Viola Lawrence

Viola Lawrence

  • Birthday: 1894-12-01
  • Deathday: 1973-11-20
  • Place of birth: Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
  • Also know as: Lilian Viola Mallory

Biography

Viola Mallory Lawrence (December 2, 1894, New York – November 20, 1973) is considered by many to be the first woman film editor in Hollywood. She was nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing: for Pal Joey (1957), with Jerome Thoms; and for Pepe (1960), with Al Clark. She began working at Vitagraph Studios in Flatbush, Brooklyn as a messenger at the age of 11. At 12, she was holding title cards. In 1915, she became the second female film cutter in cinema history, after Anna McKnight, who also worked at Vitagraph. She married Frank Lawrence, her film cutting teacher at Vitagraph. In 1917, she moved to Hollywood and worked for Universal, First National, Gloria Swanson Productions and Columbia Pictures at various times. She became Columbia's "head editor" or "supervising editor" in 1925. After director Erich von Stroheim was fired from the production of Queen Kelly (1929), star Gloria Swanson herself directed an alternate ending, with the help of cinematographer Gregg Toland and Lawrence. Lawrence edited Samuel Goldwyn Studio's first sound film, Bulldog Drummond (1929). She rejoined Columbia in 1934 and remained there for the rest of her long career, ending with Pepe (1960). Orson Welles biographer Charles Higham wrote that, when Lawrence was assigned to The Lady from Shanghai (1947), she reported to studio boss Harry Cohn that "the footage was a jumbled mess". She also informed Cohn that Welles "had not shot a single close-up"; Welles reluctantly obeyed orders to add some. Following poorly received previews, the studio had Lawrence make drastic cuts, over an hour of footage, shortening the film to 87 minutes.

Production

Penitentiary

1938

As Film Processor

Sirocco

1951

As Editor

Cover Girl

1944

As Editor

My Sister Eileen

1942

As Editor

Queen Bee

1955

As Editor

Knock on Any Door

1949

As Editor

The Dark Past

1948

As Editor

Affair in Trinidad

1952

As Editor

Only Angels Have Wings

1939

As Editor

Here Comes Mr. Jordan

1941

As Editor

In a Lonely Place

1950

As Editor

Man in the Dark

1953

As Editor

Secret Command

1944

As Editor

The Miami Story

1954

As Editor

Tight Spot

1955

As Editor

Harriet Craig

1950

As Editor

You Belong to Me

1941

As Editor

Party Wire

1935

As Editor

The Awakening

1928

As Editor

She Married an Artist

1937

As Editor

There's Always a Woman

1938

As Editor

The Devil Dancer

1927

As Editor

Bulldog Drummond

1929

As Editor

This Is Heaven

1929

As Editor

Two Lovers

1928

As Editor

The First Time

1952

As Editor

Three for the Show

1955

As Editor

Man's Castle

1933

As Editor

Blind Husbands

1919

As Editor

Queen Kelly

1932

As Editor

The Lady from Shanghai

1947

As Editor

She Wouldn't Say Yes

1945

As Editor

No Greater Glory

1934

As Editor

Love Me Forever

1935

As Editor

The Flying Missile

1950

As Editor

Salome

1953

As Editor

What a Widow!

1930

As Editor

The King Steps Out

1936

As Editor

The Eddy Duchin Story

1956

As Editor

Craig's Wife

1936

As Editor

Jeanne Eagels

1957

As Editor

Pal Joey

1957

As Editor

Glamour for Sale

1940

As Editor

Chicago Syndicate

1955

As Editor

A Feather in Her Hat

1935

As Editor

The Virgin of Stamboul

1920

As Editor

The Heart of Humanity

1918

As Editor

Miss Sadie Thompson

1953

As Editor

Jealousy

1934

As Editor

Lady of Secrets

1936

As Editor

Down to Earth

1947

As Editor

And Baby Makes Three

1949

As Editor

Tokyo Joe

1949

As Editor

First Comes Courage

1943

As Editor

Who Was That Lady?

1960

As Editor

Bedtime Story

1941

As Editor

Pepe

1960

As Editor

I Am the Law

1938

As Editor

Lady by Choice

1934

As Editor

Paula

1952

As Editor

Devil's Playground

1937

As Editor

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