quote:

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ARIZONA
Phoenix: Plitt Ciné Capri

CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles: GCC Avco Center (70mm-Dolby)
Los Angeles: Mann Chinese (70mm-Dolby)
Orange: Plitt City Center (70mm-Dolby)
Sacramento: Syufy Century 25
San Diego: Mann Valley Circle
San Francisco: UA Coronet (70mm-Dolby)
San Jose: Syufy Century 22

COLORADO
Denver: Cooper Highland Cooper (Dolby)

DELAWARE
Claymont: Sameric Eric Twin Tri-State Mall

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Washington: RKO/Stanley-Warner Uptown (Dolby)

ILLINOIS
Milan: Redstone Showcase (Dolby)

INDIANA
Indianapolis: Y&W Eastwood (Dolby)

KENTUCKY
Louisville: Redstone Showcase (Dolby)

MASSACHUSETTS
Boston: Sack Charles (Dolby)

MICHIGAN
Southfield: Nicholas George Americana (Dolby)

MINNESOTA
Roseville: Northwest Roseville 4 (Dolby)
St. Louis Park: GCC St. Louis Park

NEW JERSEY
Edison: GCC Menlo Park
Lawrenceville: Sameric Eric Twin Lawrenceville
Paramus: RKO/Stanley-Warner Triplex Paramus (70mm-Dolby)
Pennsauken: Sameric Eric Twin Pennsauken

NEW YORK
Hicksville: Mann Twin South (70mm-Dolby)
New York: Loews Astor Plaza (70mm-Dolby)
New York: Loews Orpheum (70mm-Dolby)

OHIO
Springdale: Redstone Showcase (Dolby)

OREGON
Beaverton: Luxury Westgate (Dolby)

PENNSYLVANIA
Fairless Hills: Sameric Eric Twin Fairless Hills
Monroeville: Redstone Showcase East (Dolby)
Philadelphia: Sameric Eric's Place

UTAH
Salt Lake City: Plitt Centre

WASHINGTON
Seattle: UA Cinema 150 (Dolby)

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Opened Thursday, May 26, 1977:
KANSAS
Overland Park: Dickinson Glenwood (Dolby)

Opened Friday, May 27, 1977:
ILLINOIS
Calumet City: Plitt River Oaks
Chicago: Plitt Esquire (Dolby)
Lombard: GCC Yorktown
Northbrook: Lubliner & Sterns Edens (Dolby)

IOWA
Des Moines: Dubinsky River Hills (Dolby)

MISSOURI
Creve Coeur: Wehrenberg Creve Coeur (Dolby)

NEBRASKA
Omaha: Douglas Cinema Center (Dolby)

OHIO
Dayton: Chakeres Dayton Mall (Dolby)

TEXAS
Dallas: GCC Northpark I&II
Houston: GCC Galleria

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quote:

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UTAH
Salt Lake City: Plitt Centre

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...great venue to watch all of the original SW's in 70mm ... on a FLAT screen no less. This downtown SLC palace finally came down a few years ago for downtown reconstruction since Crapaplex Odeon had it .. but those two Bauer U2 machines ran the 70m prints with exceptional quality with those big STRONG Futura 13.6mm rotator carbons giving out the great light to fill that monstorous flat screen..

(I saw "Logan's Run" in 70mm at this theatre the year before..)

I remember reading about the magnitude of lines going around the block in SFO at the Coronet. Danged movie wasn't supposed to take off like it did, but it surprised all...

...and Universal has been kicking themselves ever since they turned down this story and film concept from Lucas, even though Lucas did "American Graffitti" and was released by them in 1973.

My biggest memory with "SW" was the blurbs that were showing up the weekly "Boxoffice" magazines back then. "What is this 'StarWars', everyone around town would say.." "Just another campy space/science fiction, Roger Corman-type of a movie?" Even myself, I had my doubts of this wondering what this 'Star Wars' was all about...I was proven wrong that opening Wed night in the middle of June. Yet, what waws funny was the first week, the movie really didn't take off like it should. It was the 2nd week that word got around how great this movie was and then we were busy from then on.

Granted, Spielberg gave us "JAWS" two summers ago that really surprised us to no end. Summer of '76 was "Logan's Run" and a host of other famous, and not so famous fliks..

Studios at this time were churning out wannabees to get them out of misery since nothing was really doing good for them (woo..remember 1976's Delaurentiss's "King Kong" with Jeff Bridges...did help out Paramount some...).

FOX was in this quagmire and really needed something to bail itself out of the red ink that it was seeing. "Sure, we'll float this Lucas fellow $10m and see how his project floats...nobody else wanted to take the plunge with this space opera story..."

We were one of the theatres that received the later mid-June release when more prints were struck due to the high demand.

From then on for the six month duration (in which I needed another replacement print in July due to the acetate in one reel had began to get brittle more quicker than normal and I was having sprockethole fractures on a continual basis, plus massive shedding from emulsion drying out so bad.. (I had a Simplex XL/Peerless Magnarc booth ), running that film in my booth with open ports, I became very tired of this film - mainly due to I had practically every frame and all of the soundtrack memorized

That movie changed us all from then on.... - Monte
 

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Posted by Brian D. Whitish (Member # 825) on 05-25-2007, 04:02 AM:
 
I saw the 4:15 show on 5/25/77 at the Westgate in Beaverton,Or. I saw it 38 times that summer. They got a 70mm print about 2-3 weeks into the run as I recall. It ran for 78 weeks at the Westgate, one of the longest runs in the US. That film caused two of my friends that went with me to get into the film business. On is a sound editor, one a screenwriter.
 

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Posted by Mark Lensenmayer (Member # 134) on 05-25-2007, 07:27 AM:
 
Saw STAR WARS 5 times...I had to because the first 4 times the Dolby Sound was messed up. Either no surround channel, no right channel...a real mess.

The RAINTREE cinema that had a Dolby engagement had back corner speakers instead of side speakers, much like the IMAX system. I liked that arrangement much better than the full side surrounds.

STAR WARS was certainly a landmark picture, but it wasn't my most memorable cinema experience, by any means.
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 05-25-2007, 10:13 AM:
 
I saw it in Billings, Montana at the Fox Theatre, a 1450 seat house which was converted in 1982 to a performing arts theater.

I know the movie played in Billings for over a year, but I think it moved mid-run to the Rimrock 4, a multiplex that was new at the time (and is now gone).

Some friends and I had gone to 3 different movies that day, with SW being the last. Not being much of a sci=fi fan, and tired from watching all those movies, I fell asleep sporadically in Star Wars. So I can't say it changed my life all that much.

We never played it at the Roxy in the initial run -- at that time, there was a drive-in in town and they got first run rights to all Fox pictures. The drive-in closed in 1980 so we played all the later movies in first run, although the only one we opened on the break was Episode III. We did play the original movie in a reissue in 1982, and of course we played the 1997 Special Edition.
 

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Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 05-25-2007, 10:51 AM:
 
I ran it that summer, at the Leeds Theatre, in my hometown of Winchester, KY. I was 15, and so enamored with projection booths that I was never really interested in watching the movies.

Star Wars was different, however. It caught my attention immediately. From the very first shot, when the Star Destroyer chases the rebel ship across the frame... and it just keeps coming - and coming - and coming, until it fills the frame. The perceived scale was fantastic.

I soon found myself sitting at the porthole between my two Simplex Supers, monitor blaring away, watching this movie. The dynamic visual effects really floored me and the story was simply non-stop action. It was very exciting to say the least. I was so captivated that I had a difficult time pulling myself away to check the trim or make changeovers.

That's a summer I'll never forget. (Thanks, George!)
 

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Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 05-25-2007, 10:52 AM:
 
I installed the CP-100 for Showcase Cinemas #1 in Louisville (later a CP-50 in #2) Baby boom was real sub woofers. Crown DC-300 and A4X stage speakers; AAII Norelco & deep curved screen; picture was bananna shaped. Better LF energy that on the re-release.

Later installed CP-50 in Atlanta (Films Inc. screening room) and "borrowed" a stereo print from Fox. (Fox had plenty, since "everyone knows that stereo prints won't play in mono houses." When we were finished, I showed the Fox Branch manager that they WOULD play. During the print shortage, he held 50 stereo prints because he thought no one could use them.)

Also saw it in S.F. at the Coronet in 70mm. (Dolby training course.) Louis
 

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Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 05-25-2007, 12:09 PM:
 
I remember seeing it at the now defunct Mid-States Lexington Mall twin cinema. It was on the mid-summer expansion that Fox did on the initial release. I saw it again on the same release at the General Cinema Turfland Mall twin cinema. I was 12 and I think that's what really broke me into the interest of movies and how they work.

There is going to be a Star Wars special on the History Channel on Memorial Day at 9:00 pm est.
 

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Posted by Rick Raskin (Member # 1561) on 05-25-2007, 12:18 PM:
 
I saw it at the Uptown in DC. I was disapointed they ran it in 35; but what I remember most is everyone coming out smiling.
 

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Posted by Kenneth Wuepper (Member # 1174) on 05-25-2007, 01:43 PM:
 
I drove 95 miles to Detroit to see this one in 70mm at the Northland Cinema. Giant screen and 1,200 seats on one floor. The opening, crawling letters that "stayed in focus" from foreground to infinity, was incredible. (As a photo teacher this was very enlightening, only thought this was possible with a view camera and tilting lens board and back.)

The magnetic Dolby sound was great in that large space. They were running single reels and the image was pefect.

KEN
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 05-25-2007, 02:00 PM:
 
I saw it in 70mm at the Plitt in Orange CA. It had been out for a couple weeks at that time, and the massive publicity it was getting lured me in. I got there at 10AM on a Sunday, expecting to get a ticket to a noon show. But that was already sold out. Had to buy a ticket to the next show which was like 2:30 and wait in line over 4 hours. They had separate lines for each showtime and they were using bullhorns for crowd control. By the time my show rolled around, everything was sold out for the day and people were scalping tickets.

The movie was a revelation, had never seen anything like it. I later saw it numerous times (probably ~10) at the 1200-seat Edwards Big Newport, where I think it ran for close to a year. Also saw it a couple months into the run again at the Plitt, and their 70mm print was absolutely TRASHED. Never saw anything like that happen at the Big Newport.
 

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Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 05-25-2007, 02:35 PM:
 
Even though it was released in Australia on October 27th, 1977...Star Wars (still without the 'Episode IV' tile) wasn't released in my town until June of 1978. Yes, 1978. My first experience with Star Wars was finding out (at age 12) that this film was doing BIG business at the hard-top in town. My first observation to my projectionist father of that was 'It must be a really long movie'. For some reason, in my head, only long movies were that successful...'Gone With The Wind', 'Lawrence Of Arabia' etc.

I never saw it though until August of '78 when it came to my Dad's drive-in. I remember it had already been to the Bowen Drive-In which is a pretty small town currently responsible as the location to Baz Lurhman's follow-up to 'Moulin Rouge' but I digress...we received this print of SW with all tails and leaders joined onto the wrong reels. (You see? It happened in those days too ) Between us, we managed to work out which reel was which and it made it to the screen as the second feature that night to Robert Shaw's 'Diamonds'. I have to say...and I'm not sure what possessed me to do it, but I taped on this screening on cassette the audio of the film (I doubt anyone's going to care too much at this point, right?) and must have played it almost every day for the next month or so...I loved this film and along with JAWS is my outstanding memory of going to the movies up to that point in history.

I'll never forget it and George, as much as I bag you out for the new ones...you'll always be forgiven...simply because you gave us that first scene with the Imperial Cruiser.

You had it...no doubt, and Goddamn it...not in the Star Wars vein as it's already been done, but I wish you'd do something as risque just one more time.

Loved it...love it...will always.
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 05-25-2007, 03:46 PM:
 
I wish I could have seen the original Star Wars in 70mm. We were packing up and getting ready to move from Yuma, AZ to Iwakuni, Japan when the movie was released. We didn't get to see it until several months later when we were living in Japan. We watched it at a pretty large theater in downtown Iwakuni. Thankfully, the movie was in English. But it had Japanese subtitles written vertically down the right end of the frame. It was the first time I ever got to sit through a movie twice.

I watched The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 here in Lawton at the Showcase Twin theater. My family had just moved back to the states and was in this town visiting other relatives. That movie theater building was later converted to a Blockbuster Video location in the late 1990s.

I did get to see Return of the Jedi in 70mm (at General Cinemas Springfield Mall multiplex in Springfield, VA). That experience had a lasting effect, sparking the personal interest in film formats, presentation quality, etc.
 

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Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 05-25-2007, 04:24 PM:
 
I did see the three original releases at the Centre in SLC - in 1977, 1980 and 1983 respectively..all done with changeover instead of later 70mm platter setups as mentioned above, but was someone disappointed in the 70mm presentations for knowing by the presentations, that these were just blowup 35mm releases - mainly due to the fact that my 35mm releases that I ran at my hometown 1100 seat theatre looked tons better than these 70mm blowup versions.

But, the thrill of seeing a 70mm release of "SW" - in fact of anything in this large format - was the biggest treat that a soul could experience.

On my initial opening release print that we received that mid-June of 1977, was a "Dolby Systems" mono print.

I've got the sections of that one bad reel that I mentioned above, which contains the lightsabre intruduction to Luke from Obi since that part of the reel really got damaged..about 50 ft ..

-Monte
 

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Posted by Edwin Graf Diemer (Member # 545) on 05-25-2007, 10:09 PM:
 
DELAWARE
Claymont: Sameric Eric Twin Tri-State Mall

I grew up in Wilmington DE, so I was lucky to live 10 minutes away from this theater-the Sameric chain always seemed to have "the big ones", vs. their competititon, Budco. It was absolutely insane that first weekend. The theater was at the rear of the mall, and the line went snaking from the theater through the mall until it hit the mall entrance and back again. "Star Wars" was the last picture to play in the massive 1,400 seat screen one before it was divided-nobody expected what was going to happen of course, and "Star Wars" only played for about a month there before being moved to the much smaller screen two. They showed it in 35mm mono, although the large house was Norelco 70mm equipped. Once the dividing was completed (920 seats in the large house), and the theater a triplex, the film returned to the larger screen. A very successful location, "The Empire Strikes Back" opened in 70mm here as well on the opening break, but by "Jedi", the area surrounding the theater had deteriorated so rapidly the film bypassed it entirely.
 

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Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 05-26-2007, 12:51 AM:
 
The original STAR WARS film opened at two theatres in Honolulu on June 8, 1977 at Consolidated Cinerama and the Kapiolani. The Kapiolani engagement was not very long. Both theatres ran the movie in 35mm mono because neither was set up for Dolby yet. After the Kapiolani's showings ended, the Cinerama had a exclusive for the rest of it's run in Hawaii which was over a year. After the film played in 35mm for several months, Dolby Stereo was installed at the Cinerama and STAR WARS continued it run at this theatre in 70mm and 6 track stereo in early October.

Because Honolulu's engagement was in 35mm in the beginning, I decided to hold off seeing it until i was in San Francisco on my way home from a national professional photographers convention in Chicago. I had planned to see it at the Coronet in 70mm in the bay area but by a stroke of luck, the first time I got to see STAR WARS was in the grand ball room at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Rosemont, Illinois late one evening during the conventIon. It was a 35mm mono showing on a very large scope screen and I was very impressed with the presentation, I did get to see it again in 70mm at the Coronet as planned but because of jet lag, I slept through most of it.. When I returned to Honolulu, I saw it twice at the Cinerama in 35mm and again in 70mm.

-Claude
 

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Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 05-26-2007, 01:26 AM:
 
I saw it with my father December 25, 1977 at the Coliseum Theater in Ketchikan, Alaska (operated to this day by the ironically named "Gross Alaska Theaters"). It took that long for them to finally get a print.

I had long since been completely sucked into the hype. I'd read the book based on the movie and had a number of different Star Wars accessories, including a package of "blue prints" of the ships that I'm sure is worth bajillions to collectors today. So actually getting to watch the movie was really just completing the visuals. I could pretty much recite the script word-for-word at the time.
 

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Posted by Anslem Rayburn (Member # 1267) on 05-26-2007, 06:15 AM:
 
I was born in 1977, but I'm a little bit older than Star Wars. I remember seeing Star Trek III: The Search for Spock in 1984 at a drive-in in Yuma (double feature with C.H.U.D.). It was around that same time that I saw Star Wars on TV. It blew my mind, but it's not that significant later. I remember Goonies and Monster Squad more. Goonies is a great film, and so is Monster Squad (coming out on DVD next month). Star Wars was more of an "that looks cool" type of thing. I'm ready to let it go. Lucas' best works are WILLOW and HOWARD THE DUCK...
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 05-26-2007, 11:15 AM:
 

quote: Anslem Rayburn

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I remember seeing Star Trek III: The Search for Spock in 1984 at a drive-in in Yuma (double feature with C.H.U.D.).

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quote:

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Here's where it opened (From my retrospective article May 25, 1977: A Day Long Remembered):

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quote: Bobby Henderson

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I forgot to mention in my previous post how members of the Star Wars crew stayed in Yuma, AZ hotels during parts of the film's production. Some of the Tatooine scenes were shot in the sand dunes just west of Yuma.

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quote: Bobby Henderson

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Could that have been the Crest Drive-In? It was along US-80 just north of the Marine Corps Air Station.

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quote: Michael Schaffer

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Wasn't that for "Return of the Jedi", not "Star Wars"?

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quote: Michael Schaffer

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IIRC, Star Wars came to Germany the following year, in February of 1978 (not sure if that's correct though)

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quote: Michael Coate

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The majority of the Tatooine exteriors for "Star Wars" were shot in Tunisia. Pick-up shots were done in Death Valley, CA.

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The flat and barren areas were Tunisia -which was the scenery for most of the Tatooine shots. The dunes where R2D2 and C3PO first land on Tatooine are the Imperial Sand Dunes outside Yuma. The scenes where R2D2 get captured by the Jawas is in Death Valley National Monument.

A number of other movies have been filmed in the sand dunes west of Yuma. Much of March or Die (1977, starring Gene Hackman) was one I knew about when I was just a kid. Other movies like Dune, Stargate, Jarhead and the original version of Flight of the Phoenix had scenes filmed there as well.

The Imperial Sand Dunes is a popular location because the dunes are impressive. There's not a lot of mountains and other scenery on the horizon so the location can function in sort of generic terms. It doubles for Middle East locations all the time. Finally, those dunes are not too far from Hollywood.
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 05-27-2007, 06:10 PM:
 
Dammit, you assholes ruined it for me. I always thought those scenes were filmed on the real Tatooine.

 

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Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 05-27-2007, 07:49 PM:
 
HBO is running all 6 episodes in HD this week.
 

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Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 142) on 05-27-2007, 08:25 PM:
 
Star Wars was a few weeks into its run when I saw it in late 1977 here in Melbourne, Australia. It was in 70mm in Hoyts Cinema Centre One. This triple opened in 1969 with three screens all just below 1,000 seats. It closed last year.

I remember my dad buying the tickets very early on Saturday morning and we went wandering around the city until start time. The first scenes were just so impressive; they changed the way I looked at movies forever.

I even remember where we were sitting. Years later I worked at the same theatre as projectionist and would often sit in the same seats. It was a great film to see with a thousand others and a large curved 70mm screen.

It was the first film to transport me completely, an experience I look for in ever film I see, yet it happens only a few times per year.

David
 

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Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 05-27-2007, 10:44 PM:
 

quote: Bobby Henderson

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The dunes where R2D2 and C3PO first land on Tatooine are the Imperial Sand Dunes outside Yuma. The scenes where R2D2 get captured by the Jawas is in Death Valley National Monument.

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quote:

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The same turnoff, followed six miles north, leads to La Grande Dune, used for the ‘Dune Sea’, where C3P0 and R2D2 wander aimlessly. Take care on Highway 3, which leads into Algeria ‚ if you inadvertently cross the border, you can end up in all kinds of trouble.

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quote:

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The gully, where R2D2 is captured by the Jawas, now known locally as ‘Star Wars Canyon’ (you can see it again in Raiders of the Lost Ark), is Sidi Bouhel, east of Tozeur on the edge of the Chott el Jerid.

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Also see chapters seven and eleven of the book "The Making Of Star Wars" by J.W. Rinzler (Ballantine, 2007).
 

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Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 05-28-2007, 02:44 AM:
 
I always wondered why those scenes, given how tight the budget was, weren't shot in California in the first place, or other desert locations in the South West US. Sure, there are probably no completely flat, vast plains like the salt plain where Luke's home is, but there are lots of other scenic desert locations available, including dunes, valleys and gullies, all of which look "exotic" enough and not at all "Western".
 

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Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 05-28-2007, 01:43 PM:
 
Ego! LOuis
 

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Posted by Martin Brooks (Member # 1269) on 05-28-2007, 05:42 PM:
 
I didn't see Star Wars on opening day, but I did see it in its opening run in 70mm at the Loew's Astor Plaza in NYC (which closed a few years ago and was converted to the Nokia Theatre, which plays pop music shows.)

We got to the theatre late and ordinarily, I wouldn't see a film after it started, but it was just after my daughter was born and we didn't get out that often. We entered when R2D2 and C3PO are walking in the desert.

I didn't appreciate Star Wars the first time I saw it. I saw Close Encounters at the Ziegfeld shortly before and was much more impressed with that (and the sound was better.) Since Close Encounters didn't open until November, I must have seen Star Wars in November or December of 1977. Can you imagine a film playing for six months today? The theatre was still packed when I saw it and the Astor Plaza had about 1100 seats, if I remember correctly.
 

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Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 05-29-2007, 03:23 PM:
 
Where'd Bobby go?
 

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Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 05-30-2007, 01:38 AM:
 

quote: Steve Guttag

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HBO is running all 6 episodes in HD this week.

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CHRISTIE DLP CINEMA PROJECTOR TO DIGITALLY SCREEN STAR WARS SAGA IN ITS ENTIRETY AT 30th ANNIVERSARY STAR WARS CELEBRATION IV IN LOS ANGELES

Christie CP2000 Christie, a global leader in visual solutions for entertainment, business and industry, brings the force of cutting edge Digital Cinema technology to the biggest Star Wars party ever – Celebration IV – with the first-ever back-to-back, six-episode Saga marathon in the U.S. on Wednesday, May 23.

The state-of-the-art digital screening of all six Star Wars episodes on the world’s most popular DLP Cinema projector, the Christie CP2000, is one of the highlights of the massive event, which brings together tens of thousands of Star Wars fans from around the world.

The May 23-24 screening marks the first time all Star Wars episodes have been theatrically presented in story order (from Episode I to Episode VI), and is expected to draw thousands of enthusiastic fans. “Star Wars Celebration IV” is produced by Lucasfilm Ltd. and Gen Con LLC., and officially opens to the public on Friday, May 25, following a one-day “preview” for members of the Official Star Wars Fan Club.

The excitement-filled, star-studded Celebration IV will take over the entire Los Angeles Convention Center and feature live entertainment and scores of celebrities from all six movies, including favorites like Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia, and Anthony Daniels, who played C-3PO. There will also be special presentations that preview upcoming Star Wars projects; special exhibits; exclusive merchandise sold at a 24-hour-a-day store; pop-culture tributes; immersive events; costume contests; and scores of additional activities.

“Star Wars is more than a movie. It is a genuine cultural phenomenon that continues to intrigue and captivate new generations of fans around the world. Digital technology has had a profound influence upon the look of the film, its evolution and success,” says Mike Blanchard, post-production supervisor for Lucasfilm Ltd. “The introduction of Digital Cinema has helped bring to audiences everywhere a more accurate rendition of George Lucas’ original vision, and from the beginning, the Christie CP2000 DLP Cinema projector has been our projector of choice.”

Craig Sholder, vice-president of Entertainment Solutions at Christie comments, “The Christie 2K DLP Cinema projector played a major role in launching Lucas’ final Star Wars movie, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, with digital premieres that attracted record audiences around the world. At Star Wars Celebration IV, Lucasfilm Ltd. and Christie continue their long and productive relationship, with the Christie CP2000 series offering the most pristine, visually stunning images fans have ever seen.”

Servicing the largest Digital Cinema deployment in the world, Christie’s Managed Services team will set up and ensure that all six digital screenings play smoothly. Sean James, vice president of Managed Services at Christie remarks, “Our renowned Christie Managed Services technicians will be on hand throughout the 17- hour marathon to ensure this historic event is everything Star Wars fans have come to expect from the world’s most famous cinematic saga.”

With more than 150 technicians, Christie Managed Services is the largest cinema tech service organization in the U.S. dedicated to servicing over 5,000 screens at 585 sites across 40 states.

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Posted by Frank Dubrois (Member # 3042) on 05-30-2007, 02:29 AM:
 
If people want to book and show Star Wars, can they get the ORIGINAL un-enhanced version?
 

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Posted by Damien Taylor (Member # 4255) on 05-30-2007, 03:09 AM:
 
I heard stupid rumors it doesn't exist anymore, or at least George wants everyone to think that. It could be a factoid. But Lucas gets silly over little things like destroying stuff. (Holiday Special.)

What you would get I dare say is a "special edition" print. Theres perfection and then theres idiocy. You were the only one who didn't like it the way it was George.
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 05-30-2007, 11:17 AM:
 
You can't book any Star Wars movies right now unless you are a well-connected big operation type theatre. We thought it would be really cool to run the entire six films for our 75th anniversary a while back, but they turned us down flat even though I was willing to pay whatever terms they wanted. I wrote to 3 different people including their head of exhibitor relations. No luck with any of them, and a couple were downright unfriendly.

I might try it again for our 80th which comes up in 3 years. Maybe we'll be digital by then!
 

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 05-30-2007, 12:38 PM:
 

quote: Mike Blakesley

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and a couple were downright unfriendly.

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Why? What did they say? I don't understand why they'd get their panties in a wad over you trying to book some movies. Maybe they need to get laid?
 

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Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 05-30-2007, 12:52 PM:
 
I loved the original 3 Stars Wars films. But, is it me or has the bloom faded off the rose? Or has George really be seduced by the dark side of marketing? Louis
 

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Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 05-30-2007, 01:21 PM:
 
WEll since there's now Star Wars mail boxes and pre paid Express shipping envelopes with Yoda on them, yeah you could say he's in the dark side of marketing.
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 05-30-2007, 01:39 PM:
 

quote: Joe Redifer

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What did they say? I don't understand why they'd get their panties in a wad over you trying to book some movies.

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quote:

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Ego!

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quote: Louis Bornwasser

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I loved the original 3 Stars Wars films. But, is it me or has the bloom faded off the rose? Or has George really be seduced by the dark side of marketing?

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quote: Michael Coate

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So here's the challenge: can a discussion take place here with a focus on recollections of seeing "Star Wars" for the first time back in its original 1977-78 release? In other words, is it possible to discuss the original film and '77/'78 timeframe without drifting to any discussion of what "Star Wars" became over the course of thirty years?

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quote: Paul Linfesty

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No. Such is the nature of forums.

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quote: Paul Linfesty

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Also, it's probably impossible to divorce oneself completely from what one saw 30 years ago and the influence and reshaping that 30 years time of new memories and experiences affect our past reflections (if not the specific facts then at least our emotions interpretations of said facts).

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quote: Teh Coate

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In other words, it's too much to ask for grown, educated adults to follow directions!!

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quote: The Coate

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The company returned to Tunisia for Tatooine exteriors featured in the prequel trilogy (and for the Egyptian and Mediterranean island exteriors featured in "Raiders Of The Lost Ark"). The final scene of "Episode III" where Obi-Wan hands over Luke to Owen and Beru, I believe, was shot during the production of "Episode II."

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quote:

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In other words, it's too much to ask for grown, educated adults to follow directions!!

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quote: Michael Coate

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And, like many of your postings from the last year or so, I find the timing suspicious.

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quote: Michael Coate

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Hmmm. Is that why you haven't posted your recollection of seeing "Star Wars" back in '77?

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quote:

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In other words, it's too much to ask for grown, educated adults to follow directions!!

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You mean directions like those you would e-mail me with to get me to post things here in film-tech just to stir up things, and then when I still wouldn't do it on the second request, so you e-mailed me again a third time and said that you shouldn't have to ask me twice to follow your instructions?
 

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Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 06-01-2007, 03:47 AM:
 
My personal glory with all of the Star Wars Episodes:

June - 1977 EP-IV
June - 1980 EP-V
May - 1983 EP-VI
May - 1999 EP-I
May - 2002 EP-II
May - 2005 EP-III

I ran the opening show of all of these six episodes





...Monte
 

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Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 06-01-2007, 07:44 PM:
 

quote: Paul Linfesty

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And how is that, exactly? I answered the same day you posted.

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quote: Paul Linfesty

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A problem I've had with posting anything you ask for is your (apparent) need to use it as a weapon to demonstrate your superior research skills against our poor memories and then rubbing it in our faces at how stupid we all are.

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quote: Paul Linfesty

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You mean directions like those you would e-mail me with to get me to post things here in film-tech just to stir up things, and then when I still wouldn't do it on the second request, so you e-mailed me again a third time and said that you shouldn't have to ask me twice to follow your instructions?

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My posts are not intended to stir things up. My goal, often, is to hope for an informative and ongoing discussion (and who wouldn’t want that). As such, I’ve often encouraged others (including you on occasion) to participate if I thought they had something useful to contribute or if I thought they might be able to help squeeze a bit more life out of a topic. The situation you seem hung up on appears to be that two-year-old “what sound format was such and such in” discussion and, frankly, from my perspective, you sabotaged that thread and are misrepresenting here what occurred. As for asking you multiple times, next time simply respond to the first request (even if only to politely decline) and no further requests need follow.

Paul, it’s unfortunate that our communication has deteriorated to the point where we antagonize one another. You seem hell bent on seeing to it that I receive some sort of comeuppance. Worth noting is that you’ve ignored my e-mail requests to settle any conflict that seems to exist. I used to enjoy our communication (which dates back nearly ten years for those not aware there is a history between Paul and I) and I find it annoying to observe how things have developed. Also worth mentioning here, I think, so other film-tech members can understand there’s more to this story than meets the eye, is that your name appears in the acknowledgements of many of my articles. Hmmm. These days I sense much resentment from you (and others)...and it’s disappointing and annoying that my reaction needs to play out publicly.

In fact, Paul, I’m so annoyed with you right now, that, aside from wanting to delete the thanks I gave you in some articles, you make me want to consider hopping in my car and driving to dreadful Bakersfield just to give you a swift kick in the nuts.
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-01-2007, 08:50 PM:
 
Where's Heenan when we need a good ?
 

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Posted by Mike Pennell (Member # 1692) on 06-01-2007, 08:56 PM:
 
How about another Mike from Arizona:
 

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Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 06-01-2007, 09:13 PM:
 
Here we go.... Mike #3's
 

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 06-01-2007, 10:31 PM:
 
Dudes, you're upsetting Coate (who is a former research editor for Letterbox Review). In respect for that fine publication, I will get back on topic:

I highly doubt I saw Star Wars the day it opened since I was 3 years old, but I know I saw it during its initial release because I am at least somewhat old. I remember having a record (those weird black discs made of hard oil or something that required a freakin' NEEDLE to be placed on them to obtain the sound) which had a ton of audio from the movie... not just the music but the dialog as well. This record enabled me to memorize the movie much more so than the movie itself did.

I also remember when Empire came out, a friend who went to the same babysitter after school as I did saw it before I was able. He claimed that Luke landed his X-wing in a puddle. I told him that he was full of bullshit and that I hoped his mom would soon get chlamydia on her face since there was no way Luke could have landed in a puddle, and it must have been a lake or a swamp instead. He still insisted it was a puddle. That made me mad.
 

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Posted by Gracia L. Babbidge (Member # 582) on 06-02-2007, 11:30 PM:
 
I have a coworker that teases me about being "old" - but told him that the first Star Wars movie was in theaters not only before I was born, it was out about six months before I was conceived. And no, my parents didn't see the film then, and as far as I know - neither of them has ever watched any of the Star Wars films in their entirety.

I did see the special edition version of the classic trilogy at the (then) Hoyts Brunswick 10, ten years ago. (The place still exists, but now it's a Regal.) I also watched the prequels on cinema screens. Phantom Menace @ Hoyts Auburn 10 (now a Flagship); Attack of the Clones @ Flaship Lewiston 10; Revenge of the Sith @ Regal Cinemas Brunswick 10. Where I live has five 10-screen cinemas I could drive to in no more than 45 minutes, but not one withing walking distance. Whee!
 

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Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 06-02-2007, 11:41 PM:
 
I'm happy I fell asleep during the re release of Empire Strikes Back.
 

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 06-03-2007, 03:10 AM:
 
I remember having a great deal of fun playing with the Kenner Star Wars toys.


 

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Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 06-03-2007, 04:04 AM:
 

quote: Michael Schaffer

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I always wondered why those scenes, given how tight the budget was, weren't shot in California in the first place, or other desert locations in the South West US.

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quote:

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On or a few days after April 5, 1975, [producer Gary] Kurtz traveled to London, taking all of [illustrator Ralph] McQuarrie’s [conceptual] paintings with him as a reference when interviewing potential department heads, because the next step was getting things going in England.

“Why England?” Kurtz asks rhetorically. “Because it was the solution to a multifaceted problem. There was the cost factor. Certain things are cheaper in certain parts of the world. We had investigated Spain, Yugoslavia, and several other countries, and we’d come up with what we thought was the best compromise. We also wanted locations for the desert planet to be in North Africa, and it’s much closer to North Africa from England than from the United States. We could find deserts elsewhere — New Mexico, Arizona, or Old Mexico, Central America, either very good or spectacular — but we wanted slightly bizarre architecture that still looked real. Also we wanted an English cameraman, with a certain level of technological sophistication.”

Lucas and his producer had done the math that showed the United States would cost almost twice as much as England in some below-the-line areas: that is, crew costs. With Fox already panicked about the budget, these savings were essential.

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quote: Joe Redifer

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I remember having a great deal of fun playing with the Kenner Star Wars toys.

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I like!


BTW, this is one of these "differences" that I seem to remember, namely that when I first saw the movie, or when I saw it later, I don't remember clearly, in any case, in one of the releases I saw, the camera didn't pan all the way over to the charred bodies, or maybe it did, but it didn't cut back to them after cutting to Luke. I am pretty sure one of the releases I saw back then was less "explicit", showed less of the charred bodies.
 

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Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 06-04-2007, 04:25 PM:
 
More fuzzy memories...

I also seem to remember seeing a different opening crawl. Instead of saying "Episode IV," I could've sworn it said "Episode III" (or maybe it was a different episode title - instead of "A New Hope"?) in the original release.

Anyone else remember this?
 

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Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 06-04-2007, 06:12 PM:
 
My recollection was no Episode number or title beyond STAR WARS. George's "vision" has been revisionist in just about every interview he has ever given since it was released. It was on a reissue that the Episode 4, A New Hope thing came about.
 

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Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 06-04-2007, 06:47 PM:
 
The different crawl thing has been confirmed with British IB tech prints, when they were reused for the reissue, they spliced in replacement crawls on regular eastman stock.
 

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Posted by Damien Taylor (Member # 4255) on 06-04-2007, 10:21 PM:
 
That's terrible to hear. Cost cutting I know, but butchery all the same.
 

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Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 06-04-2007, 10:26 PM:
 




From May 25, 1977: A Day Long Remembered

quote:

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The “Episode IV: A New Hope” tag at the head of the opening scroll was not present in the original prints of the film. The tag was seen for the first time by audiences in America during the spring 1981 re-release, the first re-release after the 1980 original release of the follow-up to “Star Wars”: “The Empire Strikes Back.”

In a May 1980 interview with The Seattle Times, George Lucas explained why “Star Wars” was originally released without an episode number or subtitle: “I chickened out at the last minute thinking people aren't going to understand what this is all about, so we dropped ‘Episode IV: A New Hope.’ Now we're putting it back on. ‘Empire’ will be called ‘Episode V.’ ”

The presence of an episode number and subtitle on the opening scroll of “The Empire Strikes Back” caused some confusion and received coverage in many film reviews and major news and film industry magazines, including TIME, Newsweek, and American Cinematographer. Why the confusion? Obviously, audiences had not yet seen a “Star Wars” movie begin with an episode number or subtitle!

The “Empire” film review that appeared in The Washington Post clarified the situation: “When ‘Star Wars’ is reissued, probably next summer, the prints will include the subtitle, ‘Episode IV: A New Hope.’ This adjustment may already be seen in the published screenplay, which came out last winter in an attractive book called ‘The Art Of Star Wars.’ ”

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Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 06-06-2007, 09:46 PM:
 
Wow! Thanks for the great info, Michael (how DO you do it) - and the screen captures! Very well done.

That 'Episode IV' thing has been bugging me for YEARS. I just knew I'd seen it differently in the beginning.


 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-07-2007, 12:55 AM:
 
I couldn't tell you what month I saw it in it's original 1977 release, but I am 100% positive it was a 35mm mono print at the Wilshire Village Cinema Twin in Burleson, TX screen #1 running off of a Simplex head and AW2 platter before they upgraded in the 1980s to a CP50 if that is any help.

I can further back up the bit about how #4 was released without the episode number or "A New Hope" title. A friend of mine several years ago had a 35mm print from that first release. (It was nice and faded. It had nice pink stars over reddish space.) It was a Dolby A print and it absolutely guaranteed did NOT have that title in the opening crawl. It was weird to see that opening.
 

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Posted by Frank Dubrois (Member # 3042) on 06-07-2007, 01:45 AM:
 
If I'm not mistaken, the new (non-enhanced version) of the Star Wars DVD doesn't have the Episode IV or A New Hope on it.
 

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Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 06-07-2007, 03:25 AM:
 
That's true Frank.
 

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Posted by Hillary Charles (Member # 769) on 06-07-2007, 06:16 AM:
 
My family saw it while on vacation at my father's hunting camp. Once we're done traipsing around the mountains of upstate Pennsylvania, there's not much else to do, so we drove over the state line to Olean, NY, and saw the movie in an old mom-and-pop theater.

They definitely had a changeover system, as one reel came up upside down and in reverse. The show had an unscheduled intermission as the projectionist rewound and rethreaded the reel. I clearly remember that, and the fact that my mother fell asleep during the show.

But don't ask me if the opening said "Episode IV."
 

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Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 12-31-2007, 09:37 PM:
 
I guess today being the final day of 2007 means this is my last chance to pay tribute to the original "Star Wars" for its 30th anniversary. I had intended to post a list of every engagement during the movie's 1977-78 original run, but I've decided against posting that for a number of reasons. Instead, I'm re-posting the list of the venues that showed "Star Wars" during its first week. But, unlike the list I posted way back in May when this thread started, I've added as best as I can determine the duration of each booking and the presentation format upgrades that occured during the run.

I think it's interesting to observe what market played the film in what format, and, of course, reading the duration data is fascinating (and remarkable) in light of how the industry has evolved. Enjoy the flashback!

25 May 1977 … Beaverton, OR: Westgate (76 weeks) Dolby Stereo (70mm-Dolby Stereo from Oct.)
25 May 1977 … Boston, MA: Charles 1-2-3 (45 weeks) Dolby Stereo (70mm-Dolby Stereo from Sep.)
25 May 1977 … Claymont, DE: Twin Tri-State Mall (29 weeks)
25 May 1977 … Denver, CO: Cooper (29 weeks) Dolby Stereo (70mm-Dolby Stereo from Aug.)
25 May 1977 … Edison, NJ: Menlo Park Twin (30 weeks)
25 May 1977 … Fairless Hills, PA: Twin Fairless Hills (30 weeks)
25 May 1977 … Hicksville, NY: Twin South (29 weeks) 70mm-Dolby Stereo
25 May 1977 … Indianapolis, IN: Eastwood (55 weeks) Dolby Stereo
25 May 1977 … Lawrenceville, NJ: Twin Lawrenceville (30 weeks)
25 May 1977 … Los Angeles (Hollywood), CA: Chinese (4 weeks) 70mm-Dolby Stereo
25 May 1977 … Los Angeles (Westwood), CA: Avco Center (25 weeks) 70mm-Dolby Stereo
25 May 1977 … Louisville, KY: Showcase Cinemas (60 weeks) Dolby Stereo
25 May 1977 … Milan, IL: Showcase Cinemas (30 weeks) Dolby Stereo
25 May 1977 … Monroeville, PA: Showcase Cinemas (42 weeks) Dolby Stereo
25 May 1977 … New York (Manhattan), NY: Astor Plaza (61 weeks) 70mm-Dolby Stereo
25 May 1977 … New York (Manhattan), NY: Orpheum (27 weeks) 70mm-Dolby Stereo
25 May 1977 … Orange, CA: City Center (30 weeks) 70mm-Dolby Stereo
25 May 1977 … Paramus, NJ: Route 4 Triplex (30 weeks) 70mm-Dolby Stereo
25 May 1977 … Pennsauken, NJ: Twin Pennsauken (30 weeks)
25 May 1977 … Philadelphia, PA: Eric’s Place (23 weeks)
25 May 1977 … Phoenix, AZ: Cine Capri (60 weeks) 70mm-Dolby Stereo from Sep.
25 May 1977 … Roseville, MN: Roseville 4 (55 weeks) Dolby Stereo
25 May 1977 … Sacramento, CA: Century Complex (60 weeks) Dolby Stereo from Nov.
25 May 1977 … Saint Louis Park, MN: Park (57 weeks) 70mm-Dolby Stereo from Dec.
25 May 1977 … Salt Lake City, UT: Centre (54 weeks) 70mm-Dolby Stereo from Aug.
25 May 1977 … San Diego, CA: Valley Circle (57 weeks) 70mm-Dolby Stereo from Feb. ’78
25 May 1977 … San Francisco, CA: Coronet (29 weeks) 70mm-Dolby Stereo
25 May 1977 … San Jose, CA: Century 22 (60 weeks) 70mm-Dolby Stereo from Nov.
25 May 1977 … Seattle, WA: Cinema 150 (60 weeks) Dolby Stereo (70mm-Dolby Stereo from Aug.)
25 May 1977 … Southfield, MI: Americana (29 weeks) Dolby Stereo (70mm-Dolby Stereo from Nov.)
25 May 1977 … Springdale, OH: Showcase Cinemas (59 weeks) Dolby Stereo
25 May 1977 … Washington, DC: Uptown (55 weeks) Dolby Stereo (70mm-Dolby Stereo from Dec.)

26 May 1977 … Overland Park, KS: Glenwood I & II (56 weeks) Dolby Stereo

27 May 1977 … Calumet City, IL: River Oaks 1-2-3 (29 weeks)
27 May 1977 … Chicago, IL: Esquire (18 weeks) Dolby Stereo
27 May 1977 … Creve Coeur, MO: Creve Coeur Cine (10 weeks) Dolby Stereo
27 May 1977 … Dallas, TX: Northpark Cinema I & II (54 weeks) 70mm-Dolby Stereo from Dec.
27 May 1977 … Dayton, OH: Dayton Mall Cinemas (29 weeks) Dolby Stereo
27 May 1977 … Des Moines, IA: River Hills (29 weeks) Dolby Stereo
27 May 1977 … Houston, TX: Galleria Cinema I & II (60 weeks) 70mm-Dolby Stereo from Dec.
27 May 1977 … Lombard, IL: Yorktown Cinema I-II-III-IV (30 weeks)
27 May 1977 … Northbrook, IL: Edens 1 & 2 (29 weeks) Dolby Stereo
27 May 1977 … Omaha, NE: Cinema Center (21 weeks) Dolby Stereo
 

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Posted by Jonathan M. Crist (Member # 413) on 12-31-2007, 11:00 PM:
 
In any discussion of what film played where in any competitive markets in the 1950's through the late 1980's, it is important to remember that choice of theatre venue was most often dictated not by what was the best theatre to exhibit a given picture but rather by the product split and block booking practices of a given territory. It is one of the dirty secrets of exhibition that is rarely acknowledged even today.

It was not like the current market where every major theatre can play virtually every major picture. Back then even if a theatre owner wanted to play a given picture (such as Star Wars) the choice of which venue got the picture was usually dictated by the agreed upon split.

The theatre owners were ones who were often the promoters of such product splits. It was cheaper for them to get together and agree to split up the product then to have to bid against one another. From the distributors point of view such splits guaranteed that all of a distributor's output - both good and bad - got equal playdates in exchange for their agreement to the product split.

Such product splits took several forms: (i) in certain areas it was done on a distributor basis (e.g. all Fox pictures went to Theatre A & all MGM and Columbia pictures went to Theatre B & all Warner and Paramount to Theatre C and so on; [Sometimes in place of a single theatre this was done on a chain basis where a local chain controlled multiple screens in a given area; however the effect was the same in that the local chain controlled all the pictures from their captive distributor(s)](ii) in more sophisticated splits it was sometimes done on picture basis (e.g. Theatre A would play the first Fox release of a given year, Theatre B would play the second Fox release of the year, Theatre C would play the third one; then Theatre A would play the fourth one as the cycle would repeat).

The losers in such arrangements were the moviegoing public - who sometimes found movies such as Star Wars stuck at the least desirable theatres in their area simply because of the given product split arrangement.
 

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Posted by System Notices (Member # 2357) on 01-27-2009, 10:41 AM:
 

It has been 392 days since the last post.

 

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Posted by Julie Lucero (Member # 4959) on 01-27-2009, 10:41 AM:
 

quote: Bobby Henderson

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Some of the Tatooine scenes were shot in the sand dunes just west of Yuma.

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quote: Michael Coate

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The majority of the Tatooine exteriors for "Star Wars" were shot in Tunisia.

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