Richard Marquand

Richard Marquand is best known as the director of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi. He is also known for his other works, including the World War II thriller Eye of the Needle, starring Donald Sutherland, and Jagged Edge. Marquand portrayed the AT-ST pilot Major Marquand in Return of the Jedi. He also voiced EV-9D9, Jabba's droid. His son is Jim Marquand.
Following the release of Return of the Jedi, Marquand expressed an interest in directing one of the prequel films.The Cinema of George Lucas, p. 141 However, he died of a stroke on September 4, 1987, at the age of 49. His final film, Hearts of Fire, was released later that year, and included Julian Glover in a role.
==Biography==
===Directing===
Many of the cast members and production staff reported various difficulties with Marquand as a director, although reports were sometimes contradictory. Marquand was relatively inexperienced with film, coming from a television background, and as a result Lucas was on hand at almost all times during shooting to ensure that the production went smoothly. According to Robert Watts, "George came and he never left; Richard couldn't grasp it and George was concerned, so he never left." Kit West said that "George was on his shoulder the whole time."
Norman Reynolds commented on Marquand: "He tried to make the best of it, really, and I think he did."
===Editing===
Marquand and his editor Sean Barton created the first cut of Return of the Jedi after principal photography finished. The cut was not well-received by Lucas, prompting him to take over editing for subsequent cuts. Howard Roffman reports that "George knew it wasn't going to be good" even before the first cut was screened. Barton admitted "We didn't get it right for George," and Steve Starkey remarked that "Richard had interpreted George incorrectly or his instincts were moving in a different direction." However, Lucas acknowledged that "The first cut on a film is never wonderful."
===Relationship with cast and crew===
Carrie Fisher complained about Marquand at length in interviews, reporting that the director didn't treat her or Mark Hamill well. She recounted one event where Marquand told her she was "f*cking up" a shot, causing her to cry. Fisher remarked that Marquand was "great to Harrison." Harrison Ford recalled getting along well with Marquand, but according to Sean Barton, "Harrison didn't take to Richard at all." Mark Hamill said "I liked Richard very much, he was very personable" and that "I was surprised that Carrie had problems."
==Sources==
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*The Star Wars Archives: Episodes IV–VI, 1977–1983
*Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – The Official Collector's Edition
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==Notes and references==
==External links==
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Category:Deceased actors
Category:Directors
Category:Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi production staff
Category:Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi voice actors