Richard Marquand
About
Biography
Biography
English-born Richard Marquand's directorial career, which included helming a blockbuster space adventure and a hit courtroom thriller, was sadly cut short when the filmmaker died at the relatively young age of 49. After working for a period in docudramas for the BBC, he helmed his first major theatrical feature with the occult shocker "The Legacy" (1979). The World War II spy thriller "Eye of the Needle" (1981), while a modest success in theaters, was more importantly the film that attracted the attention of George Lucas, ultimately leading to Marquand's being hired to direct the culminating episode of the "Star Wars" saga, "Return of the Jedi" (1983). Although he hit a lull with the largely forgotten steamy romance "Until September" (1984), Marquand bounced back with the suspenseful courtroom mystery "Jagged Edge" (1985), paving the way for the subgenre that would soon become ubiquitous in film and on television. He made one more cinematic misstep with the rock-themed romantic drama "Hearts of Fire" (1987), which would unfortunately be his last project before his untimely death. In a promising career cut far too short, Marquand nonetheless left behind a number of enduring films which fans of all ages would enjoy over the decades to come.
Born on April, 17, 1938 in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, Marquand was the son of Rachel and Hilary Marquand, a member of the British Parliament. He attended the Emanuel School, the Université d'Aix-Marseille in France, and later, King's College in Cambridge, where he studied modern languages. Marquand began his career as a television newscaster in Hong Kong, followed by a stint back home in the documentaries department at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Early projects included the prestigious miniseries "The Search for the Nile" (BBC, 1971), a story of two 19th-Century adventurers' quest to find the source of the great river. Marquand moved into feature film directing, making his debut with the musical biopic "The Birth of the Beatles" (1979), a dramatization of the Fab Four's formative years in Liverpool. That same year saw the wider release of the his sophomore effort "The Legacy" (1979), a bloody, gothic shocker, starring Katharine Ross and Sam Elliott as a couple lured to an English manor as part of a long-lost relative's malevolent pact with the Devil.
Marquand's third feature, "Eye of the Needle" (1981), a WWII thriller based on the novel by Ken Follett, starred Donald Sutherland as Henry Faber, a ruthless German spy embedded on the coast of England. Tautly paced and emotionally affecting, the story of Faber's love for a local housewife (Kate Nelligan) that outweighed his ruthless sense of duty, was deftly handled by the fledgling director. So much so, that it prompted "Star Wars" creator George Lucas to offer directorial duties on the third installment of his epic space opera to Marquand. His relationship with Lucas during the filming of "Return of the Jedi" (1983) was said to have been respectful and collaborative, although at times tense, due to Lucas' near constant presence on the set. Whatever the case may have been, the end result, which capped off the initial trilogy with the triumphant defeat of the evil Empire by the Rebel Forces, was both a critical and box office success, instantly placing Marquand in the upper-echelon of working directors at the time. Perhaps to avoid being pigeon-holed as a genre director, he quickly followed "Jedi" with the romance "Until September" (1984). The story of an American tourist (Karen Allen) who embarks on a torrid affair with a married Parisian (Thierry Lhermitte), the film was barely seen in the States before fading into obscurity.
Marquand bounced back with a vengeance, however, with his next directorial effort, the psycho-sexual thriller "Jagged Edge" (1985). Written with manipulative glee by infamous scribe Joe Eszterhas, the film followed the trial of Jack Forrester (Jeff Bridges), a wealthy newspaperman accused of brutally murdering his wife. Defending him is Teddy Barnes (Glenn Close), an attorney with a spotted past who begins falling in love with her client, even as she harbors doubts about his perceived innocence. Exceptionally well-directed, the movie went on to substantial box office success and garnered an Oscar nomination for supporting actor Robert Loggia. Far less satisfactory was Marquand's follow-up, the rock-n-roll romantic drama "Hearts of Fire" (1987), starring Bob Dylan as a fading rock star and Rupert Everett as his rival in both love and music. Tragically, the film - a dismal failure by most accounts, it was only released on video in the U.S. years later - would be Marquand's final work, as he died from a stroke shortly after shooting was completed. He was 49 years old.
Filmography
Director (Feature Film)
Cast (Feature Film)
Writer (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Life Events
1959
Joined Royal Air Force, served in Far East
1963
Returned to UK, began working for BBC as documentary director
Family
