David Blewitt
Encyclopedia
David Edward Blewitt was an American Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning film editor, whose credits included Ghostbusters
in 1984. Blewitt earned an Academy Award nomination for his work on The Competition
in 1980.
Blewitt was born in Los Angeles, California
, on August 7, 1928. He began his career in the entertainment industry by working as an usher at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles when he was 15 years old. Blewitt enlisted in the United States Air Force
, where he worked as an aerial
reconnaissance
photographer during World War II.
Blewitt returned to Los Angeles after World War II, where he initially worked as a cinematographer
. His cinematography
television credits included Hollywood and the Stars
.
He transitioned to film editing
when he joined David L. Wolper Productions where he met, and often collaborated with, Jack Haley, Jr.
. Their joint productions included That's Entertainment!
in 1974, That's Entertainment, Part II
in 1976 and Life Goes to War: Hollywood and the Home Front. Blewitt's other credits with Wolper Prods. included Movin' With Nancy
and The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau
.
Blewitt's larger, feature film
credits included Butterflies Are Free
, a 1972 film starring Goldie Hawn
, and The Buddy Holly Story
in 1978. He received an Academy Award nomination for The Competition
, directed by Joel Oliansky. Blewitt was best associated with his editing in the 1984 blockbuster
, Ghostbusters
.
Blewitt's later television work included Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
.
Blewitt won an Emmy Award in 1993 for editing in the television special, Bob Hope: The First 90 Years. In addition to his Emmy and Academy Award nominations, Blewitt received two ACE Eddie Awards from the American Cinema Editors
, out of a total five nominations during his 40 year career. He was also a recipient of the American Cinema Editors Career Achievement Award
in 2004.
David Blewitt died of complications from Parkinson's disease
on July 8, 2010, at his home in Sherman Oaks, California, at the age of 81. He was survived by his wife, Ann; daughter, Rita Bastien, and her husband, Steve Bastien; and his granddaughter, Annabel.
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a...
in 1984. Blewitt earned an Academy Award nomination for his work on The Competition
The Competition (film)
The Competition is a 1980 American drama film starring Richard Dreyfuss and Amy Irving, directed by Joel Oliansky.-Plot:Paul Dietrich is an extremely gifted but disillusioned classical pianist, running out of time to prove himself...
in 1980.
Blewitt was born in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, on August 7, 1928. He began his career in the entertainment industry by working as an usher at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles when he was 15 years old. Blewitt enlisted in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, where he worked as an aerial
Aerial photography
Aerial photography is the taking of photographs of the ground from an elevated position. The term usually refers to images in which the camera is not supported by a ground-based structure. Cameras may be hand held or mounted, and photographs may be taken by a photographer, triggered remotely or...
reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
photographer during World War II.
Blewitt returned to Los Angeles after World War II, where he initially worked as a 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...
. His cinematography
Cinematography
Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
television credits included Hollywood and the Stars
Hollywood and the Stars
Hollywood and the Stars was a 1963 American television documentary series produced by David L. Wolper for United Artists Television that was shown on the National Broadcasting Corporation. It was narrated by Joseph Cotten with the theme music and several episodes composed by Elmer Bernstein.Each...
.
He transitioned to film editing
Film editing
Film editing is part of the creative post-production process of filmmaking. It involves the selection and combining of shots into sequences, and ultimately creating a finished motion picture. It is an art of storytelling...
when he joined David L. Wolper Productions where he met, and often collaborated with, Jack Haley, Jr.
Jack Haley, Jr.
Jack Haley, Jr was an American film director, producer and writer, twice winner of the Emmy Award.Haley was born in Los Angeles, the son of actor Jack Haley and his wife Florence...
. Their joint productions included That's Entertainment!
That's Entertainment!
That's Entertainment! is a 1974 compilation film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to celebrate its 50th anniversary. It was followed by two sequels and a related film called That's Dancing!....
in 1974, That's Entertainment, Part II
That's Entertainment, Part II
That's Entertainment, Part II is a 1976 motion picture by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and a sequel to the 1974 documentary That's Entertainment!. Like the previous film, That's Entertainment, Part II was a retrospective of famous films released by MGM from the 1930s to the 1950s...
in 1976 and Life Goes to War: Hollywood and the Home Front. Blewitt's other credits with Wolper Prods. included Movin' With Nancy
Movin' With Nancy
Movin' With Nancy was a television special featuring Nancy Sinatra in a series of musical vignettes featuring herself and other artists. Produced by Nancy's production company, Boots Enterprises, Inc., and sponsored by Royal Crown Cola, the show was originally broadcast on the NBC television...
and The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau
The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau
The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau is a nonfiction documentary television series focusing on marine biodiversity, hosted by French filmmaker, researcher and marine explorer, Jacques Cousteau. New episodes of the series aired from 1968 until 1975....
.
Blewitt's larger, feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
credits included Butterflies Are Free
Butterflies Are Free
Butterflies Are Free is a 1972 film based on a play by Leonard Gershe. The 1972 film was produced by M.J. Frankovich, released by Columbia Pictures, directed by Milton Katselas and adapted for the screen by Gershe. It was released on 6 July, 1972 in the USA.Goldie Hawn and Edward Albert starred...
, a 1972 film starring Goldie Hawn
Goldie Hawn
Goldie Jeanne Hawn is an American actress, film director, producer, and occasional singer. Hawn is known for her roles in Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Private Benjamin, Foul Play, Overboard, Bird on a Wire, Death Becomes Her, The First Wives Club, and Cactus Flower, for which she won the 1969...
, and The Buddy Holly Story
The Buddy Holly Story
The film was adapted by Robert Gittler from Buddy Holly: His Life and Music, the biography of Holly by John Goldrosen. It was directed by Steve Rash.-Plot:...
in 1978. He received an Academy Award nomination for The Competition
The Competition (film)
The Competition is a 1980 American drama film starring Richard Dreyfuss and Amy Irving, directed by Joel Oliansky.-Plot:Paul Dietrich is an extremely gifted but disillusioned classical pianist, running out of time to prove himself...
, directed by Joel Oliansky. Blewitt was best associated with his editing in the 1984 blockbuster
Blockbuster (entertainment)
Blockbuster, as applied to film or theatre, denotes a very popular or successful production. The entertainment industry use was originally theatrical slang referring to a particularly successful play but is now used primarily by the film industry...
, Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a...
.
Blewitt's later television work included Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys is a television series, filmed in New Zealand and the United States. It was produced from 1995, and was very loosely based on the tales of the classical Greek culture hero Heracles...
.
Blewitt won an Emmy Award in 1993 for editing in the television special, Bob Hope: The First 90 Years. In addition to his Emmy and Academy Award nominations, Blewitt received two ACE Eddie Awards from 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...
, out of a total five nominations during his 40 year career. He was also a recipient of the American Cinema Editors Career Achievement Award
American Cinema Editors Career Achievement Award
The American Cinema Editors gives one or more Career Achievement Awards each year. The first awards were given in 1987; the winners have been:*2011: Michael Kahn and Michael Brown*2010: Paul LaMastra and Neil Travis*2009: Sidney Katz and Arthur Schmidt...
in 2004.
David Blewitt died of complications from Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
on July 8, 2010, at his home in Sherman Oaks, California, at the age of 81. He was survived by his wife, Ann; daughter, Rita Bastien, and her husband, Steve Bastien; and his granddaughter, Annabel.