What Made STAR WARS So Popular When It Opened In 1977?

Back in 1977, STAR WARS was, for lack of a better term, the "underdog" in movies. It was never expected to make much money, and in fact, was almost scrapped. So, what did make STAR WARS so popular when it opened in 1977?

I believe that the popularity of STAR WARS can be contributed mostly to two factors. The first of these is the simplicity of the plotline, which I compare to Harriette Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, not because of the anti-slavery message, but because of the simplicity of the story. Uncle Tom's Cabin is considered to have been the most influential novel in American Literature because the book could be read and understood by even the poorest, barely educated farmer or laborer. I believe that the same is true with STAR WARS. The plot is not at all overly complicated, but is the simple story of the struggle between the "good guys" and the "bad guys." The plot even calls upon the popular and well-known fairytale "rescuing of the princess" storyline. It refers to a religion whose parallels to our earthly faiths makes it easy to relate to and understand without risking the loss of its mystery. Because of this simplicity, anybody could walk into the theatre and emerse themselves in the story without needing to pay attention to specific details that would later be important and without needing to comprehend complicated dialogue. Basically, watching STAR WARS didnt require thinking, but only the willingness of the audience to sit back and enjoy an adventure-filled ride.

The second factor that I believe aided to the popularity of STAR WARS was the era to which it was given. Americans in 1977 were ready for a fantasy, ready for a chance to escape from the ordinary. Movies during the this time mainly focused on the problems the world was facing (ie. Kramer vs. Kramer; Goodbye, Norma Jean). Movies were made to educate people about the troubles they faced and to inspire them to take action against the wrong in the world, rather than to entertain the audience. Also, (this may be a stretch, but bear with me..) America had not too long ago gotten out of the Vietnam War and was still recovering. Of course, there was still controversy of whether or not troops should have been sent in the first place. I think that perhaps the idea of the Rebel's righteous crusade brought back the feelings that sometimes wars can be fought for all the right and substancial reasons. Like I said, America was ready to escape into a world of heroes, of good and innocence that refused to be corrupted by "the dark side," and of spectacular visions unknown to the ordinary.


ok well there's my 2 cents worth, sorry for writing a novel lol

 

I agree with nearly all of your observations, Esperanza_Nueva, especially that last bit about how Americans were ready for a basic good v. evil tale, after the confusing mess of the Vietnam era.

The only thing I disagree with is that Hollywood films before 1977 were somehow created to educate and/or inspire, rather than to purely entertain. Certainly Jaws (1975) refutes this notion, not to mention the various Planet of the Apes movies that had been popular for the last decade, numerous disaster films, horror movies like The Omen (1976) and The Exorcist (1972), etc. etc.!


And last, I would suggest, in addition to your excellent list of reasons, that the general interest in space travel at the time--far greater than it is today--helped the film tremendously.

 

I certainly think the plot was one of the main reasons why it was so big. You also have to include the special effects. They just blew us away back then. You didn't see anything like that before. The characters were wonderful, which helped people fall in love with them.

 

You got it half right. The thing that makes Star Wars so great is that, yes, like you said, it's simple in it's basic understanding, but at the same time it's complex in it's plot, themes, and symbols. It's not a contradiction, really, to be both simple and complex- think of Star Wars like a well, not all that wide, but really deep, as opposed to a lot of lesser movies that seem like vast yet shallow pools.

 

I was 8 years old in 1977 and saw SW when it premiered.

Why was it so popular? Plain and simple: Special Effects. Nothing like it had ever been seen on the screen. It really wasn't the story or about the times we lived in.

It was all about the visuals, seeing spaceships fighting each other, aliens, robots, lasers, lightsabers,cool costumes and cool characters and villians.

The story and plot were old and had been done long before.

Like I said. It was all about the SPFX. There was no cable TV, no playstation 2, and no internet to dissensitize us to visuals. It was fresh and we ate it up.

 

This is a great thread.

The plot of Star Wars flies as straight as an arrow. We start with the two droids, who lead us straight to Luke, then they meet Ben, who takes the group to Han and Chewie. Finally, they all rescue Princess Leia. And the whole thing is capped by the destruction of the Death Star. Story-telling on film doesn't get any better than that.

In terms of ticket sales, word-of-mouth was phenomenal for SW back in 1977. Everybody who saw it told everybody else, "Hey, I'm going to go see SW again! You haven't seen it? Come along!"

 

It was innovative and original. It also spoke to people on many different levels.

 

I was 14 in 1977, so I think I remember pretty well why it took off like it did.

A huge part of it was the timing. It was a feel-good escapist fantasy in a time when the U.S. was feeling battered. Vietnam, Watergate, the Economy was in the dumper for a good part of the 70s. Star Wars was a big, fun movie and it just hit people the right way.

Oddly enough, even though it was a new movie, it evoked nostalgia in older members of the audience with elements of Westerns (Cantina/Mos Eisley and the gun fights), swashbucklers (the sword fights and the rope swing) and even World War I movies (the dogfighting in the space battle). It looked completely new, yet there was something familiar about it.

And, of course, the special effects made people nuts.

It was the classic, simple story of good vs. evil with an earnest young hero, a creepy, mysterious villain, a feisty princess and lots of funny sidekicks, and it came along when most Americans wanted it to.

 

I agree with the comment that Star Wars is fairly simple on the surface but somewhat complex beneath. However (and I'm speaking for myself here), I don't know that many people really put a lot of time into analyzing it that way in 1977. I don't think it was until The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 (and maybe even ROTJ in 1983) that a lot of people realized all the mythological themes and references. In 1977, I think most people just thought of it as a ripping good time.

I LOVE the way you can analyze the saga and peel away layers and find more layers beneath. But, again, I don't think it's until the later chapters that we could really do much of that.

 

The answer to this is simple...


Originality and innovation.

 

I agree with the Effects theory. The closest thing to it at that time was 2001: A Space Oddessy and damn was that a long, slow, ponderous piece of cinema. Star Wars had shoot outs and dog fights but with blasters and space ships -- and for the first time, you couldn't see the wires.

Plan 9 From Outer Space it was not.

 

Master Salty, I love your icon. I've long had a soft spot in my heart for Splinter of the Mind's Eye, in spite of its warts.

 

Great thread!

I have always thought that part of what made TESB and every SW film since ANH to be less "popular" than ANH (in terms of being a cultural phenomenon and a "must see" movie to a greater segment of the population) is that everything is not as straight forward. Good vs. evil is not as black and white in the other SW films as in ANH. We know in ANH that Vader and Tarkin are the bad guys. Luke, Han, Obi-Wan, the droids, and Leia are good. Luke blows up the Death Star and the good guys win. It feels good and the audience leaves happy. Almost anyone can watch and enjoy ANH, whether they know anything about the film or not.

I would agree that no one was analyzing ANH much in 1977-80. But TESB changed that and showed that while the SW films were very accessible and could be enjoyed on a very basic and simple level (special effects, sounds, music, simply looking at the screen without dissecting the films), they are also more complex than you might think because the roles of the chracters and who the villains are becomes much more ambiguous. In TESB, Vader is still very much the villain, but we are left hanging at the end, wondering if he could be Luke's father. By the end of ROTJ, Vader is much less defined. It's still clear who the good guys are, but, except for the Emperor, the bad guys are not all bad. Vader's redemption and inner conflict make it hard to hate him as much as we all did in ANH. It makes it fun for the SW junkies like us, but might confuse or puzzle casual moviegoers who don't catch on to subtle references or know the rest of the story.

In the PT, there are even fewer true villains. Darth Maul is clearly bad, as is Darth Sidious, but Darth Sidious does not go around choking people and blowing things up. He uses other people to do his dirty work, so it won't be clear until Ep. III to the casual viewer who he is and what he's really up to. The other bad guys (Trade Federation, Dooku) seem bad, but maybe they are good because they might be against the Sith, have been duped by Sidious, or the beginnings of the Rebel Alliance. Palpatine, the leader of the good guys, is actually the bad guy. Anakin, a good guy, will become a bad guy. The Jedi are good but serving someone who is really bad and clueless as to what's going on. Thus, there's a lot more manipulation and shades of grey.

I happen to love the PT, but I think it's a lot harder for casual fans to leave the theatre happy because of the way the story is set up and because things are less defined. In addition, someone who has been in a cave for the last 25 years will not be able to sit down, watch TESB, ROTJ, TPM, or AOTC as stand alone movies and truly appreciate them because they must be taken in the context of the original story.

 

It's true, Sellars1996. Everything in the saga goes back to that original 1977 film.

ESB is its direct sequel, which is curious since it's the least like it in terms of style and story! ROTJ is almost a re-hash of the first film's plot. TPM has a similar resonance with ANH's plotline; and AOTC, though also wildly different, has those all-important Lars characters, and scenes on Tatooine that evoke those in ANH.

And III (no spoilers--worry not!) will be the "bridge" between the PT and the OT, meaning it will look and feel more like the original film.

It all goes back to that beautiful, streamlined, exciting, basic tale of good vs. evil, the original STAR WARS!!!

 

When I saw it as a kid in 77, what grabbed my attention was the special effects, space stuff.

Looking back at ANH. One of the things that is great is that the worlds of a GFFA are so believable. It was the first movie (that I know), that showed a lot of technology but as being 'old' junk, things go wrong, things break. You can believe right away that a LS was an old and elegant weapon of a more civilized time. You feel the "piece of junk" that the MF is. It's dirty inside and such. Luke's speeder is visibly worn and used.

All of that made you accept the setting and focus on the fairytale history of the hero off to rescue the princess, with the wizard helping him defeat the fire breathing dragon.

 

I must admit that the special effects of STAR WARS was what caught the eye of many; however, i still believe that they simply aid with the telling of the story and are not the biggest part of the movie's success. I say this after taking into consideration the years following the opening of STAR WARS. While the special effects of STAR WARS continued to compete with each new movie, they were no longer "new" and "amazing"; yet, the popularity of the film still flourished. I can only attribute this to the magnificent story telling and presentation of the film. Basically, what I'm saying is that the special effects are what caught people's attention, but I still believe that what made the film so popular was the reasons that I listed earlier. (Also, the observation of the interest in space travel during that time period- a very keen observation that I completely agree with!) I dont believe that a movie with the break-through special effects of STAR WARS presented without the substance that can be found in Lucas's plot could have possibly achieved the world-wide renown that STAR WARS has so deservingly earned.

 

Sellars1996 wrote: "Good vs. evil is not as black and white in the other SW films as in ANH. We know in ANH that Vader and Tarkin are the bad guys. Luke, Han, Obi-Wan, the droids, and Leia are good. Luke blows up the Death Star and the good guys win. It feels good and the audience leaves happy. Almost anyone can watch and enjoy ANH, whether they know anything about the film or not."

Well put. This is why the 1977 Star Wars film is far and away my favorite film.

 

Reading the last few posts by ObidioJuan, Esperanza_Nueva, and Binary_Sunset, I just get this wonderful, gushy feeling about the film I will always call "STAR WARS"!!!

I think I'm having a nostalgia attack, so I'm going to slip into the VCR my letterboxed copy of the original, theatrical version of the film. (I only wish I had one that didn't say "Episode IV: ANH", the way the movie was first released ...!)

It all comes from that first movie, folks. Thank you, Mr. Lucas! (and Gary Kurtz, and Katz & Huyck, and Marcia Lucas, and Rick Baker, and Ben Burtt, and Dennis Muren ...)

 

Yes, it all flows from STAR WARS. I too am old enough to remember when "Star Wars" was the name of A (one) movie.

I was just snooping around some of the other forums and a debate about the Death Star's origins reminded me...the DEATH STAR was cool! The big space station that looked like a moon, and all the towers and guns on the surface.

It's easy to debate the quality of the acting and writing and all that, but in concept and execution it's almost perfect.

And, like many pop culture phenomena, I'm sure the mania about Star Wars sort of fed on itself. Once something gets THAT popular, it becomes insanely popular until people move on. It was a hoot just living through that whole Star Wars era when Star Wars seemed to have an effect on everything in America.

 

It's still hard for me to call ANH anything but SW. My wife (also 33) has no idea what I mean when I refer to ANH.

It is the ultimate summer movie and I will never tire of it.

 

When we talk about SW the phrase 'award winning' doesn't immediately come to mind. But check out this list of Oscars that SW won:

* ART DIRECTION -- Art Direction: John Barry, Norman Reynolds, Leslie Dilley; Set Decoration: Roger Christian
* COSTUME DESIGN -- John Mollo
* FILM EDITING -- Paul Hirsch, Marcia Lucas, Richard Chew
* MUSIC (Original Score) -- John Williams
* SOUND -- Don MacDougall, Ray West, Bob Minkler, Derek Ball
* VISUAL EFFECTS -- John Stears, John Dykstra, Richard Edlund, Grant McCune, Robert Blalack
* SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
To Benjamin Burtt, Jr. for the creation of the alien, creature and robot voices featured in 'Star Wars.'

And also Oscar nominations:

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE -- Alec Guinness {"Ben 'Obi-Wan' Kenobi"}
DIRECTING -- George Lucas
WRITING (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen--based on factual material or on story material not previously published or produced) -- George Lucas

Star Wars is much more 'critically acclaimed' than many people think.

 

I agree that a film not based on a book, comic book, a remake of an old film, or a sequel to a film, would do so good, just being an independent film. But you know what, look at the Matrix. It has to start somewhere.

 

Gotta disagree about the interest in the space program being greater. Interest was practically nonexistent, even with VIKING setting down on Mars the year before. There certainly was nothing like the NASA Channel, which was on lots of systems in the 90s, and I think the most interest anybody had in NASA was the campaign to rename the first space shuttle as ENTERPRISE due to Trek.

You really had to live through that era to know just how bad it was in some ways. The incredible excitement of the moon landing in 69 (I wasn't 9 yet), followed by crushing apathy.

Even so, I loved the 'political paranoia' films of the 70s, like PARALLAX VIEW and ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN and CAPRICORN ONE and TWILIGHT'S LAST GLEAMING and the BODY SNATCHERS remake, because for the most part (c1 excepted), they were smart and thoughtful films. But that kind of filmmaking diminished after the blockbuster mentality set in, which is due to JAWS and SW redefining 'profit margin' for filmmaking.


As for the other stuff mentioned ... the 'used' future had been done before, in DARK STAR and SILENT RUNNING, so that wasn't all that innovative. I don't know that any particular thing makes SW innovative besides the manufacturing mode of vfx using the Dykstraflex, which allowed for a lot of flexibility and dynamics in fx shots.

I still say the things that makes the show work was the cutting and sound ... the story has always seemed hokey and problematic and contrived, but for the most part I stayed with it anyway (can't say that about the last 3 I've seen!) despite this. Reason: sound fx, music and the pacing -- they did a wonderful job of putting it together, emphasizing good images and working around less successful ones.

People used to say ALIEN worked because of how well the final chase to get off the ship before it blows was done, but that is the way I feel about the escape from death star and down the trench sequences in SW -- they just have wonderful aural and visual dynamics that overcome a lot of potentially damaging shortcomings.

 

The lightsabers, the space ships, good looking actors, and the good guys win.
What more could one ask of a movie?

 

I wanted to comment earlier...I don't know if the music helped make the movie more popular or if the success of the movie helped popularize the music, but John Williams's score was a huge part of the Star Wars phenomenon.

It really did make the use of a full orchestra popular in movie scoring again. And, where the typical science fiction space movie at the time probably would have used a heavy dose of electronic or synthesized music, the orchestral score helped get across the timelessness of the story and the fact that it was a FANTASY story, not sci-fi.

And when's the last time you ever heard a full orchestra on top 40 radio? But the "Theme From Star Wars" was right there, bizarre but true.

So maybe I haven't got the whole cause-and-effect angle straight, but don't underestimate the influence of JW's music.