George Tomasini

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George Tomasini (born April 20, 1909, died November 22, 1964) was an American film editor, born in Springfield, Massachusetts, who worked very closely with film director Alfred Hitchcock in the decade 1954-1964. Tomasini edited Hitchcock's most well-known works, such as Marnie (1964), the horror film classics The Birds (1963) and Psycho (1960), North by Northwest (1959), Hitchcock's masterpieces Vertigo (1958)and Rear Window (1954), as well as other memorable films such as the original Cape Fear (1962).

George Tomasini was known for his innovative film editing which, together with Hitchcock's stunning techniques, redefined cinematic language. Tomasini's cutting was always stylish and experimental, all the while pursuing the focus of the story and the characters. His dialogue overlapping and use of jump cuts for exclamation points was dynamic and innovative (such as in the scene in The Birds where the car blows up at the gas station and Tippi Hedren's character watches from a window; as well as the infamous "shower scene" in Psycho). George Tomasini's techniques would be groundbreaking and would influence many film editors and filmmakers many years into the future, although few have matched his excellence.

Like Alfred Hitchcock, George Tomasini never was awarded an Academy Award. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Film Editing for North by Northwest, but Ben-Hur's editors won the award that year.