Editor Sidney M. Katz Has Died-- Archive Interview Online Soon

Sidney M. Katz, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Cinema Editors in February, has died at the age of 91. His career spanned over sixty years, and among his television highlights were the series See It Now, Omnibus, and The Defenders (for which he won an Emmy Award).

Some excerpts from his February 14, 2009 interview:

Q: What advice would you give to someone going into editing today?
I’d say, it’s a fun sport, you’re going to have to take a lot, you’re going to take a beating growing up and it’s all worth it when you get there. And I think it’s a great profession and it’s hard one to get into today and it has its rewards. If you enjoy it, stick with it, if you don’t, find something you like.

Q: What has been the highlight of your career?
Well, I think getting an Emmy for one, getting the nominations and above all this lifetime achievement came out of the blue and at my stage of life, I find this very exciting. I mean, it’s topped everything and I didn’t expect it.

Q: How would you like to be remembered?
Well, just as an editor who helped-- and it’s true, I’ve helped, I’ll bet you at least fifty people. Ah, start cutting when they were assistants and kept at it, and worked with them and polished them up and today, I have a whole group of editors out there who I think I’m responsible for making them. And the other night when I went to that nominees thing, I was shocked when I walked in, this young man come up to me and he said, Sid Katz I want to thank you. He said I remember you teaching me to cut and I’ll never forget you. And I thought that was the biggest thing.