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Gary Kurtz Biography (1940-)

Full name, Gary Douglas Kurtz; born July 27, 1940, in Los Angeles, CA; son ofEldo M. and Sara H. (maiden name, Briar) Kurtz; married Meredith Alsup, April, 1963 (divorced, 1983); married Roberta Jimenez, September, 1984 (divorced,1992); children: (first marriage) Melissa Dawne (a production manager), Tiffany Leigh (a production coordinator and editor); (second marriage) Dylan Antony. Addresses: Office: Global Media Television, 31 West 56th St., NewYork, NY 10019.

Nationality

American

Gender

Male

Occupation

Producer, director

Birth Details

July 27, 1940

Los Angeles, California, United States

Famous Works

• CREDITS
• Film Producer
• Associate producer, Chandler, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1971
• Associate producer, Two-Lane Blacktop, Universal, 1971
• (With others) American Graffiti, MCA/Universal, 1973
• Star Wars (also known as Star Wars: Episode IV--A New Hope, Star Wars IV: A New Hope, and La guerra de las estrellas), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1977
• Star Wars: Episode V--The Empire Strikes Back (also known as The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1980
• (With Jim Henson) The Dark Crystal, Universal, 1984
• Executive producer, Return to Oz, Buena Vista, 1985
• Slipstream, 1989, BFS Video, 2001
• The Steal, Poseidon Pictures, 1994
• 5-25-77, Moonwatcher/Sparta Entertainment, 2005
• Film Director
• Assistant director and second unit director, Beach Ball, Paramount, 1965
• Assistant director, Ride in the Whirlwind, Proteus Films, 1965, Continental Distribution, 1967
• Assistant director, The Hostage, Crown International Pictures, 1967
• Second unit director of some scenes, Star Wars: Episode V--The EmpireStrikes Back (also known as The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1980
• (Uncredited) Second unit director, The Dark Crystal, Universal, 1984
• Film Production Manager
• Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet (also known as Prehistoric Planet and Voyage to a Prehistoric Planet), American International Pictures, 1965
• Queen of Blood (also known as The Green Woman, Planet ofBlood, Planet of Terror, and Planet of Vampires), AmericanInternational Pictures, 1966
• The Hostage, Crown International Pictures, 1967
• Film Work
• Other
• Second unit camera operator, Beach Ball, Paramount, 1965
• Sound technician, Blood Bath (also known as Track of the Vampire), American International Pictures, 1966
• Assistant camera operator, The Shooting, Continental Distributing,1967
• Editor, The Hostage, Crown International Pictures, 1967
• Some sources cite Kurtz as the editor of To Be Free, c. 1972.
• Film Appearances
• (Uncredited) Photographer in courtroom, The Godfather: Part II (also known as Mario Puzo's "The Godfather: Part II"), Paramount, 1974
• Television Executive Producer
• Specials
• The Making of "Star Wars," ABC, 1977
• A Salute to Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, CBS, 1998
• Unmasked: Exposing the Secrets of Deception, NBC, 1998
• Behind the Jump with Robbie Knievel, The Learning Channel, 2000
• Totally Outrageous--Love, ABC, 2001
• Totally Outrageous--Vacations, ABC, 2001
• Television Producer
• Specials
• Disneyland Presents Mickey's Nutcracker, The Disney Channel, 1992
• Producer from Disneyland, Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade, ABC, 1992
• Television Work
• Other
• Animation supervisor, The Animated Odyssey (miniseries), HBO, 2000
• Source of still photographs, Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy (special), Arts and Entertainment, 2004
• Television Appearances
• Specials
• The Making of "Star Wars," ABC, 1977
• SPFX: The Empire Strikes Back, CBS, 1980
• The World of "The Dark Crystal," PBS, 1983
• The World's Most Dangerous Magic, NBC, 1998
• (Uncredited) Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy,Arts and Entertainment, 2004
• Himself, When Star Wars Ruled the World, VH1, 2004
• Episodic
• American Cinema, PBS, 1995
• Himself, "I Love 1977," I Love 1970s, BBC, 2000
• "Alex Guinness: A Secret Man," Arena (also known as Arena: AlexGuinness--A Secret Man), BBC-2, 2003
• Guest, Le methode cauet, 2004
• Guest, On a tout essaye, 2005

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals

• Variety, May 17, 1999, p. 5

Electronic

• FilmForce, http://filmforce.ign.com, November 11, 2002