Aaron Stell


Aaron Stell was an American film editor with one hundred feature film credits and many additional credits for his television work. He is best known for his work on Touch of Evil, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Silent Running.

Early life

Aaron Stell was born on March 26, 1911. After graduating from Los Angeles High School, he worked as a postmaster for Fox Film in the late 1920s.

Career

Stell's earliest editing career was for Columbia Pictures, where he worked at from 1943 to 1955. He then worked for other Hollywood studios for the rest of his career. Touch of Evil, which was directed by Orson Welles, proved difficult for Stell; he was not the initial editor but instead chosen for re-editing, and he noted that Welles became "ill, depressed, and unhappy with the studio's impatience" in the process.
Stell had been selected as a member of the American Cinema Editors. He was nominated for the American Cinema Editors Eddie Award for To Kill a Mockingbird. He was also nominated for Eddies for his television work on an episode of Ben Casey and on the mini-series Guyana Tragedy: [The Story of Jim Jones]. In 1996 he shared the American Cinema Editors Career Achievement Award with Desmond Marquette.

Personal life and death

Since the early 1940s, Stell worked as an oil painter. By 1964, he has painted over 50 paintings. Stell died in Los Angeles at age 84.

Selected filmography

YearFilmNotes
1964The Gallant OneAlso writer and producer
2004Remnants of Auric Healing

;Shorts
YearFilmDirector
1948Go Chase YourselfJules White
1952Corny CasanovasJules White
1952He Cooked His GooseJules White

;TV movies
YearFilmDirector
1970But [I Don't Want to Get Married!]Jerry Paris
1970Wild WomenDon Taylor
1970Crowhaven FarmWalter Grauman
1972The Couple Takes a WifeJerry Paris
1973Fade InJud Taylor
1975The Trial of Chaplain JensenRobert Day
1975Shell GameGlenn Jordan
1976One of My Wives Is MissingGlenn Jordan
1977Night TerrorE. W. Swackhamer
1977The Amazing Howard HughesWilliam A. Graham
1978Deadman's CurveRichard Compton
1978Steel CowboyHarvey Laidman
1978One in a Million: The [Ron LeFlore Story]William A. Graham
1979Can You Hear the Laughter? [The Story of Freddie Prinze]Burt Brinckerhoff
1979Orphan TrainWilliam A. Graham
1980Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim JonesWilliam A. Graham
1980Rage!William A. Graham
1980My Kidnapper, My LoveSam Wanamaker
1981Isabel's ChoiceGuy Green
1981Incident at CrestridgeJud Taylor
1982A Question of HonorJud Taylor
1982American EagleWilliam A. Graham

;TV pilots
YearFilmDirector
1965My Island FamilyHenry Koster
1977The Displaced PersonGlenn Jordan

;TV series
YearTitleNotes
1954Ford Theatre4 episodes
1954Father Knows Best2 episodes
1954−55The Adventures of Rin-Tin-Tin6 episodes
1956The People's Choice3 episodes
1956The [Count of Monte Cristo (1956 TV series)|The Count of Monte Cristo]9 episodes
1957The [New Adventures of Charlie Chan]2 episodes
1959Death Valley Days2 episodes
1963Ben Casey1 episode
1970The Most Deadly Game1 episode
1977The Amazing Howard Hughes2 episodes
1977The Amazing Spider-Man1 episode
1977Space Academy1 episode
1978The [Paper Chase (TV series)|The Paper Chase]1 episode
1980Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones2 episodes
1985Otherworld1 episode