Carol Littleton

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Carol Littleton
ACE
Born (1942-10-23) October 23, 1942 (age 82)
Oklahoma City, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Oklahoma,
College of Arts & Sciences Associate of Arts, Cottey College, Nevada, MO
OccupationFilm editor
Years active1970–present
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1972; died 2023)​
AwardsEmmy Award
Eddie Award
President of the Motion Picture Editors Guild (MPEG)
In office
1988–1991
Preceded byBea Dennis
Succeeded byDonn Cambern
Vice President of the Motion Picture Editors Guild (MPEG)
In office
1994–2001
In office
2005–2007
Vice President of American Cinema Editors (ACE)
In office
2019–present
Board of Governors, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS)
In office
1990 – 2002 (reelected twice)
In office
2015 – present (reelected once)

Carol Sue Littleton, ACE (born October 23, 1942)[1] is an American film editor. Her work includes Body Heat (1981), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), The Big Chill (1983), Places in the Heart (1984), Silverado (1985), The Accidental Tourist (1988), and Wyatt Earp (1994). She won the Primetime Emmy Award for the ABC movie Tuesdays with Morrie (1999). In January 2024, she received an Honorary Oscar for her work.

Early life and education

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Carol Littleton was born 1942 in Oklahoma City[2] but her family later moved to Miami in Northeastern Oklahoma, where she grew up.[3] She attended the University of Oklahoma College of Arts & Sciences, obtaining her bachelor's degree in 1965 and her master's in 1970.[4]

Career

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Her obsession with film editing started in France, when Littleton became acquainted with French New Wave cinema. During the 1970s, Carol Littleton owned a production company that made commercials. She moved into working as a film editor with director Karen Arthur on Legacy (1975). Other films were to follow and Littleton received an Academy Award nomination for editing Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Commencing with Body Heat (1981), Littleton had an extended collaboration with the director Lawrence Kasdan. Kasdan hired Littleton for Body Heat not only for her skill, but specifically because she was a woman. He believed only a woman editor could bring the eroticism he wanted to the film.[5] Of the 11 films that Kasdan has directed, Littleton edited nine.

In the late 1980s, Carol Littleton was elected to and served as the president of the Motion Picture Editors Guild. Littleton served as president of the Motion Picture Editors Guild from 1988 to 1991, and as vice president from 1994 to 2001, as well as from 2005 to 2007. Littleton has been elected as a member of the American Cinema Editors, and has served as ACE vice president since 2019. She is also a current member of the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Film Editors Branch). Littleton is one of the editors that author Gabriella Oldham interviewed for her book First Cut: Conversations with Film Editors (1992).

Personal life

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Carol Littleton was married to cinematographer John Bailey from 1972 until his death in 2023.

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Director Notes
1975 Legacy Karen Arthur
1977 The Hazing Douglas Curtis Alternative title: The Curious Case of the Campus Corpse
1978 The Mafu Cage Karen Arthur Alternative title: Don't Ring the Doorbell
1979 French Postcards Willard Huyck
1980 Roadie Alan Rudolph As supervising editor
Tom Walls was the main editor
1981 Body Heat Lawrence Kasdan
1982 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Steven Spielberg
1983 The Big Chill Lawrence Kasdan
1984 Places in the Heart Robert Benton
1985 Silverado Lawrence Kasdan
1986 Brighton Beach Memoirs Gene Saks
1987 Swimming to Cambodia Jonathan Demme
1988 Vibes Ken Kwapis
1988 The Accidental Tourist Lawrence Kasdan
1990 White Palace Luis Mandoki
1991 Grand Canyon Lawrence Kasdan
1993 Benny & Joon Jeremiah S. Chechik
1994 China Moon John Bailey Co-edited with Jill Savitt
1994 Wyatt Earp Lawrence Kasdan
1996 Diabolique Jeremiah S. Chechik
1998 Twilight Robert Benton
1998 Beloved Jonathan Demme Co-edited with Andy Keir
1999 Mumford Lawrence Kasdan Co-edited with William Steinkamp
2000 What Women Want Nancy Meyers As additional editor
Thomas J. Nordberg & Stephen A. Rotter were the main editors
2001 The Anniversary Party Jennifer Jason Leigh
Alan Cumming 		Co-edited with Suzanne Spangler
2002 The Truth About Charlie Jonathan Demme Co-edited with Suzanne Spangler
2003 Dreamcatcher Lawrence Kasdan Co-edited with Raúl Dávalos
2004 The Manchurian Candidate Jonathan Demme Co-edited with Craig McKay
2007 In the Land of Women Jon Kasdan Co-edited with Marty Levenstein
2007 Margot at the Wedding Noah Baumbach
2008 The Other Boleyn Girl Justin Chadwick Co-edited with Paul Knight
2010 Country Strong Shana Feste Co-edited with Conor O’Neill
2011 The Rum Diary Bruce Robinson
2012 Darling Companion Lawrence Kasdan
2015 A Walk in the Woods Ken Kwapis Co-edited with Julie Garcés

Television

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Year Title Director Notes
1978 Battered Peter Werner TV movie
1999 Tuesdays with Morrie Mick Jackson ABC television movie
2016 All the Way Jay Roach HBO television movie
2018 My Dinner with Hervé Sacha Gervasi HBO television film

Accolades

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Year Association Award Project Result Ref.
1983 Academy Award Best Film Editing E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Nominated
BAFTA Film Award Best Editing Nominated
American Cinema Editors Best Edited Feature Film Nominated
2000 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special Tuesdays with Morrie Won
2016 American Cinema Editors Career Achievement Award Received
2017 Best Edited Miniseries or Television Movie All the Way Won
2023 Academy Award Honorary Academy Award Received

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Academy Collections – Carol Littleton". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  2. ^ Betty Littleton: A Family Portrait. AuthorHouse, 2010, ISBN 978-1452043555, pp. 275-295.
  3. ^ An Interview with Carol Littleton, ACE. In: medium.com, February 3, 2017
  4. ^ University of Oklahoma webpage Archived September 2, 2006, at the Wayback Machine retrieved July 9, 2008.
  5. ^ Ally., Acker (1991). Reel women : pioneers of the cinema, 1896 to the present. New York: Continuum. ISBN 0826404995. OCLC 22182559.
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