Gary Kurtz

Production

Gary Kurtz

Born 1940-07-27 · Los Angeles, California, United States

Gary Douglas Kurtz (July 27, 1940 – September 23, 2018) was an American film producer whose list of credits includes American Graffiti (1973), Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), The Dark Crystal (1982) and Return to Oz (1985). Kurtz also co-produced the 1989 science fiction adventure film Slipstream, which reunited him with Star Wars star Mark Hamill. Description above from the Wikipedia article Gary Kurtz, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

Acting credits

The Godfather Part II poster
8.6

In the continuing saga of the Corleone crime family, a young Vito Corleone grows up in Sicily and in 1910s New York. In the 1950s, Michael Corleone attempts to expand the family business into Las Vegas, Hollywood and Cuba.

The Godfather Part II

1974

Jodorowsky's Dune poster
7.8

In 1974, Chilean-French director Alejandro Jodorowsky embarked on the quixotic project of adapting Frank Herbert's influential novel Dune (1969) for the big screen. After investing two years, and millions of dollars, the gigantic project ended in failure; but the artists Jodorowsky brought together to carry it out continued to work together, and ended up laying the foundations for modern science fiction cinema.

Jodorowsky's Dune

2013

Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy poster
7.6

From the earliest versions of the script to the blockbuster debuts, explore the creation of the Star Wars Trilogy.

Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy

2004

No artwork available
6.5

Documentary taking a behind-the-scenes look at how the world's biggest, multi-billion pound movie series came into existence. Featuring rare interviews with Star Wars producers Gary Kurtz and Robert Watts and insights from those members of the creative team who won Oscars making the visual effects. Plus, a few little-known and surprising facts surrounding the film franchise

The Definitive History of Star Wars

2015

The Making of Star Wars poster
7.1

Learn the incredible behind-the-scenes story of how the original Star Wars movie was brought to the big screen in this fascinating documentary hosted by C-3PO and R2-D2 which includes interviews with George Lucas and appearances by Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher.

The Making of Star Wars

1977

The People vs. George Lucas poster
6.4

The passion the original Star Wars trilogy inspires in its fans is unparalleled; but when it comes to George Lucas himself, many have found their ardor has cooled into a complicated love-hate relationship. This hilarious, heartfelt documentary delves deep into Lucas’s cultural legacy, asking all the tough questions. Has Lucas betrayed his masterwork? Should he just have left the original trilogy alone? Is The Phantom Menace so bad it should carry a health warning? Utilizing interviews taken from over 600 hours of footage, and peppered with extraordinary Star Wars and Indiana Jones recreations lovingly immortalized in song, needlepoint, Lego, claymation, puppets and paper-mâché, above all this film asks the question: who truly owns that galaxy far, far away—the man who created it, or the fans who worship it?

The People vs. George Lucas

2010

I Am Your Father poster
6.5

David Prowse is an eighty years old actor, who has lived behind Darth Vader's mask during three decades. A group of Star Wars fans find out why he has been apparently forgotten by Lucasfilm during thirty years, and decide to give him back the glory he never had. This is their last opportunity.

I Am Your Father

2015

SP FX: The Empire Strikes Back poster
8.2

Hosted by Mark Hamill, this revealing documentary offers behind-the-scenes glimpses into the amazing special effects that transformed George Lucas’ vision for Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back into reality!

SP FX: The Empire Strikes Back

1980

When Star Wars Ruled the World poster
8.8

A VH1 television special wherein the cast discuss the making of the films and what made the franchise a phenomenon.

When Star Wars Ruled the World

2004

The Empire Strikes Door poster
8.7

A thrilling comedic documentary attempting to uncover the mystery of who is responsible for one of the most infamous bloopers in cinematic history.

The Empire Strikes Door

2019

The Empire Strikes Door poster
8.7

A thrilling comedic documentary attempting to uncover the mystery of who is responsible for one of the most infamous bloopers in cinematic history.

The Empire Strikes Door

2019

The Making of Slipstream poster
NR

The making of Steven Lisberger's 1989 Sci-Fi film Slipstream

The Making of Slipstream

1989

Star Wars: Music by John Williams poster
7.3

BBC documentary. Witness John Williams composing the legendary score for The Empire Strikes Back and conducting the London Symphony Orchestra.

Star Wars: Music by John Williams

1980

Remembering Return to Oz poster
NR

The gathered memories and warm recollections of the cast and crew of the 1985 Walt Disney Pictures film, RETURN TO OZ. For the first time, we get intimate details about the production of the cult classic fantasy, from such names as director Walter Murch, producers Paul Maslansky and Colin Michael Kitchens, the late Gary Kurtz, and actors Fairuza Balk, Emma Ridley, Justin Case, Pons Marr, Deep Roy and Sophie Ward.

Remembering Return to Oz

2021

The World of 'The Dark Crystal' poster
6.7

A documentary which explores the making of Jim Henson and Frank Oz's 1982 fantasy film 'The Dark Crystal', which originally aired on PBS in the United States on January 9, 1983. This one-hour documentary details the technological innovations in the field of animatronics, art design, film making, and Henson's own brand of magic. Requiring 5 years of production, including over two years of pre-production, The Dark Crystal was inspired by the imagination of artist Brian Froud and conceived by scores of talented designers, builders, technicians, and performers. The World of the Dark Crystal shows how Jim Henson's Creature Shop in London and the Muppet Workshop in New York brought Brian Froud's art and Jim Henson's vision to life.

The World of 'The Dark Crystal'

1983

Behind the camera

Star Wars poster
8.2

Princess Leia is captured and held hostage by the evil Imperial forces in their effort to take over the galactic Empire. Venturesome Luke Skywalker and dashing captain Han Solo team together with the loveable robot duo R2-D2 and C-3PO to rescue the beautiful princess and restore peace and justice in the Empire.

Star Wars

1977

The Empire Strikes Back poster
8.4

The epic saga continues as Luke Skywalker, in hopes of defeating the evil Galactic Empire, learns the ways of the Jedi from aging master Yoda. But Darth Vader is more determined than ever to capture Luke. Meanwhile, rebel leader Princess Leia, cocky Han Solo, Chewbacca, and droids C-3PO and R2-D2 are thrown into various stages of capture, betrayal and despair.

The Empire Strikes Back

1980

The Dark Crystal poster
7.2

On another planet in the distant past, a Gelfling embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal and restore order to his world, before the grotesque race of Skeksis find and use the crystal for evil.

The Dark Crystal

1982

5-25-77 poster
6.1

Alienated, hopeful-filmmaker Pat Johnson's epic story growing up in rural Illinois, falling in love, and becoming the first fan of the movie that changed everything.

5-25-77

2008

Slipstream poster
4.3

In the near future, where Earth has been devastated by man's pollution and giant winds rule the planet, bounty hunter Matt kidnaps a murderer out of the hands of two police officers, planning to get the bounty himself.

Slipstream

1989

The Steal poster
5.9

A young American computer hackeress is hired by a liberal British lawyer to right the wrong done to a third world country by a London investment company. Even the expertise of her building inspector sidekick can not prevent a surprising development though.

The Steal

1995

The Destruction of Troy and the Adventures of Odysseus poster
6.0

HBO aired “The Animated Odyssey” as a four-part miniseries in the US in 2000. It was originally produced by Vilanima Studios of Lithuania and first aired in Russia as a feature-length film in 1998 under the title The Destruction of Troy and the Adventures of Odysseus (Разрушение Трои и путешествие Одиссея). As a series it was divided into half-hour episodes including “The Trojan Horse,” “The Cyclops,” “Circe, Hades and the Sirens,” and “Odysseus Returns.” The production was supervised by original Star Wars producer Gary Kurtz & took three years to complete, was lavish & ambitious, & was intended to appeal to a wide audience that included school-age children and young adults. The narrative presented was more detailed than other animated treatments of the Odyssey and stayed closer to traditional storyline. The English-dubbed version of the film is nowhere to be found online or streaming, only the Russian version and a modern Greek version are available.

The Destruction of Troy and the Adventures of Odysseus

1998