Peter Roger Hunt was an English director, editor, and producer of film and television, best known for his work on the James Bondfilm series, first as an editor, then later as a second unit director and director. His work on the series helped pioneer an innovative, fast-cutting editing style.
Biography
As an infantryman, Hunt served in Salerno, Italy in 1943. After serving on a number of jobs, Hunt worked as an assistant cutter for Alexander Korda, before working as an assembling editor on The Man Who Watched Trains Go By. After several B-movies, he served as the supervising editor on A Hill in Korea. The following year, Hunt edited The Admirable Crichton, where he became good friends with John Glen. Hunt continued his collaboration with Gilbert on films such as Ferry to Hong Kong and Sink the Bismarck!. In the 1960s, Hunt signed on as an editor on the James Bond film, Dr. No, and in 1963 he edited From Russia with Love and Goldfinger. On those three films, Hunt developed an editing technique in which he utilized quick cutting, allowing camera swings during action and inserts interleaving other elements. He also worked with Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli on the 1963 Bob Hope film Call Me Bwana, and with Saltzman and a few other Bond veterans on the non-Eon thriller The IPCRESS File. Call Me Bwana is the only film produced by the James Bond production companyEon Productions that is not a Bond film. After editing Thunderball, Hunt was promoted to second unit director on You Only Live Twice. When production of On Her Majesty's Secret Service went underway, Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman selected Hunt as director impressed with his quick cutting skills feeling it had set the style for the series. Hunt also asked for the position during the production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and he brought along with him many crew members, including cinematographer Michael Reed and editor John Glen. Also, Hunt was focused on putting his mark – "I wanted it to be different than any other Bond film would be. It was my film, not anyone else's." On Her Majesty's Secret Service was the last film on which Hunt worked on in the series. In 1971, Hunt directed episodes of The Persuaders! with future Bond star, Roger Moore, in Gold and Shout at the Devil with Lee Marvin. Although approached by Kevin McClory, he refused to direct Never Say Never Again afraid that Broccoli would consider him a traitor. His last films included Wild Geese II and the Cannon Film thrillers, Death Hunt and Assassination, both starring Bronson. He also directed the epic television miniseries The Last Days of Pompeii.
