Doane Harrison

Doane Harrison (September 19, 1894 – November 11, 1968) was an American film editor whose career spanned four decades. For nearly twenty years, from 1935–54, he was a prolific editor of films for Paramount Pictures, including eleven films with director Mitchell Leisen. For twenty-five years, from 1941–1966, Harrison was editor, editorial supervisor or associate producer on all the films directed by Billy Wilder, who is now considered one of the great 20th-century filmmakers.

Early career Born in Paw Paw, Michigan, Harrison began his career during the silent film era. The earliest phase of his career and his education don't appear to have been documented. In 1925–1926, he was credited as the editor for nine films starring Richard Talmadge, and produced by Richard Talmadge Productions.

By 1928, he was editing films produced by Pathé Exchange. In 1933 he edited his eleventh (and last) film starring Richard Talmadge, On Your Guard. By 1935, Harrison had joined Paramount Pictures, one of the major Hollywood studios. Harrison remained at Paramount for more than eighteen years. His first film there was Four Hours to Kill! (1935), which was directed by Mitchell Leisen; at Pathé Exchange, Leisen had been the art director and Harrison the editor on three films. Their notable director-editor collaboration ultimately stretched over twenty-three years and eleven films, including Hold Back the Dawn (1941), which received six Academy Award nominations, Easy Living (1937), Midnight (1939), and Remember the Night (1940).

Collaboration with Billy Wilder Harrison is probably best remembered for his long association with Billy Wilder. As a new immigrant to the United States in the 1930s, Wilder had found work as a screenwriter for Paramount, where Harrison was also working as an editor. Wilder and Harrison both worked on Midnight in 1939, and again on Hold Back the Dawn in 1941. By 1942, Wilder had persuaded the management at Paramount to assign him as the director of the comedy The Major and the Minor; Wilder had previously directed just a single film in France. Wilder asked that Harrison be assigned as the film's editor. Wilder has been quoted as saying about this early assignment, "I worked with a very good cutter, Doane Harrison, from whom I learned a great deal. He was much more of a help to me than the cameraman. When I became a director from a writer my technical knowledge was very meagre." Sam Stagg has described their early collaboration, "In valuable early lessons, Harrison taught Wilder how to preplan each shot as part of a total editing scheme. The results: Time and money saved, and few protection shots required. (The term "protection shot", also called coverage, refers to footage shot from various setups and angles that may be needed for editing a sequence in the cutting room.)"

Harrison was credited as editorial supervisor on the next several films that Wilder directed, through Sunset Boulevard (1950). Harrison was credited as an "editorial consultant" on Sabrina (1954), which was the last film at Paramount for Wilder and Harrison. After leaving Paramount, Harrison was an associate producer on eight, and production associate on two of Wilder's films, from The Seven Year Itch (1955) through The Fortune Cookie (1966).

Final cuts Harrison's and Wilder's notable director-editor collaboration (as editor, editorial supervisor or advisor) had extended over ten films, from The Major and the Minor (1942) through Sabrina (1954).

Harrison was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for three films directed by Wilder: Five Graves to Cairo (1943), The Lost Weekend (1945), and Sunset Boulevard (with Arthur P. Schmidt, 1950 ). Harrison died in 1968 in Riverside, California, aged 74.

Selected filmography + Editor Year Film Director Notes Other notes1923 A Prince of a KingAlbert Austin 1925 Youth and AdventureJames W. Horne Jimmie's MillionsJames P. Hogan The Fighting DemonArthur Rosson The Mysterious StrangerJack NelsonFirst collaboration with Jack Nelson A Gentleman RoughneckGrover Jones The Prince of PepJack NelsonSecond collaboration with Jack Nelson 1926 The Blue Streak Noel M. SmithFirst collaboration with Noel M. Smith The Night PatrolSecond collaboration with Noel M. Smith The Broadway GallantThird collaboration with Noel M. Smith The Better Man Scott R. DunlapFirst collaboration with Scott R. Dunlap Doubling with DangerSecond collaboration with Scott R. Dunlap 1928 PowerHoward HigginFirst collaboration with Howard Higgin Man-Made WomenPaul L. SteinFirst collaboration with Paul L. Stein CelebrityTay GarnettFirst collaboration with Tay Garnett Show FolksPaul L. SteinSecond collaboration with Paul L. Stein The CavalierIrvin Willat The Shady LadyEdward H. Griffith The SpielerTay GarnettSecond collaboration with Tay Garnett 1929 The LeatherneckHoward HigginSecond collaboration with Howard Higgin The Office ScandalPaul L. SteinThird collaboration with Paul L. Stein High VoltageHoward HigginThird collaboration with Howard Higgin The SophomoreLeo McCarey Big NewsGregory La CavaFirst collaboration with Gregory La Cava The RacketeerHoward HigginFourth collaboration with Howard Higgin This Thing Called LovePaul L. SteinFourth collaboration with Paul L. Stein His First CommandGregory La CavaSecond collaboration with Gregory La Cava1930 Her ManTay GarnettThird collaboration with Tay Garnett 1932 Speed MadnessGeorge CroneFirst collaboration with George Crone The Crooked CircleH. Bruce Humberstone 1933 On Your GuardGeorge CroneSecond collaboration with George Crone The SphinxPhil RosenFirst collaboration with Phil Rosen The AvengerEdwin L. Marin Devil's MatePhil RosenSecond collaboration with Phil Rosen 1935 Four Hours to Kill!Mitchell LeisenFirst collaboration with Mitchell Leisen Annapolis FarewellAlexander Hall CollegiateRalph Murphy 1936 13 Hours by AirMitchell LeisenSecond collaboration with Mitchell Leisen The Texas RangersKing Vidor Let's Make a MillionRay McCarey 1937 Internes Can't Take MoneyAlfred SantellFirst collaboration with Alfred Santell Easy LivingMitchell LeisenThird collaboration with Mitchell Leisen Thrill of a LifetimeGeorge Archainbaud 1938 Stolen HeavenAndrew L. Stone Artists and Models Abroad Mitchell LeisenFourth collaboration with Mitchell Leisen 1939 MidnightFifth collaboration with Mitchell Leisen The Night of NightsLewis Milestone Remember the NightMitchell LeisenSixth collaboration with Mitchell Leisen 1940 Golden GlovesEdward Dmytryk Arise, My LoveMitchell LeisenSeventh collaboration with Mitchell Leisen Dancing on a DimeJoseph Santley 1941 Hold Back the DawnMitchell LeisenEighth collaboration with Mitchell Leisen New York TownCharles VidorFirst collaboration with Charles Vidor 1942 Take a Letter, DarlingMitchell LeisenNinth collaboration with Mitchell Leisen Beyond the Blue HorizonAlfred SantellSecond collaboration with Alfred Santell The Major and the MinorBilly WilderFirst collaboration with Billy Wilder 1943 The Crystal BallElliott NugentFirst collaboration with Elliott Nugent Five Graves to CairoBilly WilderSecond collaboration with Billy Wilder 1944 The UninvitedLewis AllenFirst collaboration with Lewis Allen Practically YoursMitchell LeisenTenth collaboration with Mitchell Leisen1946 Our Hearts Were Growing Up William D. RussellFirst collaboration with William D. Russell1947 Ladies' ManSecond collaboration with William D. Russell 1948 A Foreign AffairBilly WilderSixth collaboration with Billy Wilder Miss Tatlock's MillionsRichard HaydnFirst collaboration with Richard Haydn1951 Ace in the HoleBilly WilderEighth collaboration with Billy Wilder1952 Just for YouElliott NugentSecond collaboration with Elliott Nugent1956 Tension at Table RockCharles Marquis Warren 1957 China GateSamuel Fuller The Girl Most LikelyMitchell LeisenEleventh collaboration with Mitchell Leisen

Documentaries

+ Editor Year Film Director1953 The Sea Around UsIrwin Allen