Gary Kurtz, producer and creative partner of George Lucas for the first two Stars Wars movies, has died. They didn’t always see eye to eye but Kurtz contributed significantly to the visuals, story and dialogue especially the concept of ‘the force’ stemming from Kurtz’s religious background. They were expecting only a modest success when Stars Wars launched and were astonished when it turned in three quarters of a billion dollars at the box office and spawned a franchise. Kurtz and Lucas were introduced out of film school by Francis Ford Coppola, and their first joint venture American Graffiti was a success.
Born 27 July 1940 8.47 am Los Angeles, Kurtz had an extraordinarily Fixed chart with a Sun Pluto in Leo square a Taurus Moon and Mars in Leo square an exact Saturn Jupiter conjunction in Taurus and Uranus in Taurus in the 8th – pretty unbudgeable when he made up his mind. After the first two Stars Wars he thought Lucas was more concerned with money and the toy business and less about making quality films.
Kurtz, seemingly known as a gentle soul, had a charming Venus in Gemini in his 10th square Neptune on his Virgo Ascendant. His filmic Neptune was in a creative trine to Uranus, sextile Mercury in Cancer.
Lucas, 14 May 1944 5.40am Modesto, California, has an equally Fixed chart with his Taurus Sun on the Ascendant square Jupiter in Leo; and a 10th house Aquarius Moon opposition Jupiter Pluto in Leo square Venus Mercury in Taurus. So just as stubborn when he’d decided on a course of action. He benefited also from a talented Grand Trine of Neptune trine midheaven trine Uranus, formed into a Kite by MC opposition the North Node. That tied him firmly into the mood of the moment.
Kurtz despite the millions he made from Stars Wars 1 & 11, went bankrupt thereafter and never regained the heights. His Jupiter Saturn perhaps the cause, which can for some, can fly them too high and then do the reverse.
Their relationship chart had a lucky, mutually supportive composite Sun Venus on the point of a T Square to filmic Neptune opposition the composite Moon. So it was a positive partnership for a while. But there was also a power-struggling composite Pluto Mars sextile a tension-erupting Uranus Saturn Venus. When they split in 1983 tr Neptune was undermining their lucky T square; and tr Saturn just into Scorpio was in hard aspect to their Fixed planets, followed shortly after by tr Pluto in Scorpio – so a tough separation.