Gene Ruggiero

Gene S. Ruggiero (June 20, 1910 – February 19, 2002) was an American film editor. Originally a golf caddy at an exclusive New York country club, Ruggiero was fired from his job and later went to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer where he was assigned the job of editing. He was initially unhappy with his job and would often skip working to play golf, demoted to assistant editor due to this.

Ruggiero came to prominence after editing the 1939 film Ninotchka. As nobody else would edit the film due to Ernst Lubitsch's reputation, the job was assigned to Ruggiero. He received his first credit on the film, and continued as an editor for the rest of his career. Ruggiero earned an Academy Award for Best Film Editing in 1956 for his work on Around the World in 80 Days, which he shared with Paul Weatherwax. He was also nominated for an Academy Award in 1955 for his editing on Oklahoma!, which he shared with George Boemler.

Early life Gene S. Ruggiero was born in Long Island on June 20, 1910, the son of Phillip and Teresa Ruggiero. His parents immigrated to the United States from Naples, Italy in 1903 and his father worked as a skilled mason. He grew up in Manhasset, New York with his seven siblings (Michael, Frank, Joseph, Jack, Ana, Elizabeth, and Mary). During World War II, he served in the army. Ruggiero enjoyed the sport of golf and, before becoming a film editor, he worked as a caddy at a New York country club. Ruggiero often caddied for American film studio executive Nicholas Schenck. On days where Schenck's group was lacking a fourth player, they often invited Ruggiero to play. However, after playing a game with the group one day, Ruggiero returned to the clubhouse find the head angry with him for neglecting his caddy duties. Ruggiero was fired from his job.

Career Ruggiero approached Schenck, and requested assistance in becoming employed. Since Schenck was head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on the east coast division, he decided to send Ruggiero there, with a letter written by Schenk that would ensure Ruggiero would earn a job at the studio. When Ruggiero arrived, he was assigned the job of film editor. Ruggiero found himself displeased with the menial work, and often did not show up at the studio, choosing to play golf instead. He was demoted to assistant editor when his skipping was found out, and worked on several Johnny Weissmuller films. Ernst Lubitsch, the director of the film, had a reputation with the studio which made the other editors refuse to cut the film. Ruggiero was picked as the last option. The film brought Ruggiero to prominence and he worked as a main editor for the rest of his career. while editing the comedy Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President by himself.

In 1940, he edited The Shop Around the Corner, another Lubitsch film. Two Dr. Kildare films Strange Case and Crisis were also edited by Ruggiero this year, along with the George B. Seitz film Sky Murder and W. S. Van Dyke's comedy I Love You Again. The next year saw Ruggiero edit Blonde Inspiration by Busby Berkeley and Washington Melodrama by S. Sylvan Simon. He also cut another Tarzan picture by Thorpe entitled Tarzan's Secret Treasure. Ruggiero edited the 1942 films A Yank on the Burma Road, Tarzan's New York Adventure, Andy Hardy's Double Life, and Jackass Mail. His next credit came in 1946 on the film Three Wise Fools, which he co-edited with Theron Warth. He edited the actor Robert Montgomery's Lady in the Lake in 1947. That same year, Ruggiero was the editor for Edward Buzzell's Song of the Thin Man, and the final Dr. Kildare film Dark Delusion.

Big City was Ruggerio's only 1948 credit. He served as editor for The Bribe the following year, as well as That Midnight Kiss; Ruggerio remembered that the film's star Mario Lanza would not do a film unless Ruggerio would edit it. In 1950 he cut Stars in My Crown and The Toast of New Orleans. The following year he was the editor for Lanza's film The Great Caruso, as well as Norman Taurog's Rich, Young and Pretty and John Sturges' The People Against O'Hara. The 1952 film Glory Alley was Ruggierio's next credit, and in 1953 the films The Clown, Rogue's March, and Easy to Love were edited by him. He edited Men of the Fighting Lady, Athena, and The Student Prince in the following year. Along with George Boemler, Ruggiero edited the 1955 film Oklahoma!. Ruggiero earned his first Academy Award for Best Editing nomination for his work on the film; he and Boemler lost to William A. Lyon and Charles Nelson for Picnic.

quote =I told [Todd] to go away for two weeks and leave us alone. And then we cut the monster down to something that made sense. — Ruggiero on the editing process of Around the World in 80 Days. and Around the World in 80 Days with Howard Epstein and Paul Weatherwax. Ruggiero and Weatherwax won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing. The Oscar statuette Ruggiero earned for his work on the film was tarnished; its gold coat was removed when Ruggiero sent it out for cleansing and he never had it replated when he was able to afford doing so. Ruggiero said in March 1994 that he considered the film his best work. 1940 Dr. Kildare's Strange Case Harold S. Bucquet 1940 I Love You Again W. S. Van Dyke 1940 Sky Murder George B. Seitz 1940 Dr. Kildare's Crisis Harold S. Bucquet 1941 Blonde Inspiration Busby Berkeley 1941 Washington Melodrama S. Sylvan Simon 1941 Tarzan's Secret Treasure Richard Thorpe 1942 A Yank on the Burma Road George B. Seitz 1942 Tarzan's New York Adventure Richard Thorpe 1942 Andy Hardy's Double Life George B. Seitz 1942 Jackass Mail Norman Z. McLeod 1946 Three Wise Fools Edward Buzzell With Theron Warth 1947 Lady in the Lake Robert Montgomery 1947 Dark Delusion Willis Goldbeck 1947 Song of the Thin Man Edward Buzzell 1948 Big City Norman Taurog 1949 The Bribe Robert Z. Leonard 1949 That Midnight Kiss Norman Taurog 1950 Stars in My Crown Jacques Tourneur 1950 The Toast of New Orleans Norman Taurog 1951 The Great Caruso Richard Thorpe 1953 The Clown Robert Z. Leonard 1953 Rogue's March Allan Davis 1953 Easy to Love Charles Walters 1954 Men of the Fighting Lady Andrew Marton 1954 The Student Prince Richard Thorpe 1954 Athena Richard Thorpe 1955 Oklahoma! Fred Zinnemann With George Boemler Nomination: Academy Award for Best Film Editing 1956 The Catered Affair Richard Brooks With Frank Santillo Won: Academy Award for Best Film Editing 1956 The Great American Pastime Herman Hoffman 1957 The Wings of Eagles John Ford 1957 The Seventh Sin Ronald Neame 1957 Seven Hills of Rome Roy Rowland 1958 Torpedo Run Joseph Pevney 1959 For the First Time Rudolph Maté 1959 Tarzan, the Ape Man Joseph M. Newman 1960 Platinum High School Charles F. Haas 1960 Revak the Rebel Rudolph Maté 1961 The Thief of Bagdad Arthur Lubin 1961 The Wonders of Aladdin Henry LevinMario Bava 1964 The Last Man on Earth Ubaldo RagonaSidney Salkow With Franca Silvi 1964 Panic Button George Sherman 1964 Dog Eat Dog Richard E. CunhaGustav GavrinRay NazarroAlbert Zugsmith 1966 Cast a Giant Shadow Melville Shavelson With Bert Bates 1969 Marlowe Paul Bogart 1969 Hell's Angels '69 Lee Madden 1970 Noon Sunday Terry Bourke 1970 Kemek Theodore Gershuny Associate Producer 1972 Asylum of Satan William Girdler 1973 The Mad Bomber Bert I. Gordon 1973 Running Wild Robert McCahon Post Production Supervisor 1974 Wonder Woman Vincent McEveety 1974 Black Eye Jack Arnold 1975 Paesano: A Voice in the Night John Myers, Martin Ragway, Jack Brooks and Alberto Sarno Short Film 1975 Boss Nigger Jack Arnold With Eva Ruggiero 1975 The World through the Eyes of Children Jimmie RodgersBob Williams 1976 Adiós Amigo Fred Williamson With Eva Ruggiero 1976 Paco Robert O'Neil 1976 Circasia Brian MacLochlainn and John McColgan Short Film 1977 Moonshine County Express Gus Trikonis 1978 The Manitou William Girdler Supervising Editor 1983 Savage Journey Tom McGowan Supervising Editor 1985 Night Train to Terror Jay Schlossberg-Cohen, John Carr, Phillip Marshak and Gregg C. Tallas Associate Producer 1987 Cry Wilderness Jay Schlossberg-Cohen Co-Producer 1988 Bloody Wednesday Mark G. Gilhuis Film Editor and Post-Production Supervisor

TV Shows

H.R. Pufnstuf 1969-1970 17 Episodes Supervising Editor

Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice TV Series 1973 2 Episodes

Billy 1979 1 Episode

Breaking Away TV Series 1980 1 Episode