Image Credit: © & TM Lucasfilm, LtdGeorge Lucas will always be known as the genius behind Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Darth Vader. But it was Irvin Kershner, a professorial and genteel man of the old school, who directed the film most Star Wars aficionados consider the greatest chapter in the saga, 1980′s The Empire Strikes Back. It was to Kershner’s credit that he never jockeyed for the limelight or clawed for the credit. He was a quiet craftsman who believed in letting the images he put on screen speak for him. The news that Kershner passed away earlier today leaves a giant black hole in a galaxy far far away and in the hearts of fans in this one.
Kershner was a graduate of USC film school and years later he taught a young, like-minded student named George Lucas. But before that fateful classroom encounter, Kershner would earn his stripes producing documentaries for the U.S. Information Service in the Middle East in the early ’50s. Like so many filmmakers of the late ’50s and ’60s, one of his first Hollywood writing/directing assignments came from indie legend Roger Corman, in 1958′s noirish Stakeout on Dope Street. Afterwards, he bounced around as a TV director on such shows as The Rebel, Ben Casey, and Naked City. In 1966, he directed a clean-cut Sean Connery as a Casanova poet in A Fine Madness. It wasn’t one of Kershner’s or Connery’s better-known films, but the collaboration paved the way for the two to reunite on 1983′s unsanctioned Bond flick, Never Say Never Again.
While Kershner will always be remembered for helming the darkest and most adult entry in the Star Wars saga in which the world was introduced to far-out places like the ice planet Hoth and a wizened and wrinkled sage named Yoda (not a bad way to remembered, by the way), there are several other films on his resumé that remain unsung and show off his ease in a variety of genres. In 1970′s Loving, he directed George Segal as a man grappling with the early onset of a mid-life crisis, juggling an extramarital affair. In 1977, he directed the ambitious TV movie Raid on Entebbe about a daring Israeli hostage rescue, which received nine Emmy nominations. And in 1978′s disco-era thriller Eyes of Laura Mars, he guided Faye Dunaway (and a young Tommy Lee Jones) as a photographer who shares visions with a serial killer. In the ’90s, Kershner returned to science fiction with 1990′s sequel RoboCop 2 and the TV series SeaQuest 2032.
Later in life, Kershner liked to tell the story of how he got the Empire Strikes Back gig. When Lucas offered the job to the then-57-year-old Kershner over lunch, he asked, “Of all the younger guys around, all the hot shots, why me?” Lucas replied, “Well, because you know everything a Hollywood director is supposed to know, but you’re not Hollywood.” Kershner turned down the offer at first. But his agent begged him to reconsider. He did. And for that, a generation of moviegoers will always be thankful. May the force be with you, sir.
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Irving Kershner, director of ‘Empire Strikes Back,’ dies
RIP to the director of my favorite Star Wars film.
Ditto that sentiment. And another reason to watch the Oscars as they will most certainly memorialize snippets from his life. RIP, Mr. Kershner. You done good.
Absolutely agree, the finest Star Wars movie ever made, and let’s be honest without it, Star Wars would not have achieved its place in history. I still say to this day only A New Hope and Empire are the good movies out of all 6
Empire Strikes Back-will always be the best one.
It was nice to watch the marathon on Spike Tv this weekend-makes me miss him more.
There can be no doubt that The Empire Strikes Back is considered the best installment in the Star Wars series. Irving Keshner’s contribution to this still thriving franchise ever known in motion picture history will not be forgotten even if his name is not as well known to the likes of Spielberg,Scorsese, Alltman(sp.) and yes, even Lucas himself. Thanks for giving the audience one hell of a ride in 1980 and on, Mister K.
” Well Your worship looks like you managed to keep me here a little longer”
” I had nothing to do with it. Gen.Rieken thinks its unsafe for anyone to leave”
” Sure, I think you just cant bare to take your gorgeous eyes off me.”
” I dont know where you get your
delusions Laser-BRAIN!”
” Laugh it UP FuzzBall!-You didn’t see us in the south passage where she expressed her true feelings for me?”
” MY-WHY YOU, half-witted, stuck-up, Scruffy Looking-NERF-HERDER!”
One of my fav. scenes. Thank you Irvin. May the Force be With you. RIP.
Just a little correction:
“That’s a good story. I just think you can’t bare to let a gorgeous guy like me outta your sight.”
Wow and people complain about the prequal dialouge?
One could argue that because of his contributions to Empire (the moody images, the allowances of Ford ad-libbing, etc), Star Wars was heightened to the level where most of us fondly place it. But think about it – for all its innovation, the original Star Wars touched because it was a uniquely big-budget take on the oldest story ever told, Return of the Jedi was a fun action flick, and the prequels…well…at least they’re pretty. Empire Strikes Back is perhaps the only great film of the lot, in terms of direction, dialogue, mis-en-scene, etc. RIP Mr. Kershner, and thanks for igniting the imaginations of fanboys the world over.
Empire Strikes Back is definitely the best. Sorry that Kershner is gone.
I remember watching Empire for the first time when I was 9. I had no idea that a movie could end with the bad guys winning. Lucky for me it was 1990 and I was able to pop in Jedi as soon as it was over. He’s the man.
Thanks so much, Chris and EW, for this loving tribute to Kersh’s work. In light of Leslie Nielsen’s passing, I doubt many other media outlets will give this amazing director his proper due, but his contribution to ‘Empire’ alone is worthy of rapturous acclaim. Listen to him on the movie’s DVD commentary track, and you’ll hear a passionate, good-humored artisan who clearly relished the challenge of drawing out the humanity in Lucas’ characters. Rest in peace, Kersh.
Thanks old man for giving us the best declaration of love in film history and a reason for my love of Science fiction and fantasy films!! We’ll miss you, may be the force be with you?
I have watched “Empire” twice already this year in celebration of it’s 30th anniversary. It is almost fitting that he passed the same year as the anniversary in an odd serendipitous way. He truly WILL be remembered forever as the man who directed the best film of the Saga. RIP Kersh…(wipes tear)
Kershner was a genius! of course I loved “Empire Strikes Back”, but I say he is a genius because (as a fan of Streisand myself) I believe he managed to get the best acting out of Streisand’s whole career in his film “Up The Sandbox”. He managed to light, direct and convince Streisand to avoid doing all those typical “antics” she is so famous for in all her other films. So, for being able to “control” her in order to get the best out of her, he is definitely a genius!
Thanks for making one of my all time favorite films and giving me endless hours of happiness
I couldn’t have said my better myself!
may the force be with him. rip sir!
I’d say that I just watched this on Spike TV (but I can’t really think of a time when I don’t watch these).
I believe he was hesitant to take Empire on because he felt sequels were never as good as the originals. But, then he made one of the best sequels ever made.
I will never forget seeing Empire in the theater as a kid. The audience applauded each character’s first appearance on the screen (that never happens in sequels nowadays, does it?) and I didn’t realize that I wasn’t even eating my popcorn and was holding my bucket super tightly for almost the entire movie until I finally let go shortly after Han was frozen. Talk about tension! It’s a fabulous movie that holds up after all these years, and I always admired Kersh’s work. RIP, sir. May the force be with you.
the audience applauded when Batman appeared onscreen in the Dark Knight or Aragorn in the Two Towers