---
name: "James R. Symons"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/james-r-symons"
fi1m_id: "james-r-symons"
imdb_id: "nm0843383"
tmdb_id: 13432
wikidata_id: "Q95778044"
roles: ["Editor"]
born: "9 December 1944"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 58
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-10-04T23:42:38.301466+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# James R. Symons

## Identity

James R. Symons

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/james-r-symons
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** james-r-symons
- **IMDb ID:** nm0843383
- **TMDB ID:** 13432
- **Wikidata ID:** Q95778044
- **Same entity:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q95778044, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0843383/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/13432

Editor. Born 9 December 1944.

## Details

- **Work:** Editor
- **Born:** 9 December 1944
- **Active:** 1985–1994
- **Frequently works with:** [David Zucker](https://film.one/person/david-zucker.md), [George Kennedy](https://film.one/person/george-kennedy.md), [Leslie Nielsen](https://film.one/person/leslie-nielsen.md), [O. J. Simpson](https://film.one/person/o-j-simpson.md), [Pat Proft](https://film.one/person/pat-proft.md), [Priscilla Presley](https://film.one/person/priscilla-presley.md), [Robert K. Weiss](https://film.one/person/robert-k-weiss.md)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 46 (2), 1990s 72 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 58 to 52 across 4 titles
- **Score spread:** 0 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 2 under 60
- **Genres:** Action 3, Adventure 2, Comedy 2, Crime 1, Drama 1, Family 1
- **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $883m across 4 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q95778044, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0843383/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/13432

## Streaming the US now

- **Hulu:** [*The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear*](https://film.one/film/the-naked-gun-212-the-smell-of-fear.md) (72)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Rambo III*](https://film.one/film/rambo-iii.md) (39)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

James R. Symons is an American film and television editor. Born on 9 December 1944, he began working in the industry in the late 1970s with credits including montage editing on *Rocky II* (1979) and *Rocky IV* (1985).

Symons edited numerous feature films in the 1980s and 1990s, including *Cobra* (1986), *Over the Top* (1987), *Rambo III* (1988), *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles* (1990), *The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear* (1991), *Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult* (1994), *Tank Girl* (1995) and *Wrongfully Accused* (1998). He later contributed to television projects such as episodes of *The Magnificent Seven* (1998–2000) and *Beauty and the Beast* (2012–2014), as well as television films including *Avalon High* (2010). He has been married to Lynne Betner since 1989.

*Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (4)

- *The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear* (1991), Fi1m 72, Editor — [page](https://film.one/film/the-naked-gun-212-the-smell-of-fear.md)
- *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles* (1990), Fi1m 71, Editor — [page](https://film.one/film/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles.md)
- *Rambo III* (1988), Fi1m 39, Editor — [page](https://film.one/film/rambo-iii.md)
- *Rocky IV* (1985), Fi1m 52, Editorial Staff — [page](https://film.one/film/rocky-iv.md)

## Complete filmography (22)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Girl vs. Monster* (2012), Editor
- *Avalon High* (2011), Editor
- *The Cutting Edge: Chasing the Dream* (2008), Editor
- *Going to the Mat* (2004), Editor
- *Fortress 2* (2000), Editor
- *Wrongfully Accused* (1998), Editor
- *High School High* (1996), Editor
- *Moll Flanders* (1996), Editor
- *Tank Girl* (1995), Editor
- *Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult* (1994), Editor
- *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III* (1993), Editor
- *The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear* (1991), Editor — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/the-naked-gun-212-the-smell-of-fear.md)
- *Nothing but Trouble* (1991), Editor
- *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles* (1990), Editor — Fi1m 71, [page](https://film.one/film/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles.md)
- *Rambo III* (1988), Editor — Fi1m 39, [page](https://film.one/film/rambo-iii.md)
- *Over the Top* (1987), Editor
- *Cobra* (1986), Editor
- *Rocky IV* (1985), Editorial Staff — Fi1m 52, [page](https://film.one/film/rocky-iv.md)
- *The Zoo Gang* (1985), Editor
- *Oxford Blues* (1984), as Additional Editing
- *Cuba Crossing* (1980), Editor
- *Chick, Chick, Chick* (1975), Editor

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/james-r-symons