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    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»Movies - 1970s
    Movies - 1970s Movies - S 4 Mins Read

    Star Wars (1977)

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    When 33-year-old director George Lucas gave the world Star Wars he could not have envisioned how many nerdy and geeky boys he would inspire for generations to come.

    Both Universal and United Artists had turned down the opportunity to produce the film.

    Twentieth Century Fox finally accepted, giving Lucas complete control during the four years of preparation and a relatively modest budget of $11 million – half of which went towards sets and special effects.

    Shot in Guatemala, Tunisia and Death Valley, with interiors at Elstree Studios in England, the resulting film was so spectacular that it looks like it cost three times as much!

    starwars_062

    Obviously influenced by the old Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers serials, as well as tales of knights of old, the story tells how farm-boy Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), given a sword by his mentor Ben Kenobi (Alec Guinness), and assisted by space pilot Han Solo (Harrison Ford), rescues Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) from the evil clutches of Darth Vader.

    With the help of Kenobi, Solo, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, R2D2 and C-3PO, he’s able to save the day and destroy the Empire’s dreaded Death Star in a classic story of good versus evil.

    Darth Vader is the epitome of screen villainy with his gas-mask face, Nazi storm trooper-like helmet and intimidating height – Vader became the image most associated with Star Wars.

    With an Oscar in his pocket for Jaws (1975), John Williams was already going full tilt down the mountain of fame when Lucas asked him to score what turned out to be the biggest film of the decade.

    starwars

    He wisely opted for a classical backdrop to the antics of the Skywalker boy rather than a more futuristic soundtrack. The results will be forever synonymous with intergalactic heroism and evil. Unlike, say, Dune (1984).

    George Lucas originally wanted to change Anthony Daniels’ British accent for C3PO and hired veteran voice-over artist and comedian Stan Freeburg to re-dub all his dialogue. He changed his mind when he finally realised the complexity of the job.

    Princess Leia was originally intended to be played by Amy Irving (not Carrie Fisher) and the part of Han Solo was to be played by Nick Nolte (not Harrison Ford). Ford practically begged Lucas to have his character killed off in Return Of The Jedi (1983) feeling this would ‘complete’ the character.

    starwars32

    George Lucas derived the word “Jedi” from the Japanese word Jidai Geki which means ‘period drama’ – commonly used as a TV soap opera. He also originally had Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader as one character.

    The idea of forest-dwelling primitives defeating the hi-tech Empire was a big part of Star Wars post-Vietnam origins but was scrapped when Lucas felt that the Wookies were not primitive enough. So they were made smaller and the name was shrunk and reversed to become Ewoks.

    Endlessly imitated but never rivalled. This first instalment of George Lucas’s Space Opera dresses up the timeless tale of good versus evil with ground-breaking special effects and a dazzling array of intergalactic characters.

    As more films were released in the franchise, Star Wars was renamed Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.

    Luke Skywalker
    Mark Hamill
    Princess Leia Organa 
    Carrie Fisher
    Han Solo
    Harrison Ford
    C-3PO
    Anthony Daniels
    R2-D2
    Kenny Baker
    Chewbacca
    Peter Mayhew
    Darth Vader
    David Prowse
    Darth Vader (voice)
    James Earl Jones
    Uncle Owen Lars
    Phil Brown
    Aunt Beru Lars
    Shelagh Fraser
    Chief Jawa
    Jack Purvis
    General Dodonna
    Alex McCrindle
    General Willard
    Eddie Byrne
    Red Leader
    Drewe Henley
    Red Two (Wedge)
    Denis Lawson
    Red Three (Biggs)
    Garrick Hagon
    Red Four (John `D’)
    Jack Klaff
    Red Six (Porkins)
    William Hootkins
    Gold Leader
    Angus Macinnes
    Gold Two
    Jeremy Sinden
    Gold Five
    Graham Ashley
    General Taggi
    Don Henderson
    General Motti
    Richard Le Parmentier

    Director
    George Lucas

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