Cut to the Chase: Forty-Five Years of Editing America's Favourite Movies

by Sam O'Steen, Bobbie O'Steen (As told by)

This groundbreaking book takes the reader behind the closed doors of the editing room where Sam O'Steen along with some of the world's top directors controlled the fate of many legendary films. Editors don't usually sit on movie sets, but Sam was there through the entire shoot and his editing tales are spiced with juicy anecdotes about exotic locations and colorful producers, directors, and stars.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Media Tie In, Memoir

300 pages, Paperback

First published January 25, 2002

Reviews

[Franzeska]

It's an interesting look into celebrity gossip from an editor's perspective. Sam O'Steen was one of the finest film editors ever, but his book is mainly about telling off-color anecdotes about actresses and defending Roman Polanski. "I hope he clears his name one day." Uh huh, buddy.

You won't learn anything about editing from this book. You'll learn plenty about sexist men in Hollywood.

[Samantha]

I purchased this book because I was watching an old documentary in which Steven Soderbergh recommended it. I thought it might be an interesting read for my class, but wow—I cannot imagine asking my female students to read this. It is incredibly misogynistic.

He speaks about women in ways that are degrading and demeaning while simultaneously lionizing men like Roman Polanski and Jack Nicholson. I have no problem with him talking about their great work—I’m interested in filmmaking, after all—but he seems to take every opportunity to cut down women (with Meryl Streep apparently being the exception). At one point, he says that women who speak out against men in cases of rape are always doing it for the money. That was particularly disturbing.

And then there’s the fact that his wife wrote the book and never seems to challenge him. At one point, Sam is talking about a party the recently married Roman Polanski had at the Playboy Club. He describes Polanski getting all these “girls” for Sam to play with, in language that felt disturbingly reminiscent of the way women and girls are discussed in accounts of Epstein. Sam wasn’t there because he was back on a plane working on another film. His wife points out that Polanski was recently married to Sharon Tate, and Sam responds with something along the lines of, “I was married too”. The casualness of the whole exchange was pretty shocking.

Ultimately, the book felt less like a serious discussion of filmmaking and more like a Hollywood tell-all about how cool and powerful these filmmakers were. There are certainly interesting stories about the films and the people who made them, but they’re buried under an astonishing amount of misogyny, ego, and self-congratulation.

I can’t believe I spent a week reading this. And now I’m throwing it in the trash.

[Michael]

An insightful look at film editing, as told by one of the industry’s all-time legends. This book details the creative process behind many of Hollywood’s landmark movies while providing first-hand accounts of stories behind the scenes. He tells of working closely with Mike Nichols, Roman Polanski, and many others - sharing tales told nowhere else. Many of O’Steen’s attitudes and views are old-school and often misogynistic, reflecting the 1960s and ‘70s. Despite those personal pitfalls, readers can learn many editing tips and techniques still relevant to contemporary filmmaking. A recommended read for all film editors and movie historians.

[Stephen Hull]

Memoirs of one of the most influential and successful film editors of the last half of the 20th century. A combination of insights into editing and gossip about famous folk in the film industry which some people will find irresistible. I’m one of them.

[Sean]

Great stories by a great editor. He's very matter of fact, no bullshit, full of insight into the art of editing, and the personalities with whom he worked. A master of an artform greatly suffering in the modern age of movies-made-on-computers.

[Emon Hassan]

Great book on editing. The stories behind some of the great films are fascinating!