Donn Cambern was born in Los Angeles, California in 1929. His father, Carroll, was the West Coast representative of the Carl Fischer Music Publishing Company. His mother, Mary, was a harpist who had been the first woman to play in the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and later played in orchestras for radio and film, notably for RKO on several Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers pictures. With that background, Cambern attended UCLA with the hope of writing music for film. He earned a B.A. in music with a minor in theatre arts, but by the time he graduated in 1952 he felt his skills were better suited to music editing. At the time, his mother was playing in the orchestra for Walt Disney Studios, and he got a job there as a messenger. Soon he was able to apprentice as a music editor and joined the Motion Picture Editors Guild with the help of Elmo Williams. Within a year he worked his way up to music editor in Disney’s television department.

Cambern left Disney in 1959 and spent several years editing music on numerous television series, including serving as music editor on THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW from 1963 through 1966 and on GOMER PYLE: USMC from 1964 through 1966. He then formed his own music editing and sound effects company, MXPXEFX Editing, while working on the series TARZAN (1966) and THE MONKEES. Cambern hoped to transition to film editing, and during this time he was approached by filmmaker Bert Tenzer with the opportunity to edit Tenzer’s film 2000 YEARS LATER (1969). Though the film was not a success, it provided Cambern with the editing experience he desired and led to his next film editing job. While working on 2000 YEARS LATER, he had asked for guidance from Gerald Shepard, an associate producer and editor on THE MONKEES. Soon after, Shepard suggested Cambern to Dennis Hopper to edit Hopper’s film EASY RIDER (1969). The innovative editing techniques of that film quickly led to other work for Cambern, including THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (1971) and DRIVE, HE SAID (1971).

While working on BLUME IN LOVE (1973), Cambern became interested in the possibilities of the KEM flatbed editor. He worked with Sheldon Kahn, who served as his assistant editor on the film, to develop an organizational system that made the KEM more accessible to editors accustomed to the Moviola. Cambern ultimately introduced the KEM to major studios as he was hired for different films, with Warner Bros. purchasing their first KEM for BLUME IN LOVE, Twentieth Century Fox buying one when he served as supervising editor on CINDERELLA LIBERTY (1973), and Universal acquiring one when he edited THE HINDENBERG (1975).

Over the next several years, Cambern worked steadily as an editor on a variety of films. He reunited with BLUME IN LOVE director Paul Mazursky to edit WILLIE & PHIL (1980) and TEMPEST (1982), also serving as a second unit director on the latter. Following his work on Burt Reynolds’ film THE END (1978), he edited HOOPER (1978), SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT II (1980), THE CANONBALL RUN (1981), and PATERNITY (1981), all starring Reynolds. In 1984, Cambern was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Film Editing, shared with Frank Morriss, for ROMANCING THE STONE (1984). His other notable credits include TIME AFTER TIME (1979), JO JO DANCER, YOUR LIFE IS CALLING (1986), HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS (1987), and THE BODYGUARD (1992). He served as co-producer and editor for the film EYES OF AN ANGEL (1991). Though he essentially retired from working as an editor in the late 1990s, Cambern remained active in the industry. From 1991 to 2002 he was the President of the Motion Picture Editors Guild, and he received the Guild’s inaugural Fellowship and Service award in 2007. That year he was also senior Filmmaker in Residence at the American Film Institute Conservatory. From 1981 to 2011 he served on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Board of Governors in the Film Editors Branch and in various years was elected Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President, and First Vice President of the Board. Cambern was presented with a Career Achievement Award from the American Cinema Editors in 2004. He died in 2023.