John Grover Dies: Film Editor On Several James Bond Pics Whose Credits Include ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ & ‘Doctor Zhivago’ Was 87

John Grover, an English film editor who worked on a half-dozen James Bond pics, Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, David Lean’s Doctor Zhivago, Jim Henson’s Labyrinth and many others, died September 28. He was 87.

British Film Editors, of which Grover was a longtime board member, confirmed the news on social media but didn’t not provide a cause of death. See the group’s Instagram post below.

Grover served as film editor on three 007 films — For Your Eyes Only (1981), The Living Daylights (1987) and Licence to Kill (1989) — and helped cut The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Moonraker (1979) and Octopussy (1983). He also worked on two war movies starring longtime James Bond actor Roger Moore: The Wild Geese (1978) and The Sea Wolves (1980).

Grover’s many other credits include The Final Option (1982), Lifeforce (1985), Buddy’s Song (1991) and Funky Monkey (2004). He was spliced together episodes of such UK television shows as CI5: The New Professionals, Monsignor Renard and Fat Friends along with American telefilms including Nobody’s Children and 1992’s Frankenstein.

Born on October 24, 1938, in Barnet, Middlesex, Grover began his career as an uncredited assistant editor on film from such top directors as Robert Wise (The Haunting, 1963), John Frankenheimer (Grand Prix, 1966) and Kubrick (2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968), along with Best Picture Oscar nominees Doctor Zhivago (1965) and Herbert Ross’ Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969).

His other feature credits as assistant editor include The Blue Bird (1976) and The Executioner (1975). His final film was the 2005 Lithuanian drama Dievu miskas (Forest of the Gods), which he edited.

Survivors include Grover’s wife of 62 years, Jenny; a son, Tim; a daughter, Camilla; along with grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

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