John Wright, Oscar-Nommed Film Editor of ‘The Hunt for Red October and ‘Speed,’ Dies at 79
Charna Flam Emmy-winning TV and film editor John Gordon Wright, who cut notable titles including “Speed,” “The Hunt for Red October,” “X-Men” and “The Passion of the Christ,” died April 20 at his home in Calabasas after a battle with cancer. He was 79. Wright, who worked frequently with directors including John McTiernan and Mel Gibson, received an Emmy award for his work on “Sarah, Plain and Tall” as well Oscar nominations for his work on “The Hunt for Red October” and “Speed.” More than 50 years ago, Wright began his prolific career as a film editor, first working at The James Company. In 1973, Wright contributed to the TV movie “Strange Creatures of the Night” and soon moved into feature editing. Soon after Wright edited for “Life Goes to War: Hollywood and the Home Front” and “Acapulco Gold.”