Peter R. Hunt

Peter Roger Hunt (11 March 1925 – 14 August 2002) was a highly renowed British director, editor and producer in the domain of film and television. Notably, his contributions to the James Bond film series as an editor, second unit director and finally, the director have established him as an influential figure in the industry. His distinct fast-cutting editing style breathed a fresh perspective into the series and won him critical acclaim. Before his journey in the film domain, Hunt had served as an infantryman in Salerno, Italy in 1943. Hunt's career got off the ground when he started working as an assistant cutter for Alexander Korda and then took up the role of an assembling editor for The Man Who Watched Trains Go By. Later, he served as the supervising editor for A Hill in Korea and edited other popular films, like The Admirable Crichton, Ferry to Hong Kong and Sink the Bismarck! In the 1960s, Hunt edited and developed unique techniques for the first three James Bond films. His shrewd understanding of quick cutting and intelligent camera swings during actions added a dynamic appeal to the series. Post Thunderball (1965), Hunt wanted to direct You Only Live Twice (1967) but to his dismay, he was not granted the opportunity. However, his exceptional work was well received by the production team at Eon and Hunt was promised to get a chance to direct in a future film. Finally, On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) happened to be the last James Bond film he directly contributed to. Hunt left behind a rich heritage of his works in the film world and his techniques continue to inspire modern filmmakers.