The Frank P. Keller papers span the years 1935-1978 (bulk 1957 to 1975) and encompass 4.3 linear feet. The collections consists of Production files (produced and unproduced), Television files (produced and unproduced), and subject files.

The Production files (produced) contain material for over a dozen films edited by Keller, including BEACH RED (1967), BULLITT (1968), THE HOT ROCK (1972), and JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL (1973). These files include scripts, clippings, correspondence, and production documents, though only a few titles contain documents specific to editing.

The Television files (produced) include scripts, clippings, and production material covering Keller’s work in episodic television and television movies. Of particular interest are the files related to Frank Capra’s educational specials for the Bell System Science Series: HEMO THE MAGNIFICENT (1957), OUR MR. SUN (1956), THE STRANGE CASE OF THE COSMIC RAYS (1957), and UNCHAINED GODDESS (1958).

The subject files largely contain clippings and correspondence. Notable correspondents include Frank Capra, Garson Kanin, Howard W. Koch, and Dore Schary.

Frank P. Keller was born in Pennsylvania in 1913. His family moved to Los Angeles in the early 1920s and Keller attended Hollywood High School, where he was President of the Cine Club. His brother, Alfred S. Keller, began working for Columbia Pictures in the early 1930s as an assistant cameraman, and Keller joined him at the studio in 1935, but in what capacity is unknown. In 1942 he enlisted in the United States Army Signal Corps where, alongside future sound editor Norval D. Crutcher, he catalogued the combat footage shot by Signal Corps cameramen in Europe. By the late 1940s, Keller had begun work in the editorial department at Columbia, assisting editor Al Clark in cutting ALL THE KING’S MEN (1949). In 1951 he produced two short films: KNIFE IN THE BACK, which he also directed, and LUCKY PIECE, which he also edited, and which was directed by his brother, Alfred.

Keller truly established himself as an editor with his work on Frank Capra’s educational specials for the Bell System Science Series: OUR MR. SUN (1956), HEMO THE MAGNIFICENT (1957), THE STRANGE CASE OF THE COSMIC RAYS (1957), and UNCHAINED GODDESS (1958). He received an Emmy Award for Best Editing of a Film for Television for his work on OUR MR. SUN, and he returned to the series to edit THREAD OF LIFE and ABOUT TIME, both directed by Owen Crump. He continued to work in television throughout his career, editing episodes of THE BING CROSBY SHOW and STAR TREK, among others. He reunited with Capra to edit Capra’s final film, POCKETFUL OF MIRACLES (1961). His other film work from this period of his career covered a wide range of genres and includes THE FIVE PENNIES (1959), GHOST OF DRAGSTRIP HOLLOW (1959), PAPA’S DELICATE CONDITION (1963), COME BLOW YOUR HORN (1963), and BEACH RED (1967), and he earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Film Editing for the latter.

In 1968, Keller edited BULLITT (1968) and received the Academy Award for Best Film Editing. The film also marked the beginning of a long association with director Peter Yates. Keller would subsequently edit JOHN AND MARY (1969), MURPHY’S WAR (1971), THE HOT ROCK (1972), FOR PETE’S SAKE (1974), and MOTHER, JUGS & SPEED (1976) for Yates, and was nominated again for an Academy Award, this time with Fred W. Berger, for Best Film Editing for THE HOT ROCK. He was again nominated for Best Film Editing, along with James Galloway, for JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL (1973). Keller was also involved in a number of professional organizations. He was elected by the Film Editors Branch to the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, serving four terms total, and he served two terms as Secretary of the American Cinema Editors. He was a member of the Motion Picture Editors Guild and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. In 1977, Keller worked on his final two films, ROLLING THUNDER (1977) and BEYOND REASON (1977), and died that same year.