Do you remember the first time you saw Star Wars? I make. I remember sitting in the theater and nearly jumping out of my skin as the first Star Destroyer burst onto the screen while chasing the Corellian Corvette over Tattooine. From that first moment I have been a fan of Star Wars and I am sure that many of you who read this also remember that same moment. That’s when your “love affair” with Star Wars really began, right?
George Lucas was and is a smart guy. Years later, as an adult, I was introduced to the many other movies that influenced this hit movie. Everything from Kurosawa films to British World War II movies had become a part of this sci-fi epic. Yet that’s part of the genius of his work: He didn’t try to reinvent the wheel. He just chose a lot of different radii to add to it and each one added color and depth to the final movie.
What’s even more amazing is that, as far as most critics are concerned, this movie was going to be a flop. Lucas was really concerned about this, so the film was made under the title of Blue Harvest to keep prying eyes away and make the film sound as bland and boring as possible. Remember that up to this point, Lucas was pretty much unknown with the only movie he had done worth talking about, American Graffiti (we won’t talk about THX1138…), so he knew he had a lot to prove.
There was also the problem that, up to that point, science fiction movies had never done well at the box office. They did “okay” but never really got a big hit. Even when Kubrick released 2001, it didn’t turn audiences on. But that was about to change.
So finally the movie finished $3,000,000 over budget and was released by a nervous movie studio. And it became an overnight success. Not just a hit. It became crazy with people lining up to see the movie for the fifth, tenth and twentieth time. The movie appealed to so many people on so many levels that it was destined to be a hit and the numbers proved it.
The demand for Star Wars toys was almost immediate and the Kenner toy company was giving away the rights to produce the first range of toys. What they didn’t expect was the absolutely insane demand for each and every type of Star Wars collectible. That craze has continued to this day with many Star Wars fans (including me there) always looking for the latest collectible or gadget to add to their collections or buy as gifts for siblings or nieces and nephews. This is just to make sure the Star Wars legacy lives on forever, as it should.
