From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Ferris Webster (April 29, 1912 – February 4, 1989) was an American film editor with approximately seventy-two film credits. He was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Film Editing for his work on Blackboard Jungle (1955), The Manchurian Candidate (1962), and The Great Escape (1963). Webster was raised in the state of Washington, and was a student at the University of Southern California, where he was an outstanding track and field athlete. He was trained as an editor at the MGM Studios, and received his first feature-film credit in 1943 for Harrigan's Kid. At MGM, Webster edited six films with director Vincente Minnelli: Undercurrent (1946), Madame Bovary (1949), Father of the Bride (1950), Father's Little Dividend (1951), The Long, Long Trailer (1954), and Tea and Sympathy (1956). Film critic Bruce Eder has written of Madame Bovay that, "the cutting of the film in the gala ball sequence, in particular, was a marvel of the editor's art in the service of old Hollywood's restrained, elegant storytelling." In the mid-1950s, he edited three films with director Richard Brooks: Blackboard Jungle (1955), Something of Value (1957), and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958); Webster received his first nomination for the Academy Award for Blackboard Jungle. His last film at MGM was Key Witness (1960). Bruce Eder has written, "If ever a film editor deserved public recognition in the 1960s, it was Ferris Webster." Webster edited the three films of director John Frankenheimer's "paranoia trilogy": The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Seven Days in May (1964), and Seconds (1966). Eder writes that The Manchurian Candidate was "the editor's magnum opus. The shooting, cutting, and intercutting of one extended brainwashing sequence, seen from multiple points-of-view, is still striking decades later, and the movie earned Webster his second Academy Award nomination." Frankenheimer cast Webster in his only appearance as a film actor, as Air Force Gen. Bernard "Barney" Rutkowski in Seven Days in May. Webster was nominated for an Academy Award for the editing of The Great Escape (1963), which was directed by John Sturges. Webster and Sturges' notable collaboration included fifteen films between 1950 and 1972, which is about half of Sturges' films in that period. It started with The Magnificent Yankee and Mystery Street (1950), and included The Law and Jake Wade (1958), The Magnificent Seven (1960), and Ice Station Zebra (1968). The final film of their collaboration was Joe Kidd (1972), which was near the end of Sturges' career. Joe Kidd starred Clint Eastwood. In the last phase of his career, Webster edited and co-edited eight films that were directed by Eastwood, starting with High Plains Drifter (1973), which was Eastwood's second film as a director. Webster edited Breezy (1973), The Eiger Sanction (1975), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), The Gauntlet (1977), Bronco Billy (1980), Firefox (1982) and Honkytonk Man (both 1982). These latter two films with Eastwood concluded Webster's career as an editor, apparently after a falling-out between the two men. Additional credits include The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945), Lili (1953), Forbidden Planet (1956), Les Girls (1957), Divorce American Style (1967).
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Biography from TMDB.
- April 29, 1912
- February 4, 1989 (aged 76)
- Walla Walla, Washington, USA
- Editor
- 62 on MovieCove · 70 credits in all
What are Ferris Webster's films like?
Across their 61 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.
Genres
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
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 1 · Wry 3 · Earnest 57
A split, not a type: Light 23 · Serious 13 · Dark 25
A split, not a type: Grounded 36 · Stylized 17 · Heightened 8
Gentle 12 · Charged 27 · Intense 22
Steady 24 · Shifting 33 · Whiplash 4
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 41 · Some laughs 10 · Funny 10
Slow burn 28 · Even-paced 31 · Relentless 2
A split, not a type: Casual 29 · Engaged 27 · Full focus 5
A split, not a type: Easy watch 25 · Affecting 20 · Heavy 16
Resolved 49 · Open-ended 10 · Ambiguous 2
Moods and endings
- Happy21
- Bittersweet29
- Tragic6
- Ambiguous5
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 Ferris Webster's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 19 of their 62 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (10).
- The Manchurian Candidate (1962) · editor · free
- Forbidden Planet (1956) · editor · free
- Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) · editor · free
- The Long, Long Trailer (1954) · editor · free
- Madame Bovary (1949) · editor · free
- Hour of the Gun (1967) · editor · free
- Father's Little Dividend (1951) · editor · free
- The Magnificent Yankee (1950) · editor · free
- The Hallelujah Trail (1965) · editor · free
- The Organization (1971) · editor · free
Subscription and free streaming for Ferris Webster'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
70 credits, 62 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.
Honkytonk Man(1982)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Firefox(1982)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
Any Which Way You Can(1980)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Bronco Billy(1980)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Escape from Alcatraz(1979)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
The Gauntlet(1977)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
The Enforcer(1976)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
The Outlaw Josey Wales(1976)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
The Eiger Sanction(1975)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Magnum Force(1973)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Breezy(1973)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
High Plains Drifter(1973)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Joe Kidd(1972)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
The Organization(1971)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
My Old Man's Place(1971)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Zig Zag (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Ice Station Zebra(1968)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Hour of the Gun(1967)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
Divorce American Style(1967)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
Seconds(1966)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
The Hallelujah Trail(1965)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
The Satan Bug(1965)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Seven Days in May(1964)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
The Great Escape(1963)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
The Manchurian Candidate(1962)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Sergeants 3(1962)
Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films
A Thunder of Drums(1961)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
By Love Possessed(1961)
Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films
The Magnificent Seven(1960)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Never So Few(1959)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
Green Mansions(1959)
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof(1958)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
The Law and Jake Wade(1958)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
The High Cost of Loving (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)
Les Girls(1957)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
Something of Value(1957)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
Tea and Sympathy(1956)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
The Fastest Gun Alive(1956)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Forbidden Planet(1956)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Ransom! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)
Blackboard Jungle(1955)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
The Glass Slipper(1955)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
The Long, Long Trailer(1954)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Scandal at Scourie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)
Lili(1953)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
Lone Star(1952)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
The Girl in White(1952)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
Kind Lady(1951)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
Father's Little Dividend(1951)
Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films
The Magnificent Yankee(1950)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
Mystery Street(1950)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Father of the Bride(1950)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Please Believe Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)
Watch the Birdie(1950)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
The Doctor and the Girl(1949)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Madame Bovary(1949)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
On an Island with You(1948)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Living in a Big Way(1947)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
If Winter Comes(1947)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Undercurrent(1946)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
The Hoodlum Saint (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)
Dangerous Partners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Rationing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)
Swing Fever(1943)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Career shape
A full career of 67 titles from 1943 to 1982.
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.
Awards
3 major nominations and no wins, 1956–1964.
- Oscar, nominated · Best Film Editing
- Oscar, nominated · Best Film Editing
- Oscar, nominated · Best Film Editing
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
How do Ferris Webster's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 64th percentile, the median of all 62; across their 61 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 62nd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up24
- 50th to 74th20
- 25th to 49th16
- Below 25th2
Shape of the crowd
34 of their 62 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved11
- Crowd Pleaser34
- Broadly Agreed13
- Mixed4
Reviewers score the pacing 48/100 in their films, across 60 reviewed titles; fans 56, detractors 31. 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 Ferris Webster's work okay for kids?
Across up to 23 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.
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 Ferris Webster work with?
People who share at least 2 of Ferris Webster's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; John Sturges shares the most, 15.
Directors
- John SturgesShared titles: Joe Kidd (1972), Ice Station Zebra (1968), Hour of the Gun (1967), The Hallelujah Trail (1965), The Satan Bug (1965), The Great Escape (1963), Sergeants 3 (1962), By Love Possessed (1961), The Magnificent Seven (1960), Never So Few (1959), The Law and Jake Wade (1958), The Girl in White (1952) and 3 moreSee newest 12 of 15 shared titles with John Sturges
- Clint EastwoodShared titles: Firefox (1982), Honkytonk Man (1982), Any Which Way You Can (1980), Bronco Billy (1980), Escape from Alcatraz (1979), Every Which Way But Loose (1978), The Gauntlet (1977), The Enforcer (1976), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), The Eiger Sanction (1975), Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), Breezy (1973) and 3 moreSee newest 12 of 15 shared titles with Clint Eastwood
- Vincente MinnelliShared titles: Tea and Sympathy (1956), The Long, Long Trailer (1954), Father's Little Dividend (1951), Madame Bovary (1949), Undercurrent (1946)See all 5 shared titles with Vincente Minnelli
- Richard BrooksShared titles: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), Something of Value (1957), Blackboard Jungle (1955), Mystery Street (1950)See all 4 shared titles with Richard Brooks
Writers
- W.R. BurnettShared titles: Ice Station Zebra (1968), The Great Escape (1963), Sergeants 3 (1962)See all 3 shared titles with W.R. Burnett
- Jeremy Joe KronsbergShared titles: Any Which Way You Can (1980), Every Which Way But Loose (1978)See all 2 shared titles with Jeremy Joe Kronsberg
- Harry Julian FinkShared titles: The Enforcer (1976), Ice Station Zebra (1968)See all 2 shared titles with Harry Julian Fink
- Stirling SilliphantShared titles: The Enforcer (1976), A Walk in the Spring Rain (1970)See all 2 shared titles with Stirling Silliphant
Actors
- Bill McKinneyShared titles: Any Which Way You Can (1980), Bronco Billy (1980), Every Which Way But Loose (1978), The Gauntlet (1977), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)See all 6 shared titles with Bill McKinney
- Geoffrey LewisShared titles: Any Which Way You Can (1980), Bronco Billy (1980), Every Which Way But Loose (1978), Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), High Plains Drifter (1973)See all 5 shared titles with Geoffrey Lewis
- Sondra LockeShared titles: Any Which Way You Can (1980), Bronco Billy (1980), Every Which Way But Loose (1978), The Gauntlet (1977), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)See all 5 shared titles with Sondra Locke
- Charles BronsonShared titles: The Great Escape (1963), A Thunder of Drums (1961), The Magnificent Seven (1960), Never So Few (1959)See all 4 shared titles with Charles Bronson
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Bruce SurteesShared titles: Firefox (1982), Honkytonk Man (1982), Escape from Alcatraz (1979), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), High Plains Drifter (1973), Joe Kidd (1972)See all 6 shared titles with Bruce Surtees
- Joel CoxShared titles: Honkytonk Man (1982), Bronco Billy (1980), Every Which Way But Loose (1978), The Gauntlet (1977), The Enforcer (1976)See all 5 shared titles with Joel Cox
- Elmer BernsteinShared titles: A Walk in the Spring Rain (1970), The Hallelujah Trail (1965), The Great Escape (1963), By Love Possessed (1961), The Magnificent Seven (1960)See all 5 shared titles with Elmer Bernstein
- Robert SurteesShared titles: The Hallelujah Trail (1965), The Satan Bug (1965), The Law and Jake Wade (1958), Les Girls (1957), The Long, Long Trailer (1954)See all 5 shared titles with Robert Surtees
Producers
- Robert DaleyShared titles: Any Which Way You Can (1980), Bronco Billy (1980), Escape from Alcatraz (1979), Every Which Way But Loose (1978), The Gauntlet (1977), The Enforcer (1976), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), The Eiger Sanction (1975), Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), Breezy (1973), High Plains Drifter (1973), Magnum Force (1973) and 1 moreSee newest 12 of 13 shared titles with Robert Daley
- Pandro S. BermanShared titles: Something of Value (1957), Tea and Sympathy (1956), Blackboard Jungle (1955), The Long, Long Trailer (1954), All the Brothers Were Valiant (1953), Father's Little Dividend (1951), Madame Bovary (1949), The Doctor and the Girl (1949), If Winter Comes (1947), Living in a Big Way (1947), Undercurrent (1946), The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)See all 12 shared titles with Pandro S. Berman
- Fritz ManesShared titles: Firefox (1982), Honkytonk Man (1982), Any Which Way You Can (1980), Bronco Billy (1980), Escape from Alcatraz (1979), Every Which Way But Loose (1978), The Gauntlet (1977)See all 7 shared titles with Fritz Manes
- Walter MirischShared titles: The Organization (1971), The Great Escape (1963), By Love Possessed (1961), The Magnificent Seven (1960)See all 4 shared titles with Walter Mirisch
Mixed roles
- Mel FerrerShared titles: Green Mansions (1959), Lili (1953)See all 2 shared titles with Mel Ferrer
