Ian Crafford obit

Ian Crafford, Film Editor on ‘Hope and Glory’ and ‘Field of Dreams,’ Dies at 82

The Englishman worked on Cheech & Chong and Monty Python movies and with directors including Carol Reed, John Boorman and Irvin Kershner. 

 He was not on the list.

Ian Crafford, the British film editor and soundman with credits including Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Never Say Never Again, Hope and Glory and Field of Dreams, has died. He was 82.

Crafford died July 22 at his home in Brazil after a long battle with cancer, his son Scott Crafford told The Hollywood Reporter.

Crafford cut Tommy Chong’s Still Smokin (1983), Frank Oz’s The Indian in the Cupboard (1995), David Anspaugh’s The Game of Their Lives (2005) and two features for fellow countryman Michael Apted, Class Action (1991) and Thunderheart (1992).

He also collaborated with British filmmaker John Boorman on three films, The Emerald Forest (1985), the Oscar best picture nominee Hope and Glory (1987) — for which he received a BAFTA nomination — and Where the Heart Is (2000).

Ian Charles Crafford was born on June 11, 1944, in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. He took a summer job at age 17 at Elstree Studios and enjoyed it so much he never returned to school.

He served as an assistant editor on Carol Reed’s The Running Man (1963) and Michael Anderson’s The Quiller Memorandum (1966)

He then worked as a sound editor on films including Captain Apache (1971), The Darwin Adventure (1972), Fury (1973) and Steppenwolf (1974), then handled sounds effects for Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975).

(When he was handling ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement), Sophia Loren always requested him to handle that for her, “much to the chagrin of my mother,” his son quipped.)

One of Crafford’s first features as a film editor was The Medusa Touch (1978), starring Richard Burton and Lee Remick. (That feature was produced by legendary Lawrence of Arabia film editor Anne V. Coates.)

In addition to Irvin Kershner’s Never Say Never Again (1983) — Sean Connery’s comeback as James Bond — and Phil Alden Robinson’s Field of Dreams (1989) — Crafford’s second Oscar best picture nominee in three years — he edited such films as Snow White: A Tale of Terror (1997), Savior (1998) and, for his final credit, The Hot Potato (2012).

He moved to America in 1988 to work on Field of Dreams, and it was on Emerald Forest that he fell in love with Brazil, where he would retire.

Survivors include his wife, Antonia, and his children, Scott, Roberta, Monyka and Paul.

Editor

Colm Meaney, Ray Winstone, and Jack Huston in The Hot Potato (2012)

The Hot Potato

5.5

Editor

2012

 

Jason Patric, Sam Shepard, and Drea de Matteo in Walker Payne (2006)

Walker Payne

6.0

Editor

2006

 

The Game of Their Lives (2005)

The Game of Their Lives

6.1

Editor

2005

 

The Boys & Girl from County Clare (2003)

The Boys & Girl from County Clare

6.5

Editor

2003

 

Michael Caine in Shiner (2000)

Shiner

5.9

Editor

2000

 

Ashley Judd and Natalie Portman in Where the Heart Is (2000)

Where the Heart Is

6.7

Editor

2000

 

Jon Voight and Mary Steenburgen in Noah's Ark (1999)

Noah's Ark

3.7

TV Mini Series

Editor

1999

2 episodes

 

When Trumpets Fade (1998)

When Trumpets Fade

7.0

TV Movie

Editor

1998

 

Dennis Quaid in Savior (1998)

Savior

7.2

Editor

1998

 

Sigourney Weaver in Snow White: A Tale of Terror (1997)

Snow White: A Tale of Terror

6.1

film editor

1997

 

Litefoot and Hal Scardino in The Indian in the Cupboard (1995)

The Indian in the Cupboard

6.0

Editor

1995

 

Ben Faulkner in Silent Fall (1994)

Silent Fall

5.9

Editor

1994

 

Cary Elwes and Alicia Silverstone in The Crush (1993)

The Crush

5.9

Editor

1993

 

Thunderheart (1992)

Thunderheart

6.8

Editor

1992

 

Back in the U.S.S.R. (1992)

Back in the U.S.S.R.

4.8

Editor

1992

 

Gene Hackman and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio in Class Action (1991)

Class Action

6.4

Editor

1991

 

Uma Thurman in Where the Heart Is (1990)

Where the Heart Is

5.9

Editor

1990

 

Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams (1989)

Field of Dreams

7.5

editor

1989

 

Jemma Redgrave in Dream Demon (1988)

Dream Demon

5.6

Editor

1988

 

Sebastian Rice-Edwards in Hope and Glory (1987)

Hope and Glory

7.3

Editor

1987

 

Powers Boothe and Charley Boorman in The Emerald Forest (1985)

The Emerald Forest

6.9

Editor

1985

 

Kim Basinger, Sean Connery, and Barbara Carrera in Never Say Never Again (1983)

Never Say Never Again

6.1

Editor

1983

 

Still Smokin (1983)

Still Smokin

5.4

Editor

1983

 

Beyond the Reef (1979)

Beyond the Reef

4.8

Editor

1979

 

Richard Burton in The Medusa Touch (1978)

The Medusa Touch

6.9

Editor

1978

 

Sound Department

The Bushido Blade (1981)

The Bushido Blade

5.3

sound editor

1981

 

Miracle of Flight (1975)

Miracle of Flight

7.1

Short

sound effects (uncredited)

1975

 

John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Monty Python in Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

8.1

sound effects

1975

 

Steppenwolf (1974)

Steppenwolf

6.0

sound editor

1974

 

Claudia Cardinale and Oliver Reed in One Russian Summer (1973)

One Russian Summer

5.3

sound editor

1973

 

Nicholas Clay in The Darwin Adventure (1972)

The Darwin Adventure

7.0

sound editor

1972

 

Lee Van Cleef, Carroll Baker, and Stuart Whitman in Captain Apache (1971)

Captain Apache

4.7

associate sound editor

1971

 

Editorial Department

The Fine Art of Love: Mine Ha-Ha (2005)

The Fine Art of Love: Mine Ha-Ha

5.4

assistant editor

2005

 

Diane Lane, Michael Wincott, and William Petersen in Gunshy (1998)

Gunshy

5.8

additional editor

1998

 

Kevin Bacon and Charles Gitonga Maina in The Air Up There (1994)

The Air Up There

5.6

additional editor

1994

 

The Quiller Memorandum (1966)

The Quiller Memorandum

6.3

assistant editor (uncredited)

1966

 

Laurence Harvey in The Running Man (1963)

The Running Man

6.5

assistant editor (uncredited)

1963