This is wonderful! I always tell people how much Marcia Lucas is responsible for Star Wars. Her contribution of keeping the emotional weight in each film is why it’s so beloved today. Thank you Marcia!
Initially, I had concerns this video might lean into the oversimplified narrative of ‘Marcia single-handedly saved Star Wars for George,’ akin to ‘How Star Wars was saved in the edit.’ Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised to find it offered a much more nuanced portrayal. It provided a refreshingly honest perspective, free from the trappings of that misleading narrative. Thank you.
Another great piece of history well preserved by Jennifer Landa. As always, great storytelling, her narration is terrific and the archival footage she digs up is so great to see. I’m happy that Marcia Lucas has gotten so much credit for her work over these last few years. She truly deserves it and we are thankful to her.
I hadn't heard about the Raiders story until recently either! I'm so glad Marcia has been giving interviews and sharing her stories. Thanks so much for watching!
@@Ruylopez778 Yes! They have such a great friendship and mutual respect for each other. Spielberg shared some great tidbits about his personal/professional relationship with George on the Smartless podcast last year as well!
It annoys me how many people try to minimize Marcia Lucas's impact on the franchise. There are many complex gears turning in harmony that make Star Wars as great as it is, and she's just as important as any of the others.
Thanks for a great video with - for me - many new behind the scenes photos! And thanks to you, Marcia, from Munich - especially for AMERICAN GRAFFITI. One of my all time favorites - which eventually inspired me to my first feature screenplay. (Kind of a "Bavarian Graffiti" ;-). The first cruising montage, the shaving foam raid at the traffic light with Johnny B. Goode running and the crash at the end at paradise Road - just three examples of perfect editing here.
These are now my favourite video's on the channel. Well done again, Jennifer Landa 👏 Appreciate all of the hard work & attention to detail you've put into creating these superb episodes. It was great to learn more about the history of Marcia Lucas. It's crazy how she's an Oscar winner for Star Wars, but is still someone who doesn't get the level of recognition her Star Wars legacy deserves.
Wow, yeah, Marion's final scene has always hit me. Seeing them cleaned up, in period attire, that beautiful shallow focus shot up the stairs--it actually conveyed so much.
You did not give Marcia Lucas enough credit for Star Wars. Marcia Lucas introduced the concept of a "ticking clock" to increase suspense. She edited the final Death Star sequence to highlight the imminent threat of the Death Star destroying the Rebel base on Yavin IV. By intercutting shots of the Death Star preparing to fire with shots of the Rebel leaders anxiously watching a countdown, she created a sense of impending doom. And originally, the film included two separate attack runs by Luke Skywalker on the Death Star (see the comic book adaptation based on the original script). Marcia recognized that this could dilute the intensity of the climax and decided to combine these two sequences into one, which amplified things.
Not only a great editor, but also someone who knew a good story when they saw it. After seeing the Disney Star wars sequels Marcia said that Kathleen Kennedy and J. J. Abrams "don't get it," and echoed the public's anger at the deaths of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, as well as the lack of an explanation for Rey's powers.
THANK YOU so much for finally shining a light on Marcia -- I've read a few books about Star Wars, and she's almost a passing footnote in them. So nice to finally see something specifically about HER. Just look at the other work she's done -- she's not exactly a lightweight! Incredible resume.
George should have sucked it up and asked Marcia to edit the prequels. It wasn't just her editing skills that were apparent. Her opinion in general obviously made a huge difference.
A wonderful woman and a terrific editor. Almost all of us who have worked for Lucasfilm - especially at Industrial Light + Magic - have always regarded (and still do) Marcia as the "Heart of Star Wars" Thank our for the video of a remarkable artist Jennifer.
Incredible work, Jen! Enjoyed the original episode audio (one of my favorites), and this version is even more extraordinary! Certainly well worth the wait.
What a humble person of great talent. While she is right it was George who created the world and characters and story, she helped make it work. In baseball great pitchers need a closer to seal their wins and Marcia was a great closer
Judging what he has done after their divorce, when it comes to storytelling George may be a truly great idea guy, but somebody who needs others he is willing to listen to who are, for their part, willing to tell him, what doesn't work and what does of his ideas. And it seems Marcia may have been that person, somebody who also helped him to listen to the other people involved in the making of at least the first two movies, and he never found anybody else to quite fill that void after their divorce. The real genius behind the success of Star Wars was maybe the two of them as a team rather than him alone.
@@pohjanakka4992 couldn’t agree more. I think in Jedi Marcia and others who helped flesh out his ideas were less involved or he didn’t listen to the ideas/advice and you can see it. Don’t get me wrong I love Jedi but you can see the difference and obviously in the prequels the change in quality is far more apparent. In a way Lucas and Roddenberry have that in common
This was such an interesting video, thank you Jennifer Landa! I was incredibly moved to tears at several moments I did not expect, especially the description of Marcia influencing the decision to have Kenobi sacrifice himself in the film. This video will forever influence how I watch A New Hope going forward!
Ok ok… this was incredible. Best documentary I’ve ever seen about Star Wars. I’ve watched every doc available about Star Wars as a filmmaker myself. This was enlightening and masterfully executed edited. Bravo. And thank you.
Great Review. Yeah, I also am glad that Marcia Lucas has resurfaced. For a long time, the only time I ever saw her was on a few photos from the making of Star Wars. So, it's really great to hear her talk about her experience and her input. So glad she added the scene at the end of Raiders with Indy and Marion. The two of them walking away together arm in arm, is not only romantic it's also a good way to end with the story with them hesitant to leave the ark in the hands of the government when they know what it's power can do in the wrong hands. It shows more emotion for the characters. So, thank you Marcia for helping with that. You're so right, Marcia is inspiring and imaginative, and I hope she continues as an inspiration not only to female artists who are developing their craft in movies, but for all artists who can want to invest themselves creatively with their work. Marcia Lucas wherever you are check out this video, it's dedicated to you with such care and praise. Thank you ForeCenter for an excellent video. 👍👍⭐⭐
This is the best documentary on Star Wars! Thank you for making it. I'm a huge fan of Marcia Lucas! The emotional aspect is often overlooked in films today regardless of digital or film. If Disney would have hired her, the new Star Wars projects would have connected better with older and new fans of Star Wars, but no. They chose poorly!
Incredible work on this amazing and informative documentary. As a lifelong fan of Star Wars since first seeing it in theaters the summer of 1977. I’d hope Marcia is aware of this video
This video was very well done. I am so happy. I learned this story as a 48 year old life long fan of Star Wars. Thank you. You’ve got a new sun! Looking forward to checking out your other vids.
The myth that Marcia Lucas saved Star Wars has been debunked by nerdonomous TH-cam video and J.W Rinzler’s making of Star Wars book. She’s a great editor and she and the other two editors did a great job of editing the film, like editors are supposed to do. Oh and George is also heavily involved in the editing process, but he just doesn’t put himself in the credits for that.
Yeah. Lots of people say "the first cut was awful, till Marcia came in and re-edited it!" But she was one of the editors that edited that first cut that was so "awful." So the editors "saved" Star Wars from themselves?
Anither fun episode! Great to lean about Marcia's history. I never knew it was her idea to have Obi-Wan sacrifice himself and become what we later knew as a force ghost. Can't imagine what all of star wars would have been like if that didn't happen.
I always wondered how the Star Wars Prequels would have turned out if Marcia Lucas had been involved. During the Prequels, George was surrounded by a bunch of Yes Men. Marcia was one of the few individuals that could tell George bluntly if somethings works or doesn't. I think should would have steered George in a better direction.
1. The prequel movies might have turned out even worse if she had been involved. Some of her ideas for the OT were pretty bad, fortunately George didn't always listen to her. 2. George was not surrounded by a bunch of yes-men on the PT. Want to know _who_ was a yes-man, though? Gary Kurtz! He couldn't say 'no' to Irvin Kershner on TESB, causing the film to go way beyond schedule and way over budget, forcing Lucas to borrow money in order to be able to finish the film. Which is why Kurtz was let go. Interestingly enough, Kurtz almost got himself fired for exactly the same reasons on Return to Oz. Thank god Lucas stepped in and saved his neck. 3. Quite a few people advised Lucas on the PT and told him bluntly if something works or doesn't. Most notably his good friends Ron Howard and Steven Spielberg, who would frequently tell him "nope, George! Sorry, but this won't work, you'll have to find something else".
Thank you for telling her story. And about time. Kudos to you. 🙏 Her editing “made” Star Wars. Had it not been for Marcia, Star Wars would not have been the masterpiece we still talk about today. Marcia Lucas is a legend!!!
George Lucas did most of the editing on the final cut of Star WArs. Martia left to work on NYNY, and Lucas did the editing on weekends while doing the FX shots.
Yes, as did Paul Hirsch and Richard Chew. I'm sorry to the other 99% commenting on here but Marcia Lucas' impact was minimal, and she'd have you believe she actually wrote, directed, and produced "Star Wars." More proof the entire dynamic of this world is topsy-turvy.
I love the original so much. I’ve often thought that as an audience member it wasn’t so much that I wanted the Death Star destroyed, as much as I was pulling for Luke to succeed, and that’s due to Marsha’s focus on character.
This is so great. Thanks for posting. Had no idea how much she contributed to Star Wars. Definitely an unsung hero. And also great presentation and video. I subscribed to this channel. Well done 😊
Nicely done, Jen. Marcia deserves everything she has earned. I can say the night "A New Hope" opened nationwide. I saw it with my father, and we sat through it twice. We enjoyed it that much. I can understand her biase toward the Prequels. But, at least it was done by George Lucas and not JJ, "the hero killer," Abrams and that wretched hive of scum and villiany, Disney. To true, that digital has ruined movies and their luster. Thank you for giving us those great moments edited on film, Marcia. Best to you always! 🙂❤
Jennifer, and you're the greatest Storyteller. You come across so easy and personable. I can watch you over and over and enjoy it always. Keep giving us stories. Best, Tony
Whenever I see Marsha's name in the credits, I always want to take a deeper look into her story. Thank you so much, Jennifer for this great piece! And thank you, Marcia for all your contributions to some of my favorite films.
Great documentary! Also highly recommend "The Making of Star Wars" by J. W. Rinzler for a more detailed and nuanced perspective on how the film came together.
Good video, and glad it actually focuses on Marcia unlike some others who have tried to use her as a tool to bash George. This is how to really give her credit.
Another great episode Jen. I always new Marcia Lucas worked on Star Wars, but never how much more she contributed the the movie. I hope you continue to these, I have enjoyed them and have learned a lot. Keep it up.
@@davehandelman2832 😂 Yeah, I recently rewatched the prequels for the first time since the first time, when I watched them all in theaters 20 years ago. I had just finished and really enjoyed the clone wars cartoon, which made me think maybe the prequels were better than I remembered. Nope! They were so bad! And yet there is this whole generation of now-adults that grew up with them and think they're amazing and I will just never, ever understand!
@@erinm9445 If you're interested, I FANEDITED them. 1hr. 20 each. Cut ALL the crap. Lean and mean, I even made Jar Jar WORK! They're in my google cloud with a sharable link, Lemme know if you'd like to watch!
@erinm9445 I think nostalgia is part of the reason and it being some's first experience into Star Wars. It is the same with fans of the sequels. I get what George wanted to do with the prequels but it lacked the emotion Marcia would have added and had too many retcons on Anakin's background. When I saw the documentary on the prequels I could tell George had too many Yes Men around him. I don't know if anyone suggested he contact Marcia but he definitely should have. Does anyone know why Marcia wasn’t credited for Empire and ROTJ?
To say Marcia Lucas’ contributions to Star Wars is important would be an understatement, she definitely was the one who made sure some of those emotional moments really stuck with the audience and I am forever grateful for the work she did. I do wish she came back for the prequels along with Gary Kurtz so George had some more creative help because let’s face it, the prequels had incredible ideas but not always the best execution. However my only bone to pick with her, I know this sounds bad, is that she divorced George and remarried all within the same year of 1983. I know the information on that is kind of in the dark, but you can kind of put 2 and 2 together to figure out some of the stuff that happened.
God bless her too. It didn't work out with George. But she had in impact on my life too and a young age. Hearing Marcia talkabout killing Obi-Wan? She's older and so cute. Reminds me of my Grandma. She was a tiny but stern woman. But had cute stories.
Wow, such a detailed & comprehensive history of Star Wars’ best editor ever. I’ve been asking the woman who runs the podcast You Must Remember This to do a Marcia Lucas retrospective for years, but she hasn’t got the courage. Her husband is Rian Johnson & it’s very well known in Lucasfilm circles not to mention Marcia. All because she fell into the loving arms of the carpenter, when George couldn’t satisfy her. He was quite mousey, so ya can’t really blame her.
In an interview that Marcia gave just after her divorce from George, she did not mention that George was the problem other than that he was not supporting her emotionally when being fully engulfed in building his businesses Lucasfilm and ILM. Marcia stated that she had not wanted the divorce from George, and that it was George's parents and his director friend Martin Scorsese, who had been driving a wedge between Marcia and George for years. George was seldom there to stand up for her because of his busy schedule, so she finally caved to the pressure from George's parents and Scorsese. Consider the possibility that Marcia has a 'Me Too' grievance with Scorsese whom she had worked closely with in the late 70's and early 80's. She was a beautiful woman, so it is not that far fetched to imagine. If George, being Scorsese friend, didn't stand up for Marcia then with a lightsabre, cutting through Scorsese office door, and make Scorsese "Sh"t" himself for disrespecting his and Marcia's marriage, then the only thing that Marcia could do was to take up with the best Tom, Dick or Harry she could find instead, and that was literally Tom Rodriguez. Learn to read between the lines of what people are saying...
Love the classic Star Wars, love the Prequels and dislike the sequels and I am appreciative of Marcia Lucas contributions to my favorite movie series Star Wars and Indiana Jones..
I've always thought there were two magical keys to the original '77 Star Wars: the studio demanding Lukas listen to Campbell and Marcia doing final editing. He had neither for the later prequels, no one to tell him no to Jar Jar Binks and several other issues, and then nothing for the Disneyifcation of the later movies.
_no one to tell him no to Jar Jar Binks and several other issues_ Except there were quite a few people who told him 'no'. His good friends Robert Zemeckis, Ron Howard, and Steven Spielberg, for starters, who wouldn't hesitate to tell him "nope! Sorry, George, but this won't work. You'll have to find something else". Actors, who challenged Lucas, such as Christopher Lee, who refused to have his character beg for his life, as written in the script, because he thought that Dooku would rather die with dignity. And Lucas listened. Rick McCallum, I think, who had serious doubts about Jar Jar. But Lucas thought the film needed a comic relief, a funny, goofy, annoying, character _à la_ Buster Keaton. He thought the kids would love him (he was wrong) and he even let his young son Jett name the character, but he knew all along there was a fairly strong possibility that Jar Jar would be poorly received by the audiences, just like young Anakin (he was right). Still, he dug his heels in because just like with the OT, he always had final say and full creative control. Heck, he even said no to Marcia when she insisted to keep the scenes on Tatooine with Luke hanging out with Biggs and his friends, at the beginning of the movie. Lucas said no because he thought the scenes were not very good in the first place, and most importantly, they slowed down the pace of the film. Lucas thought it was better to focus only on the Tantive IV being boarded by the Imperial troops, and to introduce Luke later on in the story. Lucas also said no to Marcia when she asked him to finish the scene with Han and Jabba in the hangar, and then include it in the film. _and then nothing for the Disneyifcation of the later movies_ The "Disneyification" of Star Wars began the moment Lucas became a father. Which resulted in Return of the Jedi, with Jabba and his court straight from the Muppets Show, and the cute little teddy bears that manage to defeat the Imperial troops.
I truly hope this video finds its way to Marcia. She deserves all of the accolades she's received and more.
She won an Oscar for her editing! Pretty sure that’s the biggest accolade you can get in her industry…
Thank you Marcia for all your special touches to all the films we love!
I have been waiting 30+ years to understand this dynamic. Thank you!
This is wonderful! I always tell people how much Marcia Lucas is responsible for Star Wars. Her contribution of keeping the emotional weight in each film is why it’s so beloved today. Thank you Marcia!
Initially, I had concerns this video might lean into the oversimplified narrative of ‘Marcia single-handedly saved Star Wars for George,’ akin to ‘How Star Wars was saved in the edit.’ Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised to find it offered a much more nuanced portrayal. It provided a refreshingly honest perspective, free from the trappings of that misleading narrative. Thank you.
@@D3PR3C4T0RI’ve already seen it. The much needed truth about „How Star Wars was saved in the edit.“
Yes I agree
Another great piece of history well preserved by Jennifer Landa. As always, great storytelling, her narration is terrific and the archival footage she digs up is so great to see. I’m happy that Marcia Lucas has gotten so much credit for her work over these last few years. She truly deserves it and we are thankful to her.
Marcia Lucas is a fundamental piece of modern editing. I really enjoyed this video! 😄
These are so informative! I had never heard the story of the ending of Raiders of the Lost Ark. So glad Marcia was there for that!
I hadn't heard about the Raiders story until recently either! I'm so glad Marcia has been giving interviews and sharing her stories. Thanks so much for watching!
You should listen to Spielberg explain how George Lucas recut Raiders.
@@Ruylopez778 Yes! They have such a great friendship and mutual respect for each other. Spielberg shared some great tidbits about his personal/professional relationship with George on the Smartless podcast last year as well!
It annoys me how many people try to minimize Marcia Lucas's impact on the franchise. There are many complex gears turning in harmony that make Star Wars as great as it is, and she's just as important as any of the others.
So well said! It was a lot of talented people coming together and collaborating that made Star Wars what it is today. Thanks so much for watching!
Lol which people?
Paul Hirsch saved star wars.
If anything, her contribution is greatly exaggerated these days.
Thanks for a great video with - for me - many new behind the scenes photos! And thanks to you, Marcia, from Munich - especially for AMERICAN GRAFFITI. One of my all time favorites - which eventually inspired me to my first feature screenplay. (Kind of a "Bavarian Graffiti" ;-). The first cruising montage, the shaving foam raid at the traffic light with Johnny B. Goode running and the crash at the end at paradise Road - just three examples of perfect editing here.
Marcia's a legend. I can't imagine that original Star Wars film without her contributions.
It would've sucked without her.
Thank the Force for Marcia Lucas! I wish Disney had listened when she said "They don't get it!...J.J. Abrams, Kathy Kennedy - talk to me" 😄
The “Marcia Lucas Effect”, that’s catchy…I can see it now…bringing out the heart and emotion!!!
She's an unsung hero. Thank you Marcia for aiding George with making the trilogy. What a masterpiece it was.
These are now my favourite video's on the channel. Well done again, Jennifer Landa 👏
Appreciate all of the hard work & attention to detail you've put into creating these superb episodes.
It was great to learn more about the history of Marcia Lucas. It's crazy how she's an Oscar winner for Star Wars, but is still someone who doesn't get the level of recognition her Star Wars legacy deserves.
Thank you for the kind words! 😊
Wow, yeah, Marion's final scene has always hit me. Seeing them cleaned up, in period attire, that beautiful shallow focus shot up the stairs--it actually conveyed so much.
Great documentary. She's always been an unsung hero and it's wonderful to see her get some attention!
You did not give Marcia Lucas enough credit for Star Wars. Marcia Lucas introduced the concept of a "ticking clock" to increase suspense. She edited the final Death Star sequence to highlight the imminent threat of the Death Star destroying the Rebel base on Yavin IV. By intercutting shots of the Death Star preparing to fire with shots of the Rebel leaders anxiously watching a countdown, she created a sense of impending doom. And originally, the film included two separate attack runs by Luke Skywalker on the Death Star (see the comic book adaptation based on the original script). Marcia recognized that this could dilute the intensity of the climax and decided to combine these two sequences into one, which amplified things.
Amazing video! Thank you for making it! I'm always happy to see when Marcia gets the credit that she is due! Glad to know more about her!
One of Star Wars's greatest unsung heroes! Thanks for another great video, Jennifer.
Not only a great editor, but also someone who knew a good story when they saw it. After seeing the Disney Star wars sequels Marcia said that Kathleen Kennedy and J. J. Abrams "don't get it," and echoed the public's anger at the deaths of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, as well as the lack of an explanation for Rey's powers.
THANK YOU so much for finally shining a light on Marcia -- I've read a few books about Star Wars, and she's almost a passing footnote in them. So nice to finally see something specifically about HER. Just look at the other work she's done -- she's not exactly a lightweight! Incredible resume.
George should have sucked it up and asked Marcia to edit the prequels. It wasn't just her editing skills that were apparent. Her opinion in general obviously made a huge difference.
A wonderful woman and a terrific editor. Almost all of us who have worked for Lucasfilm - especially at Industrial Light + Magic - have always regarded (and still do) Marcia as the "Heart of Star Wars" Thank our for the video of a remarkable artist Jennifer.
Did you worked for ILM?
@@egarza9241 Although I retired at the end of last year, I worked for Lucasfilm and at times for ILM over a period of 30 years.
Marcia should've been put in charge instead of Kennedy.
Incredible work, Jen! Enjoyed the original episode audio (one of my favorites), and this version is even more extraordinary! Certainly well worth the wait.
What a humble person of great talent. While she is right it was George who created the world and characters and story, she helped make it work. In baseball great pitchers need a closer to seal their wins and Marcia was a great closer
Well said!
Judging what he has done after their divorce, when it comes to storytelling George may be a truly great idea guy, but somebody who needs others he is willing to listen to who are, for their part, willing to tell him, what doesn't work and what does of his ideas. And it seems Marcia may have been that person, somebody who also helped him to listen to the other people involved in the making of at least the first two movies, and he never found anybody else to quite fill that void after their divorce. The real genius behind the success of Star Wars was maybe the two of them as a team rather than him alone.
@@pohjanakka4992 couldn’t agree more. I think in Jedi Marcia and others who helped flesh out his ideas were less involved or he didn’t listen to the ideas/advice and you can see it. Don’t get me wrong I love Jedi but you can see the difference and obviously in the prequels the change in quality is far more apparent. In a way Lucas and Roddenberry have that in common
Yeah. That's what film editors do.
thanks for the info... had no idea that is what they did@@seanmurphy7011
Thank you for sharing this. It's beyond inspiring for some of us
I am sincerely moved by this
This was such an interesting video, thank you Jennifer Landa! I was incredibly moved to tears at several moments I did not expect, especially the description of Marcia influencing the decision to have Kenobi sacrifice himself in the film.
This video will forever influence how I watch A New Hope going forward!
Ok ok… this was incredible. Best documentary I’ve ever seen about Star Wars. I’ve watched every doc available about Star Wars as a filmmaker myself. This was enlightening and masterfully executed edited. Bravo. And thank you.
Wow, such a great documentary! Marcia Lucas's story is really inspiring. Great job, @ForceCenter!
Great Review. Yeah, I also am glad that Marcia Lucas has resurfaced. For a long time, the only time I ever saw her was on a few photos from the making of Star Wars. So, it's really great to hear her talk about her experience and her input.
So glad she added the scene at the end of Raiders with Indy and Marion. The two of them walking away together arm in arm, is not only romantic it's also a good way to end with the story with them hesitant to leave the ark in the hands of the government when they know what it's power can do in the wrong hands. It shows more emotion for the characters.
So, thank you Marcia for helping with that.
You're so right, Marcia is inspiring and imaginative, and I hope she continues as an inspiration not only to female artists who are developing their craft in movies, but for all artists who can want to invest themselves creatively with their work.
Marcia Lucas wherever you are check out this video, it's dedicated to you with such care and praise.
Thank you ForeCenter for an excellent video. 👍👍⭐⭐
I didn't know any of this. Thank you very much for posting it.
This is the best documentary on Star Wars! Thank you for making it. I'm a huge fan of Marcia Lucas! The emotional aspect is often overlooked in films today regardless of digital or film. If Disney would have hired her, the new Star Wars projects would have connected better with older and new fans of Star Wars, but no. They chose poorly!
Excellent job on this masterpiece! A big salute to Marcia Lucas and her unshakable influence on the world.❤
These Jedi Beat videos are the very best thing about Force Centre. Great job!
That's so kind! Thank you for watching!
Great Job Jenn!!! Thanks for sharing such an amazing story.
I never knew! thanks for producing and posting this great vid!
Incredible work on this amazing and informative documentary. As a lifelong fan of Star Wars since first seeing it in theaters the summer of 1977. I’d hope Marcia is aware of this video
This video was very well done. I am so happy. I learned this story as a 48 year old life long fan of Star Wars. Thank you. You’ve got a new sun! Looking forward to checking out your other vids.
This was such a wonderful piece Jenniffer. So well done, you continue to impress with this series!
I can't believe all the things I've been learning from these videos. Great job on another winner!
The myth that Marcia Lucas saved Star Wars has been debunked by nerdonomous TH-cam video and J.W Rinzler’s making of Star Wars book. She’s a great editor and she and the other two editors did a great job of editing the film, like editors are supposed to do. Oh and George is also heavily involved in the editing process, but he just doesn’t put himself in the credits for that.
Literally nobody is diminishing Lucas's role in making the movies. Why are you getting all offended?
I would have guessed it's due to many of the comments on this video, rather than the video itself.
Yeah. Lots of people say "the first cut was awful, till Marcia came in and re-edited it!" But she was one of the editors that edited that first cut that was so "awful." So the editors "saved" Star Wars from themselves?
Anither fun episode! Great to lean about Marcia's history. I never knew it was her idea to have Obi-Wan sacrifice himself and become what we later knew as a force ghost. Can't imagine what all of star wars would have been like if that didn't happen.
Love this series so much! You can tell so much work has gone into making it incredibly polished and engaging.
That means a lot. Thank you!!
Fun stuff. Always nice to see more Marcia Lucas appreciation...
I always wondered how the Star Wars Prequels would have turned out if Marcia Lucas had been involved. During the Prequels, George was surrounded by a bunch of Yes Men. Marcia was one of the few individuals that could tell George bluntly if somethings works or doesn't. I think should would have steered George in a better direction.
1. The prequel movies might have turned out even worse if she had been involved. Some of her ideas for the OT were pretty bad, fortunately George didn't always listen to her.
2. George was not surrounded by a bunch of yes-men on the PT. Want to know _who_ was a yes-man, though? Gary Kurtz! He couldn't say 'no' to Irvin Kershner on TESB, causing the film to go way beyond schedule and way over budget, forcing Lucas to borrow money in order to be able to finish the film. Which is why Kurtz was let go. Interestingly enough, Kurtz almost got himself fired for exactly the same reasons on Return to Oz. Thank god Lucas stepped in and saved his neck.
3. Quite a few people advised Lucas on the PT and told him bluntly if something works or doesn't. Most notably his good friends Ron Howard and Steven Spielberg, who would frequently tell him "nope, George! Sorry, but this won't work, you'll have to find something else".
What an amazing video! Loving these Jedi Beat videos. Jennifer great job, all of your time and hard work on these really show!
GREAT video!
Thank you, Marcia, for all the great movie moments.
Thank you for telling her story. And about time. Kudos to you. 🙏
Her editing “made” Star Wars. Had it not been for Marcia, Star Wars would not have been the masterpiece we still talk about today.
Marcia Lucas is a legend!!!
George Lucas did most of the editing on the final cut of Star WArs. Martia left to work on NYNY, and Lucas did the editing on weekends while doing the FX shots.
Yes, as did Paul Hirsch and Richard Chew. I'm sorry to the other 99% commenting on here but Marcia Lucas' impact was minimal, and she'd have you believe she actually wrote, directed, and produced "Star Wars." More proof the entire dynamic of this world is topsy-turvy.
Once again, I had no idea about any of this and I hope this makes its ways to Marcia. This whole Jedi Beat series is my new favorite thing!
So well done! Love these, please keep them coming!
Thank you so much for this video. I plan to show it to my high school filmmaking students this week in class.
Wonderful that you made this!!
That's a fantastic little documentary on her! Thank you!
i was unexpectedly moved by this video. great work!
This is great! Thanks for giving us even more reasons to love Star Wars!
Excited to watch this. I had no idea how important Marcia was to Star Wars until I heard Chris Gore talk about her.
Great documentary! Marcia deserves so much more for her contributions to the original 3. Her absence from the prequels is pretty evident.
Great video! I'd heard of Marcia's influence but her story is fascinating. Thanks!
As an indie filmmaker and editor, this was such and important and enjoyable video. Thank you for making it!🎬
Great episode! Marcia Lucas is such an unsung hero ❤
What a great partnership, even if it soured at the end, better to have lived and loved this passionately and creatively.
I love the original so much. I’ve often thought that as an audience member it wasn’t so much that I wanted the Death Star destroyed, as much as I was pulling for Luke to succeed, and that’s due to Marsha’s focus on character.
Great video! Thank You! Now I will wear my Mel's Diner t-shirt even more proudly.
Great video 👏 editing is really such a complex, and difficult job (especially back then) you got yourself a new subscriber
Great video! Thanks for honoring a great editor.
Great video! Hope Marcia is gonna see it.
How cool thank you for this story. There was a time younger me wanted to go into editing.
This is so great. Thanks for posting. Had no idea how much she contributed to Star Wars. Definitely an unsung hero. And also great presentation and video. I subscribed to this channel. Well done 😊
That was so well written, and satisfying. Thank you.
Nicely done, Jen. Marcia deserves everything she has earned. I can say the night "A New Hope" opened nationwide. I saw it with my father, and we sat through it twice. We enjoyed it that much. I can understand her biase toward the Prequels. But, at least it was done by George Lucas and not JJ, "the hero killer," Abrams and that wretched hive of scum and villiany, Disney. To true, that digital has ruined movies and their luster. Thank you for giving us those great moments edited on film, Marcia. Best to you always! 🙂❤
Jennifer, and you're the greatest Storyteller. You come across so easy and personable. I can watch you over and over and enjoy it always. Keep giving us stories. Best, Tony
Good video. I certainly wouldn't have thought I'd care enough about Marcia Lucas to sit through a 26 long video.
Whenever I see Marsha's name in the credits, I always want to take a deeper look into her story. Thank you so much, Jennifer for this great piece! And thank you, Marcia for all your contributions to some of my favorite films.
Can't even get her name right, the disrespect 🤦♀🤦♀
@@flexydex8754 doh!
Great documentary! Also highly recommend "The Making of Star Wars" by J. W. Rinzler for a more detailed and nuanced perspective on how the film came together.
Good video, and glad it actually focuses on Marcia unlike some others who have tried to use her as a tool to bash George. This is how to really give her credit.
Another great episode Jen. I always new Marcia Lucas worked on Star Wars, but never how much more she contributed the the movie. I hope you continue to these, I have enjoyed them and have learned a lot. Keep it up.
I love this doc, thank you for it!
I do hope Maria sees this video. I totally love everything about her.
Great Video! Marcia is the soul of the original trilogy!
Awesome Video Jennifer. Please more of that.
Love from Germany ❤
This was an incredibly interesting and enlightening video! Well done!
Great video. Now I know who people have been going on about. Appreciate that 😊.
And she did all this when editing literally involved heavy lifting. No CGI no memory sticks. Literal film cans that weighed ridiculous amounts.
GODDAMN FANTASTIC. Marcia is a treasure. A true female cinema pioneer!!
Behind every great man.....
Makes you wonder if the prequels would have been quite different if their marriage had lasted.
@@erinm9445 I read that she cried when she watched ep. 1 because it was so bad.... I cried too.
@@davehandelman2832 😂 Yeah, I recently rewatched the prequels for the first time since the first time, when I watched them all in theaters 20 years ago. I had just finished and really enjoyed the clone wars cartoon, which made me think maybe the prequels were better than I remembered. Nope! They were so bad! And yet there is this whole generation of now-adults that grew up with them and think they're amazing and I will just never, ever understand!
@@erinm9445 If you're interested, I FANEDITED them. 1hr. 20 each. Cut ALL the crap. Lean and mean, I even made Jar Jar WORK! They're in my google cloud with a sharable link, Lemme know if you'd like to watch!
@erinm9445 I think nostalgia is part of the reason and it being some's first experience into Star Wars. It is the same with fans of the sequels. I get what George wanted to do with the prequels but it lacked the emotion Marcia would have added and had too many retcons on Anakin's background. When I saw the documentary on the prequels I could tell George had too many Yes Men around him. I don't know if anyone suggested he contact Marcia but he definitely should have. Does anyone know why Marcia wasn’t credited for Empire and ROTJ?
Thanks for bringing this beautiful piece of human history.
To say Marcia Lucas’ contributions to Star Wars is important would be an understatement, she definitely was the one who made sure some of those emotional moments really stuck with the audience and I am forever grateful for the work she did. I do wish she came back for the prequels along with Gary Kurtz so George had some more creative help because let’s face it, the prequels had incredible ideas but not always the best execution. However my only bone to pick with her, I know this sounds bad, is that she divorced George and remarried all within the same year of 1983. I know the information on that is kind of in the dark, but you can kind of put 2 and 2 together to figure out some of the stuff that happened.
God bless her too. It didn't work out with George. But she had in impact on my life too and a young age. Hearing Marcia talkabout killing Obi-Wan? She's older and so cute. Reminds me of my Grandma. She was a tiny but stern woman. But had cute stories.
Verna ROCKS. Marcia, Richard and Paul RULE!
This was a really great video. Thank you!
That trench/Deathstar battle is the best! I watch it at least once a year.
Amazing, such a positive and insightful video.
Wow, such a detailed & comprehensive history of Star Wars’ best editor ever. I’ve been asking the woman who runs the podcast You Must Remember This to do a Marcia Lucas retrospective for years, but she hasn’t got the courage. Her husband is Rian Johnson & it’s very well known in Lucasfilm circles not to mention Marcia. All because she fell into the loving arms of the carpenter, when George couldn’t satisfy her. He was quite mousey, so ya can’t really blame her.
In an interview that Marcia gave just after her divorce from George, she did not mention that George was the problem other than that he was not supporting her emotionally when being fully engulfed in building his businesses Lucasfilm and ILM.
Marcia stated that she had not wanted the divorce from George, and that it was George's parents and his director friend Martin Scorsese, who had been driving a wedge between Marcia and George for years. George was seldom there to stand up for her because of his busy schedule, so she finally caved to the pressure from George's parents and Scorsese.
Consider the possibility that Marcia has a 'Me Too' grievance with Scorsese whom she had worked closely with in the late 70's and early 80's. She was a beautiful woman, so it is not that far fetched to imagine. If George, being Scorsese friend, didn't stand up for Marcia then with a lightsabre, cutting through Scorsese office door, and make Scorsese "Sh"t" himself for disrespecting his and Marcia's marriage, then the only thing that Marcia could do was to take up with the best Tom, Dick or Harry she could find instead, and that was literally Tom Rodriguez.
Learn to read between the lines of what people are saying...
Love the classic Star Wars, love the Prequels and dislike the sequels and I am appreciative of Marcia Lucas contributions to my favorite movie series Star Wars and Indiana Jones..
Fascinating story, and gave me some insight in what it is an editor does. Thanks.
I just found you. What a wonderful YT channel!
I've always thought there were two magical keys to the original '77 Star Wars: the studio demanding Lukas listen to Campbell and Marcia doing final editing. He had neither for the later prequels, no one to tell him no to Jar Jar Binks and several other issues, and then nothing for the Disneyifcation of the later movies.
_no one to tell him no to Jar Jar Binks and several other issues_
Except there were quite a few people who told him 'no'. His good friends Robert Zemeckis, Ron Howard, and Steven Spielberg, for starters, who wouldn't hesitate to tell him "nope! Sorry, George, but this won't work. You'll have to find something else". Actors, who challenged Lucas, such as Christopher Lee, who refused to have his character beg for his life, as written in the script, because he thought that Dooku would rather die with dignity. And Lucas listened. Rick McCallum, I think, who had serious doubts about Jar Jar.
But Lucas thought the film needed a comic relief, a funny, goofy, annoying, character _à la_ Buster Keaton. He thought the kids would love him (he was wrong) and he even let his young son Jett name the character, but he knew all along there was a fairly strong possibility that Jar Jar would be poorly received by the audiences, just like young Anakin (he was right).
Still, he dug his heels in because just like with the OT, he always had final say and full creative control. Heck, he even said no to Marcia when she insisted to keep the scenes on Tatooine with Luke hanging out with Biggs and his friends, at the beginning of the movie. Lucas said no because he thought the scenes were not very good in the first place, and most importantly, they slowed down the pace of the film. Lucas thought it was better to focus only on the Tantive IV being boarded by the Imperial troops, and to introduce Luke later on in the story. Lucas also said no to Marcia when she asked him to finish the scene with Han and Jabba in the hangar, and then include it in the film.
_and then nothing for the Disneyifcation of the later movies_
The "Disneyification" of Star Wars began the moment Lucas became a father. Which resulted in Return of the Jedi, with Jabba and his court straight from the Muppets Show, and the cute little teddy bears that manage to defeat the Imperial troops.
Excellent! Thank You!