In a cinema far, far away On this day in 1977

In a cinema far, far away....

On this day in 1977 the UK saw the very first screening of Star Wars. Apparently SOLD OUT at Leicester Square up until March the following year!

Hmm... I remember going to the cinema to watch Star Wars, back then. The hysteria the film had created was huge, and so was the expectation. Peculiarly I suppose, I didn't get caught up in it. I thought the film thin and poorly executed. Although it has to be said that the makers manipulated the toy market to great effect. You could watch the film, and see the hooks that were being deployed to get the viewing public onside.

Must have been a good payday for George Lucas and Co. I've never seen any of the others in the film series.

i remember queing a couple of times before getting in. i absolutely loved it and playing with the original figures/toys is a cherished memory.

but are the films really worth all the fuss? so many of my friends are properly obsessed with star wars and empire, which i admit is a decent film and worth a watch for the crackling sexual energy between Han and Lea alone. but really, there are better films to absorb yourself in (2001, for instance).

the irony is that lucas was one of the wunder-kids of new hollywood in the 70s, along with spielberg, coppala, scorsese, da palma, shrader, de niro et al. their coke binges and break-downs are the stuff of cinematic folklore. and yet the success of star wars (and the failure of heavens gate) effectively killed the art-house based New Hollywood movement and condemned us all to bland gung-ho blockbusters up to, well, the dark knight i guess.

is it true that the producers of the original star wars thought it would be a flop and pulled alot of funding for it...and to save more money they paid lucas with the films rights rather than money..?

probably up there with the guy who never signed the beattles

is it true that the producers of the original star wars thought it would be a flop and pulled alot of funding for it...and to save more money they paid lucas with the films rights rather than money..?

 

probably up there with the guy who never signed the beattles

As far as i know that is true,also Harrison Ford agreed to a lower wage for this film in return for a cut in the merchandise the studio thought this was great not realising how many toys etc would be sold over the years.

I have to admit my early childhood was consumed by the Star Wars series,me and my mates had all the original figures and ships and i still have most of them now along with the boxes for them.

As far as i know that is true,also Harrison Ford agreed to a lower wage for this film in return for a cut in the merchandise the studio thought this was great not realising how many toys etc would be sold over the years.

.

I watched a Star Wars documentary a few years ago and they said that it wan't just Harrison Ford who took lower wages in lieu of a cut of the films and merchandising profits, Sir Alec Guinness wasn't paid a wage at all for the 3 films, but negotiated a deal which was rumoured to have been for two percent of the gross profit of the films.

I watched a Star Wars documentary a few years ago and they said that it wan't just Harrison Ford who took lower wages in lieu of a cut of the films and merchandising profits, Sir Alec Guinness wasn't paid a wage at all for the 3 films, but negotiated a deal which was rumoured to have been for two percent of the gross profit of the films.

ah yes....fair play to the old boy.....2 pct of the profilts of tyhe star wars franchise...

farking hell:o