I saw Star Wars four times in the summer of 1977. I am certain that the first time I saw it, there was an intermission during the film. I think that the intermission was right after Ben cut-off walrus-man's arm, but I am not certain of this. If my memory is correct, that would place the intermission at about the 47 minute mark. The film is about 120 in length, so that would leave about 1 hour and 13 minutes for the second installment of the movie. I remember that many movies back then had one or two cartoons before the film, with Pink Panther ones being especially common. I think each such "short" was about 7 minutes in length. If we assume that my first SW showing had two cartoons (which I simply don't remember one way or the other), then our first reel is up to about 1 hour and 1 minute. If we further assume about 10 minutes of movie trailers, then our first reel is up to about 1 hour and 11 minutes--basically identical in length to our second reel of 1 hour and 13 minutes. So does anyone else remember having an intermission during Star Wars back in 1977? Do you also remember the intermission occurring in the cantina?
A two hour film wouldn't have an intermission. Intermissions were only for movies that were almost three hours such as "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly", "Once Upon A Time In The West" and "Giant". ANH doesn't qualify. I think it is like MatthewZ said, an issue with the reels.
Back in the day there were always intermissions at cinemas where I lived. Cartoons and the 'first half' of the film. Go and buy some more sugar to consume. Then the 'second half'. You felt like you were in the cinema all day! Good times.
I envy you! I want to clarify that my first viewing of Star Wars didn't have a "built-in" intermission (as you see on some movies such as It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World). It was a theatre intermission. Lots of 2-hour movies back then in my local theatres had intermissions like that. I imagine it probably had to do with changing the reels (as some have already suggested).
Well, I wasn't in a position back then to know anything about that. It might have been a local deal or a theater chain one.
I don't remember there being an intermission during "Star Wars" when I saw it in June, 1977. That may have been a practice of that particular theater. These days, I only run into an intermission during revival showing of older, classic movies of longer duration, or between features at the drive-in. (In the case of the latter, complete with ads for the concession stand and a countdown to the second feature.)
Intermissions that part of the original film as intended will almost always have the "INTERMISSION" title card on the screen and be accompanied by a musical interlude for the duration.
Well, yeah, drive-ins are notorious for that. And for good reason since it takes a while to change out films. Prime opportunities to use the restroom or to go to the concession stand. The last time I was to one was in 1998 for a triple feature. In those cases, you really need the patience to be there for a long stretch. I vaguely remember those, but that was a practice that was mostly coming to an end in the mid 80's.
I saw it in the USA, in Pueblo, Colorado, at the Chief Theater, a walk-in theater which closed in 1986ish. It had only a single screen. Pueblo has now and had in 1977 a population of around 100,000.
I talked to my mom and she doesn't ever recall seeing an intermission for two hour films like any James Bond film, or "Alien" or "Star Trek". She saw movies in both theaters and at the the drive-in. I was only a month old when my family went to the drive-in in the summer of 78. My first movie theater memory is "E.T.", followed by "Temple Of Doom" and "Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown". So if you are remembering things correctly, then it was probably something that that theater did. If not, then it was something different. If any friend or family member that was older than you, had seen any film at that theater, they might be able to verify your recollections.
Slightly off topic, but 2001 had an intermission. And to the OP, I am not old enough to have seen SW in '77 but I don't doubt that it had one. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
"2001" was also a long movie. 161 minutes was the original run time and then scaled down to 142 minutes.
When I said that I saw Star Wars at the Chief Theater, I knew that didn't sound right. It was the Cooper Theater, destroyed by a fire in 1982: http://www.cinematour.com/tour/us/34369.html
