Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1262492
67 S U M M E R Q 2 I S S U E I N M E M O R I A M P H O T O : C O U R T E S Y L I S A S L O A N In one of the most famous scenes in the Oscar-winning 1979 drama "Norma Rae," an ordinary woman seeking to unionize her textile mill grabs a piece of chalk, jots down the word "union" on a piece of cardboard, and lifts the sign high as her coworkers and bosses look on. Sally Field played the woman, Harriet Frank, Jr. and Irving Ravetch wrote the screenplay, Martin Ritt directed the scene — and picture editor Sidney Levin, ACE, put all of the elements into the right order. The scene is one of countless riveting moments fashioned in the editing room of Levin, who died May 24 at the age of 86. During the course of a nearly two-de- cade collaboration with Ritt, Levin worked on films that didn't flinch from tough top- ics, including the union movement, race r e l a t i o n s ( 1 9 7 2 's " S o u n d e r " ) , t h e blacklist (1976's "The Front"), the issue o f m e n t a l c o m p e te n c y i n t h e c o u r t system (1987's "Nuts"), and illiteracy (1990's "Stanley & Iris"). "Marty trusted Sid implicitly with his films," said Lisa Sloan, his wife of 37 years. "Sid could always get at the heart and soul of a moment, in the way Marty could with directing." Born in The Bronx to Jewish immi- grants from Russia, Levin relocated with his parents and sister to California, first to the San Joaquin Valley and then to southern California. At Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, Levin fell in love with the theater, taking jobs backstage and having the chance to watch Charlie Chaplin at work. Other early passions, including an appreciation for classical music, were lifelong. "Sid always said his love of classical music informed his editing," Lisa said. Entering the Army in 1955, Levin served at the Army P ictorial Center o n L o n g I s l a n d . U p o n r e t u r n i n g t o civilian life, he pursued a career in post- production in Hollywood, working as an assistant editor on the sitcom "Hazel," starring Shirley Booth. Last October, Levin was invited to participate in a screening of "Norma Rae" at the Motion Picture Editors Guild. After the show, Levin participated in a Q&A with Nation- al Executive Director Cathy Repola, who was already a long-standing admirer of the film but had never met the editor. "What came as a complete and utter surprise was what an incredible and moving experience Sidney and I would end up having together, watching the film and discussing it," Repola said. "He was an absolutely beautiful man and meeting him left a very deep impression on me." Levin is survived by his wife, Lisa, and three children, Miranda, Miguel, and Sidisa. — Peter Tonguette SID LEVIN APRIL 16, 1934–MAY 24, 2020 JOHN KAUFMAN ON CALL EDITOR (DECEMBER 18, 1933 – DECEMBER 18, 2019) 64 YEARS A MEMBER SUSAN KESLER ASSISTANT EDITOR (OCTOBER 7, 1959 – MARCH 19, 2020) 36 YEARS A MEMBER MICHAEL KOZ ASSISTANT EDITOR (FEBRUARY 2, 1960 – JANUARY 5, 2020) 25 YEARS A MEMBER BOBBE KURTZ SOUND EDITOR (OCTOBER 8, 1925 – DECEMBER 22, 2019) 59 YEARS A MEMBER JUDD MASLANSKY ASSISTANT EDITOR (JULY 23, 1959 – APRIL 23, 2020) 30 YEARS A MEMBER MICHAEL MIRKOVICH ASSISTANT EDITOR (JULY 7, 1961 – MARCH 19, 2020) 34 YEARS A MEMBER ROBERT MORRISEY ASSISTANT EDITOR (AUGUST 5, 1962 – MARCH 11, 2020) 30 YEARS A MEMBER C DELL NEW FILM TECHNICIAN (FEBRUARY 1, 1926 – DECEMBER 21, 2017) 70 YEARS A MEMBER JAMES T. SAUNDERS RE-RECORDING MIXER (DECEMBER 12, 1938 – JANUARY 3, 2020) 46 YEARS A MEMBER