Producer and screenwriter Gloria Katz, whose screenplay for American Graffiti earned her an Oscar-nomination with George Lucas and her husband Willard Huyck, has died. Katz had battled ovarian cancer for a period until she succumbs to it late last night at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She was 76.
Born on October 25th, 1942, Katz was raised in Los Angeles and eventually attended UC Berkeley and UCLA, where she earned her Masters in film and met Huyck and his friend Lucas. The three would go on to collaborate on Lucas’ second turn in the director’s chair for American Graffiti, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Cindy Wiliams, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford. The trio earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay at the 46th Annual Academy Awards in 1974, losing to David S. Ward’s script for The Sting.
Related – Ricky Jay, Renowned Magician And Star Of Boogie Nights And Deadwood, Passed Away at 70
Katz, Huyck, and Lucas would go on to write Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom and Radioland Murders together. Katz and her husband Huyck would write together on Messiah Of Evil, Lucky Lady, French Postcards, Best Defense, Howard The Duck and Mothers, Daughters And Lovers. Huyck would direct all those films.
Katz is survived by her husband, their daughter Rebecca and Katz’ brother Stephen M. Katz, who is known for his cinematography work on The Blues Brothers and Gods And Monsters.
Don’t forget to share this post on your Facebook wall and with your Twitter followers! Just hit the buttons on the top of this page!
Source: Deadline.