KURTZ, Gary 1940–

PERSONAL

Full name, Gary Douglas Kurtz; born July 27, 1940, in Los Angeles, CA; son of Eldo 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. Education: Attended University of Southern California. Religion: Society of Friends (Quakers).

Addresses: Office—Global Media Television, 31 West 56th St., New York, NY 10019.

Career: Producer and director. Kinetographics, San Rafael, CA, president, beginning 1973; Associated Television International, Los Angeles, executive vice president until 2001; Global Media Television, New York City, executive vice president, 2001–. Lecturer at film schools. Worked in other capacities in the film industry. Involved with the production of Scrooge McDuck comic books. Military service: U.S. Marine Corps, 1966–69.

Member: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers.

Awards, Honors: Golden Globe Award (with others), best motion picture comedy, c. 1973, and Academy Award nomination (with Francis Ford Coppola), best picture, 1974, both for American Graffiti; Los Angeles Film Critics Award (with others), best picture, 1977, Academy Award nomination (with others), best picture, 1978, both for Star Wars.

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 Empire Strikes 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 of Blood, Planet of Terror, and Planet of Vampires), American International 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.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

American Cinema, PBS, 1995.

Himself, "I Love 1977," I Love 1970s, BBC, 2000.

"Alex Guinness: A Secret Man," Arena (also known as Arena: Alex Guinness—A Secret Man), BBC-2, 2003.

Guest, Le methode cauet, 2004.

Guest, On a tout essaye, 2005.

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

Variety, May 17, 1999, p. 5.

Electronic:

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