"No matter what I did to manipulate scenes, I was always conscious of trying to be true to the writer's intent."

    About This Interview

    In her one-and-a-half-hour interview, Millie Moore (1928-2015) talks about her background in still photography and her introduction to documentary filmmaking, on a profile of England's Teddy Boy subculture in the 1950s. She describes her first work in television - working on the travelogue documentaries of Jack Douglas. She explains how her duties screening footage and evaluating it for both its content and technical quality led to her interest in working in the editorial department. She speaks about her difficulties in being accepted as a woman editor and in joining the editors union. Moore then discusses her first two jobs as a full editor on the feature films Johnny Got His Gun (on which she worked with Dalton Trumbo), and the Oscar-winning feature documentary The Man Who Skied Down Everest (on which she crafted the story by creating an antagonist in the mountain itself). She comments on many of her subsequent television projects including: Hey, I'm Alive! (discussing the challenges of the two-character piece), Cagney & Lacey (and how she came to edit the last episode of season three), The Rape of Richard Beck (detailing its subject matter), Geronimo (which marked her transition to editing on the Avid), and Collected Stories (working with Gil Cates). Throughout the interview, she comments on her editing technique in relation to her fidelity to the writer's intent, the importance of music, and cutting to highlight the believability in the actors' performances. Finally, she talks about receiving the 2008 A.C.E. Lifetime Achievement Award. Karen Herman conducted the interview in a joint venture with American Cinema Editors (ACE) on July 15, 2008 in Los Angeles, CA.

    All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.
    People Talking About ...
    Thumbnail of Millie Moore

    Millie Moore on editing an episode of Cagney & Lacey

    02:17
    Thumbnail of Millie Moore

    Millie Moore on editing The Rape of Richard Beck

    04:50
    Thumbnail of Millie Moore

    Millie Moore on her first film as a full editor, working for Dalton Trumbo on "Johnny Got His Gun"

    06:11
    Thumbnail of Millie Moore

    Millie Moore on how women editors have progressed through the years

    01:50
    Thumbnail of Millie Moore

    Millie Moore on having no career regrets and loving her job

    03:54
    Play Full Interview

    Chapter 1

    On her childhood and early influences; on hobbies when she was a kid; on moving from Ohio to California

    05:15

    On becoming a photographer and stage manager; on living in Europe and her first involvement with documentary filmmaking; on working on the travelogue documentaries of Jack Douglas; on moving into editing and being one of the sole female editors in the union

    11:56

    On working as an Assistant Editor for eight years; on working at Paramount for Sid Levin; on becoming a full editor and working with Dalton Trumbo on "Johnny Got His Gun"

    07:52

    On the second film she edited - "The Man Who Skied Down Everest" - which won the Academy Award for Best Picture

    06:32

    On editing films and TV shows for Michael Pressman, Larry Schiller, and Gilbert Cates; on the relationship between a director and an editor

    09:33

    On editing films for television and dealing with producers and Executives; on editing an episode of Cagney & Lacey; on editing the TV movies The Rape of Richard Be ck, To Heal A Nation, and The Tenth Man

    17:23

    Chapter 2

    On what she looks for in an actor's performance; on working with special effects and music

    09:33

    On editing Delbert Mann's Ironclads; on editing on Avid for the first time on Geronimo; on working with Linda Lavin and Gil Cates on the TV movie Collected Stories

    09:52

    On receiving the A.C.E. Lifetime Achievement Award; on what A.C.E. means to her; on her greatest achievement; on having no career regrets and loving her job

    07:36

    On advice to an aspiring editor; on how women editors have progressed through the years; on how she'd like to be remembered

    06:21

    Cagney & Lacey

    Millie Moore on editing an episode of Cagney & Lacey

    02:17

    Geronimo

    Millie Moore on editing on Avid for the first time on Geronimo

    03:38

    Ironclads

    Millie Moore on editing Delbert Mann's Ironclads

    01:12

    Rape of Richard Beck, The

    Millie Moore on editing The Rape of Richard Beck

    04:50

    Tenth Man, The

    Millie Moore on editing The Tenth Man

    03:43

    To Heal A Nation

    Millie Moore on editing To Heal A Nation

    02:01

    Advertising and Sponsorship

    Millie Moore on advice to an aspiring editor

    02:58

    Advice

    Millie Moore on advice to an aspiring editor

    02:58

    Creative Influences and Inspiration

    Millie Moore on serving as Assistant Editor to Sid Levin

    00:47

    First Big Break

    Millie Moore on her first big break - working on the travelogue documentaries of Jack Douglas

    01:15

    Historic Events and Social Change

    Millie Moore on being one of the sole women in the A.C.E. when she joined

    03:03

    Millie Moore on women being more welcomed into the A.C.E. as editors, not just librarians, after the studio system began to crumble

    00:45

    Millie Moore on how women editors have progressed through the years

    01:50

    Hollywood Blacklist

    Millie Moore on her first film as a full editor, working for Dalton Trumbo on "Johnny Got His Gun"

    02:47

    Industry Crossroads

    Millie Moore on her first film as a full editor, working for Dalton Trumbo on "Johnny Got His Gun"

    02:47

    Pivotal Career Moments

    Millie Moore on her first big break - working on the travelogue documentaries of Jack Douglas

    01:15

    Millie Moore on serving as Assistant Editor to Sid Levin

    00:47

    Representation on Television

    Millie Moore on being one of the sole women in the A.C.E. when she joined

    03:03

    Millie Moore on women being more welcomed into the A.C.E. as editors, not just librarians, after the studio system began to crumble

    00:45

    Millie Moore on how women editors have progressed through the years

    01:50

    Technological Innovation

    Millie Moore on working with Avid

    02:15

    Television Industry

    Millie Moore on her first film as a full editor, working for Dalton Trumbo on "Johnny Got His Gun"

    02:47

    Women

    Millie Moore on being one of the sole women in the A.C.E. when she joined

    03:03

    Millie Moore on women being more welcomed into the A.C.E. as editors, not just librarians, after the studio system began to crumble

    00:45

    Millie Moore on how women editors have progressed through the years

    01:50

    Editor

    Millie Moore on what attracted her to editing and joining the A.C.E.

    03:59

    Millie Moore on editing films for Michael Pressman and the relationship between a director and an editor

    09:33

    Millie Moore on editing films for television and dealing with producers and Executives

    03:45

    Millie Moore on what she looks for in an actor's performance

    01:21

    Millie Moore on editing what seems like unusable footage (on "Starship Invasions")

    03:22

    Millie Moore on working with special effects and music

    04:29

    Millie Moore on advice to an aspiring editor

    02:58

    Millie Moore on how women editors have progressed through the years

    01:50

    Post-Production Professionals

    Millie Moore on what attracted her to editing and joining the A.C.E.

    03:59

    Millie Moore on editing films for Michael Pressman and the relationship between a director and an editor

    09:33

    Millie Moore on editing films for television and dealing with producers and Executives

    03:45

    Millie Moore on what she looks for in an actor's performance

    01:21

    Millie Moore on editing what seems like unusable footage (on "Starship Invasions")

    03:22

    Millie Moore on working with special effects and music

    04:29

    Millie Moore on advice to an aspiring editor

    02:58

    Millie Moore on how women editors have progressed through the years

    01:50

    TV Movies/Miniseries/Dramatic Specials

    Millie Moore on editing the TV movies The Rape of Richard Be ck, To Heal A Nation, and The Tenth Man

    10:38

    Karen Arthur

    Millie Moore on editing The Rape of Richard Beck, directed by Karen Arthur

    04:50

    Gilbert Cates

    Millie Moore on working with director Gilbert Cates

    00:38

    Millie Moore on working with Linda Lavin and Gil Cates on the TV movie Collected Stories

    02:25

    Millie Moore on receiving the A.C.E. Lifetime Achievement Award

    02:13

    Jack Douglas

    Millie Moore on her first big break - working on the travelogue documentaries of Jack Douglas

    01:15

    Millie Moore on evaluating the footage from the travelogue documentaries of Jack Douglas and moving into editing

    01:48

    Linda Lavin

    Millie Moore on working with Linda Lavin and Gil Cates on the TV movie Collected Stories

    02:18

    Sidney Levin

    Millie Moore on serving as Assistant Editor to Sid Levin

    01:01

    Michael Pressman

    Millie Moore on editing films for Michael Pressman and the relationship between a director and an editor

    03:45

    Larry Schiller

    Millie Moore on editing a film with Larry Schiller and script and visual elements to be aware of

    01:41

    Dalton Trumbo

    Millie Moore on her first film as a full editor, working for Dalton Trumbo on "Johnny Got His Gun"

    06:11

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