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Howard Kazanjian: A Producer's Life
A captivating exploration of the life, work, and insider insight of legendary film producer Howard Kazanjian
Howard Kazanjian had already worked with such master directors as Alfred Hitchcock, Robert Wise, Billy Wilder, and Sam Peckinpah when he was recruited by his University of Southern California classmate George Lucas to be vice president of production on The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Return of the Jedi, among other films. In a career spanning 50 years in the industry, Kazanjian has witnessed the transition of Hollywood from its twilight age to the digital world of today. His stories from the frontlines on the set, granting insight into the techniques and personalities of some of Hollywood’s finest, illustrated with rare archival photographs, makes this a must-own volume for every cinephile.
Howard Kazanjian had already worked with such master directors as Alfred Hitchcock, Robert Wise, Billy Wilder, and Sam Peckinpah when he was recruited by his University of Southern California classmate George Lucas to be vice president of production on The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Return of the Jedi, among other films. In a career spanning 50 years in the industry, Kazanjian has witnessed the transition of Hollywood from its twilight age to the digital world of today. His stories from the frontlines on the set, granting insight into the techniques and personalities of some of Hollywood’s finest, illustrated with rare archival photographs, makes this a must-own volume for every cinephile.
- GenresBiographyNonfictionFilm
408 pages, Hardcover
Published September 14, 2021
9 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
About the author
J.W. Rinzler
64 books103 followersJ. W. Rinzler has authored over 20 books including two New York Times bestsellers and a #1 best-selling graphic novel. With more than 600,000 copies in print, his books have been translated into seven languages.
J. W. Rinzler grew up in Manhattan, New York City, and then in Berkeley, California. He fell in love with old monster films, such as Dracula and Frankenstein, as well as Robin Hood and other adventure movies. He was an avid comic-book and novel reader, an intrepid moviegoer, and had his mind blown by The Beatles, Star Trek, Bruce Lee, Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, Frank Frazetta, Michelangelo, and Mad Magazine.
Rinzler drew his own comic books (badly), then, in his 20s, moved onto figurative oil painting (okay-ly, but self-taught). He lived in France for almost 10 years, where he began writing. Back in the USA, he worked as executive editor at Lucasfilm for fifteen years, chronicling the work of George Lucas and his genial collaborators in a series of books about Star Wars and Indiana Jones.
During this time, Rinzler also directed and wrote an animated short Riddle of the Black Cat, based on an Edgar Allan Poe story, which was accepted into several festivals, including the Montreal World Film Festival.
His latest book is an epic historical fiction thriller called ALL UP, an epic about the first Space Age, published in July 2020. The sequel will be out in a year or two...
Meanwhile his book on Howard Kazanjian, producer, is due in May 2021; and on Kubrick's The Shining in fall 2021.
Rinzler is married and has two daughters and one grandson. He lives on the northern California coast.
J. W. Rinzler grew up in Manhattan, New York City, and then in Berkeley, California. He fell in love with old monster films, such as Dracula and Frankenstein, as well as Robin Hood and other adventure movies. He was an avid comic-book and novel reader, an intrepid moviegoer, and had his mind blown by The Beatles, Star Trek, Bruce Lee, Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, Frank Frazetta, Michelangelo, and Mad Magazine.
Rinzler drew his own comic books (badly), then, in his 20s, moved onto figurative oil painting (okay-ly, but self-taught). He lived in France for almost 10 years, where he began writing. Back in the USA, he worked as executive editor at Lucasfilm for fifteen years, chronicling the work of George Lucas and his genial collaborators in a series of books about Star Wars and Indiana Jones.
During this time, Rinzler also directed and wrote an animated short Riddle of the Black Cat, based on an Edgar Allan Poe story, which was accepted into several festivals, including the Montreal World Film Festival.
His latest book is an epic historical fiction thriller called ALL UP, an epic about the first Space Age, published in July 2020. The sequel will be out in a year or two...
Meanwhile his book on Howard Kazanjian, producer, is due in May 2021; and on Kubrick's The Shining in fall 2021.
Rinzler is married and has two daughters and one grandson. He lives on the northern California coast.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 24, 2023
I don't want to drone on, so I'll break this down to 5 critical points for its rating.
1. The actual format of the book - at least the edition I read - is dreadful. The text layouts are completely wrong for this edition and seem much more like a poorly-reformatted large-format coffee table book.
2. The rabbit holes into the life of George Lucas and Lucasfilm. If and when relevant to his life and career, these totally make sense. But too often the book detours into more about the history of the world's favorite space fantasy without relating it through the lens of Kazanjian's life or perspective.
3. Marcia Lucas. I appreciate hearing from Marcia Lucas, but there are detours of enough significance that she takes over the narrative for brief stretches. This is not her fault, but that of the author for focusing on her instead of the book's subject. Her reactions to later Star Wars movies don't have anything to do with Kazanjian's life or career, as he didn't produce them. They're great pull quotes that set the fanbase on fire, especially certain blogging sites, but not relevant to the story the book is supposedly trying to tell.
4. The perfunctory attention given to his family life, as it honestly seems like he's a dedicated father and good husband based on what comes through. I'd have liked to know more about his struggles balancing that.
5. I wanted more insight into Kazanjian throughout the book, as his anecdotes about working with legends like Peckinpah and Hitchcock are fascinating. Truly, his career is the bridge between Old Hollywood, the 1970s, and the zombie-board-driven stock market corporate profiteering that it is now.
1. The actual format of the book - at least the edition I read - is dreadful. The text layouts are completely wrong for this edition and seem much more like a poorly-reformatted large-format coffee table book.
2. The rabbit holes into the life of George Lucas and Lucasfilm. If and when relevant to his life and career, these totally make sense. But too often the book detours into more about the history of the world's favorite space fantasy without relating it through the lens of Kazanjian's life or perspective.
3. Marcia Lucas. I appreciate hearing from Marcia Lucas, but there are detours of enough significance that she takes over the narrative for brief stretches. This is not her fault, but that of the author for focusing on her instead of the book's subject. Her reactions to later Star Wars movies don't have anything to do with Kazanjian's life or career, as he didn't produce them. They're great pull quotes that set the fanbase on fire, especially certain blogging sites, but not relevant to the story the book is supposedly trying to tell.
4. The perfunctory attention given to his family life, as it honestly seems like he's a dedicated father and good husband based on what comes through. I'd have liked to know more about his struggles balancing that.
5. I wanted more insight into Kazanjian throughout the book, as his anecdotes about working with legends like Peckinpah and Hitchcock are fascinating. Truly, his career is the bridge between Old Hollywood, the 1970s, and the zombie-board-driven stock market corporate profiteering that it is now.
September 26, 2021
Truly fantastic. Please read it, beyond the viral couple of paragraphs. So much is in here that I did not know about the making of these movies, and that (some might say) is saying something.
September 7, 2022
A film producer whose career spans 50 years, Kazanjian has worked with Hollywood legends such as Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, Sam Peckinpah, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas and in the 80s produced the classics The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Return of the Jedi.
As a longtime fan of Star Wars, I’d been aware of Kazanjian’s name since Raiders and although he often appears in biographies of Lucas and the various making ofs, I didn’t know much about him. This book, oddly enough, didn’t really change that because it’s not really a biography of him but more of the various roles he performed on films. We find out snippets about his family but the focus is really on incidents on film sets and some of them are gems - it’s like reading a lot of mini-making-of books (which I love) - and they’re told with wit and honestly. For me the meat was in the late 70s and early 80s as his tenure at Lucasfilm picks up speed and although I knew most of the stories there were enough new facts to keep it interesting and it’s always good to see a similar tale told from a different perspective. Well put together (Marcia Lucas finally gets page space and comes across very well, both in herself and her support of George) and researched, this was hugely entertaining and I’d very much recommend it.
As a longtime fan of Star Wars, I’d been aware of Kazanjian’s name since Raiders and although he often appears in biographies of Lucas and the various making ofs, I didn’t know much about him. This book, oddly enough, didn’t really change that because it’s not really a biography of him but more of the various roles he performed on films. We find out snippets about his family but the focus is really on incidents on film sets and some of them are gems - it’s like reading a lot of mini-making-of books (which I love) - and they’re told with wit and honestly. For me the meat was in the late 70s and early 80s as his tenure at Lucasfilm picks up speed and although I knew most of the stories there were enough new facts to keep it interesting and it’s always good to see a similar tale told from a different perspective. Well put together (Marcia Lucas finally gets page space and comes across very well, both in herself and her support of George) and researched, this was hugely entertaining and I’d very much recommend it.
Read
September 28, 2021"This book, my memoirs, was written not for the ego of it, but as a statement to young potential filmmakers and others about the challenges of our industry, both good and bad." -Howard Kazanjian
From learning the assistant director ropes as a young DGA trainee in a dying, traditional studio system to commanding production of some of the biggest blockbusters of New Hollywood, Kazanjian's story is an unblinkered look at the motion picture industry and a cool education about its variety and volatility. The late author J.W. Rinzler (who died of cancer earlier this summer before the book's release) combines a deftly flowing narrative with fascinating anecdotes (about Sam Peckinpah, Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg among others) from many of the key players involved. All in all, a captivating account of the career of a remarkable if unsung producing talent! Highly recommended to my fellow cinema enthusiasts!
From learning the assistant director ropes as a young DGA trainee in a dying, traditional studio system to commanding production of some of the biggest blockbusters of New Hollywood, Kazanjian's story is an unblinkered look at the motion picture industry and a cool education about its variety and volatility. The late author J.W. Rinzler (who died of cancer earlier this summer before the book's release) combines a deftly flowing narrative with fascinating anecdotes (about Sam Peckinpah, Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg among others) from many of the key players involved. All in all, a captivating account of the career of a remarkable if unsung producing talent! Highly recommended to my fellow cinema enthusiasts!
June 27, 2022
It's been a while since I read a book about this generation of filmmakers. I forgot how incredibly inspiring it is. It brought back vivid memories of my early days of excitement and awe, trying to navigate a career in this magical, mystical industry. I still envy all of them (Howard, George, Steven, Marcia, Ben, Frank, Kathleen, Kurtz, Francis etc.) for being young filmmakers at such an exciting transformational time in Hollywood.
Despite being a Star Wars and Indy fan since childhood and reading nearly everything that was ever published on the making of these films, I was surprised to realise I knew very little about Howard Kazanjian. I knew his name from the credits of Raiders and Jedi, but that was about it. So when I discovered the brilliant J. W. Rinzler had published this Biography just before the author's tragic passing, I ordered it straight away.
I was genuinely excited for Howard, reading about his opportunity to apply for a formal entry into the old 'Hollywood' system through a rare apprenticeship scheme that was the first of it's kind - seeking applicants outside of the traditionally closed system.
His fast learning curve and eventual promotion through the traineeship was testament of the young man's passion, dedication, character and talent - How he learned to navigate Sam Peckinpah's ruthless temperament and unscrupulous delay tactics on set was genius and undoubtedly gave him more than the necessary humble and trustworthy demeanor to quickly become Hitchcock's confidant on set and later a close trusted friend. What an amazing life already ...and he hasn't even got to work with George Lucas yet!
I was fascinated by how much input and influence Howard had with the Lucas family. For example, it's the first time Marcia Lucas has ever truly been recognised in a publication, for her influence and creative contributions to Lucasfilm and Star Wars. The fact that Howard is still close friends with both George and Marcia so many years after their divorce, I think is also testament to his fair, kind-natured character. The way Rinzler writes these accounts, is so immersive, that you feel like you were with them in these pivotal iconic moments in movie-making history. I feel like I know them all as good friends.
The shock surprise in the book was the awkward replacement of Star Wars producer Gary Kurtz during the production of The Empire Strikes Back. I always wondered why he was dropped from the trilogy and had no idea Howard was the uncredited replacement on Empire. I actually met Kurtz once at a London convention, while I was working on The Phantom Menace. Even then he came across as a little arrogant and self-important. Howard on the other hand, is described by his peers as more humble and approachable. Above all, he was clearly a master at controlling costs, accommodating unforeseen expenses, without ever going over budget or over schedule - Raiders is the perfect example of this and for me, stands as one of the most resourceful, efficient and well managed films ever made.
I wish I could have watched Howard in his prime ...and Robert Watts, Norman Reynolds, Douglas Slocombe, and Spielberg etc, etc. I guess I have to be grateful I got the incredible opportunity to be George Lucas' continuity girl (with the hairy legs) for three days on the Phantom Menace '98 pickups. That for me was a 'magic moment' in my career. Despite this, I hoped, like Hitchcock was to Howard, that George would take me under his wing and train me as his padawan filmmaker. Unfortunately he was far too reticent and focussed on the job in hand for that.
I was surprised to read Howard visited George on the set on The Phantom Menace at Leavesden. I might well have seen him, but just not known who he was. There were many others visitors to set, including Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Ron Howard. I even got to chat with Nathan Hamill, entertain Amanda Lucas (who used to hang out in the office) and watched Sofia Coppola and Keira Knightley acting as as handmaidens before their respective filmmaker/leading actress careers.
To conclude, this was such an enjoyable and inspirational read but with a slight melancholy ending, in the fact that nothing lasts forever. The sudden divorce of Marcia and George was genuinely heart-breaking to read and by all accounts, ended a decade of pure magic, as the tight-knit 'Lucasfilm family' were reluctantly forced to go their separate ways. It was most definitely the end of an era. None of them ever really found that same level of success and fulfillment back in the increasingly unscrupulous 'Hollywood' system. As a young rebel team, they were unstoppable - and this fact can't be underestimated. Yes, George pioneered filmmaking on so many levels, but without his close-knit team, he would never have attained the success that he had. I have been searching for my own 'Delfilm' team since I started making films in 1993, but have never had the fortune to find such a pool of talent able to excel in the areas I am weak in. At 50, I'm still hoping!
It's really sad to see all these amazing filmmakers have long since past their prime, as the generation of filmmakers that have since followed, just don't seem to have that same edge, grounding, passion or collective talent. The 70's and early eighties were truly a magical era of cinema.
Lucasfilm led the way, with an exciting, progressive, rebellious independent film studios, but in 2022, it is sadly unrecognisable - the very opposite of what it used to be. Howard and Marcia's criticism at the end of this book, of those in charge of Lucasfilm and the appalling Star Wars sequel trilogy is rightfully damning and highlights just how the original trilogy's incredible success was down to a unique, small, but multi-talented filmmaking team of which the Disney 'Empire' can never reproduce.
Despite being a Star Wars and Indy fan since childhood and reading nearly everything that was ever published on the making of these films, I was surprised to realise I knew very little about Howard Kazanjian. I knew his name from the credits of Raiders and Jedi, but that was about it. So when I discovered the brilliant J. W. Rinzler had published this Biography just before the author's tragic passing, I ordered it straight away.
I was genuinely excited for Howard, reading about his opportunity to apply for a formal entry into the old 'Hollywood' system through a rare apprenticeship scheme that was the first of it's kind - seeking applicants outside of the traditionally closed system.
His fast learning curve and eventual promotion through the traineeship was testament of the young man's passion, dedication, character and talent - How he learned to navigate Sam Peckinpah's ruthless temperament and unscrupulous delay tactics on set was genius and undoubtedly gave him more than the necessary humble and trustworthy demeanor to quickly become Hitchcock's confidant on set and later a close trusted friend. What an amazing life already ...and he hasn't even got to work with George Lucas yet!
I was fascinated by how much input and influence Howard had with the Lucas family. For example, it's the first time Marcia Lucas has ever truly been recognised in a publication, for her influence and creative contributions to Lucasfilm and Star Wars. The fact that Howard is still close friends with both George and Marcia so many years after their divorce, I think is also testament to his fair, kind-natured character. The way Rinzler writes these accounts, is so immersive, that you feel like you were with them in these pivotal iconic moments in movie-making history. I feel like I know them all as good friends.
The shock surprise in the book was the awkward replacement of Star Wars producer Gary Kurtz during the production of The Empire Strikes Back. I always wondered why he was dropped from the trilogy and had no idea Howard was the uncredited replacement on Empire. I actually met Kurtz once at a London convention, while I was working on The Phantom Menace. Even then he came across as a little arrogant and self-important. Howard on the other hand, is described by his peers as more humble and approachable. Above all, he was clearly a master at controlling costs, accommodating unforeseen expenses, without ever going over budget or over schedule - Raiders is the perfect example of this and for me, stands as one of the most resourceful, efficient and well managed films ever made.
I wish I could have watched Howard in his prime ...and Robert Watts, Norman Reynolds, Douglas Slocombe, and Spielberg etc, etc. I guess I have to be grateful I got the incredible opportunity to be George Lucas' continuity girl (with the hairy legs) for three days on the Phantom Menace '98 pickups. That for me was a 'magic moment' in my career. Despite this, I hoped, like Hitchcock was to Howard, that George would take me under his wing and train me as his padawan filmmaker. Unfortunately he was far too reticent and focussed on the job in hand for that.
I was surprised to read Howard visited George on the set on The Phantom Menace at Leavesden. I might well have seen him, but just not known who he was. There were many others visitors to set, including Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Ron Howard. I even got to chat with Nathan Hamill, entertain Amanda Lucas (who used to hang out in the office) and watched Sofia Coppola and Keira Knightley acting as as handmaidens before their respective filmmaker/leading actress careers.
To conclude, this was such an enjoyable and inspirational read but with a slight melancholy ending, in the fact that nothing lasts forever. The sudden divorce of Marcia and George was genuinely heart-breaking to read and by all accounts, ended a decade of pure magic, as the tight-knit 'Lucasfilm family' were reluctantly forced to go their separate ways. It was most definitely the end of an era. None of them ever really found that same level of success and fulfillment back in the increasingly unscrupulous 'Hollywood' system. As a young rebel team, they were unstoppable - and this fact can't be underestimated. Yes, George pioneered filmmaking on so many levels, but without his close-knit team, he would never have attained the success that he had. I have been searching for my own 'Delfilm' team since I started making films in 1993, but have never had the fortune to find such a pool of talent able to excel in the areas I am weak in. At 50, I'm still hoping!
It's really sad to see all these amazing filmmakers have long since past their prime, as the generation of filmmakers that have since followed, just don't seem to have that same edge, grounding, passion or collective talent. The 70's and early eighties were truly a magical era of cinema.
Lucasfilm led the way, with an exciting, progressive, rebellious independent film studios, but in 2022, it is sadly unrecognisable - the very opposite of what it used to be. Howard and Marcia's criticism at the end of this book, of those in charge of Lucasfilm and the appalling Star Wars sequel trilogy is rightfully damning and highlights just how the original trilogy's incredible success was down to a unique, small, but multi-talented filmmaking team of which the Disney 'Empire' can never reproduce.
January 26, 2025
It is an uninspired walkthrough of Mr. Kazanjian's life in the motion picture and television industry. Unfortunately, it relies on his relationship with George Lucas and that filmmaker's famous creations to bring any sense of magic and wonder to the reader. I would have preferred more of Kazanjian's insights and perspectives regarding his time with Lucasfilm.
It's also great to finally hear from Marcia Lucas about her time with George, her impact on Star Wars, and her close relationship with the Kazanjians, her narrative sometimes takes over the pages of the book with stories that don't reflect on Kazanjian as much as feed the Star Wars grist mill. (e.g. Marcia's scathing critique of the first prequel, a motion picture in which Kazanjian had no involvement.
Sometimes I wonder whose biography Rinzler felt he was writing.
It's also great to finally hear from Marcia Lucas about her time with George, her impact on Star Wars, and her close relationship with the Kazanjians, her narrative sometimes takes over the pages of the book with stories that don't reflect on Kazanjian as much as feed the Star Wars grist mill. (e.g. Marcia's scathing critique of the first prequel, a motion picture in which Kazanjian had no involvement.
Sometimes I wonder whose biography Rinzler felt he was writing.
December 28, 2025
I preferred the first half of this book. Kazanjian's work as an assistant director was far more interesting than his later production work. I had no idea how important ADs are since they're the ones who keep productions on track. The book claims that Fred Astaire was okay with his choreographer being fired from Finian's Rainbow which I have no reason to doubt. However, whatever Hermes Pan was creating before he was fired could not have been worse than what ended up on the screen (I like the movie, but the dance numbers are meh).
Kazanjian was part of Lucasfilm in its glory days but was not the most interesting person in that part of the story. Marcia Lucas was the unsung hero of the original Star Wars trilogy. George Lucas is more a big picture, idea guy. His work was better when he had someone who could find the humanity in his films.
Kazanjian was part of Lucasfilm in its glory days but was not the most interesting person in that part of the story. Marcia Lucas was the unsung hero of the original Star Wars trilogy. George Lucas is more a big picture, idea guy. His work was better when he had someone who could find the humanity in his films.
December 3, 2021
3.5 stars.
Definitely not sure I buy all of Howard Kazanjian and Marcia Lucas' claims in this book, and I would have liked a slightly broader - and more neutral/objective - perspective from Rinzler and his sources, but I got what I came for, namely some rare behind the scenes information on More American Graffiti.
Definitely not sure I buy all of Howard Kazanjian and Marcia Lucas' claims in this book, and I would have liked a slightly broader - and more neutral/objective - perspective from Rinzler and his sources, but I got what I came for, namely some rare behind the scenes information on More American Graffiti.
October 25, 2023
This is a rather strange book.Is it biography or autobiography?
The first half off the book is excellent.It deals with his time as an assistant director with the likes of Hitchcock,Billy Wilder and Robert Wise.
However the second half is mainly devoted to Lucasfilms,which I found very boring.
The first half off the book is excellent.It deals with his time as an assistant director with the likes of Hitchcock,Billy Wilder and Robert Wise.
However the second half is mainly devoted to Lucasfilms,which I found very boring.
October 8, 2021
Could be more like a 4.5. Just enjoyed getting to know this man and his work
July 15, 2025
Wederom straf boek over erg straffe man. Jammer dat dit voorlaatste werk is van Rinzler, die helaas te snel en vroeg overleden is.
Want to read
November 2, 2025New York Public Library
July 11, 2022
Rinzler did a great job exploring Kazanjian's early career and time at Lucasfilm. This book is a unique look at Hollywood during the 60s and 70s. Rinzler explains what assistant directors and producers actually do, which I never really understood (most books about the film industry focus on directors, writers, or actors). My favorite chapter was the one about Kazajnian's work with Hitchcock - it dispels a lot of the myths about the great director.
Unfortunately, the book skims over Kazanjian's later career and starts to focus as much if not more on Lucas and Star Wars. Given Rinzler's history with Lucasfilm, as well as the fact that he was sick while writing the book (he sadly passed away before it was published), this is perfectly understandable.
Unfortunately, the book skims over Kazanjian's later career and starts to focus as much if not more on Lucas and Star Wars. Given Rinzler's history with Lucasfilm, as well as the fact that he was sick while writing the book (he sadly passed away before it was published), this is perfectly understandable.
April 28, 2022
A very enjoyable read. I always enjoy books on film, and Mr Kazanjian has some unique and interesting adventures to share from his time as an apprentice assistant director in 1960s TV - to feature films at Warner Brothers as an AD - to producing for George Lucas in the 70s and 80s. He has worked with some of the great directors - Sam Peckipah, Robert Wise, Alfred Hitchcock, and Steven Spielberg. The author Rinzler does a great job of laying it all out.
If you want to read the real story behind the choice of Harrison Ford to play Indiana Jones you need to read this book.
If you want to read the real story behind the choice of Harrison Ford to play Indiana Jones you need to read this book.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews