Marcia Lucas, Oscar-winning film editor of 'Star Wars,' dies at 80

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Marcia Lucas, the Oscar-winning film editor of “Star Wars,” died Wednesday in Rancho Mirage after a battle with cancer.She was 80.“Marcia will be remembered as a brilliant storyteller, a trailblazer for women in film, a loving mother and grandmother, a generous host, and a loyal friend whose humor and sparkle filled every room she entered.

Her influence on film is indelible, but those who knew her best will remember the way she made life feel more vivid, more beautiful, more fun, and more full of love,” a family statement said.“Her work was known for its emotional intelligence, rhythm, and humanity — a rare ability to find the truth of a scene and bring heart, momentum, and clarity to the screen.”Marcia, who was married to George Lucas for more than a decade, was widely regarded as instrumental in making the “Star Wars” trilogy the juggernaut it became.

But she garnered urban legend status for making the call to kill off one major and beloved character.“If there was anything that was dramatic or emotional, George gave it to Marcia and George always said: keep one person whose opinion you trust to the very end, and that was Marcia,” said editor and director Duwayne Dunham.She also co-edited “American Graffiti,” which nabbed her an Oscar nomination, Martin Scorsese’s “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” “Taxi Driver,” “New York, New York,” and then in 1978, she won an Oscar for “Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope,” alongside co-editors Richard Chew and Paul Hirsch.Mark Hamill, who starred as Luke Skywalker in the “Star Wars” franchise, posted a tribute to Lucas on social media, writing that he and his wife, Marilou York, are deeply saddened by the loss of their “lifelong friend, Marcia.”“Not just a gifted, innovative artist, she also happened to be a genuinely nice person,” he continued.

“Smart, funny, & just plain fu...