# William Hornbeck

William Hornbeck (August 23, 1901 – October 11, 1983) was an American film editor and film industry executive. In a 1977 poll of film editors, he had been called "the best film editor the industry has produced." He was nominated four times for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing, and won the award for A Place in the Sun (1951). Other important credits include It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Giant (1956), and I Want to Live! (1958). He edited films from notable directors including Zoltan Korda, Frank Capra, and George Stevens. Universal Pictures almost brought him on board to completely re-edit George Lucas' American Graffiti.
Hornbeck started his editing career in his teens with the Keystone Studios, which were located close to his family's home in Los Angeles, California. In the 1920s he became head of the editing department, working on dozens of films each year. In 1934 he went to England, where he headed the editing department for Alexander Korda's film production company. He was generally credited as the "supervising editor"; an exception was The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934), where he was credited as the editor. In 1941 he returned to the United States, and during World War II he served in the Pictorial Service of the Signal Corps of the United States Army. His unit, which produced the films in the Why We Fight series, was led by Frank Capra. Following the war he worked as an editor for a succession of studios and as a freelance editor. In 1960 Hornbeck became the Supervisor for Editorial Operations for Universal Pictures. In 1966 he became a vice-president of the same company. Hornbeck retired in 1976.
Hornbeck was one of the original members of the American Cinema Editors, the honorary society of film editors, when it was founded in 1950. Hornbeck died in 1983. In her appreciation, Jeanine Basinger wrote "A true pioneer and a major international influence on film editing, Hornbeck and his work should be remembered for its quality and influence, as well as for his contribution in terms of training a whole generation of young editors in both England and America." Some of his papers are included in the Ogden and Mary Louise Reid Cinema Archives at Wesleyan University

## Selected filmography

Filmography based on the listing at the Internet Movie Database.
Editor :
| Year | Film | Director | Notes |
| 1927 | His First Flame | Harry Edwards | |
| 1927 | The Girl from Everywhere | Edward F. Cline | |
| 1928 | The Good-Bye Kiss | Mack Sennett | First collaboration with Mack Sennett |
| 1929 | Midnight Daddies | Mack Sennett | Second collaboration with Mack Sennett |
| 1932 | Hypnotized | Mack Sennett | Third collaboration with Mack Sennett |
| 1934 | The Scarlet Pimpernel | Harold Young | |
| 1941 | Lydia | Julien Duvivier | |
| 1946 | It's a Wonderful Life | Frank Capra | First collaboration with Frank Capra |
| 1947 | Singapore | John Brahm | |
| 1948 | State of the Union | Frank Capra | Second collaboration with Frank Capra |
| 1949 | The Heiress | William Wyler | |
| 1950 | Riding High | Frank Capra | Third collaboration with Frank Capra |
| 1951 | A Place in the Sun | George Stevens | First collaboration with George Stevens |
| 1952 | Something to Live For | George Stevens | Second collaboration with George Stevens |
| 1953 | Shane | George Stevens | Third collaboration with George Stevens |
| 1953 | Act of Love | Anatole Litvak | |
| 1954 | The Barefoot Contessa | Joseph L. Mankiewicz | First collaboration with Joseph L. Mankiewicz |
| 1955 | The Girl Rush | Robert Pirosh | |
| 1956 | Giant | George Stevens | Fourth collaboration with George Stevens |
| 1958 | The Quiet American | Joseph L. Mankiewicz | Second collaboration with Joseph L. Mankiewicz |
| 1958 | I Want to Live! | Robert Wise | |
| 1959 | A Hole in the Head | Frank Capra | Fourth collaboration with Frank Capra |
| 1959 | Suddenly, Last Summer | Joseph L. Mankiewicz | Third collaboration with Joseph L. Mankiewicz |
Editorial department :
| Year | Film | Director | Role |
| 1934 | Moscow Nights | Anthony Asquith | Supervising editor |
| 1935 | Sanders of the River | Zoltan Korda | Supervising editor |
| 1935 | The Ghost Goes West | René Clair | Supervising editor |
| 1936 | Things to Come | William Cameron Menzies | Supervising editor |
| 1936 | The Man Who Could Work Miracles | Lothar Mendes | Supervising editor |
| 1936 | Rembrandt | Alexander Korda | Supervising editor |
| 1936 | Men Are Not Gods | Walter Reisch | Supervising editor |
| 1937 | Dark Journey | Victor Saville | Supervising editor |
| 1937 | Elephant Boy | Robert J. FlahertyZoltan Korda | Supervising editor |
| 1937 | Storm in a Teacup | Ian DalrympleVictor Saville | Supervising editor |
| 1937 | Knight Without Armour | Jacques Feyder | Supervising editor |
| 1937 | The Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel | Hanns Schwarz | Supervising editor |
| 1937 | Paradise for Two | Thornton Freeland | Supervising editor |
| 1938 | The Divorce of Lady X | Tim Whelan | Supervising editor |
| 1938 | The Drum | Zoltan Korda | Supervising editor |
| 1938 | Prison Without Bars | Brian Desmond Hurst | Supervising editor |
| 1938 | The Rebel Son | Adrian BrunelAlbert de CourvilleAlexis Granowsky | Supervising editor |
| 1939 | Over the Moon | Thornton FreelandWilliam K. Howard | Supervising editor |
| 1939 | Q Planes | Tim WhelanArthur B. Woods | Supervising editor |
| 1939 | The Spy in Black | Michael Powell | Supervising film editor |
| 1939 | The Four Feathers | Zoltan Korda | Supervising editor |
| 1939 | The Lion Has Wings | Michael PowellBrian Desmond HurstAdrian BrunelAlexander Korda | Supervising editor |
| 1940 | 21 Days | Basil Dean | Supervising editor |
| 1940 | The Thief of Bagdad | Michael PowellLudwig BergerTim Whelan | Supervising editor |
| 1941 | That Hamilton Woman | Alexander Korda | Supervising film editor |
| 1941 | Lydia | Julien Duvivier | Supervising film editor |
| 1942 | Jungle Book | Zoltan Korda | Supervising film editor |
| 1947 | Magic Town | William A. Wellman | Montage |
| 1959 | Suddenly, Last Summer | Joseph L. Mankiewicz | Editorial consultant |

### Documentaries

Additional crew :
| Year | Film | Director | Role |
| 1945 | Here Is Germany | Frank Capra | Project officer |

### Shorts

Editor :
| Year | Film | Director |
| 1926 | Flirty Four-Flushers | Edward F. Cline |