Irvin Kershner

Irvin Kershner
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Name	Irvin Kershner
Caption	Kershner in 1980
Birth name	Isadore Kershner
Birth date	29 April 1923
Birth place	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Death date	27 November 2010
Death place	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Film director, actor, photographer
Years active	1952–2010
Alma mater	University of Southern California, Tyler School of Art
Notable works	The Empire Strikes Back, Never Say Never Again, RoboCop 2

Irvin Kershner was an American film director, actor, and photographer renowned for his sophisticated character-driven approach within genre filmmaking. He is most celebrated for directing the critically acclaimed Star Wars sequel The Empire Strikes Back, widely considered one of the greatest films in the science fiction genre. His diverse career spanned documentaries, film noir, thrillers, and major studio productions, earning him a reputation as an actor's director with a keen visual style rooted in his early training in photography and music.

Early life and education

Born Isadore Kershner in Philadelphia, he was raised in a working-class neighborhood by his mother after his father's early death. He initially pursued music, studying viola at the Temple University College of Music and performing with the Philadelphia Orchestra. His artistic interests shifted towards visual arts, leading him to study painting and photography at the Tyler School of Art in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. After serving as a flight engineer in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, he used the G.I. Bill to attend the University of Southern California's pioneering film school, where his classmates included future directors like Marlon Brando.

Career

Kershner began his career in the 1950s making documentaries for the United States Information Agency in the Middle East, an experience that honed his skills in visual storytelling. His feature film debut was the low-budget film noir Stakeout on Dope Street (1958), produced for Roger Corman. He gained critical attention for his sensitive direction of The Hoodlum Priest (1961), a drama starring Don Murray, and the psychological thriller The Luck of Ginger Coffey (1964). His reputation for extracting powerful performances was solidified with A Fine Madness (1966) starring Sean Connery, and the caper film The Flim-Flam Man (1967) with George C. Scott. In 1974, he directed the acclaimed crime film The Gambler, starring James Caan and written by James Toback. His work on the television film Raid on Entebbe (1977) earned him an Emmy Award nomination. In 1980, he was personally chosen by George Lucas to direct The Empire Strikes Back, a decision that resulted in a landmark film praised for its emotional depth and darker tone. He later directed the James Bond film Never Say Never Again (1983), a non-Eon Productions entry starring Sean Connery, and the sequel RoboCop 2 (1990).

Filmography

A selected list of his directorial features includes The Young Captives (1959), The Hoodlum Priest (1961), Face in the Rain (1963), The Luck of Ginger Coffey (1964), A Fine Madness (1966), The Flim-Flam Man (1967), Loving (1970), Up the Sandbox (1972) starring Barbra Streisand, S*P*Y*S (1974), The Return of a Man Called Horse (1976), and Eyes of Laura Mars (1978) starring Faye Dunaway. He also directed episodes for television series such as The Rebel and Naked City, and served as a visual consultant on the video game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

Awards and nominations

For his direction of The Empire Strikes Back, he won the Saturn Award for Best Director from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. He received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for directing Raid on Entebbe. His film The Hoodlum Priest was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 1961 Cannes Film Festival. In 2010, he was honored with a Life Career Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films.

Personal life and death

He was married to actress Dee Hartford from 1959 until their divorce in 1963. He had one son, David Kershner. Known as a thoughtful and philosophical figure, he mentored younger filmmakers and taught at his alma mater, the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Kershner died of lung cancer on November 27, 2010, in Los Angeles; his death was widely noted by the film industry, with figures like George Lucas and Mark Hamill paying tribute to his influential legacy.

Category:American film directors Category:1923 births Category:2010 deaths