Arthur Schmidt

Arthur Robert Schmidt (June 17, 1937 – August 5, 2023) was an American film editor with about 27 film credits between 1977 and 2005. Schmidt had an extended collaboration with director Robert Zemeckis from the Back to the Future film trilogy (1985–1990) to Cast Away.

Life Schmidt was born in Los Angeles on June 17, 1937, the son of film editor Arthur P. Schmidt; it is said that the younger Arthur's education in editing began when he watched his father editing the film Sunset Boulevard (1950). Schmidt graduated from Santa Clara University with a bachelor's degree in English.

Schmidt received the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) and Forrest Gump (1994). In addition to these Oscars, Schmidt has won several "Eddies" from the American Cinema Editors for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (with Craig Wood and Stephen E. Rivkin, 2003), Forrest Gump, and for a television special The Jericho Mile (1979). He has been nominated for major editing awards (including the BAFTA Award for Best Editing) for Coal Miner's Daughter (1980), Back to the Future (with Harry Keramidas, 1985), The Last of the Mohicans (with Dov Hoenig, 1992), and Cast Away (2000). He was the executive producer for The Labyrinth (2010).

Schmidt received the 2009 American Cinema Editors Career Achievement Award, which was presented to Schmidt by Zemeckis.

Schmidt died at his home in Santa Barbara, California, on August 5, 2023, at the age of 86.

Filmography (as editor)

Year Title Director Notes 1977 The Last Remake of Beau Geste Marty Feldman co-edited with Jim Clark 1978 Jaws 2 Jeannot Szwarc 1979 The Jericho Mile Michael Mann 1980 Coal Miner's Daughter Michael Apted Nominated—Academy Award for Best Film Editing The Idolmaker Taylor Hackford 1982 The Escape Artist Caleb Deschanel 1984 The Buddy System Glenn Jordan Firstborn Michael Apted 1985 Fandango Kevin Reynolds Back to the Future Robert Zemeckis Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Editing 1986 Ruthless People David Zucker Jim Abrahams Jerry Zucker 1988 Who Framed Roger Rabbit Robert Zemeckis Academy Award for Best Film Editing Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Editing 1989 Back to the Future Part II 1990 Back to the Future Part III 1991 The Rocketeer Joe Johnston 1992 Death Becomes Her Robert Zemeckis The Last of the Mohicans Michael Mann 1993 Addams Family Values Barry Sonnenfeld 1994 Forrest Gump Robert Zemeckis Academy Award for Best Film Editing ACE Eddie Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Editing 1996 The Birdcage Mike Nichols Chain Reaction Andrew Davis 1997 Contact Robert Zemeckis 1998 Primary Colors Mike Nichols 2000 What Lies Beneath Robert Zemeckis Cast Away 2003 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Gore Verbinski 2005 The Chumscrubber Arie Posin