42 Years Ago Today; First uttered instance of "These aren't the droids you're looking for"

[Dennis Donovan]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_(film)

Star Wars (also known as Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope) is a 1977 American epic space-opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first film in the original Star Wars trilogy and the beginning of the Star Wars franchise. Starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing, Alec Guinness, David Prowse, James Earl Jones, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, and Peter Mayhew, the film focuses on the Rebel Alliance, led by Princess Leia (Fisher), and its attempt to destroy the Galactic Empire's space station, the Death Star.

Star Wars was released in theatres in the United States on May 25, 1977. It earned $461 million in the U.S. and $314 million overseas, totaling $775 million. It surpassed Jaws (1975) to become the highest-grossing film of all time until the release of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). When adjusted for inflation, Star Wars is the second-highest-grossing film in North America, and the third-highest-grossing film in the world. It received ten Academy Award nominations (including Best Picture), winning seven. In 1989, it became one of the first films to be selected as part of the U.S. Library of Congress's National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". At the time, it was the most recent film in the registry and the only one chosen from the 1970s. In 2004, its soundtrack was added to the U.S. National Recording Registry. Today, it is regarded as one of the most important films in the history of motion pictures.

The film has been reissued multiple times at Lucas's behest—most significantly with its 20th-anniversary theatrical "Special Edition"—incorporating many changes including modified computer-generated effects, altered dialogue, re-edited shots, remixed soundtracks and added scenes. It launched an industry of tie-in products, including novels, comics, video games, amusement park attractions, and merchandise including toys, games, clothing and many other spin-off works. The film's success led to two critically and commercially successful sequels, The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983), and later to a prequel trilogy, a sequel trilogy, an animated film, two anthology films and various spin-off TV series.

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I still recall going with my late brother to see it that week in 1977 at the local art-deco movie theatre. And walking home, swiping at things with my (invisible) light sabre and making the "shooooom" sound effect...

[Backseat Driver]

1. May the Force be with you!

[malaise]

2. Hehehehehhe

[Staph]

3. I was home for the summer from college,

and went to see the movie with my dad. We loved it!

It still boggles my mind that at the release of the last film, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Mark Hamill was older than Alec Guinness at the time of the release of the original Star Wars (1977). Hamill was 66 in 2017; Guinness was 63 in 1977.

[lunatica]

4. I took my 6 year old son to just such an Art Deco theatre on the first day

He came out of there affirming forcibly that, “That was the best movie I ever saw!”

The Star War figures and spaceships were presents for years. In college he went to art schools and learned how to make the special effects for movies. That movie pretty much sealed his future path. He didn’t live to establish a permanent career. But it was always fun to go to all the Star Wars movies with him. It’s all part of the wonderful memories.

[GReedDiamond]

5. Saw it on opening day in Hollywood, at the Chinese Theater on Hollywood Blvd...

...stood in line for a while to see the second screening of the day.

I may very well be somewhere in the crowd in the photo below: