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Dede Allen

Dede Allen

Editor · Died April 17, 2010, aged 84

Dorothea Carothers "Dede" Allen (December 3, 1923 – April 17, 2010) was an American film editor. Allen is known for having edited classic films such as The Hustler (1961), Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), and Reds (1981). She had an extended collaboration with director Arthur Penn, and over the years had worked with other distinguished directors including Sidney Lumet, Robert Wise, Elia Kazan, and George Roy Hill. She received three Academy Award nominations for her work on Dog Day Afternoon, Reds, and Wonder Boys (2001).

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 3, 1925
Died
April 17, 2010 (aged 84)
Works as
Editor
Titles
27 on MovieCove · 34 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 36% in 30 days

What are Dede Allen's films like?

Across their 27 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 75th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 74th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Biography4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 93rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Adventure3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 91st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 85th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
33%
Bonds
19%
Morality
15%
Survival
12%
Society
9%
Power
6%
Ideas
5%
Purpose8 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love5 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 27 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 8 · Serious 8 · Dark 11

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 13 · Stylized 9 · Heightened 5

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 3 · Charged 15 · Intense 9

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 5 · Shifting 16 · Whiplash 6

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 13 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 5

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 11 · Even-paced 16 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 10 · Engaged 14 · Full focus 3

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 7 · Affecting 7 · Heavy 13

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 18 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
15
Melancholic
16
Warm
8
Contemplative
9
Absurd
6
Other
23

How their films linger

Bittersweet13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet16
  • Tragic5
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Dede Allen's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 27 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Dede Allen's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

34 credits, 27 with a MovieCove page; 7 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Fireflies in the Garden(2008)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • A West Texas Children's Story(2007)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Final Cut(2004)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • John Q(2002)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Wonder Boys(2000)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Addams Family(1991)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Henry & June(1990)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Let It Ride(1989)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Milagro Beanfield War(1988)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Off Beat(1986)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Breakfast Club(1985)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Mike's Murder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Editor

  • Harry & Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Editor

  • Reds(1981)

    Editor · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Wiz(1978)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Slap Shot(1977)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Missouri Breaks(1976)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Dog Day Afternoon(1975)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Night Moves(1975)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Serpico(1973)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Visions of Eight(1973)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Slaughterhouse-Five(1972)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Little Big Man(1970)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Story of a Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Production Consultant

  • Alice's Restaurant(1969)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Rachel, Rachel(1968)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Bonnie and Clyde(1967)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • America America(1963)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • The Fisherman and His Soul (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Editor

  • The Hustler(1961)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Odds Against Tomorrow(1959)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Terror from the Year 5000 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Editor

  • Because of Eve (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Editor

  • Editors on Editing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

A full career of 34 titles, 33 of them dated from 1948 to 2008.

Biggest box office

The Addams Family (1991)

$192M worldwide

Highest rated

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

The Addams Family (1991)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 34: 1 only acting, 0 with another roleProducing1 of 34: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleEditing32 of 34: 31 only editing, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score83rdOther crew1 of 34: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1940s1 · crew1950s2 · crew1960s6 · crew1970s10 · crew1980s7 · crew1990s2 · crew2000s5 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Dede Allen's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 83rd percentile, the median of all 27; across their 27 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 83rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

83rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Approval · how many liked their films

81stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Reach · how many have seen their films

89thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Midcredits score across 27 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up17
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th1
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 27 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved8
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser15
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · editor

Visions of Eight (1973)

83rd percentile spread · 28% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · editor

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

Midcredits 99th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the pacing 44/100 in their films, across 27 reviewed titles; fans 52, detractors 27. The element that speaks to their work as an editor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Dede Allen's work okay for kids?

Across up to 19 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore17 titles29–72 · median 49 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity19 titles14–58 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity17 titles24–82 · median 58 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs17 titles26–60 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense16 titles21–63 · median 45 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Dede Allen work with?

People who share at least 2 of Dede Allen's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Arthur Penn shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers