A few weeks back, I wrote an editorial called The Original, Original Star Wars Trilogy on DVD." In that piece, I covered a number of issues about the release of the original "unedited" versions of the first trilogy on DVD, but one section seemed to catch everyone's attention. It was a section on George Lucas' ex-wife and editor, Marcia. What I basically was alleging was that Lucas' Special Edition timing was more than just about artistic vision, it was also about making sure that his ex-wife got little or next to nothing when he re-released them. I got a lot of e-mail and replies. Most were positive and could understand the situation, but some were critical and called the theory half-baked, or worse, refusing to believe that Lucas could ever possibly do something so bitter and mean.
Folks, all I can do is report the news and rumors as they come in. I validate them as best I can and make sure I'm thorough in interviewing the sources to make sure they're not just blowing smoke. The original source is someone I trust implicitly and know for a fact is legit, so keep that in mind. The choice to believe it or not is up to you.
Enough preamble, however. Recently I received yet another e-mail from, once again, a source I trust. This is an independent source, not related to the original. This person knows an industry guy and had a long talk with him over lunch about Star Wars a few years ago (long before the prequels). The talk faded away until he read my original article. This jogged his memory and he decided to write in. Rather than me explain the whole thing, I'll just post the e-mail verbatim with the names removed since the source asked me to. Here's the text:
Just wanted to drop you a line to tell you how much I loved your articles about the forthcoming DVDs this Fall. An Old friend of mine [Name Withheld] once told me about the situation between Lucas and his ex-wife, Marcia. This was back in the mid-90's, so I truly believe what you wrote. I met [Name Withheld] once and spoke to him on many occasions. He is a really nice guy and knew quite a few people in the industry. I spent an afternoon with him, where he explained to me why the prequels took so long and about the special editions.
From what he told me, the changes Lucas made to the originals were done mainly due to artistic decision. One of the first changes made to the original was the scene where Han Solo meets Jabba the Hutt. But, as he later explained, more changes were made so as to not let Marcia cash in on the films later.
A 20th anniversary re-release was always in the plans, but Lucas did not want Marcia to benefit from this. California divorce laws give a lot of pull to the wife (even though she left him, he wasn't cheating on her). Her contribution as editor was rightly paid off, but with the special editions, her role was severely diminished and, in fact, more credit was given to George and Rick McCallum.
As for the long years leading up to the prequels, he told me about a statute of limitations of some sort and that after a certain time period, Marcia could no longer benefit from all things Star Wars. That statute ended in the early 1990's.
The release of the novel, "Heir to the Empire" was the beginning of the "new" Star Wars era, i.e., Lucas having total control. The books and games that came out proved that there was an interest in Star Wars and it helped to bankroll the film. According to [Name Withheld], Marcia did not benefit from this.
Make no mistake about it, Lucas directing all three prequels wasn't simply a matter of him "having the time." He wanted ABSOLUTE control, making sure all of the profits went to him, where he could reward those that have done right by him. I have seen him in many interviews and he still comes across as someone who is still bitter about the past. It seems like he lightened up, just a bit, for Episode III.
Sorry for the long explanation. I hope it cleared up a few things. Personally, I do not think I will buy the OT on DVD this fall. My laserdisc still works well and if I have to get up to flip the disc, so be it. I need the exercise.
Take care!
So there it is, once again. Now I want to make it clear that I'm not writing these pieces to trash Lucas. In fact, I quite agree with his methods from a certain point of view. Divorce laws in today's day and age are extremely biased and need to change. They're completely unfair to the man in situations where the woman really doesn't lose much in the deal. Years ago, women gave up everything to stay home and if left, had no way to rebuild a career, especially with kids. Nowadays, women are in a much better position and many of them maintain careers alongside their husbands, some making much more money in the process. The laws need to be looked at on an individual basis... but this is another argument.
My point is, I don't hate Lucas for doing what he did, if this is true. Frankly, as I've said before, I could care less about his personal issues with Marcia. I just report the news and rumors as they arrive. Mostly, I just wanted to corroborate the previous article. Unfortunately, it's with more rumor but when two of the same thing come in from independent sources, it's enough to at least make you think. Still think I'm nuts? You may be right. All I know is I'd love to have lunch with Marcia Lucas someday.