Page 37 - Star Wars Insider #175

BACK TO 1977

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than 1,000 screens nationwide, and items would not have been on the radar of Burger Chef. If you turned on your
received an unprecedented second most moviegoers. radio, you’d be left in no doubt that

opening at the illustrious Mann’s, Instead, the first item of Star Wars the sound of ’77 was “Star Wars
attended by thousands of fans. merchandise that most people would have Theme/Cantina Band,” a disco
encountered was a full-color souvenir program reworking of John Williams’ music
Early adopters sold at theaters, featuring 18 pages of facts and by musician/producer Meco, which
All of this had been achieved with photos from the film. But within a few weeks spent two weeks at the top of the

little in the way of marketing of Star Wars’ May release, you didn’t need to go Billboard charts in October.
and merchandise, but it is an into, or even near, a theater to feel the Force of On newsstands, TIME magazine
oft-repeated myth that Star Wars’ this movie phenomenon. declared Star Wars the “movie
surprise hit status meant that there of the year” before the month
were no tie-in products to capitalize A galaxy of goods of May was out, People profi led
on this success. By the time of the If you went out for groceries in the second half of “the talented folks who gave us
movie’s release, the novelization 1977, you’d be hard pressed to avoid promotions the summer’s box offi ce sizzler”,
Star Wars: From the Adventures of for R2-D2 pendants on Nestlé Crunch bars, Star and Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewie
Luke Skywalker had been available Wars trading cards in Wonderbread, and frisbees followed in the footsteps of the
for six months and was newly from Pine-Sol cleaner that featured characters Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Michael

reissued, and the first two issues such as C-3PO. You’d almost certainly see Jackson by appearing on the cover
of Marvel’s Star Wars comic had someone wearing a “DARTH VADAR LIVES” (sic) of Rolling Stone. Back on TV—in
gone on sale. This meant hardcore T-shirt, and you might even see Vader himself between the Star Wars themed

sci-fi fans (who were assumed to be appearing at your local mall. ads—local news shows turned their
the film’s primary audience) had If you stayed home and switched on your TV, attention to the continuing queues

a handle on the characters and you’d likely see commercials with R2-D2 and to see the movie, and the growing
themes from the outset, but these C-3PO picking up free Star Wars posters from fashion to see it multiple times.
Event television
“If you went out for groceries in the Thanks to this blitz of licensed
second half of 1977, you’d be hard pressed marketing and organic media
to avoid Star Wars promotions...” coverage, by the fall of ’77, it was
virtually impossible not to know

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