Richard Halsey's life was destined to be intertwined with the world of film editing. His journey began in junior high school at Bancroft Jr High, where he volunteered to operate projectors for various classes, thus commencing his initial foray into the realm of film.
As a student at Hollywood High school, Richard had the privilege of attending classes alongside notable individuals such as John Phillip Law, Sally Kellerman, Mike Farrell, and Yvette Mimieux. Following his high school graduation, Richard secured a job at Warner Brothers' mail department, before transitioning to the music editing department and eventually landing a position at 20th Century Fox's music editorial department, where he worked alongside esteemed editors like Ken Hall.
However, Richard's trajectory took an unexpected turn when he was drafted into the army, where he spent 21 months and 16 days before being honorably discharged early to pursue higher education. Although his college stint was short-lived, Richard landed a job at 20th Century Fox's editorial department during his summer break, where he began working on the iconic film Peyton Place under the guidance of Editor George Nicholson, who imparted the fundamental principles of film editing to him. Once the basics were mastered, Richard's personal creativity took center stage.
At the age of 28, Richard became an editor on Peyton Place, marking the beginning of his feature editing career. His remarkable journey continued, with a remarkable 60 films later, Richard remains a prominent figure in the film industry, residing in the Hollywood Hills and continuing to edit films. Married to fellow editor Colleen Halsey, Richard is also a devoted father to his two beautiful daughters, whose lives are still filled with the magic of filmmaking.
