LOS ANGELES (AP) — Marcia Lucas, who won an Oscar as the editor of the original 1977 "Star Wars" film, has died, her family's lawyer said Friday.
Marcia Lucas, who was married to "Star Wars" creator George Lucas from 1969 to 1983, died Wednesday of metastatic cancer, her attorney, Deirdre von Rock, told The Associated Press in an email. Marcia Lucas died in Rancho Mirage, California, surrounded by loved ones, von Rock said. She was 80 years old.
Marcia Lucas edited the 1983 film Return of the Jedi, as well as George Lucas's pre-Star Wars films THX 1138 and American Graffiti.
She also served on the editing team for Martin Scorsese's 1970s films Taxi Driver, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, and New York, New York.
Marcia Lucas has often been called the overlooked star of Star Wars, the original film that, after sequels, prequels, and spin-offs, became known by its subtitle, A New Hope.
She convinced her husband, George, that he should take Obi-Wan Kenobi, played by Alec Guinness, with him on his lightsaber battle with Darth Vader and become a spiritual mentor to Luke Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill.
She had to deal with raw footage that, in the wrong hands, could have become a complete mess, including the Rebels' climactic attack on the Death Star.
«"It was incredibly challenging; we had 40,000 feet of pilot dialogue saying this and that. And she had to sift through all that and add all the fight scenes," George Lucas told Rolling Stone magazine in an interview a few months after the film's phenomenal release. "Nobody had ever tried to weave a storyline into a dogfight before, and we tried to do that.".
After her divorce from George Lucas, she was married to Tom Rodriguez, a production manager at the Skywalker Ranch production center, from 1983 to 1993.
She is survived by her daughters, Amanda Lucas and Amy Soper, and grandchildren Felix Hallikainen, Eliana Hallikainen and Knox Soper.
«"Her impact on cinema is indelible, but those who knew her best will remember how she made life brighter, more beautiful, more joyful, and more loving," the family said in a statement. "Her work was renowned for its emotional depth, rhythm, and humanity—a rare ability to find truth in a scene and bring soul, dynamism, and clarity to the screen.".