Richard Marquand
| Richard Marquand | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
22 April 1938 Llanishen, Cardiff, Wales, UK |
| Died |
4 September 1987 (aged 49) Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, UK |
| Occupation | Film director |
Richard Marquand (22 April 1938 – 4 September 1987) was a British film director best known for directing Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. He has also directed the critically acclaimed 1981 drama film Eye of the Needle and the 1985 thriller Jagged Edge.
Early life
Marquand was born in Llanishen, Cardiff, Wales, the younger brother of the political writer and academic David Marquand and the son of Rachel E. (née Rees) and Hilary Marquand, who was a Labour member of Parliament and Minister in the Post Second World War Labour Government.[1] Richard Marquand was educated at Emmanuel School, the University of Aix in Aix en Provence, Fance and King's College, Cambridge. During National Service he studied Mandarin and was posted to Hong Kong where he also read the news on the English language Hong Kong Television.
Career
By the late 1960s, Marquand had begun a career writing and directing television documentaries for the BBC, where he worked on projects such as the 1972 series Search for the Nile and an edition of One Pair of Eyes (1968),[2] about the novelist Margaret Drabble who had been a friend of his at Cambridge.[3] He collaborated with the celebrated foreign correspondent, James Cameron, (not to be confused with the director) on a long running series called "Cameron Country" for BBC TV and also with John Pilger of the Guardian on a series of films for Independent TV.
In 1979, Marquand incorporated many of his documentary techniques in his biographical television movie Birth of the Beatles.
On the strength of his direction of the 1981 feature, Eye of the Needle, Marquand was hired by producer George Lucas to direct Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.[4] In his commentary track on the DVD, Lucas explains that Marquand "had done some great suspense films and was really good with actors. Eye of the Needle was the film I'd seen that he had done that impressed me the most, it was really nicely done and had a lot of energy and suspense." Marquand is the only non-American to have directed a Star Wars movie.
Marquand subsequently directed the 1985 courtroom thriller Jagged Edge, starring Jeff Bridges and Glenn Close.
In 1987, Marquand died of a stroke at the age of 49. His last film, Hearts of Fire, starring Bob Dylan, was released posthumously.[5]
His son James Marquand is also a director.
References
- ↑ Richard Marquand Biography (1937-)
- ↑ One Pair of Eyes: Margaret Drabble, BBC2, 9 March 1968, BBC Archive site
- ↑ Margaret Drabble "Once upon a life: Margaret Drabble", The Guardian, 5 December 2010
- ↑ Richard Marquand > Biography - AllMovie, retrieved September 25, 2010.
- ↑ Richard Marquand > Biography - AllMovie, retrieved September 25, 2010.
External links
- Richard Marquand at the Internet Movie Database
- Richard Marquand at AllRovi
- Richard Marquand at Find a Grave
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