Francis D. Lyon

Biography

Francis D. 'Pete' Lyon (July 29, 1905 – October 8, 1996) was an American film director, television director, and film editor. Born in Bowbells, North Dakota, Lyon moved to California to attend UCLA. After graduation, he moved to England to begin his career in film. He returned to the US and from the early 1930s to the 1950s, Lyon was exclusively an editor, except for one uncredited acting role in 1932. He worked on 29 films as an assistant editor or editor, including The Men in Her Life (1941) and Body and Soul (1947), the latter of which he and Robert Parrish received the Academy Award for Best Film Editing. He moved on to directing, and co-founded United Pictures Corporation in 1966. He was credited on more than 20 additional films before retiring from the entertainment industry in 1970. In 1993, Lyon published a memoir, Twists of Fate: An Oscar Winner's International Career. Lyon died on October 8, 1996, in Green Valley, Arizona.