Irvin Kershner (1923-2010) was born in Philadelphia, began as a documentary and television director and taught at the University of Southern California, where George Lucas was among his students. His early films, such as A Fine Madness (1966) and Eyes of Laura Mars (1978), were small, odd and character-led. Lucas then hired him for The Empire Strikes Back (1980), widely considered the best Star Wars film for its darker tone and the famous revelation near its end. He later directed Never Say Never Again (1983) and RoboCop 2 (1990).
Filmography
- A Fine Madness (1966)
- The Flim-Flam Man (1967)
- Up the Sandbox (1972)
- S*P*Y*S (1974)
- Raid on Entebbe (1976)
- The Return of a Man Called Horse (1976)
- Eyes of Laura Mars (1978)
- The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- Never Say Never Again (1983)
- RoboCop 2 (1990)