Gary Kurtz was the producer on Star Wars and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Many fans have claimed the decline in the quality of Star Wars films is due to his absence.
Kurtz claimed that he and Lucas clashed over how to progress the Star Wars series, Kurtz recallled that after Raiders of the Lost Ark Lucas became convinced audiences no longer cared about the story, they were simply there for thrills and entertainment. He went on to produce The Dark Crystal and Return to Oz after departing from Star Wars. In interviews Kurtz has expressd his dissatisfaction with Episodes VI and I. His opinion on Episode II is currently unknown.
Kurtz and Lucas also collaborated on American Graffiti.
External links
Gary Kurtz on the IMDB