Marjorie Fowler on AllMovie

Oscar nominated for her work on the 1967 comedy Doctor Dolittle, film editor Marjorie Fowler cut more than 30 films over the course of her enduring five-decade career. Born in Los Angeles to journalist-turned-screenwriter Nunnally Johnson, it seemed that from her earliest days, young Fowler was destined for a career in the arts. Though she would start her career in front of the camera at 20th Century Fox, her solid understanding of the narrative structure made her an indispensable figure behind the camera as well. A position as a story analyst found her putting her natural abilities to good use, and it wasn't long before Fowler found her way into the studio's editing department. It was there that Fowler would pioneer the use of a diagonal splicer for use in the sound editing process by secretly borrowing the equipment from the studio's music department. Fowler's first editorial duties came with the 1945 film The Woman in the Window, and subsequent feature work included such films as Elmer Gantry (1960), Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962), Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972), and It's My Turn (1980). In addition to her feature work, Fowler performed editing duties on such television series as Doc Elliot (1973) and Eight is Enough (1977). On July 7, 2003, Marjorie Fowler died of natural causes in her hometown of Los Angeles. She was 83.