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Viola Lawrence

Viola Lawrence

Editor

Born December 1, 1894 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Died November 20, 1973

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Viola Mallory Lawrence (December 2, 1894, New York – November 20, 1973) is considered by many to be the first woman film editor in Hollywood. She was nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing: for Pal Joey (1957), with Jerome Thoms; and for Pepe (1960), with Al Clark.

She began working at Vitagraph Studios in Flatbush, Brooklyn as a messenger at the age of 11. At 12, she was holding title cards. In 1915, she became the second female film cutter in cinema history, after Anna McKnight, who also worked at Vitagraph. She married Frank Lawrence, her film cutting teacher at Vitagraph.

In 1917, she moved to Hollywood and worked for Universal, First National, Gloria Swanson Productions and Columbia Pictures at various times. She became Columbia's "head editor" or "supervising editor" in 1925. After director Erich von Stroheim was fired from the production of Queen Kelly (1929), star Gloria Swanson herself directed an alternate ending, with the help of cinematographer Gregg Toland and Lawrence. Lawrence edited Samuel Goldwyn Studio's first sound film, Bulldog Drummond (1929). She rejoined Columbia in 1934 and remained there for the rest of her long career, ending with Pepe (1960).

Orson Welles biographer Charles Higham wrote that, when Lawrence was assigned to The Lady from Shanghai (1947), she reported to studio boss Harry Cohn that "the footage was a jumbled mess". She also informed Cohn that Welles "had not shot a single close-up"; Welles reluctantly obeyed orders to add some. Following poorly received previews, the studio had Lawrence make drastic cuts, over an hour of footage, shortening the film to 87 minutes.

Viola Lawrence Photos

Filmography

Editor

104

Type

Year

Ride the Wild Surf Poster

Ride the Wild Surf Feature Film1964

Pepe Feature Film1960

Who Was That Lady? Poster

Who Was That Lady? Feature Film1960

Going Steady Poster

Going Steady Feature Film1958

Jeanne Eagels Poster

Jeanne Eagels Feature Film1957

Pal Joey Poster

Pal Joey Feature Film1957

The Eddy Duchin Story Poster

The Eddy Duchin Story Feature Film1956

Chicago Syndicate Poster

Chicago Syndicate Feature Film1955

Queen Bee Poster

Queen Bee Feature Film1955

Three for the Show Poster

Three for the Show Feature Film1955

Tight Spot Poster

Tight Spot Feature Film1955

Jesse James vs. the Daltons Poster

Jesse James vs. the Daltons Feature Film1954

The Miami Story Poster

The Miami Story Feature Film1954

Man in the Dark Poster

Man in the Dark Feature Film1953

Miss Sadie Thompson Poster

Miss Sadie Thompson Feature Film1953

Salome Feature Film1953

Affair in Trinidad Poster

Affair in Trinidad Feature Film1952

Paula Feature Film1952

The First Time Poster

The First Time Feature Film1952

Sirocco Feature Film1951

Harriet Craig Poster

Harriet Craig Feature Film1950

In a Lonely Place Poster

In a Lonely Place Feature Film1950

The Flying Missile Poster

The Flying Missile Feature Film1950

The Traveling Saleswoman Poster

The Traveling Saleswoman Feature Film1950

And Baby Makes Three Poster

And Baby Makes Three Feature Film1949

Knock on Any Door Poster

Knock on Any Door Feature Film1949

Tokyo Joe Poster

Tokyo Joe Feature Film1949

Leather Gloves Poster

Leather Gloves Feature Film1948

Mary Lou Poster

Mary Lou Feature Film1948

The Dark Past Poster

The Dark Past Feature Film1948

The Gallant Blade Poster

The Gallant Blade Feature Film1948

Down to Earth Poster

Down to Earth Feature Film1947

The Lady from Shanghai Poster

The Lady from Shanghai Feature Film1947

Perilous Holiday Poster

Perilous Holiday Feature Film1946

The Fighting Guardsman Poster

The Fighting Guardsman Feature Film1946

Hit the Hay Poster

Hit the Hay Feature Film1945

She Wouldn't Say Yes Poster

She Wouldn't Say Yes Feature Film1945

Tonight and Every Night Poster

Tonight and Every Night Feature Film1945

Cover Girl Poster

Cover Girl Feature Film1944

Secret Command Poster

Secret Command Feature Film1944

First Comes Courage Poster

First Comes Courage Feature Film1943

My Sister Eileen Poster

My Sister Eileen Feature Film1942

One Dangerous Night Poster

One Dangerous Night Feature Film1942

Screen Snapshots Series 21, No. 6 Short Film1942

They All Kissed the Bride Poster

They All Kissed the Bride Feature Film1942

Two Yanks in Trinidad Poster

Two Yanks in Trinidad Feature Film1942

Bedtime Story Poster

Bedtime Story Feature Film1941

Here Comes Mr. Jordan Poster

Here Comes Mr. Jordan Feature Film1941

The Big Boss Poster

The Big Boss Feature Film1941

The Lone Wolf Takes a Chance Poster

The Lone Wolf Takes a Chance Feature Film1941

Two in a Taxi Poster

Two in a Taxi Feature Film1941

You Belong to Me Poster

You Belong to Me Feature Film1941

Five Little Peppers at Home Poster

Five Little Peppers at Home Feature Film1940

Glamour for Sale Poster

Glamour for Sale Feature Film1940

He Stayed for Breakfast Poster

He Stayed for Breakfast Feature Film1940

The Doctor Takes a Wife Poster

The Doctor Takes a Wife Feature Film1940

This Thing Called Love Poster

This Thing Called Love Feature Film1940

Blondie Takes a Vacation Poster

Blondie Takes a Vacation Feature Film1939

Only Angels Have Wings Poster

Only Angels Have Wings Feature Film1939

The Amazing Mr. Williams Poster

The Amazing Mr. Williams Feature Film1939

City Streets Poster

City Streets Feature Film1938

I Am the Law Poster

I Am the Law Feature Film1938

Penitentiary Poster

Penitentiary Feature Film1938

There's Always a Woman Poster

There's Always a Woman Feature Film1938

There's That Woman Again Poster

There's That Woman Again Feature Film1938

Devil's Playground Poster

Devil's Playground Feature Film1937

Life Begins with Love Poster

Life Begins with Love Feature Film1937

She Married an Artist Poster

She Married an Artist Feature Film1937

Speed to Spare Poster

Speed to Spare Feature Film1937

Craig's Wife Poster

Craig's Wife Feature Film1936

Lady of Secrets Poster

Lady of Secrets Feature Film1936

The King Steps Out Poster

The King Steps Out Feature Film1936

A Feather in Her Hat Poster

A Feather in Her Hat Feature Film1935

Love Me Forever Poster

Love Me Forever Feature Film1935

Party Wire Poster

Party Wire Feature Film1935

The Lone Wolf Returns Poster

The Lone Wolf Returns Feature Film1935

The Whole Town's Talking Poster

The Whole Town's Talking Feature Film1935

Jealousy Poster

Jealousy Feature Film1934

Lady by Choice Poster

Lady by Choice Feature Film1934

No Greater Glory Poster

No Greater Glory Feature Film1934

The Party's Over Poster

The Party's Over Feature Film1934

Whom the Gods Destroy Poster

Whom the Gods Destroy Feature Film1934

Man's Castle Poster

Man's Castle Feature Film1933

Sailor Be Good Poster

Sailor Be Good Feature Film1933

Men Are Such Fools Poster

Men Are Such Fools Feature Film1932

Queen Kelly Poster

Queen Kelly Feature Film1932

Pagan Lady Poster

Pagan Lady Feature Film1931

What a Widow! Poster

What a Widow! Feature Film1930

Bulldog Drummond Poster

Bulldog Drummond Feature Film1929

This Is Heaven Poster

This Is Heaven Feature Film1929

The Awakening Poster

The Awakening Feature Film1928

Two Lovers Poster

Two Lovers Feature Film1928

The Devil Dancer Poster

The Devil Dancer Feature Film1927

The Belle of Broadway Poster

The Belle of Broadway Feature Film1926

The Winning of Barbara Worth Poster

The Winning of Barbara Worth Feature Film1926

Man-Woman-Marriage Poster

Man-Woman-Marriage Feature Film1921

Once to Every Woman Poster

Once to Every Woman Feature Film1920

The Virgin of Stamboul Poster

The Virgin of Stamboul Feature Film1920

Blind Husbands Poster

Blind Husbands Feature Film1919

His Divorced Wife Poster

His Divorced Wife Feature Film1919

Loot Feature Film1919

The Heart of Humanity Poster

The Heart of Humanity Feature Film1918

An Alabaster Box Poster

An Alabaster Box Feature Film1917

Within the Law Poster

Within the Law Feature Film1917

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