Associated Press
[Source: AP]
Marcia Lucas, who won an Oscar as editor of the original 1977 “Star Wars” has died, a lawyer for her family said Friday.
Lucas, who was married to “Star Wars” creator George Lucas from 1969 to 1983, died Wednesday from metastatic cancer, the attorney, Deidre Von Rock, said in an email to The Associated Press. Marcia Lucas died in Rancho Mirage, California, surrounded by loved ones, Von Rock said. She was 80.
Marcia Lucas was the editor on 1983’s “Return of the Jedi” and the pre-“Star Wars” George Lucas-directed films “THX 1138” and “American Graffiti.”
She was also part of the editing team for director Martin Scorsese’s 1970s films “Taxi Driver,” “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” and “New York, New York.”
Marcia Lucas was often called the unsung here of “Star Wars,” the original film that after sequels, prequels and spinoffs has come to be known by its subtitle, “A New Hope.”
She convinced husband George that he should have Obi-Wan Kenobi, played by Alec Guinness, in his light saber battle with Darth Vader and become a spirit guide to Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker.
And she had to make sense of the raw footage that could’ve been a mess in the wrong hands, including the climactic rebel attack on the Death Star.
