Born in Anaconda, Montana. He began his career in 1915, cutting shorts at Inceville. A nitrate fire that started in his cutting room during the editing of Thomas Ince's epic, CIVILIZATION (1916), destroyed the entire studio, forcing him to move to Culver City. He rose to prominence in the 1920s, when he worked on a nmber of distinguished productions and was in charge of editing for Joseph M. Schenck at United Artists. In 1933 he joined MGM, and in the following year went to work for Selznick International, where he remained for more than a decade. He ended his career in a supervisory capacity at Paramount. Visit the Internet Movie Database for a listing of Kern's film editing and producing credits.  Film Editing 1939: GONE WITH THE WIND (w. James E. Newcom)  Nominated for Film Editing 1940: REBECCA  Nominated for Film Editing 1944: SINCE YOU WENT AWAY (w. James E. Newcom) 3 nominations, 1 Award