Danford B. "Danny" Greene (June 26, 1928 – August 13, 2015) was an American film and television editor with about twenty five feature film credits. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for MASH (1970-directed by Robert Altman) and, with John C. Howard, for Blazing Saddles (1974-directed by Mel Brooks).[2][3]

Danford B. Greene
Born
Danford Burris Greene

(1928-06-26)June 26, 1928
DiedAugust 13, 2015(2015-08-13) (aged 87)
Occupationfilm editor

Greene graduated from the University of Southern California in 1952. After assisting at Metro Goldwyn Mayer, he became the head of sound editing at Universal Studios, where he worked on Psycho (1960). In the 1960s Greene worked mostly as an editor for episodes of television series such as Thriller and Judd, for the Defense. He broke into feature films with That Cold Day in the Park (1969), which was directed by Robert Altman. The following year he edited MASH (1970) with Altman, which was an anti-war comedy that became a phenomenal success while the U.S. was still fighting the Vietnam War. The film was the third highest-grossing film in the U.S. in 1970, making more than $36 million in the U.S. on a budget of $3 million. Editing was an important aspect of the film's success.[4] The film spawned a long-running television series, and in 1996 was listed on the National Film Registry.[5]

Following MASH Greene worked regularly editing feature films through 1994, although he did not work with Robert Altman again. He directed one feature film The Secret Diary of Sigmund Freud (1984).[6] Other films edited by Greene include Blazing Saddles (1974), Fun with Dick and Jane (1977), American Hot Wax (1978), and Rocky II (1979). Greene's last feature credit was for There Goes My Baby (1994), which was his fourth collaboration with director Floyd Mutrux. He then taught editing at the American Film Institute and the Los Angeles Film School.[7][8]

Very early in his editing career, Greene was nominated for the American Cinema Editors Eddie award for a 1962 episode of the television series It's a Man's World. Greene's editing of MASH (1970) was widely recognized, and he was nominated for the Academy Award, the BAFTA Award and the Eddie award for the film. He was again nominated for the Academy Award for Blazing Saddles (1974).

Selected filmography

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Editor
Year Film Director Notes
1956 Man in the Vault Andrew V. McLaglen
1969 That Cold Day in the Park Robert Altman First collaboration with Robert Altman
1970 M*A*S*H Second collaboration with Robert Altman
Myra Breckinridge Michael Sarne
1971 Clay Pigeon
  • Lane Slate
  • Tom Stern
1972 Deadhead Miles Vernon Zimmerman
Uncredited
1973 Hex Leo Garen
1974 Blazing Saddles Mel Brooks First collaboration with Mel Brooks
1975 Aloha, Bobby and Rose Floyd Mutrux First collaboration with Floyd Mutrux
The Master Gunfighter Tom Laughlin
1976 The Killer Inside Me Burt Kennedy
1977 Fun with Dick and Jane Ted Kotcheff
Outlaw Blues Richard T. Heffron
Which Way Is Up? Michael Schultz
1979 Voices Robert Markowitz
1982 Partners James Burrows
1985 Head Office Ken Finkleman
1987 Love at Stake John Moffitt
1988 18 Again! Paul Flaherty First collaboration with Paul Flaherty
Wildfire Zalman King
1989 Who's Harry Crumb? Paul Flaherty Second collaboration with Paul Flaherty
1990 Vital Signs Marisa Silver
1994 There Goes My Baby Floyd Mutrux Fourth collaboration with Floyd Mutrux
Editorial department
Year Film Director Role Notes
1972 Wild in the Sky William T. Naud Supervising editor
1978 American Hot Wax Floyd Mutrux Supervising film editor Second collaboration with Floyd Mutrux
Loose Shoes Ira Miller Editorial supervisor
1979 Rocky II Sylvester Stallone Supervising film editor
1980 The Hollywood Knights Floyd Mutrux Supervising editor Third collaboration with Floyd Mutrux
1981 History of the World, Part I Mel Brooks Additional editor Second collaboration with Mel Brooks
Surfacing Claude Jutra Editorial consultant
1986 Never Too Young to Die Gil Bettman Additional editor
Director
Year Film
1984 The Secret Diary of Sigmund Freud
Shorts
Editorial department
Year Film Director Role
2011 To Beauty Jess Zakira Wise Supervising editor
Thanks
Year Film Director Role
2003 Frame of Mind Simon Joecker Special thanks
2008 Started by a Mouse Michael Gaddie
Ismeria Karen A. Thompson Very special thanks
2010 Montana
  • Nina Coppola
  • Jacob Stuart
Special thanks
These Four Walls Cédric Chabloz
2011 Frontman Caleb C. Werntz
Family First Isaac Cherem
2013 Relevé Vishal Solanki
TV movies
Editor
Year Film Director
1964 Nightmare in Chicago Robert Altman
TV series
Editor
Year Title Notes
1960 Shotgun Slade 2 episodes
1961−62 Thriller 6 episodes
1962 It's a Man's World 8 episodes
1963−64 Alfred Hitchcock Presents 2 episodes
Kraft Suspense Theatre 5 episodes
1964 McHale's Navy 2 episodes
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre 1 episode
1964−65 Broadside 29 episodes
1966 The Munsters 1 episode
The Virginian
1967 Mr. Terrific 4 episodes
1967−69 Judd, for the Defense 13 episodes
Thanks
Year Title Role Notes
2011 Makin' It LA Special thanks 6 episodes
TV specials
Editor
Year Film Director
1966 A Bob Hope Comedy Special Jack Shea

References

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  1. ^ Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2015. 2016-05-03. ISBN 9781476625539.
  2. ^ "In Memoriam". CineMontage. Motion Picture Editors Guild. Fall 2015. p. 85.
  3. ^ Danford B. Greene at IMDb
  4. ^ Erickson, Hal (2012). Military Comedy Films: A Critical Survey and Filmography of Hollywood Releases Since 1918. McFarland. p. 353. ISBN 9780786492671. It was only in the 3 month postproduction period that Altman and his editor Danford B. Greene hit upon the idea of closing the film with a spoken cast and credits roster ... This in turn led to the expanding of the never-seen PA voice into a brand-new supporting character ...
  5. ^ "Room for Mel, Ming and Rockers Too; Movies: Mel Brooks' 'The Producers,' 'Flash Gordon' serial and 'Woodstock' are added to the Library of Congress' National Film Registry". Los Angeles Times. December 5, 1996. Archived from the original on January 12, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2009.
  6. ^ Manikkaa, Eleanor. "the Secret Diary of Sigmund Freud". allmovie.
  7. ^ "Danford B. Greene". Retrieved 2016-01-02. Short biography of Greene from the website of the short film To Beauty (2011).
  8. ^ Igel, Rachel (1997). "Let It Cook: An Interview With Terry Williams And Danny Greene". The Motion Picture Editors Guild Directory of Members 1996 - 1997. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-01-02. Interview with J. Terry Williams and Greene about their work on Psycho (1960).

Further reading

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