Carol Littleton
Encyclopedia
Carol Littleton is an American
feature film editor. Her work includes E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
, The Big Chill
and Body Heat
. Carol Littleton was also the recipient of an Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing (for a TV Miniseries, Movie or a Special) for Tuesdays with Morrie
.
Littleton has been elected as a member of the American Cinema Editors
. Littleton was a member of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
(Editors Branch) from 1999 through 2002 and served as president of the Motion Picture Editors Guild
during the late 1980s. She is married to cinematographer
John Bailey
.
cinema. During the 1970s, Carol Littleton owned a production company which made commercials. In 1977 she transitioned to working as a film editor with director
Karen Arthur
on Legacy. Other films were to follow and in 1982, Littleton received an Academy Award nomination for editing Steven Spielberg's
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
. Commencing with 1981's Body Heat
, Littleton had an extended collaboration with the director Lawrence Kasdan
. Of the ten films that he's directed, Littleton edited eight, including The Accidental Tourist
, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture
in 1989.
In the late 1980s, Carol Littleton was elected and served as the president of the Motion Picture Editors Guild
. Littleton is one of the major editors that author Gabriella Oldham interview for her 1992 book, First Cut: Conversations with Film Editors.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
feature film editor. Her work includes E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison and starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and Peter Coyote...
, The Big Chill
The Big Chill (film)
The Big Chill is a 1983 American comedy-drama film directed by Lawrence Kasdan, starring Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly, and JoBeth Williams. It is about a group of baby boomer college friends who reunite briefly after 15 years due to...
and Body Heat
Body Heat
Body Heat is a 1981 American neo-noir film written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan. It stars William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Richard Crenna, Ted Danson, J.A. Preston, and Mickey Rourke. The film is inspired by Double Indemnity....
. Carol Littleton was also the recipient of an Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing (for a TV Miniseries, Movie or a Special) for Tuesdays with Morrie
Tuesdays With Morrie
Tuesdays with Morrie is a 1997 non-fiction novel by American writer Mitch Albom. The story was later adapted by Thomas Rickman into a TV movie of the same name directed by Mick Jackson, which aired on 5 December 1999 and starred Jack Lemmon and Hank Azaria...
.
Littleton has been elected as a member of the American Cinema Editors
American Cinema Editors
Founded in 1950, American Cinema Editors is an honorary society of film editors that are voted in based on the qualities of professional achievements, their education of others, and their dedication to editing itself. The society is not to be confused with an industry union, such as the I.A.T.S.E...
. Littleton was a member of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
(Editors Branch) from 1999 through 2002 and served as president of the Motion Picture Editors Guild
Motion Picture Editors Guild
The Motion Picture Editors Guild is the guild that represents freelance and staff motion picture film and television editors and other post-production professionals and story analysts throughout the United States...
during the late 1980s. She is married to cinematographer
Cinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
John Bailey
John Bailey (cinematographer)
John Bailey, A.S.C. is an American Cinematographer and Film Director.Born in Moberly, Missouri, Bailey attended Santa Clara University and Loyola University Chicago. During his junior year he studied German language and culture at the University of Vienna, where he developed an appreciation for...
.
Career
Carol Littleton attended The University of Oklahoma College of Arts & Sciences, obtaining her bachelor's degree in 1965 and her master's in 1970. Her obsession with film editing started in France, when Littleton became acquainted with French New WaveFrench New Wave
The New Wave was a blanket term coined by critics for a group of French filmmakers of the late 1950s and 1960s, influenced by Italian Neorealism and classical Hollywood cinema. Although never a formally organized movement, the New Wave filmmakers were linked by their self-conscious rejection of...
cinema. During the 1970s, Carol Littleton owned a production company which made commercials. In 1977 she transitioned to working as a film editor with director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Karen Arthur
Karen Arthur
Karen Arthur is an American film director, producer, and actress. She has directed two feature films, Lady Beware and The Mafu Cage , but the majority of her work has been in television, where she has had a long and prolific career directing television movies and series...
on Legacy. Other films were to follow and in 1982, Littleton received an Academy Award nomination for editing Steven Spielberg's
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison and starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and Peter Coyote...
. Commencing with 1981's Body Heat
Body Heat
Body Heat is a 1981 American neo-noir film written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan. It stars William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Richard Crenna, Ted Danson, J.A. Preston, and Mickey Rourke. The film is inspired by Double Indemnity....
, Littleton had an extended collaboration with the director Lawrence Kasdan
Lawrence Kasdan
Lawrence Edward "Larry" Kasdan is an American film producer, director and screenwriter.-Life and career:Kasdan was born in Miami, Florida, the son of Sylvia Sarah , an employment counselor, and Clarence Norman Kasdan, who managed retail electronics stores.His Brother is the writer/producer Mark...
. Of the ten films that he's directed, Littleton edited eight, including The Accidental Tourist
The Accidental Tourist (film)
The Accidental Tourist is a 1988 American drama film starring William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, and Geena Davis. It was directed by Lawrence Kasdan and scored by John Williams. The film's screenplay was adapted by Kasdan and Frank Galati from the novel of the same name by Anne Tyler...
, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture
Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only...
in 1989.
In the late 1980s, Carol Littleton was elected and served as the president of the Motion Picture Editors Guild
Motion Picture Editors Guild
The Motion Picture Editors Guild is the guild that represents freelance and staff motion picture film and television editors and other post-production professionals and story analysts throughout the United States...
. Littleton is one of the major editors that author Gabriella Oldham interview for her 1992 book, First Cut: Conversations with Film Editors.
As Film Editor
The release year and director for each film are indicated in parenthesis.- The Rum DiaryThe Rum Diary (film)The Rum Diary is a 2011 film based on the novel of the same name by Hunter S. Thompson. The film is directed by Bruce Robinson and stars Johnny Depp. Filming began in Puerto Rico in March 2009...
(RobinsonBruce RobinsonBruce Robinson is an English director, screenwriter, novelist and actor. He is arguably most famous for writing and directing the cult classic Withnail and I , a film with comic and tragic elements, set in London during the 1960s which drew on his experiences as 'a chronic alcoholic and resting...
- 2011) - The Other Boleyn Girl (ChadwickJustin ChadwickJustin Chadwick is an English actor and television and film director.Chadwick began acting at the age of eleven. He graduated from the University of Leicester and in 1991 made his screen debut in London Kills Me...
- 2008) - Margot at the WeddingMargot at the WeddingMargot at the Wedding is a 2007 tragicomedy written and directed by Noah Baumbach.The film premiered August 31, 2007 at the 34th Telluride Film Festival.-Plot:...
(BaumbachNoah BaumbachNoah Baumbach is an American writer, director and independent filmmaker.-Background and education:Baumbach was born in Brooklyn, New York City, the son of novelist/film critic Jonathan Baumbach and Village Voice critic Georgia Brown. He graduated from Brooklyn's Midwood High School in 1987 and ...
- 2007) - In the Land of WomenIn the Land of WomenIn the Land of Women is a 2007 American drama film directed and written by Jon Kasdan. It was screened at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2006. The film premiered in the United States on April 20, 2007.-Plot:...
(Jon KasdanJon KasdanJonathan "Jon" Kasdan is an American writer and director.Kasdan is the son of Meg , a writer, and film director Lawrence Kasdan. He is the brother of director and actor Jake Kasdan. His directorial debut, In the Land of Women, was released in the United States in 2007. Kasdan also wrote the film,...
- 2007) - The Manchurian CandidateThe Manchurian Candidate (2004 film)The Manchurian Candidate is a 2004 American thriller film based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Richard Condon, and a reimagining of the previous 1962 film....
(2004 remake - DemmeJonathan DemmeRobert Jonathan Demme is an American filmmaker, producer and screenwriter. Best known for directing The Silence of the Lambs, which won him the Academy Award for Best Director, he has also directed the acclaimed movies Philadelphia, Rachel Getting Married, the Talking Heads concert movie Stop...
) - DreamcatcherDreamcatcher (film)Dreamcatcher is a 2003 film adaptation of Stephen King's novel of the same name. It was directed by Lawrence Kasdan, and co-written by Kasdan and screenwriter William Goldman...
(2003 - Kasdan) - What Women WantWhat Women WantWhat Women Want is a 2000 American romantic comedy film, directed by Nancy Meyers and starring Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt. The movie was a box office success with a domestic gross of $182,811,707 and a worldwide gross of $374,111,707, against a budget of $70 million.-Plot:Nick Marshall, a Chicago...
(2000 - MeyersNancy MeyersNancy Jane Meyers is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. She is the writer, producer and director of several big-screen successes, including The Parent Trap , Something's Gotta Give , The Holiday , and It's Complicated...
) (Additional Editor) - Tuesdays with MorrieTuesdays With MorrieTuesdays with Morrie is a 1997 non-fiction novel by American writer Mitch Albom. The story was later adapted by Thomas Rickman into a TV movie of the same name directed by Mick Jackson, which aired on 5 December 1999 and starred Jack Lemmon and Hank Azaria...
(1999 - Jackson) (TV) - BelovedBeloved (film)Beloved is a 1998 film based on Toni Morrison's 1987 novel of the same name. It was directed by Jonathan Demme, and was produced by Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions. The film stars Oprah Winfrey and Danny Glover.-Plot:...
(1999 - Demme) - MumfordMumford (film)Mumford is a 1999 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan. It is set in a small town where a new psychologist gives offbeat advice to the neurotic residents...
(1999 - Kasdan) - DiaboliqueDiabolique (1996 film)Diabolique is an American film directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik and written by Henri-Georges Clouzot and Don Roos. The film stars Sharon Stone and Isabelle Adjani...
(1996 - ChechikJeremiah S. ChechikJeremiah S. Chechik is the director of such films as National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Benny & Joon, Diabolique and The Avengers....
) - Wyatt EarpWyatt Earp (film)Wyatt Earp is a 1994 American semi-biographical Western film, written by Dan Gordon and Lawrence Kasdan and directed by Kasdan. It stars Kevin Costner in the title role as lawman Wyatt Earp, and features an ensemble cast that includes Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman, Isabella Rossellini, Mark Harmon,...
(1994 - KasdanLawrence KasdanLawrence Edward "Larry" Kasdan is an American film producer, director and screenwriter.-Life and career:Kasdan was born in Miami, Florida, the son of Sylvia Sarah , an employment counselor, and Clarence Norman Kasdan, who managed retail electronics stores.His Brother is the writer/producer Mark...
) - Benny & JoonBenny & JoonBenny & Joon is a 1993 romantic comedy film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer about how two eccentric individuals, Sam and Juniper "Joon" , find each other and fall in love...
(1993 - Checkhik) - Grand Canyon (1991 - Kasdan)
- White Palace (1990 - MandokiLuis MandokiLuis Mandoki is a Mexican film director working in Mexico and Hollywood.Luis Mandoki studied Fine Arts in Mexico and at the San Francisco Art Institute, the London College of Printing, and the London International Film School...
) - The Accidental TouristThe Accidental Tourist (film)The Accidental Tourist is a 1988 American drama film starring William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, and Geena Davis. It was directed by Lawrence Kasdan and scored by John Williams. The film's screenplay was adapted by Kasdan and Frank Galati from the novel of the same name by Anne Tyler...
(1988 - Kasdan) - Vibes (1988 - KwapisKen KwapisKen Kwapis is an American film and television director and screenwriter. He specialized in the single-camera sitcom in the 1990s and 2000s and has directed feature films such as Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and He's Just Not That Into...
) - Swimming to CambodiaSwimming to CambodiaSpalding Gray's Swimming to Cambodia is a 1987 Jonathan Demme-directed performance film. The film is a performance of Spalding Gray's monologue which centered around such themes as his trip to Southeast Asia to create the role of the U.S. Ambassador's aide in The Killing Fields, the Cold War,...
(1987 - Demme) (aka Spalding GraySpalding GraySpalding Rockwell Gray was an American actor, playwright, screenwriter, performance artist and monologuist...
's Swimming to Cambodia) - Brighton Beach MemoirsBrighton Beach MemoirsBrighton Beach Memoirs is a semi-autobiographical play by Neil Simon, the first chapter in what is known as his Eugene trilogy. It precedes Biloxi Blues and Broadway Bound.-Characters:*Eugene Morris Jerome, almost 15...
(1986 - SaksGene SaksGene Saks is an American stage and film director.-Life and career:Saks was born in New York City, the son of Beatrix and Morris J. Saks...
) (aka Neil SimonNeil SimonNeil Simon is an American playwright and screenwriter. He has written numerous Broadway plays, including Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues, and The Odd Couple. He won the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play Lost In Yonkers. He has written the screenplays for several of his plays that...
's Brighton Beach Memoirs) - Silverado (1985 - Kasdan)
- Places in the HeartPlaces in the HeartPlaces in the Heart is a 1984 drama film that tells the story of a Texas widow who tries to keep her farm together with the help of a blind white man and an African-American man during the Great Depression...
(1984 - BentonRobert BentonRobert Douglas Benton is an American screenwriter and film director.Benton was born in Waxahachie, Texas, the son of Dorothy and Ellery Douglass Benton, a telephone company employee. He attended the University of Texas and Columbia University. Benton has won numerous awards for both writing and...
) - The Big ChillThe Big Chill (film)The Big Chill is a 1983 American comedy-drama film directed by Lawrence Kasdan, starring Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly, and JoBeth Williams. It is about a group of baby boomer college friends who reunite briefly after 15 years due to...
(1983 - Kasdan) - E.T. the Extra-TerrestrialE.T. the Extra-TerrestrialE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison and starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and Peter Coyote...
(1982 - SpielbergSteven SpielbergSteven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
) - Body HeatBody HeatBody Heat is a 1981 American neo-noir film written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan. It stars William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Richard Crenna, Ted Danson, J.A. Preston, and Mickey Rourke. The film is inspired by Double Indemnity....
(1981 - Kasdan) - French Postcards (1979)
- Battered (1978) (TV)
- Legacy (1976 - ArthurKaren ArthurKaren Arthur is an American film director, producer, and actress. She has directed two feature films, Lady Beware and The Mafu Cage , but the majority of her work has been in television, where she has had a long and prolific career directing television movies and series...
)
Academy Award Nominations & Wins
- 1983 – E.T. the Extra-TerrestrialE.T. the Extra-TerrestrialE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison and starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and Peter Coyote...
(nominated) Best Film Editing
Other Awards and Nominations
- 2000 – Tuesdays with MorrieTuesdays With MorrieTuesdays with Morrie is a 1997 non-fiction novel by American writer Mitch Albom. The story was later adapted by Thomas Rickman into a TV movie of the same name directed by Mick Jackson, which aired on 5 December 1999 and starred Jack Lemmon and Hank Azaria...
(won) Emmy Award - "Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special" - 1999 – BelovedBeloved (film)Beloved is a 1998 film based on Toni Morrison's 1987 novel of the same name. It was directed by Jonathan Demme, and was produced by Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions. The film stars Oprah Winfrey and Danny Glover.-Plot:...
(nominated) Satellite AwardsSatellite AwardsThe Satellite Awards are an annual award given by the International Press Academy. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards.- Film :*Best Actor – Drama*Best Actor – Musical or Comedy*Best Actress – Drama...
(International Press AcademyInternational Press AcademyThe International Press Academy is a large and diverse association of professional entertainment journalists, representing both domestic and foreign markets in print, television, radio, cable and new media outlets. The academy was founded in 1996 by Mirjana Van Blaricom...
) Golden Satellite Award - Best Motion Picture Film Editing (w/ co-editor Andy Keir) - 1983 – E.T. the Extra-TerrestrialE.T. the Extra-TerrestrialE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison and starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and Peter Coyote...
(nominated) American Cinema EditorsAmerican Cinema EditorsFounded in 1950, American Cinema Editors is an honorary society of film editors that are voted in based on the qualities of professional achievements, their education of others, and their dedication to editing itself. The society is not to be confused with an industry union, such as the I.A.T.S.E...
ACE Eddie - Best Edited Feature Film - 1983 – E.T. the Extra-TerrestrialE.T. the Extra-TerrestrialE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison and starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and Peter Coyote...
(nominated) BAFTA Film Award - Best Film Editing"