Robert Clifford Jones (March 30, 1936 – February 1, 2021) was an American film editor, screenwriter, and educator. He received an Academy Award for the screenplay of the film Coming Home (1978). As an editor, Jones had notable collaborations with the directors Arthur Hiller (seven films from 1967 to 1992) and Hal Ashby (four films from 1973 to 1982). Jones was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), and Bound for Glory (1976). Early life Jones was born in Los Angeles on March 30, 1936. His father, Harmon Jones, was a Canadian-born film editor who was nominated for an Oscar for his work on Gentleman's Agreement. Jones enrolled in college, but subsequently dropped out and worked at a shipping room for 20th Century Fox. He started off as an assistant film editor for movies like Untamed (1955) and The Long, Hot Summer (1958). He described his job as "magic", adding that it had "opened my eyes to what my dad had done". After being drafted into the U.S. Army, Jones worked at the Army Pictorial Center from 1958 to 1960. Even though he did not attend film school or have any formal training in editing, he was thrust into the role of a film editor. He was responsible for editing Army training films, documentaries, and several segments of The Big Picture television program. He credits this stint for giving him the "experience and confidence" needed to pursue a career in film editing. Career Upon his return from military service, Jones collaborated with Gene Fowler Jr. to edit A Child Is Waiting and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (both released in 1963). He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for the latter film. He then increased his editing credentials by working on The Tiger Makes Out (1967) and Paint Your Wagon (1969). His work in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) earned him his second Oscar nomination for Best Film Editing. Almost a decade elapsed before he received his third Academy Award editing nomination for the musical drama Bound for Glory (1976). Jones was also involved in writing film scripts. He initially declined to work on Coming Home (1978) as editor when Hal Ashby asked him. However, he relented and joined as a screenwriter after Waldo Salt