Biography
James Smith (also credited as James Edward Smith, James E. Smith or Jimmy Smith) was an American film editor. Born on 7 March 1892 in Staten Island, New York, he began his career at the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, rising from the shipping room to editor. He worked extensively with D.W. Griffith from the early 1910s, editing landmark silent films including The Birth of a Nation (1915), Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages (1916) and Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl (1919).
Smith continued editing Griffith productions such as Way Down East (1920), Orphans of the Storm (1921) and Abraham Lincoln (1930). He was married to fellow editor Rose Smith (née Richter). Later in his career he worked at Paramount Pictures (1935–1941) and United Artists (1944–1947), and edited television series in the 1950s. He died on 21 July 1975 in Los Angeles, California.
