Howard Kazanjian
Encyclopedia
Howard G. Kazanjian is an American
film producer
, former Vice President of Lucasfilm, LTD
and a published non-fiction author
. Of Armenian
descent, Kazanjian is an active member of the Armenian charity and cultural community, and a USC
alumnus.
. While there he first met a young George Lucas
, and they became not only Delta Kappa Alpha
cinema fraternity brothers but also long standing friends. They were members of a clique of filmmakers known to the Hollywood system and the university circuit as The Dirty Dozen
. During those college years, Kazanjian and Lucas both met their respective future wives, and the couples would often double date.
Kazanjian's early credits include being an assistant director on Alfred Hitchcock
's Family Plot
and Sam Peckinpah's
Wild Bunch
. He later worked with director Robert Wise on his production of The Hindenberg.
and producer on Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
, two of the biggest films of all time.
Kazanjian is recognized as an uncredited producer on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
, replacing producer Gary Kurtz
midway through the production.
until approximately 1984 or 1985.
During production of Return of the Jedi, Kazanjian is credited with the idea to utilize the guise of filming a fictitious movie to disguise the actual production, and throw off any press and nosy fans. The fictitious film was titled Blue Harvest
, which was purported to be a horror film
with the tag line "horror beyond imagination". Hats and t-shirts were printed up for the crew to wear and to further add to the authenticity of the ruse.
At the same time, Kazanjian also created the fictitious "Revenge of the Jedi" campaign, specifically to thwart black market merchandisers who would often pre-empt official merchandising with knock-off items. Many of the items bearing the name "Revenge of the Jedi" (as opposed to "Return of the Jedi") have become rare and valuable collectors items.
. In 2004, they collaborated on The Cowboy and the Senorita : A Biography of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans ISBN 0-7627-3053-6 and Happy Trails : A Pictorial Celebration of the Lives of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans ISBN 0-7627-3089-7; In 2006, The Young Duke: The Early Life of John Wayne ISBN 0-7627-3898-7; in 2009, Thunder over the Prairie: The True Story of a Murder and a Manhunt by the Greatest Posse of All Time ISBN 0-7627-4493-6.
Kazanjian has been an instructor at "Act One", a group designed to train Christians entering into film and television, and was named by Beliefnet
as one of the twelve most powerful Christians in Hollywood.
On June 8, 2009, Howard Kazanjian was deputized as an Honorary Marshal of Dodge City, Kansas.
Since 1998 Kazanjian has been Co-Chairman and 50% shareholder of Tricor Entertainment, Inc, an independent production company, which owns and operates a 19,000+ seat theater chain in Southeast Asia and a film distribution company.
Kazanjian lives and works in the community of San Marino, California
with his wife Carol, and three children, Peter, Noah, and Andrew. Fellow filmmaker BWL Norton, with whom he worked on More American Graffiti
, jokingly described Kazanjian as being "like, from Mars" in a 1980 interview.
As of 2009, Kazanjian and George Lucas remain close friends.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, former Vice President of Lucasfilm, LTD
Lucasfilm
Lucasfilm Limited is an American film production company founded by George Lucas in 1971, based in San Francisco, California. Lucas is the company's current chairman and CEO, and Micheline Chau is the president and COO....
and a published non-fiction author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. Of Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
descent, Kazanjian is an active member of the Armenian charity and cultural community, and a USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
alumnus.
Early years
Kazanjian graduated from the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. While there he first met a young George Lucas
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
, and they became not only Delta Kappa Alpha
Delta Kappa Alpha
Delta Kappa Alpha is a co-educational professional fraternity founded in 1936, at the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California....
cinema fraternity brothers but also long standing friends. They were members of a clique of filmmakers known to the Hollywood system and the university circuit as The Dirty Dozen
The Dirty Dozen (filmmaking)
The Dirty Dozen is the nickname for a group of filmmaking students at the USC School of Cinematic Arts within the University of Southern California during the mid-late 1960s. The main group consisted of budding directors, screenwriters, producers, editors and cinematographers...
. During those college years, Kazanjian and Lucas both met their respective future wives, and the couples would often double date.
Kazanjian's early credits include being an assistant director on Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
's Family Plot
Family Plot
Family Plot is a 1976 American dark comedy/thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, his fifty-third and final film. It stars Barbara Harris, Bruce Dern, William Devane, and Karen Black....
and Sam Peckinpah's
Sam Peckinpah
David Samuel "Sam" Peckinpah was an American filmmaker and screenwriter who achieved prominence following the release of the Western epic The Wild Bunch...
Wild Bunch
Wild Bunch
The Wild Bunch, also known as the Doolin–Dalton Gang or the Oklahombres, was a gang of outlaws based in the Indian Territory that terrorized Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma Territory during the 1890s—robbing banks and stores, holding up trains, and killing lawmen. They were...
. He later worked with director Robert Wise on his production of The Hindenberg.
Raiders and Star Wars
Kazanjian moved into film production rather than directorial work at Hitchcock's suggestion and is most notable for having served as executive producer on Raiders of the Lost ArkRaiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas, and starring Harrison Ford. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise...
and producer on Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand and written by George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan. It is the third film released in the Star Wars saga, and the sixth in terms of the series' internal chronology...
, two of the biggest films of all time.
Kazanjian is recognized as an uncredited producer on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 American epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner. The screenplay, based on a story by George Lucas, was written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan...
, replacing producer Gary Kurtz
Gary Kurtz
Gary Kurtz is an American film producer whose list of credits include American Graffiti, Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back. He later produced The Dark Crystal and Return to Oz after departing from the Star Wars series...
midway through the production.
Lucasfilm
As Lucasfilm's Vice President of Production, Howard Kazanjian was intimately involved in the day-to-day strategic and practical operations of Lucasfilm during the times immediately after the 1977 release of Star WarsStar Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
until approximately 1984 or 1985.
Blue Harvest and Revenge of the Jedi
Blue Harvest
Blue Harvest was a fake working title used to hide the 1982 production of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, the third installment of the Star Wars film series...
, which was purported to be a horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
with the tag line "horror beyond imagination". Hats and t-shirts were printed up for the crew to wear and to further add to the authenticity of the ruse.
At the same time, Kazanjian also created the fictitious "Revenge of the Jedi" campaign, specifically to thwart black market merchandisers who would often pre-empt official merchandising with knock-off items. Many of the items bearing the name "Revenge of the Jedi" (as opposed to "Return of the Jedi") have become rare and valuable collectors items.
Later years
Kazanjian has authored books with Chris EnssChris Enss
Chris Enss is an American author and screenwriter. Enss has written more than 20 books on the subject of women in the Old West, and has collaborated with producer Howard Kazanjian on four books, including two about Roy Rogers and Dale Evans....
. In 2004, they collaborated on The Cowboy and the Senorita : A Biography of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans ISBN 0-7627-3053-6 and Happy Trails : A Pictorial Celebration of the Lives of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans ISBN 0-7627-3089-7; In 2006, The Young Duke: The Early Life of John Wayne ISBN 0-7627-3898-7; in 2009, Thunder over the Prairie: The True Story of a Murder and a Manhunt by the Greatest Posse of All Time ISBN 0-7627-4493-6.
Kazanjian has been an instructor at "Act One", a group designed to train Christians entering into film and television, and was named by Beliefnet
Beliefnet
Beliefnet is a large multi-faith e-community that aims to provide a free forum for religious information and inspiration, spiritual tools, and discussions and dialogue groups. Beliefnet provides information about various religious and spiritual beliefs, ranging from Christian denominations to...
as one of the twelve most powerful Christians in Hollywood.
On June 8, 2009, Howard Kazanjian was deputized as an Honorary Marshal of Dodge City, Kansas.
Since 1998 Kazanjian has been Co-Chairman and 50% shareholder of Tricor Entertainment, Inc, an independent production company, which owns and operates a 19,000+ seat theater chain in Southeast Asia and a film distribution company.
Kazanjian lives and works in the community of San Marino, California
San Marino, California
San Marino is a small, affluent city in Los Angeles County, California. Incorporated in 1913, the City founders designed the community to be uniquely residential, with expansive properties surrounded by beautiful gardens, wide streets, and well maintained parkways...
with his wife Carol, and three children, Peter, Noah, and Andrew. Fellow filmmaker BWL Norton, with whom he worked on More American Graffiti
More American Graffiti
More American Graffiti is the 1979 sequel film to George Lucas's hit film American Graffiti. Whereas the first film followed a group of friends during the summer evening before they set off for college, this film shows us where the characters from the first film end up a few years later.Most of the...
, jokingly described Kazanjian as being "like, from Mars" in a 1980 interview.
As of 2009, Kazanjian and George Lucas remain close friends.
Partial filmography
- Finian's RainbowFinian's RainbowFinian's Rainbow is a musical with a book by E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane. The 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances. Several revivals and a 1968 film version followed. A Broadway revival ran from October 8, 2009 until January 17, 2010...
(1968) (assistant director) - I Love You, Alice B. ToklasI Love You, Alice B. ToklasI Love You, Alice B. Toklas is a 1968 comedy film starring Peter Sellers, directed by Hy Averback and featuring music by Harpers Bizarre. The film is set in the counterculture of the 1960s. The addition cast includes David Arkin, Jo Van Fleet, Leigh Taylor-Young, in her film debut, and a cameo by...
(1968) (2nd 2nd assistant director) - The Wild BunchThe Wild BunchThe Wild Bunch is a 1969 American Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah about an aging outlaw gang on the Texas-Mexico border, trying to exist in the changing "modern" world of 1913...
(1969) (second assistant director) - The Great Bank RobberyThe Great Bank RobberyThe Great Bank Robbery is a 1969 Western comedy film from Warner Brothers directed by Hy Averback and written by William Peter Blatty, based on the novel by Frank O'Rourke...
(1969) (second assistant director) - The Christine Jorgensen StoryThe Christine Jorgensen StoryThe Christine Jorgensen Story is a 1970 fictionalized biographical movie about transgendered Christine Jorgensen. While the overall premise of the film is accurate, many of the details are fictionalized for the continuity of the film. It was directed by Irving Rapper and based on Christine...
(1970) (assistant director) - Trapped (1973) (TV) (assistant director)
- The Rockford FilesThe Rockford FilesThe Rockford Files is an American television drama series which aired on the NBC network between September 13, 1974 and January 10, 1980. It has remained in regular syndication to the present day. The show stars James Garner as Los Angeles-based private investigator Jim Rockford and features Noah...
(1974) (TV) (assistant director) - The Girl from PetrovkaThe Girl from PetrovkaThe Girl from Petrovka is a 1974 feature film starring Goldie Hawn and Hal Holbrook, based on the novel by George Feifer.-Cast:* Goldie Hawn as Oktyabrina* Hal Holbrook as Joe* Anthony Hopkins as Kostya* Grégoire Aslan as Minister...
(1974) (first assistant director) - The Front PageThe Front PageThe Front Page is a hit Broadway comedy about tabloid newspaper reporters on the police beat, written by one-time Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur which was first produced in 1928.-Synopsis:...
(1974) (first assistant director) - The Hindenburg (1975) (first assistant director)
- Family PlotFamily PlotFamily Plot is a 1976 American dark comedy/thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, his fifty-third and final film. It stars Barbara Harris, Bruce Dern, William Devane, and Karen Black....
(1976) (first assistant director) - Rollercoaster (1977) (production executive)
- More American GraffitiMore American GraffitiMore American Graffiti is the 1979 sequel film to George Lucas's hit film American Graffiti. Whereas the first film followed a group of friends during the summer evening before they set off for college, this film shows us where the characters from the first film end up a few years later.Most of the...
(19791979 in filmThe year 1979 in film involved some significant events.- Major events :* March 5 - Production begins on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.* May 25 - Alien, a landmark of the science fiction genre, is released....
) (producer) - Raiders of the Lost ArkRaiders of the Lost ArkRaiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas, and starring Harrison Ford. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise...
(19811981 in film-Events:*January 19 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. UA was humiliated by the astronomical losses on the $40,000,000 movie Heaven's Gate, a major factor in the decision of owner Transamerica to sell it....
) (executive producer) - Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the JediStar Wars Episode VI: Return of the JediStar Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand and written by George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan. It is the third film released in the Star Wars saga, and the sixth in terms of the series' internal chronology...
(19831983 in film-Events:*February 11 - The Rolling Stones concert film Let's Spend the Night Together opens in New York*May 25 - Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, the final film in the original Star Wars trilogy, is released. Like the previous films, it goes on to become the top grossing picture of...
) (producer) - From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a SagaFrom Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a SagaFrom Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga is a 1983 television documentary special that originally aired on PBS. It is a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the original Star Wars trilogy, with particular emphasis on the final film, Return of the Jedi.Narrated by actor Mark Hamill, the...
(1985) (executive producer) - The RookieThe Rookie (1990 film)The Rookie is a 1990 American action film directed by Clint Eastwood and produced by Howard G. Kazanjian, Steven Siebert and David Valdes. It was written from a screenplay conceived by Boaz Yakin and Scott Spiegel. The film stars Charlie Sheen, Clint Eastwood, Raúl Juliá, Sônia Braga, Lara Flynn...
(19901990 in filmThe year 1990 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* CGI technique is expanded with motion capture for CGI characters, used in Total Recall .* The first digitally-manipulated matte painting is used, in Die Hard 2....
) (producer) - Demolition ManDemolition Man (film)Demolition Man is a 1993 American, science fiction action film directed by Marco Brambilla, and starring Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes. Sandra Bullock, Nigel Hawthorne, and Denis Leary co-star....
(19931993 in filmThe year 1993 in film involved many significant films, including the blockbuster hits Jurassic Park, The Fugitive and The Firm. -Events:...
) (producer) - Rattled (19961996 in filmMajor releases this year included Scream, Independence Day, Fargo, Trainspotting, The English Patient, Twister, Mars Attacks!, Jerry Maguire and a version of Evita starring Madonna.-Events:...
) (TV movie) (executive producer) - Carlo's Wake (19991999 in filmThe year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep...
) (executive producer) - The Sky Is FallingThe Sky Is Falling (film)The Sky is Falling is an American film released in 2000 written and directed by Florrie Laurence and produced by Brad Hall and David Parks. The picture starred Dedee Pfeiffer, Teri Garr, Howard Hesseman, and Eric Close.-Plot:...
(20002000 in filmThe year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor ....
) (executive producer) - The Amati GirlsThe Amati GirlsThe Amati Girls is a 2001 drama film written and directed by Anne De Salvo. It stars Cloris Leachman, Mercedes Ruehl, Dinah Manoff, Sean Young, Lily Knight, Lee Grant, and Edith Fields....
(20012001 in filmThe year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy...
) (executive producer) - Extreme DaysExtreme DaysExtreme Days is a 2001 Christian-based comedy romance film about four boys on a roadtrip that they have been planning their whole lives. Their dreams are to participate in many extreme sports, but they are stopped short due to many circumstances.-Plot:...
(2001) (executive producer) - Worlds Apart (2004) (supervising producer)
- The Bridge of San Luis ReyThe Bridge of San Luis Rey (2004 film)The Bridge of San Luis Rey is a 2004 drama film directed by Mary McGuckian and featuring an ensemble cast of American and international actors. It is based on Thornton Wilder's novel of the same name. The film was released in 2004 in Spain and 2005 in the U.S. and abroad...
(20042004 in filmThe year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
) (executive producer) - The Homecoming of Jimmy Whitecloud (2001) (executive producer)
- Danger RangersDanger RangersDanger Rangers is a television program that airs on PBS. It features six animal heroes who teach children about safety through example. It aired on CBS as part of the Cookie Jar TV block on September 17, 2011.-Voice Talent:*Jerry Houser as Sully...
(2003–2008) (executive producer)
Awards
- 1981 Emmy award for The Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark
- 1982 Inkpot AwardInkpot AwardThe Inkpot Award, bestowed annually since 1974 by Comic-Con International, is given to some of the professionals in comic book, comic strip, animation, science fiction, and related pop-culture fields, who are guests of that organization's yearly multigenre fan convention, commonly known as...
winner - 2009 Briner Impact Award
External links
- In-depth 2009 interview with Kazanjian regarding his contributions to Lucasfilm, LTD
- May 2010 interview and Q&A with Kazanjian at Paramount Studios screening of Raiders of the Lost ArkRaiders of the Lost ArkRaiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas, and starring Harrison Ford. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise...