Gary Kurtz

Gary Kurtz, who lived from July 27, 1940 to September 23, 2018, is most recognized as a film producer, especially for his involvement in the original Star Wars trilogy.

Biography

Gary Kurtz's date of birth was July 27, 1940.

He took on the role of producer for Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, which premiered in 1977, leading to an Academy Award nomination. Notably, his daughter, Tiffany, appeared in the film as the Jawa character Dathcha. Following this, he produced Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, released in 1980. In the early part of the 1980s, Kurtz was a co-producer on The Dark Crystal, a collaborative project between Lord Grade and Jim Henson, with Frank Oz as one of the co-directors.

Kurtz stated that disagreements arose between himself and George Lucas concerning the future direction of the Star Wars saga. Kurtz remembered that following Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, Lucas came to believe that the audience was no longer interested in a compelling narrative, but instead sought only excitement and entertainment. This led Lucas to depart from the original nine-part story outline, beginning with Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, which prompted Kurtz's departure from the series. Kurtz voiced his disappointment with both Return of the Jedi and the Star Wars prequel films. In more recent times, Kurtz admitted that while the latter three movies contained impressive elements, their overall quality could have been improved with the involvement of different filmmakers. He also noted the divisive nature of the new trilogy among fans.

Kurtz was present at IguanaCon in 1978 to accept the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation for Star Wars.

It's well-documented that Kurtz's last project with Lucas, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, was a challenging and costly endeavor. Records from Elstree indicate that the film's production extended to 175 days, far exceeding the initial 100-day budget. This overage led Lucas to secure a $10 million loan to finalize the film. Kurtz, along with David Tomblin, Irvin Kershner, Harley Cokeliss, and John Barry (who tragically passed away from meningitis during production), were all involved in the directing process to ensure the film's completion within the revised timeframe and budget.

Meredith, Kurtz's spouse, took charge of organizing the film's 'wrap party' in the latter part of August 1979, with the Kurtz family hosting the event. Principal photography was actually completed a month later. Kurtz remained involved in the movie until its completion, participating actively from post-production to its theatrical release in both the U.S. and the UK. For Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, he was succeeded by Howard Kazanjian.

He passed away due to cancer on September 23, 2018.

Sources

Notes and references

External links

  • Gary Kurtz on Wikipedia
  • Gary Kurtz at the Internet Movie Database

Appearances