The FRIDAY THE 13TH franchise is my favorite series of movies, and 39 years down the line from the release of the first film we have sadly reached a time when we're losing people who were involved with the early movies with some frequency. In recent years the people associated with FRIDAY THE 13TH that have passed away has included Betsy Palmer, Steve Dash, and Richard Brooker… and now we've lost Susan E. Cunningham.
When the F13 franchise began Cunningham was married to the first movie's director/producer Sean S. Cunningham, and she earned an "associate editor" credit on that film. She then went on to be the primary editor on FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2.
If any moment in those first two movies has ever scared you or given you a thrill, Susan E. Cunningham's cutting was a major factor in that. The image above comes from my favorite scare moment in FRIDAY 2.
Before the FRIDAYs, Cunningham had been the costume designer on Wes Craven's 1972 feature directorial debut THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT. In 1982, she edited Sean S. Cunningham's thriller A STRANGER IS WATCHING.
Born on May 16, 1946, Susan E. Cunningham passed away on December 3, 2018 due to complications arising from diabetes. She is survived by Sean S. Cunningham, who she remained friends with after their divorce, her four children, three grandchildren, and three brothers. Our heartfelt condolences go out to her family and friends.
The work she did on the films mentioned above will certainly live on for a long time to come, and I appreciate her contributions to films that I count among my all-time favorites.
R.I.P.
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