film industry, he became a professor at the School of Cinematic Arts
The University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) houses seven academic divisions: Film & Television Production; Cinema & Media Studies; John C. Hench Division of Animation + Digital Arts; John Wells Division of Writing for Sc ...
of the University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
(USC), serving in that capacity for 15 years. He was presented with the American Cinema Editors Career Achievement Award in February 2014.
Personal life
Jones was married to Sylvia Hirsch Jones, a professor of psychology, for 59 years until his death.[ Together, they had two daughters: Hayley and ]Leslie
Leslie may refer to:
* Leslie (name), a name and list of people with the given name or surname, including fictional characters
Families
* Clan Leslie, a Scottish clan with the motto "grip fast"
* Leslie (Russian nobility), a Russian noble family ...
, who followed her father's footsteps and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing.[ She assisted Jones during the early part of her career on films like '']See No Evil, Hear No Evil
''See No Evil, Hear No Evil'' is a 1989 American comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller. The film stars Richard Pryor as a blind man and Gene Wilder as a deaf man who work together to thwart a trio of murderous thieves. This is the third film (in ...
'' and ''The Babe
''The Babe'' is a 1992 American biographical sports drama film about the life of famed baseball player Babe Ruth, who is portrayed by John Goodman. Directed by Arthur Hiller, written by John Fusco, it was released in the United States on April 1 ...
''.[
Jones died on February 1, 2021, at his home in Los Angeles. He was 84, and suffered from ]Lewy body dementia
Lewy body dementias are two similar and common subtypes of dementia—dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and
Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD). Both are characterized by changes in thinking, movement, behavior, and mood. The two conditions have sim ...
in the time leading up to his death.
Filmography
The director for each film is indicated in parentheses.
Writer
:*'' Being There'' ''(Uncredited)'' (Hal Ashby – 1979)
:*'' Coming Home'' (Hal Ashby – 1978). Academy Award and Writers Guild Award for Best Screenplay.
Editor
* 2000s
:*'' Unconditional Love'' (P. J. Hogan
Paul John "P. J." Hogan (born 30 November 1962) is an AACTA Award-winning Australian film director and writer.
Early life
Hogan was born in Brisbane, Queensland. As a teenager, he lived on the North Coast of New South Wales and attended Mt ...
– 2002)
* 1990s
**'' Crazy in Alabama'' (Antonio Banderas
José Antonio Domínguez Bandera (born 10 August 1960), known professionally as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish actor and singer. Known for his work in films of several genres, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Antonio Ba ...
– 1999)[
**'' Bulworth'' (]Warren Beatty
Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker, whose career spans over six decades. He was nominated for 15 Academy Awards, including four for Best Actor, four for Best Picture, two for Best Director, ...
– 1998)[
:*'']City Hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
'' ( Harold Becker – 1996)[
:*'' Love Affair'' (]Glenn Gordon Caron
Glenn Gordon Caron (born April 3, 1954), sometimes credited as Glenn Caron, is an American writer, director, and producer, best known for the television series ''Moonlighting (TV series), Moonlighting'' in the 1980s and ''Medium (TV series), Mediu ...
– 1994)[
:*'']The Babe
''The Babe'' is a 1992 American biographical sports drama film about the life of famed baseball player Babe Ruth, who is portrayed by John Goodman. Directed by Arthur Hiller, written by John Fusco, it was released in the United States on April 1 ...
'' (Arthur Hiller
Arthur Hiller, (November 22, 1923 – August 17, 2016) was a Canadian-American television and film director with over 33 films to his credit during a 50-year career. He began his career directing television in Canada and later in the U.S. By t ...
– 1992)[
:*'' Beyond the Law'' (]Larry Ferguson
Larry P Ferguson (March 19, 1940 – May 31, 2015) was a college football player for the University of Iowa. He was named a first-team All-American in 1960 and played one season for the Detroit Lions. He has six kids Darrick, Lori, Larry Jr., ...
– 1992)[
:*'']Married to It
''Married to It'' is a 1991 film directed by Arthur Hiller starring Beau Bridges, Stockard Channing, Robert Sean Leonard, Mary Stuart Masterson, Cybill Shepherd and Ron Silver. The film is about three New York City couples with disparate careers ...
'' (Arthur Hiller – 1991)[
:*'']Days of Thunder
''Days of Thunder'' is a 1990 American sports action drama film released by Paramount Pictures, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Tony Scott. The cast includes Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, C ...
'' (Tony Scott
Anthony David Leighton Scott (21 June 1944 – 19 August 2012) was an English film director and producer. He was known for directing highly successful action and thriller films such as ''Top Gun'' (1986), ''Beverly Hills Cop II'' (1987), ''Day ...
– 1990)[
* 1980s
:*'']See No Evil, Hear No Evil
''See No Evil, Hear No Evil'' is a 1989 American comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller. The film stars Richard Pryor as a blind man and Gene Wilder as a deaf man who work together to thwart a trio of murderous thieves. This is the third film (in ...
'' (Arthur Hiller – 1989)[
:*'' Twice in a Lifetime'' ( Bud Yorkin – 1985)][
:*'']Lookin' to Get Out
''Lookin’ to Get Out'' is a 1982 American comedy film, directed by Hal Ashby and written by Al Schwartz and Jon Voight, who also stars. The film also stars Ann-Margret and Burt Young. Voight's daughter, Angelina Jolie, then seven years old, m ...
'' ( Hal Ashby – 1982)[
* 1970s
:*'' Heaven Can Wait'' (Warren Beatty and Buck Henry – 1978)][
:*'' Bound for Glory'' (Hal Ashby – 1976). Nominated for Best Editing Oscar.][
:*'']Shampoo
Shampoo () is a hair care product, typically in the form of a viscous liquid, that is used for cleaning hair. Less commonly, shampoo is available in solid bar format. Shampoo is used by applying it to wet hair, massaging the product into the ...
'' (Hal Ashby – 1975)[
:*'']The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder
''The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder'' is a 1974 film from Playboy Enterprises directed by Arthur Hiller and produced by Hugh Hefner. This was the final film for actor George Marshall.
Plot
A Vietnam veteran who pretends to be insane ends up bei ...
'' (1974)[
:*'']The Last Detail
''The Last Detail'' is a 1973 American comedy-drama film directed by Hal Ashby, from a screenplay by Robert Towne, based on the 1970 novel of the same name by Darryl Ponicsan. The film stars Jack Nicholson, Otis Young, Randy Quaid, Clifton James, ...
'' (Hal Ashby – 1973)[
:*'']Man of La Mancha
''Man of La Mancha'' is a 1965 musical with a book by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh, and lyrics by Joe Darion. It is adapted from Wasserman's non-musical 1959 teleplay ''I, Don Quixote'', which was in turn inspired by Miguel de Cervantes ...
'' (Arthur Hiller – 1972)[
:*'']The New Centurions
''The New Centurions'' is a 1972 American Panavision neo-noir action crime film based on the 1971 novel of the same name by policeman turned author Joseph Wambaugh.
It stars George C. Scott, Stacy Keach, Scott Wilson, Jane Alexander, Rosal ...
'' (Richard Fleischer
Richard O. Fleischer (; December 8, 1916 – March 25, 2006) was an American film director whose career spanned more than four decades, beginning at the height of the Golden Age of Hollywood and lasting through the American New Wave.
Though he ...
– 1972)[
:*'']Cisco Pike
''Cisco Pike'' is a 1972 American drama film that was written and directed by Bill L. Norton, and released by Columbia Pictures. The film stars Kris Kristofferson as a musician who, having fallen on hard times, turns to the selling of marijuana ...
'' (Bill L. Norton
Bill L. Norton is an American film director, writer and producer. Among many projects, he is the writer-director of '' Cisco Pike'' and ''More American Graffiti''.
Career
Norton is most notable as a film director, including his first feature fil ...
– 1972)[
:*'' Love Story'' (Arthur Hiller – 1970)][
* 1960s
:*'' Paint Your Wagon'' (]Joshua Logan
Joshua Lockwood Logan III (October 5, 1908 – July 12, 1988) was an American director, writer, and actor. He shared a Pulitzer Prize for co-writing the musical '' South Pacific'' and was involved in writing other musicals.
Early years
Logan ...
– 1969)[
:*'']I Love You, Alice B. Toklas
''I Love You, Alice B. Toklas'' is a 1968 American romantic comedy film directed by Hy Averback and starring Peter Sellers. The film is set in the counterculture of the 1960s. The cast includes Joyce Van Patten, David Arkin, Jo Van Fleet, Leigh ...
'' ( Hy Averback – 1968)[
:*'']Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner'' is a 1967 American romantic comedy-drama film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer, and written by William Rose. It stars Spencer Tracy (in his final role), Sidney Poitier, and Katharine Hepburn, and featur ...
'' (Stanley Kramer
Stanley Earl Kramer (September 29, 1913February 19, 2001) was an American film director and producer, responsible for making many of Hollywood's most famous "message picture, message films" (he would call his movies ''heavy dramas'') and a libera ...
– 1967). Nominated for Best Editing Oscar and for ACE Eddie.[
:*'' The Tiger Makes Out'' (Arthur Hiller – 1967)][
:*'']Tobruk
Tobruk or Tobruck (; grc, Ἀντίπυργος, ''Antipyrgos''; la, Antipyrgus; it, Tobruch; ar, طبرق, Tubruq ''Ṭubruq''; also transliterated as ''Tobruch'' and ''Tubruk'') is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near th ...
'' (Arthur Hiller – 1967)[
:*'']Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title
''Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title'' is a 1966 American comedy film directed by Harmon Jones and written by Morey Amsterdam, John Davis Hart, William Marks and George Schenck. The film stars Morey Amsterdam, Rose Marie, Richard Deacon, Joey A ...
'' ( Harmon Jones – 1966)[
:*'' The Trouble with Angels'' (]Ida Lupino
Ida Lupino (4 February 1918Recorded in ''Births Mar 1918'' Camberwell Vol. 1d, p. 1019 (Free BMD). Transcribed as "Lupine" in the official births index – 3 August 1995) was an English-American actress, singer, director, writer, and producer. T ...
– 1966)[
:*'']Ship of Fools
The ship of fools is an allegory, originating from Book VI of Plato's ''Republic'', about a ship with a dysfunctional crew. The allegory is intended to represent the problems of governance prevailing in a political system not based on expert kn ...
'' (Stanley Kramer – 1965)[
:*'' Invitation to a Gunfighter'' (Richard Wilson – 1964)][
:*'']It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'' is a 1963 American comedy film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer with a story and screenplay by William Rose and Tania Rose. The film, starring Spencer Tracy with an all-star cast of comedians, is a ...
'' (Stanley Kramer – 1963). Nominated for Best Editing Oscar and for ACE Eddie.[
:*'' A Child Is Waiting'' ( John Cassavetes – 1963)][
]
Academy Awards
See also
* List of film director and editor collaborations
Notes
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
Robert C. Jones at Imsdb.com
Robert C. Jones Awards
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Robert C.
1936 births
2021 deaths
American film editors
American male screenwriters
Best Original Screenplay Academy Award winners
Film people from Los Angeles
Military personnel from California
Deaths from dementia in California
Deaths from Lewy body dementia