Off-topic section? I overlooked this, had I known I would've started it there. My mistake.
Bingowings said
It's well known that Richard was hired because he would not make waves, would be on budget on schedule and act as yes man to Lucas' production requirements.
It seems to me, you're oversimplifying the whole issue and since I presume you have read Rinzler's "Making of Jedi" - which by the way I find not sufficient regarding Marquand's actual work and directing methods unlike he did that with Kershner, resurrecting Arnold's account - it's strange to hear such words.
First of all, I'm embarrassed by such speech patterns as "it's well known", "it's considered"... By who, would be my question? And, correct me if I'm mistaken but there was a time when "it was well known that the Earth is flat and square, reshored by 4 whales (elephants)" etc. etc. Personally I try to avoid such cliches and have cultivated in me a strong distrust for any kind of statements that begin with the words "it's well-known" because I think it automatically leads to mob thinking rather than encourages critical mind. "It's well-known" = "it's unknown".
Second, what is "would not make waves"? What "waves"?
Third, your claim combines some elements that may be considered as reflecting objective reality with either misunderstood or misinterpreted ones: the latters are represented by your words "he was hired because he... would be on budget, on schedule". True. Is it so negative in the eyes of yours? Do you think, this made Marquand unique in this case? Considering Lucas' criteria for looking for a new director any of them would be forced to obey this requirement, be it Hitchcoke, Spielberg or Linch, from this perspective any could became "a yes-man" if he agreed to helm the movie. But "to consider the budget" isn't synonymous with "dancing attendance to Lucas".
Fourth, Marquand was chosen from a very long list and was one of two remaining candidates. There were two prime reasons Lucas decided to go with him:
1. Lucas was impressed with his artistic vision of his own films, particularly with "Needle of the eye", his professional skills and his human attitude. According to Kasdan Lucas needed different kind of person than Kersh and not because he wanted more of control (as Kurtz suggests), but because 3rd installment was to be relief and Marquand had lighter view of the world than Kersh. [By the way, many tend to forget that a director depends not entirely on himself, his own wishes but on screenwriter as well and the tonal scale of the trilogy was envisioned in advance by Lucas and Kasdan (light-dark-light) and even not by Kershner or Marquand or whoever would direct]. That was the key issue.
2. Linch's refusal to direct ROTJ.
And that's it. Not for "he's a perfect candidate to be my puppet".
Fifth, all this gets sharper if we recall Lucas' own despisal for directing and whatever you may think of Marquand but he at least loved to work with actors. Hammill liked his style more than Kershner's, by the way; Lucas was mainly second unit director. The most important part of directing actors belonged to Marquand, not Lucas. Whenever on the set, we always hear and see Marquand. Also many ignore the ultimate condition under which Marquand agreed to work on Jedi: close contact with Lucas. The nature of their relations was kind of collaboration, not of knuckle-down. And you know, you may disagree, since it's purely subjective, but after watching his other movies I tend to observe some similarity between them and ROTJ, and indeed there's some romantic operatic smell, camerawork he spoke of, that could be brought to by Marquand. Apart from that let's not pass by the fact that thank to him we saw Yoda dying on- and not off-screen.
Other than his work on Jedi what work of major significance did Marquand do?
Burton was a theatrical and cinematic giant, with a huge body of work behind him many of which were filmed at Pinewood.
You forget one very significant aspect of the whole issue: Marquand died at the age of 49. We'll never know how his career would have succeeded, however he displayed his talent and individuality enough to expect high-promising future. I personally like his movies he did around the time very much and still find a pleasure to rewatch them many times. Aside "Needle", "Jagged Edge", "Until September" are remarkable movies enough to remember and to resonate with.
Maybe, Burton deserved more of this honor than Marquand, though I don't pay much attention to such formalities Being-Within-Self(awards, tributes, etc): the only honor that any artist deserves is to be in the memory of people. But there's a human aspect, a very subjective one that is I'm a SW admirer (forgive me if I dislike "a fan") and naturally am sentimental about many things and people related to it, so I din't find anything abnormal about the fact that SW fans want one of the leading men, who helped to create the trilogy, to be honored in some way.
When Lucas made the PT his reputation fell through the floor, when Jedi was getting criticism for things like the Ewoks it was Richard who diverted much of the attention away from George.
Do you think seriously that Lucas planned to hire some man just to cover his ass? C'mon! Since when Lucas was so preoccupied to sustain his public credit?? From what I've read he has always had and edge on criticism and it's been the main leit-motif of his interviews. That's why I think this statement fails.