Richard Bracken, Editor of ‘Columbo’ and ‘Ironside,’ Dies At 90
Emmy-nominated film and TV editor Richard Bracken has died. He was 90.
Bracken died Thursday of kidney failure in Chatsworth, California, according to his daughter Kathleen Bracken.
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Over the course of his 30 year career, Bracken served as editor for a roster of television classics, including “Columbo,” “The Bold Ones” and “Ironside.” He spent a particularly fruitful number of years working for Oscar-nominated producer Ross Hunter, editing films “The Thrill of It All” and “Madame X,” miniseries “The Moneychangers” and NBC drama “A Family Upside Down,” which starred Fred Astaire and Helen Hayes.
Much of Bracken’s career was dedicated to television, having also worked on NBC drama “Run for Your Life,” ABC American Western series “Alias Smith and Jones” and TV movie “The Jesse Owens Story.” His work was recognized with four Emmy nominations, including for the 1976 TV miniseries “Rich Man, Poor Man” and the Anjelica Huston-starring miniseries “Buffalo Girls” from 1995.
Born in August 1930, Bracken first came to California for a master’s writing program at the University of California, Los Angeles after he graduated from the University of Michigan in 1952. He ended up leaving UCLA to begin his career in the entertainment industry, first starting in the mailroom at Universal and working his way up to assistant and then, finally, editor.
Just after the turn of the new millennium, Bracken’s career came to a close. He worked on various Power Rangers television series beginning in 1997, including “Power Rangers Turbo” and “Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue.” He retired in 2002 when the franchise moved production to Australia.
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