In Memory of Gary Kurtz (1940-2018)

Gary Kurtz (1940-2018)

Hi, it's me again! It is a solemn day to announce that Gary Kurtz, the man responsible for producing the first two instalments of the "Star Wars" series and "American Graffiti," has died after losing a battle with cancer on September 23, 2018. He was 78 years old. His producing efforts didn't go unnoticed, but he was underappreciated. Gary was instrumental in developing a franchise that his then-collaborator, George Lucas, had conceived. It marked the beginning of the monopoly "Star Wars" became known for. It was a pop-culture phenomenon. In a 2010 interview, Kurtz later said the movies had become overly focused on memorabilia.

Born in Los Angeles in 1940. In 1965, he began working as an assistant director and later became a production manager on small-budget movies. One film he worked on was the low-budget western "Ride in the Whirlwind," which featured an unknown actor named Jack Nicholson. Shortly after, in 1966, Gary left Hollywood to join the Marines during the Vietnam War. However, these life-changing experiences would prove influential. His military service ended in 1969. He then returned to Hollywood as an associate producer on "Chandler" and "Two-Lane Blacktop."

Around that time, Gary met a young upstart filmmaker, George Lucas and formed a partnership that would last over a decade. In his early years, Gary studied religion extensively, and those studies proved vital, breathing new life into the concept of the Force in the "Star Wars" franchise. In 1973, Lucas and Kurtz began collaborating on what would become their first feature together, "American Graffiti," a hit. It led Lucas to make their second feature, which became "Star Wars." After Lucas pitched multiple drafts to every studio and was rejected, Kurtz closed a deal with 20th Century Fox to produce the science-fiction adventure. He helped Lucas navigate its turbulent production despite the studio's lack of enthusiasm, considering it a "B-picture."

However, the film's success astonished everyone, ensuring that Lucas and Kurtz would have to make a sequel titled "The Empire Strikes Back." As Lucas eventually stepped out to become the film's executive producer, Irvin Kershner took over as director. Gary assisted with the second unit and was an assistant director. After the release of "Empire," Gary and Lucas' partnership dissolved as "Return of the Jedi" entered development, and it soon became the first film Lucas made without him, with Howard Kazanjian taking over his role.

In 1982, after his partnership with Lucas ended, Kurtz collaborated with Muppets creator Jim Henson and Frank Oz in their ambitious fantasy adventure "The Dark Crystal," which became a cult favourite after its initial release. It doesn't measure up to the success that he once had with "Star Wars." The following films Gary produced for the cinema screen, "Return of Oz" and "Slipstream" (the latter of which reunited with Mark Hamill), were not very successful, as they drove Kurtz into filing for bankruptcy. Kurtz remained in the industry until his death, continuing to develop projects throughout his later life. Patrick Read Johnson directed his latest film, "5-25-77," which was released independently in 2017.

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