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They're not as renowned as Henry Ford or Thomas Edison, but their invention is every bit as significant -- to film editors, at least. Most editors can't imagine a cutting room without a Moviola. Still, few of us know anything about the obscure father/son team, Iwan and Mark Serrurier, who masterminded the editor's indispensible tool. Iwan, who created the Moviola in 1924, and Mark, who took over in 1946, were humble men who derived satisfaction from work itself, not from public acclaim. They shared a deep sense of obligation toward their product and customers -- an attitude that never brought fame or fortune during their lifetimes, but won them the respect of the film industry worldwide. In 1979, Mark agreed to accept a special Academy Award for Technical Achievement only after it was assured that his late father's name would also appear on the statue. The Oscar® sat unceremoniously on Mark's kitchen table until his death from Alzheimer's disease on Valentine's Day 1988. "It's interesting that my grandfather invented the Moviola because he wasn't a moviegoer or an editor," says Steve Serrurier, the son of Mark and a successful set designer in his own right. "He and my father were structural engineers at the cutting edge of high tech. It's ironic that they realized such success due to the sheer simplicity of the Moviola. I guess that's the trick. It's easy to make something complicated, but it takes genius to create something so simple."
For a history of the Serruriers and the Moviola Company, go to www.moviola.com.
1 Scientific/Technical Award |
Academy Award of Merit (Statuette)