Star Wars 1977 Style

[QuiGonFishing]

If you happened to find yourself in a movie theater, let’s say in early Summer of 1977, and your movie of choice on this fateful day was a low budget gamble taken by 20th Century Fox called “Star Wars”, would you, or would you not have heard the following line:

“I met your father once, when I was just a boy. He was a great pilot. If you have half your father’s skill, you’ll do better than alright...”

Give or take a word or two I might have out of order.

I have a steak dinner riding on the outcome of this debate! What say you?

 

[Star-Crunch]

I wasn’t alive in 77 but I know what scene you’re referencing. I have never heard of this actually appearing in an official screening, so if I’d wager no. But I very well could be wrong.

 

[a-dev]

Sounds plausible. If it ever went like that it was truncated to ''you'll do alright''...if I'm right?

 

[Dr.Mirakle32]

That scene, albeit abridged, wasn’t restored until 1997, but the line does appear in the original novelization.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Nope. I saw the movie 30 times in the summer of 1977... and never heard that uttered.

I can actually prove it too -- since I snuck a tape recorder into the Chinese Theater and recorded the entire movie on 3 tapes.

Does that get me the dinner?

 

[xipotec]

Nope. I saw the movie 30 times in the summer of 1977... and never heard that uttered.

I can actually prove it too -- since I snuck a tape recorder into the Chinese Theater and recorded the entire movie on 3 tapes.

Does that get me the dinner?

I had the record of the film, which had a few changes to it. But this was not one of them...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[QuiGonFishing]

Nope. I saw the movie 30 times in the summer of 1977... and never heard that uttered.

I can actually prove it too -- since I snuck a tape recorder into the Chinese Theater and recorded the entire movie on 3 tapes.

Does that get me the dinner?

Wow! No wonder you’re a legend around here, Wor...

Do you still have those tapes? You should have them enshrined (but not before you have them transferred to digital for posterity’s sake)!

30 Times, huh? I only made five and I was proud.

So was the entire Biggs hanger scene removed from the 1977 release?

I know 40 years is a long stretch to try to go back and collect fine detail from, but I would have been willing to swear that I remembered Red Leader talking to Luke and Biggs in 1977, and I even thought I remembered being jarred by the absence of that scene when they re-released The movie with its brand new title in tow in the spring of 1981 after Empire hit theaters the previous year.

I wonder if someone put some hallucinogens in my Crackerjack box?

One thing is for sure, I read the novelization at least as many times that year as I saw the movie in the theater. Maybe my memories are melding info a phantom altered reality..

Anyway, thanks for the input, guys! I guess I’m buying a steak.

“It was a vast shining globe, and it cast a light of lambert to pax into space...”

 

[screamingmetal]

I have the same thing going on in my head, I swear I saw the Sentry Gun scene in Aliens when I saw it in the theater in '86. I'm probably just confusing that with when I first saw the directors cut in the 90's.

 

[EVILFACE]

At three years old, I doubt I would have cared.

 

[ObiGlennKenobi]

I wanna see Wor Gars tapes

 

[RIDDICK]

 

[Protozaius]

Remember that summer very well. I ate and slept Star Wars. I even smuggled a tape recorder into the local theater and recorded the entire film so I could listen to it when I wasn't in that theater watching it.

And, no that line wasn't on my tape.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I wanna see Wor Gars tapes

Can't see, they are audio tapes. Maxell. Only the best in '77 for Star Wars.

Do you still have those tapes? You should have them enshrined (but not before you have them transferred to digital for posterity’s sake)!

30 Times, huh? I only made five and I was proud.

So was the entire Biggs hanger scene removed from the 1977 release?

Yes, it was removed, but everyone knew about the cut back then so likely you imagined it in your head. Unless you were invited to one of Lucas' private screenings.


I do still have the recordings. I haven't listened to them since probably the very early 80's. I don't even own a tape player anymore so I couldn't listen to them if I wanted to. Be funny to hear the actual audience reactions now.

That wasn't the only movie I recorded. I have live theatrical recordings of: Jaws (from re-release though), Close Encounters and Alien.

I'm going to give them to the Smithsonian so they can play the live theatrical audio experience in the background of their respective museum displays.

 

[Kamandi]

I was eight years old that summer. I remember vividly the first summer and seeing SW multiple times.

That scene was not in the film until the SE. It was a huge deal and the audience reacted to it more than the new effects.

The Biggs & Red Leader scene was included in the Marvel Comic and novel, so perhaps the memory can play games.

I heard, and this easily could be bullsh--, there were a small number of test screenings of SW that featured the Biggs scenes and they were cut after.