Quentin Tarantino has a fun tradition: at the start (or the end) of certain takes, the actors send greetings to someone named Sally.

There is no mystery — it is Sally Menke, Tarantino’s permanent editor.

Sally and Quentin were friends, which is why this touching custom appeared in the first place.

Tarantino has repeatedly called Menke “my number one collaborator.”

I’m sure Sally smiled when, amid endless reels of footage, she heard those playful shout-outs with her name.

The tradition lasted right up until 2010.

It ended only because, sadly, Sally passed away a year after finishing Inglourious Basterds.

Since Django Unchained Tarantino has worked with Fred Raskin (Sally’s assistant on several films) — but I haven’t heard anyone say “Hello, Fred” on set yet. :(

About other tandems

While we’re on the topic, let me briefly mention other legendary director-editor partnerships. Many iconic filmmakers have their own go-to editors — Martin Scorsese has Thelma Schoonmaker, Clint Eastwood has Joel Cox.

(Scorsese and Schoonmaker)

Their roots go back to the old studio system. Directors were usually banned from the editing room (the producer — the film’s “author” back then — controlled the cut).

(Of course there were exceptions, such as Orson Welles and editor Robert Wise on Citizen Kane, where Welles was involved in the edit.)

Once the studio system collapsed in the 1950s, veteran directors quickly adopted “in-house” editors to gain more control — the pressure from studios was no longer there.

Examples include George Tomasini with Hitchcock or Jack Murray with John Ford.

Then, in the 1970s New Hollywood era, these collaborations evolved into full-fledged creative partnerships. Editors became not just “hands in the cutting room” but key co-authors — think Michael Kahn with Spielberg or Walter Murch with Coppola.

(George and Marcia Lucas)

Sometimes a professional partnership turns romantic — George Lucas married his editor Marcia, who cut his early films and the original Star Wars trilogy.

(A frame from No Country for Old Men)

Another amusing duo hides behind the name Roderick Jaynes.

(The Coen brothers editing Hail, Caesar!)

That’s Ethan and Joel Coen themselves — they edit their own movies but credit “Roderick” either as a joke or for legal reasons.