James Watson Webb III was an American film editor and heir to both the Havemeyer and Vanderbilt families.
Occupation
film editor
Position held
museum director
Citizenship
United States
Born
January 9, 1916
Died
June 10, 2000
Overview
James Watson Webb III (known as J. Watson Jr.) (January 9, 1916 – June 10, 2000) was an American film editor and heir to both the Havemeyer and Vanderbilt families.
Early life
He was born in Syosset, New York, to James Watson Webb II of the Vanderbilt family and Electra Havemeyer. His siblings were Electra (1910–1982), Samuel (1912–1988), Lila (1913–1961) and Harry (1922–1975).
He attended Groton School and Yale University from which he graduated in 1938.
Career
He began work in California as an apprentice film editor at 20th-Century Fox, and eventually head of the editing department. He eventually became Zanuck's head film cutter and was involved in the founding of the American Cinema Editors.
Webb was the credited editor—as "J. Watson Webb" or "J. Watson Webb Jr."—on 30 films from 1941–52 including A Letter to Three Wives, The Razor's Edge with Tyrone Power, Wing and a Prayer, State Fair, With a Song in My Heart, Call Northside 777, Broken Arrow with James Stewart and Cheaper by the Dozen.
