Lyman Hallowell(1914-2011)
- Editorial Department
- Editor
- Visual Effects
Lyman Hallowell was a renowned film and television editor born in Santa
Barbara, California, and raised in Los Angeles. Over his 30-year career
he worked on at least 99 studio films with such directors as Elia
Kazan, Ernst Lubitsch, Josh Logan, Henry King, John Ford, Charlie
Brackett, Francois Truffaut, Otto Preminger, Darryl Zanuck, and many
more.
Mr. Hallowell's connection with the cinema started early in life; one of his playmates was Jackie Coogan; (who starred opposite Charles Chaplin in The Kid (1921).) His parents entertained early silent-era stars in the family home, including Mabel Normand, Barbara La Marr, Buster Keaton, and Lucile LeSeur (who became Joan Crawford). During his teens, he had lessons on the Wurlitzer pipe organ in the Ventura Theatre, where he watched all the latest releases and developed his love of film. In 1938 he matriculated with an A.B. degree in Cinema from the University of Southern California, where he was a close friend and schoolmate of Ward Kimball, the right hand artist for Walt Disney.
Hollywood Career, (1943-1952) His first job was as an usher at Fox West Coast Theatres, earning $11.00 per week. His acting debut was as a rioter in the Richard Boleslawski production of Les Misérables (1935), where he appeared in scenes with Charles Laughton, Fredric March, Cedric Hardwicke, and Rochelle Hudson. He later joined the Air Force in the Pacific Theatre of Operations and learned to pilot planes for supply transport.
In 1943, after short stints in the accounting and art departments at 20th Century-Fox, he began an eight-year editor apprenticeship, serving months in various departments such as the film library, background projection, special photo effects, and sound effects, where he developed a wide knowledge of techniques used in many Fox releases. While working at Fox, he met John Dapper, who was to become his lifelong partner. His first assignment as an assistant editor in feature editing was with the Oscar-winning editor William Reynolds, who was a great mentor to him and contributed greatly to his professional development as an editor. Mr. Hallowell served as an editor on the first Cinemascope film, The Robe (1953) was particularly challenging because of the difficulty changing from a 3 negative color process (Technicolor) to a single negative (Eastman). He also edited the 3-D production Inferno (1953) though the final cut was released in 2-D.
Film and Television Career in New York In the early 50's, as movie attendance decreased with the advent of television, the drop in revenues caused many studio layoffs. Simultaneously, production of TV shows using 35mm film was rapidly growing in New York, hence he relocated there and worked at MKR Films, an editorial service house organized by Gene Milford (Academy-award winning editor for Lost Horizon (1937) and On the Waterfront), Sidney Katz, and Ralph Rosenblum (editor for Woody Allen, Sidney Lumet, and others). At MKR Mr. Hallowell edited TV shows such as Brenner with Jimmie Broderick, documentaries, and short one-reels. He re-edited some of Francois Truffaut's films to make them pass the censors. He assisted Bill Reynolds on Josh Logan's Fanny (1961) and supervised its re-recording. He directed Barbra Streisand in ADR sessions for The Owl and the Pussycat (1970), and she presented him with three of her LP records as thanks after the wrap. He also edited 2nd unit New York scenes for West Side Story (1961) directed by Robert Wise.
Later in New York, he worked for Herbert Brodkin at 'Plautus Productions [us]' and edited many TV shows including The Defenders, The Nurses, The Doctors and the Nurses, and For the People. William Shatner (male lead on For the People) would visit him in the cutting room and watch him edit.
On August 14, 2008, he legally married John Dapper, his partner of 63 years, in San Diego, California. Both men were the subjects of the documentary Johnny and Lyman: A Life Together (2010).
Mr. Hallowell's connection with the cinema started early in life; one of his playmates was Jackie Coogan; (who starred opposite Charles Chaplin in The Kid (1921).) His parents entertained early silent-era stars in the family home, including Mabel Normand, Barbara La Marr, Buster Keaton, and Lucile LeSeur (who became Joan Crawford). During his teens, he had lessons on the Wurlitzer pipe organ in the Ventura Theatre, where he watched all the latest releases and developed his love of film. In 1938 he matriculated with an A.B. degree in Cinema from the University of Southern California, where he was a close friend and schoolmate of Ward Kimball, the right hand artist for Walt Disney.
Hollywood Career, (1943-1952) His first job was as an usher at Fox West Coast Theatres, earning $11.00 per week. His acting debut was as a rioter in the Richard Boleslawski production of Les Misérables (1935), where he appeared in scenes with Charles Laughton, Fredric March, Cedric Hardwicke, and Rochelle Hudson. He later joined the Air Force in the Pacific Theatre of Operations and learned to pilot planes for supply transport.
In 1943, after short stints in the accounting and art departments at 20th Century-Fox, he began an eight-year editor apprenticeship, serving months in various departments such as the film library, background projection, special photo effects, and sound effects, where he developed a wide knowledge of techniques used in many Fox releases. While working at Fox, he met John Dapper, who was to become his lifelong partner. His first assignment as an assistant editor in feature editing was with the Oscar-winning editor William Reynolds, who was a great mentor to him and contributed greatly to his professional development as an editor. Mr. Hallowell served as an editor on the first Cinemascope film, The Robe (1953) was particularly challenging because of the difficulty changing from a 3 negative color process (Technicolor) to a single negative (Eastman). He also edited the 3-D production Inferno (1953) though the final cut was released in 2-D.
Film and Television Career in New York In the early 50's, as movie attendance decreased with the advent of television, the drop in revenues caused many studio layoffs. Simultaneously, production of TV shows using 35mm film was rapidly growing in New York, hence he relocated there and worked at MKR Films, an editorial service house organized by Gene Milford (Academy-award winning editor for Lost Horizon (1937) and On the Waterfront), Sidney Katz, and Ralph Rosenblum (editor for Woody Allen, Sidney Lumet, and others). At MKR Mr. Hallowell edited TV shows such as Brenner with Jimmie Broderick, documentaries, and short one-reels. He re-edited some of Francois Truffaut's films to make them pass the censors. He assisted Bill Reynolds on Josh Logan's Fanny (1961) and supervised its re-recording. He directed Barbra Streisand in ADR sessions for The Owl and the Pussycat (1970), and she presented him with three of her LP records as thanks after the wrap. He also edited 2nd unit New York scenes for West Side Story (1961) directed by Robert Wise.
Later in New York, he worked for Herbert Brodkin at 'Plautus Productions [us]' and edited many TV shows including The Defenders, The Nurses, The Doctors and the Nurses, and For the People. William Shatner (male lead on For the People) would visit him in the cutting room and watch him edit.
On August 14, 2008, he legally married John Dapper, his partner of 63 years, in San Diego, California. Both men were the subjects of the documentary Johnny and Lyman: A Life Together (2010).
