Marcia Lucas, the Oscar-winning editor of the original Star Wars film and a key figure in the New Hollywood era, has died at the age of 80. Her attorney, Deidre Von Rock, confirmed that Lucas died on Wednesday from metastatic cancer at her home in Rancho Mirage, California, surrounded by loved ones.
Lucas won an Academy Award for editing the 1977 blockbuster Star Wars, alongside co-editors Paul Hirsch and Richard Chew. She was married to Star Wars creator George Lucas from 1969 until their separation in 1983. Her influence on the film was profound; she convinced George Lucas that Obi-Wan Kenobi should die in his duel with Darth Vader and become a spirit guide, and she shaped the complex Death Star attack sequence from thousands of feet of raw footage.
Beyond Star Wars, Lucas edited Martin Scorsese's Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), Taxi Driver (1976), and New York, New York (1977). She also contributed to Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), insisting that the character Marion be shown alive at the film's end. Her work on American Graffiti earned her a first Oscar nomination.
Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, remembered Lucas as 'not just a gifted, innovative artist, she also happened to be a genuinely nice person.' Lucasfilm paid tribute, saying it was 'deeply saddened' by her death. A family statement described her work as known for its 'emotional intelligence, rhythm, and humanity.'
Lucas met George Lucas while working as an assistant editor on a documentary. She edited his early films THX 1138 and American Graffiti. After their marriage ended, she said George's dedication to work left little room for joy: 'I wanted to stop and smell the flowers. I wanted joy in my life. And George just didn't.'
