Adrienne Fazan

Adrienne Fazan (May 9, 1906 – August 23, 1986) was an American film editor who first started cutting films in 1933. She worked on many MGM films, including The Tell-Tale Heart, Anchors Aweigh (1945), Singin' in the Rain (1952), and Kismet (1955).

Biography Fazan was born in Germany, to John Fazan and Magdalena Fremdling. She became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1923, and by 1930 was living in Los Angeles and working as a film editor at a studio.

Career Adrienne Fazan started cutting and editing in films in 1933 and then she went to work at MGM, who were known for hiring the most qualified and talented people.

Fazan worked with Dorothy Arzner (known for her work on many popular films like The Wild Party) on many of her films where she helped Fazan move from working on short films, to editing popular feature films. Fazan also collaborated with Vincente Minnelli on eleven films, including the Oscar winning film, Gigi.

Fazan was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for An American in Paris (1951), and received the award for Gigi (1958). Both of these films were directed by Vincente Minnelli. She retired in 1970 after editing The Cheyenne Social Club.

Personal life Fazan was likely gay. According to actress Debbie Reynolds, "There was one woman at MGM Studios who was an editor called Adrienne, and she wore men's tailored suits and a skirt. She taught me how to cut and edit film. This was a very talented, very educated woman and she lived with another lady. Now that's going back to 1949 and the '50s and the '60s, when gay women were not out."

Films edited

Short documentaries

Shorts

+ Editor Year Film Director1936 Little Boy BlueEdwin Lawrence 1939 How to EatRoy Rowland The Day of Rest Basil Wrangell See Your Doctor Miracle at LourdesHenry K. Dunn 1940 Know Your MoneyJoseph M. Newman A Door Will OpenGeorge Sidney The Big Premiere Edward L. Cahn All About Hash Women in HidingJoseph M. Newman A Failure at FiftyWill Jason Buyer BewareJoseph M. Newman Goin' Fishin'Edward L. Cahn 1941 Respect the LawJoseph M. Newman More About NostradamusDavid Miller More Trifles of ImportanceBasil Wrangell Coffins on WheelsJoseph M. Newman Of Pups and PuzzlesGeorge Sidney The Tell-Tale HeartJules Dassin Strange TestamentSammy Lee 1942 The Lady, or the Tiger?Fred Zinnemann Further Prophecies of NostradamusDavid Miller 1943 Brief IntervalSammy Lee Inca GoldWill Jason InflationCy Endfield Journey to YesterdayHarold Daniels Ode to VictoryEdward L. Cahn My Tomato Will Jason No News Is Good News 1944 Somewhere, U.S.A. A Great Day's ComingRobert Elwyn