What Was It Like to See 'Star Wars' in 1977?

 

What was it like to see Star Wars in 1977? Let's say it was like experiencing Christmas and my birthday all at once. I was a teenager who went with my friends and stood on line outside a theater on a cool May evening not knowing what to expect. 

I had seen the trailer for the film on TV, but it just stoked my imagination without giving me too much to go on. It seemed to be like nothing I had seen before. As a huge fan of the Star Trek original television series, I was wondering if it would be like that, but there were no phasers, transporter beam ups, or Vulcan nerve pinches to be seen. 

I sat down in my seat, munched some popcorn, and saw those famous words: "A Long Time Ago, in a Galaxy Far, Far Away..." And with those words I slipped out of 1977 into an unimaginable world of droids, light sabers, stormtroopers, and the valiant trio of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) following the lead of wise old Jedi Obi Wan (Ben) Kenobi (Alec Guinness) in a battle of good against evil.   

The movie was like nothing I had ever seen before. There were aliens on the Star Trek, but not as prominent as in this movie. There was a story with which I could immediately connect, and fellow teenager Luke was feeling all the familiar angst that I felt in my life. 

Of course, there was the iconic villain Darth Vader (played by David Prowse and voiced by James Earl Jones). He appeared more threatening and scary than any villain I had ever seen in a movie or on TV.  George Lucas had provided classic heroes and villains but in a formula that I had never experienced before. 

Imagine the pristine world of communication in 1977. There was no internet back then, and my options for information were extremely limited. Before I saw the film, I heard nothing about it except what we knew from the trailer and articles in magazines. I actually could go into that theater spoiler free, and now I realize how much I miss those days.

I would go on to see the next two movies, waiting long years in between the two. Later on, I would see all the rest of the films and watch Star Wars content on Disney+. My teenage friends had been replaced by my son as my fellow avid fan, and we have shared a love for Star Wars that never ends, even with social media causing ripples in our enjoyment due to unnecessary negativity about certain shows or characters. None of this deters us from enjoying the Star Wars galaxy that we love.

Please watch the video which captures the excitement and essence of those rather innocent days of May 1977. It will make you wish for that time and place that is not that long ago and in a galaxy we all still call home.