By Pete Vilmur
With the first-ever release of the original unaltered trilogy on DVD coming September 12, starwars.com is taking a look back at the years these iconic films were released -- 1977, 1980, and 1983 -- with the hopes of lending some historical context to newer fans, and maybe a bit of nostalgia to old.
In 1977, the phrase "I'll just wait for the DVD" was not the common recourse it is today, when fans can wait a few months for a film to make its way to the home video market. Back then, home entertainment systems and videocassette players were few and far between, and television movie premieres were often broadcast years after a film's theatrical debut. So, to catch the latest movies, people went to the theater.
While the exercise of theater-going has changed little over the last three decades -- buying tickets, waiting to buy popcorn, finding a good seat, etc. -- the theatrical experience itself has changed significantly. Moviegoers now often have a choice of several films, with the added option of digital or traditional projection. In 1977, most small-town theaters offered only a single screen, and a digital presentation was still decades away from the projectionist's booth. Audience members were also not guaranteed a clear view of the screen from a stadium-style seat, smoking was still allowed, and monaural sound was slowly being replaced by stereo and the new Dolby technology of the day.
It was this old-world, analog setting that greeted the early Star Wars audiences of 1977, whose first stop on their way to that faraway galaxy was often the theater lobby. Unlike today, where posters, banners, standees, and other promotions from any number of movies compete for attention within a theater megaplex, a single film was often the star attraction at venues of the past, and the lobby was the first place to exploit it.
Movie tickets, programs, posters, concession premiums, retailer tie-ins, t-shirts and more all had the effect of collectively dazzling patrons as they entered, adding to the "event" experience of the film they were about to see. What follows is a collection of items that old-school movie-goers might have seen while catching Star Wars at their local U.S. theater back in 1977, or in the subsequent re-releases that ran through 1982.
