Full Name: Anthony “Tony” Lawson IMDb
Born: 20 June 1944, Paddington, London, England IMDb
Profession: Film editor and producer IMDb+1

Early Career & Breakthroughs

• Lawson began working in film editing, initially as an assistant editor. Over time he moved up to full editor roles. Film Comment+1

• One of his earlier major film credits was Straw Dogs (1971). He was working for Norman Savage (who had been David Lean’s editor) when, during Straw Dogs, Savage left the production in the early weeks. Because Lawson was already familiar with the footage and had been assistant editor, he was asked to edit a sequence for Sam Peckinpah. That helped establish his credibility. Film Comment

Notable Works

Some of Lawson’s better-known film editing projects include:

• Barry Lyndon (1975) – directed by Stanley Kubrick. IMDb

• The Bounty (1984) – another major film credit. IMDb

• Michael Collins (1996) – a later project he worked on. Film Comment

Style & Approach

• In an interview, Lawson spoke about using music as a way into a scene — using musical cues or score, trying alternative music, as a “springboard” to find emotional meaning in edits. He described sometimes trying out music temporarily (tracking) even if it doesn’t remain in the final cut. Film Comment

• He discussed, with regard to Straw Dogs, the challenge of editing a sequence under pressure when the original editor left; that his familiarity with the material gave him the chance to step up. Film Comment

Personal Life

• Tony Lawson is married to Christine Haydon (since 1966) and they have two children. IMDb