Stanford Tischler

Editor

"Comedy is harder to cut than straight stuff. I don’t think you have to know more, but you have to have a feel for it. There’s a mixture between being objective and subjective when you’re putting something together. You’ve got to feel what is good and what your view is, and in a comedy, what is funny and what is not. How to temper it and cut it so that if it’s a boom, boom, boom, you’re building up to it. It’s a wonderful way to cut."

About This Interview

Stanford Tischler was interviewed for two hours in Sherman Oaks, CA. Tischler talked about his early start in the business as an apprentice sound effects editor at RKO Studios. He spoke in detail about the regime at RKO presided over by Howard Hughes and about his personal experiences working on the film Hard, Fast, and Beautiful, directed by Ida Lupino. He described his transition into full-fledged editing as the editor for Collier Young and Ida Lupino’s Filmakers production company, where he edited such films as The Bigamist. Tischler spoke about his entry into television on such series as the dramatic anthology TV Reader’s Digest. He talked about his work at syndication giant Ziv Productions, on such series as The Everglades. He briefly talked about his work in the 1960s on Peyton Place and Judd for the Defense. Tischler then discussed his work on the long-running series M*A*S*H, for which he served as editor during the series entire run. B-roll consisted of several photos relating to M*A*S*H, including shots from the editing suites. The interview was conducted by Gary Rutkowski on November 19, 2003.