The "We were there in the summer of 1977, 1980 or 1983" thread

The first time I saw ESB I had made my dad take me to the Lobo theatre here in Albuquerque. Poor thing he had been up all night and I was waiting for him dressed in my princess leia costume that my grandma made me. They had someone dressed like Darth Vader. We waited for several hours and there was still 200 people in front of us.

 

I am so jealous. I was born in 1977 so the first episode I saw was ROTJ. Luckily they re-released the OT in the big screen so I was able to get the feeling you all had, kinda. I understand the feeling more with new episodes but I wish I could have been there from the beginning.

 

I just thought of something....someone ought to make a movie about the 1977 SW movie experince/phenomena.....make it in the American Graphetti style......"where were you in '77"

 

Woohoo! It's a thread for us original fans!

I turned 7 in 1977. I remember standing on my bed looking out the window of my bedroom waiting for my Mom and sister to come home. My mom had just gone w/ my older sister on a school field trip to see Star Wars. I kept chanting "R2-E2," knowing it was something special. My mom then made the glorious declaration that it was fine for me to see. (Course my sister had to immediately correct me on R2's name.)

I actually don't remember seeing the film in the theater. All I know is I saw it 7 times and became utterly obsessed with it. I collected the Topps trading cards (starting w/the yellow boarder cards) and I got some of the earliest figures and the 12" Han, Leia, and Luke dolls to play with. My sister taped most of the episodes of the PBS radio broadcast- so by listening to those tapes over and over ss mostly how I learned the script by heart as a kid.

1980- Again - I don't remember my very first showing of it. What I do remember is seeing it during the summer with my paternal Grandfather and my much younger cousins. Melissa was 3 and at one point in the film she got so scared she jumped on my grandfather's lap. 'Till he died that was one of his fondest memories of her. My maternal Grandmother had a wonderful time teasing me and trying to convince me that Yoda was ugly.

1983- I was in the 6th grade and was unbearable. I saw a 11am showing of it on the Saturday it was released. Unfortunately for my sister I apparently laughed and cheered so loudly in the theater that a couple kids she went to school with thought it was her making all that noise in the theater ROTJ was so much fun as a kid to watch.

As I am a girl, I will admit, I love the ewoks. I still do. They are a part of the highlight of the film to me. Why? Because they are sweet and innocent. I think we all know that EP3 will be a huge downer and to me the ewoks just the trilogy finally shine in all of it's glory. The ending is happy- but bittersweet with Anakin forsaking his life so others can finally be free. The ewoks help for kids to enjoy the film- and to later on appreciate the complexities of the issues that surround our hero, Luke.

I will also add- 1999. I admit it, I cried when the Fox drumroll started and the Lucasfilm logo appeared on the screen for "The Phantom Menace." I just couldn't believe that GL finally got his act together and was about to give the rest of the puzzle to his complex story. Although most think TPM was the lesser of all of the films- a lot of important things happened in the film: it established how the Jedi were perceived in the Galaxy, we really got to see Padme as a character, and of course our introduction to Anakin and his special beginnings.

When I saw "Star Wars" is my favorite film of all time- I encompass all of the films- for who can really say they love one chapter from a book the best? Together they encompass the greatest sum of one of the most tragically epic, mythical series of films ever created.

The countdown continues..... to 2005- when it will all be over

 

Talk about your experience watching Return of the Jedi and Empire Strikes Back as well.


What was going through your mind BEFORE the film?

What did you think of the film while watching it? After watching it?




Were the lines very long as they were in 1977?



Please don't post comments like "I was in my mothers womb when ROTJ came out". We want to hear the experiences from those who were there

 

ESB on a really big screen - the pov shot from the snowspeeders cruising along the snowscape in search of Han and Luke - your stomach will actually lurch along with the snowspeeder as it dips and rises.

Yeah it's scene's like those which took me directly into the movie. I could feel like I was there.


someone ought to make a movie about the 1977 SW movie experince/phenomena

Someone actually is making a movie.

 

I was 4 when I saw Star Wars in a Drive-In theater. The sound sucked but the memories that stick out are

1.The Star Destroyer coming onto the screen

2.Darth Vader's first appearance

3.R2-D2 doing anything, he was pretty cool to a 4 year old.

4.Death Star being destroyed.

Empire was also fun to see in the theater for the first time. My most vivid memory is when the big metal doors slam shut and Chewbacca howls, the sound was amazing.

Just wanted to add that all of you younger fans {the ones who didn't get a chance to see the movies in the theater in the first release} you have no idea what kind of phenomenon Star Wars had in the late 70's early 80's. I mean you kind of get an idea when you see the lines for TPM and AOTC, but this doesn't even come close to when I was growing up. I mean SW was everywhere, Lunchboxes, stuffed animals, curtains, bedspreads, it was everywhere.

 

<<Someone actually is making a movie.>>


WHO?

 

And when can I order me a copy!?

 

5-25-77

Carrie Fisher and Chris Lloyd are in it.

coming out in 2003.


I think it shows how big Star Wars was and everything.

 

I am very envious, I didnt get to watch StarWars until 1990. I was five heh, watched RotJ. But I wish I had been born about ten years earlier. I would have loved to see SW on the big screen.

 

I did not see ANH until the summer of 1978 when I was 8. By then, all of my friends had seen it and I saw the toys in the stores. I begged my parents to let me go see it. They finally relented and we went to the local drive-in in Edinburg, Texas. My parents fell asleep in the front seat, but my 9 year old sister and I were entranced in the back seat. We loved it! We started buying the figures (R2D2 was my first, C3P0 was hers) and books, cards, etc. I even bought the Meco 45 single. We moved to Richmond, Virginia in 1979 and saw Star Wars several times when it was re-released. Each time I remember loving it and how crowded the theatres were. Seeing the opening shot of the Star Destroyer and Vader on the big screen, and hearing Vader's booming voice and breathing in stereo was amazing. Watching it at home on VHS is not quite the same. Even if I get a big screen and home theatre set up by the time the OT comes out on DVD, I doubt that I will ever be able to recreate the same experience and sense of wonder I had as a kid.

My sister and I were very excited when TESB came out in 1980. I loved it. Though it was dark and not as happy as ANH, I got it as a 10 year old. I remember being shocked when Vader revealed to Luke that he was his father, but not quite wanting to believe it because Vader was so bad. My mother dropped us off and asked us when she picked us up how it was. I told her that Luke got his hand chopped off and that Vader said he was Luke's father. My mother did not sound all that thrilled with our taste in films after hearing that. However, she did not stop us from seeing it again and again. I distinctly remember her dropping me and my sister off to watch it several times in one afternoon at a theatre in Victoria, Texas, because she had to tend to my dying grandmother and she did not want to take us to the hospital and had no one to babysit us. I fell asleep during the middle part of the second time we saw it that afternoon. The theatre was not crowded, and no one came in between shows to clean up or asked us to leave.

By the time ROTJ came out, I was 13 and starting to lose interest in Star Wars and beginning to notice girls. My sister and I saw it in Plano, Texas, at one of only three theatres in the country at the time that had THX sound. We saw it about a week after it opened, and the theatre was crowded. I liked it for the most part but was disappointed. I did not like the Ewoks and the cutesy factor. I felt like the monsters in Jabba's palace were a distraction and like Lucas was trying to pad a thin plot with great special effects. Looking back, I think my disappointment was due to my high expectations. Those of you who were too young to see any of the PT in the theatres cannot begin to understand how high the expectations we had were. We had no Internet. The films were not available on VHS. Lucas did not even allow ANH to be broadcast on TV until 1984 or so. Most people did not have cable, so you could only see movies at the theatres or when they were broadcast by the three networks we had back then. There was a huge build up from TESB, which has remained my favorite of the series. All we talked about on the playgrounds was whether Vader was lying or not, and who could be the other hope Yoda referred to. I wasted many hours in school drawing Boba Fett, AT-AT's, Vader, and R2D2 on my bookcovers at school. Anyway, looking back, I probably had unfairly high expectations for ROTJ, but it has remained the weakest film of all of the 5 SW films to me. I remember watching on the news in 1983 how people had lined up for weeks before it opened, and many of them were in costume and having lightsabre duels. One couple even got married waiting in line, and yes, they were wearing Princess Leia (complete with the side buns) and Han Solo costumes.

I lost interest in SW after that, but it rekindled when I was studying for the bar exam and the THX OT releases came out on VHS in 1995. I was hooked again. I did not get to see the SE when they were released in 1997 because my o

 

Sellars1996,

That was an awesome post! I really felt like I was taken into the past and learned how you grew up and got into Star Wars. Great job! I hope your kids enjoy Episode III at the theatre!

 

I was there for ROTJ in '83. My dad took me to see it. The memory that stands apart, though, was during the last part of the film. Palps is frying luke, and vader is looking back and forth, I guess it was just too much to handle because some woman in the back of the theater jumped up out of her seat and yelled 'DONT JUST STAND THERE VADER! DO SOMETHING.'

lol

 

I saw ANH in the Drive-In when it came out. My family and I were camped out in the back of our blue VW Bus (long live the 70's).

I remember when we saw the Binary Sunset for the first time, my dad leaned over and whispered, "Wow, look at that." Like it was yesterday...

 

Aw, fond memories.

When I was six...

I first saw a STAR WARS movie in 1980. My Dad took me and my older brother to see THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. I remember being extremely excited and was totally caught up in the movie immediately. I was fascinated by Yoda and remember thinking how I was taller then Yoda even though I was younger than him! I totally freaked when Vader cut off Luke's hand...it scared the hell out of me! I remember wanting to do a flip like Luke does when he's training on Dagobah.

Me and my brother argued until 1983 whether Vader was really Luke's Dad. We got all the toys. Saw Star Wars ANH on a re-release...was it in 1980 or 1981? From there on I was hooked of course, saw ROTJ, and I'm Star Wars-addicted to this day.

Like the Catholic church says, give us your children when they're young and we'll have 'em for life...same with Lucasfilm! lol

 

'77 - I remember it was one of the few movies that our whole family went to. Before that my brother & I were only allowed to Disney movies - Star Wars was the next level! Very cool - my first figure was R2-D2 bought at Woolworth's.

'80 - Saw at the Highland Theater which was an old theater in Albuquerque from the 30's or 40's. Great sound. The AT-AT's were HUGE! I walked out of the movie in shock. The good guys didn't win! How could evil incarnate be Luke's father?! From that moment on I was obsessed.

'83 - The lines to get into ROTJ started about 4 days before it was released. I was so mad at my mom because she wouldn't let me out of school to watch it the first day. Didn't get to see it until a month later.(I still have the ticket stub! Only $2.50)! Unfortunately, I read the novelization before the movie and it ruined the shock factor. I vowed never to be spoiled again!

 

I'm so glad this thread was started.

I was six. I remember standing in line for an hour or two for tickets with my older brother and sister. Of course, as a little kid, what I remembered most vividly about the film itself was the cantina scene. ANH is one of the ealiest (if not <the> earliest) movie memory I have.

My brother, sister, and I saw ANH I think 3 times in the theater, standing in long lines for each viewing. I really don't remember ESB as clearly, and ROTJ is even more vague.

This may sound like a really weird comparison, but the only entertainment experience that has even come close to see ANH that first time, was going to see Cirque du Soleil perform a few years ago. Both were just...new and amazing.

 

Awww! I love this!

I was an ity bity mind trick when my parents took me to see the first star wars - I think I was only about three and a half. They took me to see it at a theater near our local mall. Of course, being so young, I did not understand the whole thing, but I do remember the big white rectangular ships, the pretty lady in white, the scary man in black, and the big hairy thing that I wanted to hug. I remember that - to my young mind - it was the most wonderful thing I had ever seen...better than Christmas or kittens or ice cream or anything!

From that night on, I was completely hooked. My family knew it.....they had created a monster. My friends and I all "played" Star Wars (the girls, of course, had to take turns being Leia). I remember I had an orange hooded sweatshirt that I would pretend was Leia's white hood and recite the "General Kenobi" hologram speech. For Halloween in Kindergarden I wanted to be Darth Vader. My mother was horrified. My father thought it was hilareous and bought the costume. I practiced my "ho-PER" breathing for weeks before the event.

When ESB came out, my older sister (who is twelve years older than me) took me to see the movie at the theater near our house. To make things even cooler, afterwards, she took me to the Hardee's resturant where they had a special: if you bought a burger, coke and fries, you got a free ESB poster!! Now how cool is that to a little kid?! How cool was my older sister? Heck, I still tell her how cool she was for doing that (interesting note: last year for Christmas, she bought me a SW coffee mug. Old habits die hard, huh?).

The poster was of Luke on his tauntaun on Hoth. I loved that poster....it hung in my room for many years after ROTJ came out.

When ROTJ came out, I was in the third grade. I was anxiously awaiting "Revenge of the Jedi"....it was the biggest thing in my life at that time! Get this.....my father - always a cool and hip man - let me stay home from school that day and took me opening afternoon! How incredibly cool was that?! (Note: my father was very serious about school....so for him to let me stay home and take me was pretty astounding - a testiment to how important that movie was to me.). The next day at school, I was the envy of the class because I had seen the movie. Because I was so enthralled with the movie, my father took me to see it again a couple of weeks later - another astounding event because my dad never wanted to see movies twice.

When I was a kid, Star Wars was the greatest thing in the world. And I remember that all I wanted in the world was for Lucas to make the rest of the movies (remember that back then, we thought that there was an EPI, II, II and a VII, VIII & IX.). So when I heard, in my early twenties, that Uncle George was actually making the Prequels, I refused to believe it for a long time. It was a dream...something that I had always wanted so badly.....I just could not believe it because I could not bear the disappointment. Because I was without internet at the time, I honestly did not believe he was doing it until I heard on the news that Jake Loyd had been cast. I remember that was quite a day for me because I could finally allow myself that my childhood dream was coming true.

Ah.....memories.

 

Thanks for the kind words, Super Nation Jock. And thanks for all of you who posted and told your stories. It is really a trip down memory lane and interesting to hear details of your personal connection with SW.

P.S. Jedi Mind Trick, I am sooo envious. Hardee's after TESB and a poster? That was cool. Tell your older sister she is awesome.

P.P.S. I wish my parents would have let me go to see ROTJ on opening day and miss school. My oldest daughter started going to kindergarten this year and my wife and I debated whether to let her go see Harry Potter with us on opening day in November. We did not, but now I wish we would have. There were several other parents at the theatre who did, and several kids in my daughter's class who had cool parents who took them on opening day, unlike me. There is no way I won't let my kids be ... um (insert fake cough here) sick on opening day for Episode III, though.

 

Ahhhh. Five years old, at the old "Odeon" theatre in downtown Newmarket Ontario, Main Street. I was thinking about this the other day....1977

I remember the opening scene, totally floored at how long it took the Star Destroyer to cross the screen.

Instantly fell in love with the Stormtroopers, they had a "coolness" which I couldn't describe at the time.

Vader freaked me out, wondering who this big black cape clad person was(and my jaw dropped when he broke the rebel commander's neck, I even remember thinking "he just broke his neck!!")

I don't care what some say, but I KNOW I saw the scene where Luke was watching the battle in the sky through his Binoculars. Maybe we got an early print, but this isn't out of my imagination, I KNOW if was there on the screen...did anyone else see this(I DIDNT see the Biggs/Luke scene) I have a vivid recollection of it.

I remember being scared at the trash compactor monster(hey I was 5 years old!) and hid my eyes for the next five minutes*L*

Watching Vader get knocked into space at the end of the battle made me curious, he didn't die or any thing, so I wondered what everyone was celebrating about. I mean, I didn't realize that most of the rebels weren't even thinking of Vader, just the Death Star.

Ah, such memories. The only vivid memory I have of first time watching the next two films was the "I am your Father" scene.

I swear to this day you could hear a pin drop in that theatre when he said that, and that's all anyone talked about on the way out(pity the people in line who were overhearing this talk ala the Simpsons*L*)

 

I was nine and vacationing with my family at the Jersey shore in July 77. We wanted to see this movie that everyone was talking about, but it was totally sold out. Lines were wrapped around the builidng. (There were long lines in the Philadelphia area for at least a year as I recall)

My mom bought me some kind of SW program and I remember pouring over it in great detail. When we went home to Philadelphia, I bought the novelization of SW, devoured it in a day and bugged the hell out of my mom until she took me.

When I finally saw it, I remember being totally blown away when that Star Destroyer appeared on the screen. I was hooked after that. I forced my mom to take me over ten times to see SW. I started collecting Topps cards, magazines, and anything else SW that I could get my hands on. I even dressed up as Leia for Halloween.

I was 12 in 1980 when ESB came out. I forced my parents to take me to opening night and I remember freaking out when Han kissed Leia (as a fairly inocent Catholic school girl this was a big deal!!!). I also remember the shock when Vader told Luke of his parentage! You could hear the gasps in the audience!!!!

In 1983, I was 15 and in high school and my friends and I went right after school in our nasty gray and maroon plaid uniforms with the evil maroon saddle oxford shoes. We all did our homewrok together and were so exicted. I remember liking the Ewoks(a tribute to my teddy bear fetish, I think) and being really sad at the end when Vader died, although I didn't get the whole redemption thing until later after I'd studied a bit of Shakespeare.

I took my 2/12 year old daughter to see the Special Editions on all opening days in 1997. She has also seen both TPM and AOTC at the midnight showings. In just a few years, the great adventure of SW will be over, but I've enjoyed every bit of it!!!!!

 

sellars1996...
I am sooo envious. Hardee's after TESB and a poster? That was cool. Tell your older sister she is awesome.



Thanks. I do.....I still tell her how cool she was for doing that. Needless to say that I did not have to explain much when AOTC came out - the fact that I was attending a midnight showing was no surprise to her (The rest of the family thought I was completely crazy).

Regarding the issue of letting kids stay home "sick" from school in order to attend a special movie event: I, personally, am big on education, and would definately not make a habit of that. But when I think about it, kids remember cool stuff like that long after they have forgotten a day of schooling. So perhaps allowing one's kids to play hookey for a special movie opening is not so bad. *shrug*

Anyway, enough of my babble. Thanks again for this awesome thread!

 

One thing that would be cool in this thread
is for people to mention in the course of re-living their memories(if they were old enough to remember) the cost of the movie ticket! It would be interesting to compare it to today's prices!

 

Any other great stories out there?