James Nelson

James M. Falkinburg (September 25, 1932 – June 18, 2014), known in the entertainment industry as James "Jim" Nelson, was an American sound editor, film producer and post-production supervisor.

As a sound editor, Nelson worked on many of the iconic films and television programs of the 1950s, '60s and '70s, including Rock Around the Clock, The Monkees, the beach party films, The Brady Bunch, Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces and The Exorcist. In total, he edited the sound effects for over 100 films and 38 television programs comprising more than 1,700 episodes, as well as several made-for-TV movies, documentaries and television specials.

Expanding into film production in the 1970s, Nelson helped George Lucas in launching Industrial Light & Magic and took part in the making of the first Star Wars. Nelson worked in a production capacity on 20 other films, including The China Syndrome, Ghostbusters and Big Trouble in Little China.

Personal life James M. Falkinburg was born in California on September 25, 1932. He grew up in a show business family; his grandparents were stage actors and his father was Sam Nelson, a silent movie actor (The Circus Kid) who later became a film director (Mandrake the Magician; Sagebrush Law) and assistant director (The Lady from Shanghai; Some Like It Hot).

Counterculture and New Hollywood Nelson served as supervising sound editor on several television shows which grew out of the counterculture movement of the '60s. His first such project was The Monkees, starring the pop/rock band of the same name. The other counterculture-related TV shows on which Nelson worked were Love, American Style, H.R. Pufnstuf and The Brady Bunch.

Nelson was also supervising sound editor on many of the iconic films of the "New Hollywood" or "American New Wave" movement in the late '60s and early '70s. Just as this "New Wave" was influenced by 1960s counterculture, so too was Nelson's involvement with "New Hollywood" a result of his counterculture-related projects. After The Monkees ended its run in 1968, series creators Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider brought in Nelson to work on The Monkees' first and only feature film, Head, which was directed by Rafelson. This led to Nelson being hired as supervising sound editor of the landmark counterculture film Easy Rider, on which Rafelson and Schneider served as producers. Nelson's collaboration with Rafelson extended to three other milestone "New Wave" films: Five Easy Pieces and The King of Marvin Gardens, both directed by Rafelson, and Peter Bogdanovich's The Last Picture Show.

Among the other "New Hollywood" films on which Nelson worked were Two-Lane Blacktop (one of many films he did for producer/director Monte Hellman), Bob Fosse's Cabaret, Terrence Malick's Badlands, George Lucas' American Graffiti and William Friedkin's The Exorcist. The latter film earned Nelson a Golden Reel Award from the Motion Picture Sound Editors; he won another for Richard Rush's Freebie and the Bean.

ILM, EEG/Boss Film and producing career Nelson expanded into film production in 1972 with the formation of his own company, James Nelson Enterprises.

Nelson went on to serve as Associate Producer on the acclaimed 1979 film The China Syndrome, for which he was also Unit Production Manager. He then produced Borderline, starring Charles Bronson.

In 1984, Nelson assisted Richard Edlund in founding Boss Film Studios, launched through the acquisition of Douglas Trumbull's Entertainment Effects Group (EEG). Nelson spent the next four years at the company as Vice-President and production advisor. While at EEG/Boss, Nelson consulted on such films as Ghostbusters, 2010, Fright Night, Big Trouble in Little China and The Monster Squad. Nelson and Edlund later produced the 1990 science fiction film Solar Crisis.

Nelson semi-retired in 1994, after executive producing The Seventh Coin, though he still occasionally served as an advisor and mentor.

Selected filmography

Sound editing + Film Year Title Director Notes 1956 Rock Around the Clock Fred F. Sears First feature film as sound editor 1956 Don't Knock the Rock Fred F. Sears 1957 Robert Altman, George W. George 1958 Mitchell Leisen 1962 Walk on the Wild Side Edward Dmytryk 1962 Experiment in Terror Blake Edwards 1962 Birdman of Alcatraz John Frankenheimer 1963 Bye Bye Birdie George Sidney 1963 Beach Party William Asher First of six beach party movies he worked on for AIP 1963 Jacques Tourneur 1964 Muscle Beach Party William Asher 1964 Bikini Beach William Asher 1964 Pajama Party Don Weis 1964 Beach Blanket Bingo William Asher 1965 How to Stuff a Wild Bikini William Asher 1966 Roger Corman 1966 Ride in the Whirlwind Monte Hellman 1966 (1966) Monte Hellman 1967 Burt Kennedy 1968 Psych-Out Richard Rush 1968 Head Bob Rafelson 1969 Easy Rider Dennis Hopper 1970 Five Easy Pieces Bob Rafelson 1971 Johnny Got His Gun Dalton Trumbo 1971 Drive, He Said Jack Nicholson 1971 Two-Lane Blacktop Monte Hellman 1971 Peter Bogdanovich 1972 Cabaret Bob Fosse 1972 Michael Ritchie 1973 William Friedkin Won Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing - Sound Effects 1973 American Graffiti George Lucas 1973 Badlands Terrence Malick 1974 Freebie and the Bean Richard Rush Won Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing - Sound Effects

+ Television Year Title Notes 1954-1956 Medic at least 7 episodes 1957-1960 Father Knows Best 55 episodes 1958-1959 25 episodes 1958-1964 218 episodes 1958-1962 Naked City 104 episodes 1959-1960 Manhunt 39 episodes 1959-1963 Dennis the Menace 76 episodes 1961-1965 Hazel 114 episodes 1965-1966 30 episodes 1965-1966 33 episodes 1966-1967 Get Smart 30 episodes 1966-1968 58 episodes 1966-1968 Tarzan 59 episodes 1967-1969 56 episodes 1969-1970 H.R. Pufnstuf 16 episodes 1969-1971 Love, American Style 48 episodes, 1969-1971 The Brady Bunch 49 episodes

Film production + As producer Year Title Notes 1977 Star Wars Associate producer (uncredited) 1979 Associate producer, unit production manager 1980 Borderline 1990 Solar Crisis 1993 The Seventh CoinExecutive Producer + As advisor for EEG/Boss Film Year Title 1984 Ghostbusters 1984 2010 1985 Fright Night 1986 Poltergeist II: The Other Side 1986 Big Trouble in Little China1987 Masters of the Universe 1987 The Monster Squad