Frank P. Keller
Encyclopedia
Frank P. Keller was an American film and television editor with 24 feature film credits from 1958 - 1977. He is noted for the series of films he edited with director Peter Yates
, for his four nominations for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing ("Oscars"), and for the "revolutionary" car chase sequence in the film Bullitt
(1968) that likely won him the editing Oscar.
During the Second World War, Keller worked with editor Norval Crutcher on cataloging the film shot by combat cameramen in Europe. In 1949, Keller was editor Al Clark's assistant on All the King's Men
(1949). From 1952-1956, Keller worked as an editor with Frank Capra
on the first four films of The Bell Laboratory Science Series
, sponsored by the American Telephone and Telegraph Company. Their work culminated with the 1956 televising (in color) of Our Mr. Sun
, which was the first film of the series. Keller later edited the eighth film in the series, About Time (1962), which was produced and directed by Owen Crump.
Keller's first editing credit on a feature film was for The Bonnie Parker Story (1958), which was a film noir directed by William Witney
. In 1961 Keller edited Pocketful of Miracles
, which was the last film directed by Frank Capra
. Keller's television work included episodes from the series The Avengers
(1962) and two episodes from the first season of Star Trek
(1967-69). Keller is noted for editing six of the early films directed by Peter Yates
, from Bullitt
(1968) through Mother, Jugs & Speed
(1976). His last film credit was for Rolling Thunder (directed by John Flynn
-1977).
has called it a "now-classic car chase, one of the screen's all-time best." Emanuel Levy
wrote in 2003 that, "Bullitt contains one of the most exciting car chases in film history, a sequence that revolutionized Hollywood's standards. Chasing the hoodlums, McQueen drives up and down the hills of San Francisco, while an impressive hand-held camera records the perilous pursuit and traffic in thrilling minutia detail, as his sexy vehicle narrowly misses intersecting cars and trucks; other barriers during the chase are pedestrians, buildings, and so on." Paul Monaco has written, "The most compelling street footage of 1968, however, appeared in an entirely contrived sequence, with nary a hint of documentary feel about it -- the car chase through the streets of San Francisco in Bullitt, created from footage shot over nearly five weeks. Billy Fraker, the cinematographer for the film, attributed the success of the chase sequence primarily to the work of the editor, Frank P. Keller. At the time, Keller was credited with cutting the piece in such a superb manner that he made the city of San Francisco a "character" in the film."
(Best Editing Of A Film For Television) for Our Mr. Sun. Keller was nominated for the American Cinema Editors Eddie Award
for A Pocketful of Miracles (1962). He won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing and the American Cinema Editors Eddie Award
for Bullitt (1968), and was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Editing
. He was nominated for the Academy Award and for the ACE Eddie Award for three other films: Beach Red
(directed by Cornel Wilde
-1967), The Hot Rock
(with Fred W. Berger; directed by Peter Yates-1972), and Jonathan Livingston Seagull
(with James Galloway; directed by Hall Bartlett
-1973). He was nominated for ACE Eddie Awards for Room 222 (1969 - best edited TV pilot) and for Gargoyle (1972 - best edited TV special).
In 1976, Keller was elected to the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Peter Yates
Peter James Yates was an English director and producer. He was born in Aldershot, Hampshire.The son of an army officer, he attended Charterhouse School as a boy, graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked for some years as an actor, director and stage manager...
, for his four nominations for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing ("Oscars"), and for the "revolutionary" car chase sequence in the film Bullitt
Bullitt
Bullitt is a 1968 American police procedural film starring Steve McQueen, Jacqueline Bisset and Robert Vaughn. It was directed by Peter Yates and distributed by Warner Bros. The story was adapted for the screen by Alan Trustman and Harry Kleiner, based on the 1963 novel Mute Witness by Robert L....
(1968) that likely won him the editing Oscar.
During the Second World War, Keller worked with editor Norval Crutcher on cataloging the film shot by combat cameramen in Europe. In 1949, Keller was editor Al Clark's assistant on All the King's Men
All the King's Men (1949 film)
All the King's Men is a 1949 drama film based on the Robert Penn Warren novel of the same name. It was directed by Robert Rossen and starred Broderick Crawford in the role of Willie Stark.-Plot:...
(1949). From 1952-1956, Keller worked as an editor with Frank Capra
Frank Capra
Frank Russell Capra was a Sicilian-born American film director. He emigrated to the U.S. when he was six, and eventually became a creative force behind major award-winning films during the 1930s and 1940s...
on the first four films of The Bell Laboratory Science Series
The Bell Laboratory Science Series
The Bell Laboratory Science Series was a series of educational television specials made for Bell Labs by Frank Capra, Walt Disney, and others. Each special explored a single subject in detail. The host of seven of the eight films was Dr. Research, played by Frank C. Baxter...
, sponsored by the American Telephone and Telegraph Company. Their work culminated with the 1956 televising (in color) of Our Mr. Sun
Our Mr. Sun
Our Mr. Sun is a one-hour American 1956 television film in Technicolor written, produced, and directed by Frank Capra. It is a documentary that explains how the Sun works and how it also plays a huge part in human life. It was first televised by CBS in 1956.The film starred Frank Baxter as "Dr...
, which was the first film of the series. Keller later edited the eighth film in the series, About Time (1962), which was produced and directed by Owen Crump.
Keller's first editing credit on a feature film was for The Bonnie Parker Story (1958), which was a film noir directed by William Witney
William Witney
William Nuelsen Witney was an American film and television director. He is best remembered for the movie serials he co-directed with John English for Republic Pictures such as Daredevils of the Red Circle, Zorro's Fighting Legion and Drums of Fu Manchu.He directed many Westerns during his career,...
. In 1961 Keller edited Pocketful of Miracles
Pocketful of Miracles
Pocketful of Miracles is a 1961 American comedy film that stars Bette Davis and Glenn Ford, directed by Frank Capra. The screenplay by Hal Kanter and Harry Tugend is based on the screenplay Lady for a Day by Robert Riskin, which was adapted from the Damon Runyon short story "Madame La Gimp".The...
, which was the last film directed by Frank Capra
Frank Capra
Frank Russell Capra was a Sicilian-born American film director. He emigrated to the U.S. when he was six, and eventually became a creative force behind major award-winning films during the 1930s and 1940s...
. Keller's television work included episodes from the series The Avengers
The Avengers (TV series)
The Avengers is a spy-fi British television series set in the 1960s Britain. The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed . Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants...
(1962) and two episodes from the first season of Star Trek
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
(1967-69). Keller is noted for editing six of the early films directed by Peter Yates
Peter Yates
Peter James Yates was an English director and producer. He was born in Aldershot, Hampshire.The son of an army officer, he attended Charterhouse School as a boy, graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked for some years as an actor, director and stage manager...
, from Bullitt
Bullitt
Bullitt is a 1968 American police procedural film starring Steve McQueen, Jacqueline Bisset and Robert Vaughn. It was directed by Peter Yates and distributed by Warner Bros. The story was adapted for the screen by Alan Trustman and Harry Kleiner, based on the 1963 novel Mute Witness by Robert L....
(1968) through Mother, Jugs & Speed
Mother, Jugs & Speed
Mother, Jugs & Speed is a 1976 black comedy film directed by Peter Yates. It stars Bill Cosby , Raquel Welch , Harvey Keitel , and Larry Hagman as employees of an independent ambulance service trying to survive in Los Angeles.-Plot:...
(1976). His last film credit was for Rolling Thunder (directed by John Flynn
John Flynn (director)
John Flynn was an American film director and screenwriter known for making efficient, no-nonsense crime-thrillers The Outfit and Rolling Thunder....
-1977).
Bullitt
The car chase from Bullitt is likely the scene from Keller's work that is best remembered, and it has been extensively discussed over the years. Leonard MaltinLeonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin is an American film and animated film critic and historian, author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives.-Personal life:...
has called it a "now-classic car chase, one of the screen's all-time best." Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy is an American film critic and professor.-Life:Emanuel Levy began his studies at Tel Aviv University, where he received B.A. in sociology, anthropology and political science. He did graduate work in sociology, film, and culture studies at Columbia University, where he earned a Ph.D...
wrote in 2003 that, "Bullitt contains one of the most exciting car chases in film history, a sequence that revolutionized Hollywood's standards. Chasing the hoodlums, McQueen drives up and down the hills of San Francisco, while an impressive hand-held camera records the perilous pursuit and traffic in thrilling minutia detail, as his sexy vehicle narrowly misses intersecting cars and trucks; other barriers during the chase are pedestrians, buildings, and so on." Paul Monaco has written, "The most compelling street footage of 1968, however, appeared in an entirely contrived sequence, with nary a hint of documentary feel about it -- the car chase through the streets of San Francisco in Bullitt, created from footage shot over nearly five weeks. Billy Fraker, the cinematographer for the film, attributed the success of the chase sequence primarily to the work of the editor, Frank P. Keller. At the time, Keller was credited with cutting the piece in such a superb manner that he made the city of San Francisco a "character" in the film."
Recognition
In 1957, Keller won an Emmy AwardEmmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
(Best Editing Of A Film For Television) for Our Mr. Sun. Keller was nominated for the American Cinema Editors Eddie Award
American Cinema Editors
Founded in 1950, American Cinema Editors is an honorary society of film editors that are voted in based on the qualities of professional achievements, their education of others, and their dedication to editing itself. The society is not to be confused with an industry union, such as the I.A.T.S.E...
for A Pocketful of Miracles (1962). He won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing and the American Cinema Editors Eddie Award
American Cinema Editors
Founded in 1950, American Cinema Editors is an honorary society of film editors that are voted in based on the qualities of professional achievements, their education of others, and their dedication to editing itself. The society is not to be confused with an industry union, such as the I.A.T.S.E...
for Bullitt (1968), and was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Editing
BAFTA Award for Best Editing
The BAFTA Award for Best Editing is one of several annual awards presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . The film-voting members of the Academy select the five nominated films in each category; only the principal editor for each film are named, which excludes additional...
. He was nominated for the Academy Award and for the ACE Eddie Award for three other films: Beach Red
Beach Red
Beach Red is a 1967 World War II film starring Cornel Wilde and Rip Torn. The film depicts a landing by the U.S. Marine Corps on an unnamed Japanese held Pacific island...
(directed by Cornel Wilde
Cornel Wilde
Cornel Wilde was an American actor and film director.-Early life:Kornél Lajos Weisz was born in 1912 in Prievidza, Hungary , although his year and place of birth are usually and inaccurately given as 1915 in New York City...
-1967), The Hot Rock
The Hot Rock (film)
The Hot Rock is a 1972 comic caper film written by William Goldman and directed by Peter Yates, starring Robert Redford, George Segal and Moses Gunn. The film was based upon Donald E...
(with Fred W. Berger; directed by Peter Yates-1972), and Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Jonathan Livingston Seagull (film)
Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a 1973 American film directed by Hall Bartlett, adapted from the novella by Richard Bach. The film, which has no human actors on screen, tells the story of a young seabird who, after being outcast by his stern flock, goes on an odyssey to discover how to break the...
(with James Galloway; directed by Hall Bartlett
Hall Bartlett
Hall Bartlett was an American film producer, director, and screen writer.-Early life:Born in Kansas City, Missouri, he graduated from Yale University Phi Beta Kappa, and was a Rhodes Scholar nominee...
-1973). He was nominated for ACE Eddie Awards for Room 222 (1969 - best edited TV pilot) and for Gargoyle (1972 - best edited TV special).
In 1976, Keller was elected to the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.