Death of Gloria Katz, screenwriter for Indiana Jones and American Graffiti, at the age of 76



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LOS ANGELES, United States (AP) – A Hollywood writer and director announced the death of his long-time wife and collaborator, Gloria Katz, who co-wrote "American Graffiti" and helped give Princess Leia her power in "Star Wars". was 76.

Willard Huyck told The Hollywood Reporter that Katz had passed away Sunday, on the occasion of his 49th wedding anniversary, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after fighting cancer against him. ovary.

The couple shared an Oscar nomination with director George Lucas for "American Graffiti" and secretly tampered with his screenplay for "Star Wars". According to the reporter, Katz reportedly said he had fashioned Carrie Fisher's Leia into someone who "can take orders", and not just beautiful woman who dragged herself to be saved. "

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They also wrote the screenplay of Indiana Jones and Steven Spielberg's Cursed Temple, which Lucas produced, and then co-authored with "Lucky Lady," "Messiah of Evil," "French Postcards," "Best Defense," " Howard the duck, "and" Radioland murders. "

Born in Los Angeles on October 25, 1942, the Jewish Katz specializes in English at the University of California at Berkeley, then obtains a Master's degree in Film at UCLA. In 1969, she married Huyck, an academic friend of Lucas at the University of Southern California.

According to the reporter, Katz reportedly said in an interview in 2017 that Lucas wanted her husband "to talk about the cruise for American Graffiti, and I came with the package."

Princess Leia, come to a book festival near you? (photo credit: LucusFilm)

Princess Leia performed by Carrie Fisher in 'Star Wars' (LucusFilm)

She said Lucas had "a lot of reservations" about his "Star Wars" screenplay, as the shoot would begin.

He said, "Polis-le – write everything you want and then I'll go through it and see what I need," she said. "George did not want anyone to know we had worked on the script, so we were in a cone of silence."

Katz said that she and Huyck had tried to add as much humor as possible and had written about 30% of the dialogue of the film.

Katz was on the board of directors of the Writers Guild, was a consultant at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which will open next year, and presided over the Photographic Arts Council Los Angeles.

Survivors include their daughter, Rebecca.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

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