William Reynolds

New York-born William Reynolds was a self-effacing editor with a distinguished sixty-year career in the motion picture industry, noted for his unobtrusive, seamless work on movies of every genre, from romantic melodramas to gangster films. A graduate of Princeton University, he started in the business, moving props as part of the 20th Century Fox swing gang. Displaying a keen interest in the art of editing, he was taken under the wing of the experienced Robert L. Simpson, whom he accompanied to Paramount as assistant in 1935. After just two years, Reynolds was promoted to full editor, his most prestigious assignment being Algiers (1938). In 1942, he moved across to 20th Century Fox, but wartime service put a temporary halt to his career. However, he did manage to sustain continuity by editing U.S. Army training films. From 1946, Reynolds was part of a top-notch editing team assembled by Darryl F. Zanuck, himself a former editor and famous for his hands-on approach to post-production.