Photo: Rodrigo Vaz/FilmMagic
Gloria Katz, who received an Academy Award nomination for her work onAmerican Graffiti, passed away on Sunday. She was 76.
The screenwriter passed away at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on her 49th wedding anniversary to husband Willard Huyck, after a battle with ovarian cancer, Huyck toldThe Hollywood Reporter. The pair married in 1969.
“Very sad news to report tonight. Gloria Katz, who wrote INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM for us with her husband Willard Huyck, has passed away,” the production companywrote. “Our deepest condolences to Mr. Huyck and loved ones.”
In addition to writing the script for the beloved Indiana Jones film, Katz and her husband also wrote the script forAmerican Graffitialongside George Lucas, and the pair were also called in to polish the script for his firstStar Warsfilm.
Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz.Denver Post via Getty
In a 2017 interview withThe Mary Sue, Katz shared that she and her husband became involved with the film after working with Lucas onAmerican Graffiti.
“George was writing the script and he had a lot of reservations about it, but he knew filming had to start. He said, ‘Polish it–write anything you want and then I’ll go over it and see what I need.’ George didn’t want anyone to know we worked on the script, so we were in a cone of silence,” she said.
According to Katz, the pair, who ended up writing about 30 percent of the dialogue, “just tried to help with the characterization, to add as much humor as possible.”
The husband-and-wife team also played a huge part in shapingPrincess Leia.
Listing the character traits they thought the character needed, Katz said that it was important “to write her as really focused, instead of just a beautiful woman that schlepped along to be saved.”
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ActressLea Thompson, who appeared in another of Katz and her husband’s films,Howard the Duck, paid tribute to Katz following news of her death.
“My friend Gloria Katz just passed away. She was the producer writer of #HowardtheDuck she was funny and wry and beautiful. She also worked on #americangraffiti and #StarWars this photo is from one of the long nights of shooting. #Rip Gloria. And thanks,” she wrote.
source: people.com
