Director of The Empire Strikes Back passes after a long illness...

The Associated Press is reporting that Irvin Kershner, director of the critically-acclaimed sequel to Star Wars, has passed away in Los Angeles following a long illness. He was 87.

Born in Philadelphia, PA in 1923, Kershner's first love was music. He studied the violin, viola, and composition at Philadelphia's Temple University. He later moved on to painting and then photography, where he attended the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. Finally, Kershner began his film career at University of Southern California's acclaimed School of Cinematic Arts.

After a foray into government-sponsored still photography projects in Iran, Kershner returned to the States and co-developed a documentary film series called Confidential File. This led to Kershner directing the short-lived television series The Rebel, as well as several TV pilots, including Peyton's Place and Philip Marlowe. A feature film career followed, with Kershner at the helm of such films as The Flim-Flam Man, The Return of a Man Called Horse, and Eyes of Laura Mars. His television movie Raid on Entebbe was nominated for nine Emmys, including a nomination for Best Direction.

But it was his foray into the Star Wars universe that made Kershner a household name. When approached by Star Wars creator George Lucas to direct the sequel to his smash hit, Kershner was initially incredulous at the offer and refused. After meetings with his agent and Lucas, however, Kershner relented and went on to direct what is widely considered to be the best Star Wars film and one of the most popular sci-fi/fantasy movies in history.

Kershner directed only a handful of films after Empire, including Never Say Never Again in 1983 and Robocop II in 1990, to mixed reviews. His final go-round in the director's chair saw Kershner helming several Seaquest DSV television episodes in 1993. In recent years, Kershner stayed busy working on photography series and small-budget films as a member of faculty at USC's Master of Professional Writing Program.

CinemaBlend

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