On the thirtieth anniversary of “The Empire Strikes Back” — the high point in the trilogy — producer Gary Kurtz talks to The Los Angeles Times about his participation in the films. Kurtz was the producer for the first two installments and parted ways with creator George Lucas on the third over differences on its narrative direction.

“I could see where things were headed… The toy business began to drive the [Lucasfilm] empire. It’s a shame. They make three times as much on toys as they do on films. It’s natural to make decisions that protect the toy business, but that’s not the best thing for making quality films.”

That explains everything, including the sense of tedium that hung over large swaths of “Return of the Jedi” and the miserable pall that hovered over all three of the franchise’s miserable, pathetic prequels.

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