Gerald Thomas was born in 1920 in Hull, Yorkshire. He was educated at Bristol and London and studied to become a doctor. During the war he served with the Royal Sussex Regiment in Europe and the Middle East. When he was demobilised, he entered the film industry as an assistant editor at Denham Studios and worked on outstanding films like The October Man (1947) and Laurence Olivier's Hamlet (1948).
In 1948 he was given his first assignment as an editor, on Madness of the Heart. His associate editor credits are impressive, including The Third Man (1949) and Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1950). In his partnership with Peter Rogers he discovered his niche in comedy, but is equally at home in other styles.
He sadly died in 1995 leaving behind his devoted wife Barbara, and his children Sarah, Deborah and Samantha