George Tomasini

Who was George Tomasini?

George Tomasini was an American film editor, born in Springfield, Massachusetts who had a decade long collaboration with director Alfred Hitchcock, editing nine of his movies between 1954-1964. Tomasini edited many of Hitchcock's best-known works, such as the horror film classics The Birds and Psycho, North by Northwest, Hitchcock's masterpieces Vertigo and Rear Window, as well as other memorable films such as the original Cape Fear.

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. Hitchcock and Tomasini's editing of Rear Window has been treated at length in Valerie Orpen's monograph, Film Editing: The Art of the Expressive. His dialogue overlapping and use of jump cuts for exclamation points was dynamic and innovative. George Tomasini's techniques would influence many subsequent film editors and filmmakers.