Warren Hamilton , Jr . Warren W . Hamilton , Jr . was an American sound effects editor who worked on over fifty films , including and . He was member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a former president of Motion Picture Sound Editors Guild . Early life . Hamilton was born in Los Angeles , California . He began his career is show business as an actor , making uncredited appearances in such films as the 1955 drama " Blackboard Jungle " . This film also featured veteran actors John Hoyt and Richard Kiley , who both went on to appear in a " Star Trek " production . Following a stunt in the United States Army , Hamilton earned a Bachelor of arts degree from the University of California at Los Angeles . In 1960 , he then became a story editor at Warner Bros . , where he worked on such television series as " 77 Sunset Strip " , " Bourbon Street Beat " , and " Cheyenne " . He left Warner Bros . in 1962 to work on " Alfred Hitchcock Presents " , after which he began working for Walt Disney Television . In 1969 , Hamilton co - wrote the short documentary film " An Impression of John Steinbeck : Writer " , which received an Academy Award nomination in the " Best Documentary , Short Subjects " category . He continued writing films during the 1970s , including the 1974 blaxploitation action - drama " Black Samson " and the B - grade horror picture " Kiss of the Tarantula " . Editing career . Hamilton began working as a sound editor in the 1970s ; one of his earliest sound credits was the 1973 film " The Black Bunch " , which starred Michael Pataki . He also worked as a film editor , with credits such as " Sweet Jesus , Preacherman " ( another film starring Michael Pataki ) and " Kiss of the Tarantula " , which he also wrote . He returned to sound effects editing with another B - grade horror picture , 1977 ' s " Drive in Massacre " . It was in 1980 when Hamilton ' s career as a sound effects editor really began to pick up . Under the supervision of Richard L . Anderson , Hamilton worked with fellow " Star Trek " sound editors Stephen Hunter Flick and Mark Mangini on the 1980 science fiction adventure film " The Final Countdown " . Hamilton worked with Anderson on many more films over the next eighteen years , including : " Poltergeist " ( 1982 ) ; " Under Fire " ( 1983 ) , which starred Joanna Cassidy ; " Gremlins " ( 1984 ) , starring Zach Galligan , Keye Luke , and Dick Miller ; " The Goonies " ( 1985 ) ; the Tim Burton features " Beetle Juice " ( 1988 ) , " Edward Scissorhands " ( 1990 ) , and " Batman Returns " ( 1992 ) ; Ron Howard ' s " Apollo 13 " ( 1995 ) ; " Things to Do in Denver When You ' re Dead " ( 1995 ) , which starred Christopher Lloyd ; and " Lethal Weapon 4 " ( 1998 ) . Some of these movies again had Hamilton working with Stephen Flick and / or Mark Mangini , as well as fellow " Star Trek V " sound editor , John Dunn . In addition to the aforementioned " Gremlins " , Hamilton has edited the sound effects for several of director Joe Dante ' s other films , including " Explorers " ( 1985 ) , " Innerspace " ( 1987 ) , " The ' burbs " ( 1989 ) , " Gremlins 2 : The New Batch " ( 1990 ) , and " Matinee " ( 1993 ) . All of these films featured regular Robert Picardo in the cast ( among several other " Star Trek " performers ) and they all had Hamilton working alongside Mark Mangini . Hamilton also worked on some of filmmaker John Carpenter ' s early 1980s hits , including " Escape from New York " ( 1981 , which starred Kim Cattrall ) , " Halloween II " ( 1981 ) , and " The Thing " ( 1982 , which featured David Clennon ) . " Escape from New York " again had Hamilton working with Mangini . Hamilton ' s other film credits during the 1980s included " Repo Man " ( 1984 ) , " The Hitcher " ( 1986 ) , " La Bamba " ( 1987 ) , " Alien Nation " ( 1988 ) , and " The Good Mother " ( 1988 ) , the latter of which was directed by Leonard Nimoy . Hamilton also provided sound effects editing on the animated Disney film " Oliver & Company " ( 1988 ) , which earned him Golden Reel Award . He later received two more Golden Reel Awards , one for his work on Disney ' s 1991 film " Beauty and the Beast " ( which featured the voice of David Ogden Stiers ) and another the 1994 action - adventure blockbuster " Speed " . Other films he worked on during the 1990s include " The Bodyguard " ( 1992 ) , " City Slickers II : The Legend of Curly ' s Gold " ( 1994 ) , " Showgirls " ( 1995 ) , " From Dusk Til Dawn " ( 1996 ) , " The Long Kiss Goodnight " ( 1996 ) , " Starship Troopers " ( 1997 ) , and " Jackie Brown " ( 1997 ) . Death . Hamilton died of natural causes in Los Angeles on 17 August 2009 . He was 76 years old . He was survived by a son , Craig , and a daughter , Jenene .