Star Wars v Superman: The two biggest fantasy films of the 1970s

Superman (1978) had a lot in common with Star Wars

Episode Nothing has occasionally looked at some of the other big films of 1977.

But today I'd like to look at a film which arrived more than 18 months after Star Wars – Richard Donner's Superman. It was released 40 years ago this week, and I think it's revealing to compare this huge superhero epic with George Lucas's much cheaper creation.

Gloria Katz, 1942-2018: The writer who gave Star Wars some of its best lines

  

Gloria Katz with George Lucas

Think for a moment of some of the best lines in Star Wars – the wittier ones, that remind you of the golden age of movies.

The chances are that you are thinking of lines that were written by the late Gloria Katz and her husband Willard Huyck.

When was the title Star Wars devised? It’s earlier than you might think

The title Star Wars as it appears in the film

Apart from its virtues as a film, Star Wars had one of the best titles ever to grace a movie.  But it could just as easily have been called The Adventures of Luke Starkiller. 

Today, we’re looking at the origins of the title Star Wars – and, at the same time, the meeting at Cannes that set George Lucas’s idea on the way to becoming reality.

40 years on: the animated sequence of the Star Wars Holiday Special

The Star Wars Holiday Special animated segment

This Saturday, November 17, it's 40 years since the Star Wars Holiday Special, probably the strangest event in Star Wars history.

There’s plenty to mock in the special. I’ve indulged in that mockery myself in posts here and here. We can deride the domestic life of Chewbacca’s comedy, some painful comedy shtick, Princess Leia’s musical tribute to the wookiee holiday Life Day, and Luke Skywalker’s bizarre hair and make-up, to begin with. 


But in the blessed spirit of Life Day, perhaps let’s look at one aspect of the special that has been relatively-kindly received – its animated sequence.

Some unsung heroes of the 1977 Star Wars

The Star Wars effects team receive their Oscars from Joan Fontaine

When you read original, 1970s coverage of Star Wars, you come across a few names which are rarely mentioned today.

On the other hand, there are a few people who were not named much at the time, but who we later discovered to have been a key part of the film's success.

Screen Scene magazine - where Star Wars sat alongside Logan's Run and The Tomorrow People

The Star Wars poster in Screen Scene issue 5

The 1970s fashion for poster magazines encompassed pretty much every area of popular culture: pop stars, Kung Fu, horror films and, of course, Star Wars.

We've already examined some issues of the Star Wars Official Poster Monthly. Now here's a short look at a one-off edition of a British poster magazine which reminds us of some of the other entertainment that was around at the same time.

Gary Kurtz, 1940-2018: an obituary

Gary Kurtz with Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill
on the set of Star Wars

Gary Kurtz died on Sunday, September 23, at the age of 78.

He was, of course, the producer of Star Wars – and screen credits don’t get much bigger than that. And yet I think he has also become one of Star Wars’ unsung heroes.

The original Darth Vader back story – before he was Luke's father

The back story of Darth Vader, as presented in the Star Wars Official Poster Monthly, issue 2

Star Wars told us relatively little about its mysterious villain, Darth Vader.

We knew he was a young Jedi Knight who turned to the dark side, murdered Luke's father and helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the other Jedi. But was he human, alien, part-machine? What was under that mask, and why did he make that mechanical breathing noise?

So much remained untold that it was thrilling to see a magazine article that gave us Darth Vader's back story – even if it was different from the one that would be developed in The Empire Strikes Back and afterwords.

Our 7 geekiest Star Wars 1977 blog posts

Declan Mulholland as Jabba the Hutt in deleted footage from Star Wars

I suspect that all of us who like Star Wars may have pondered small points of trivia for longer than is healthy.

It's not uncommon for fans to be accused of lacking a sense of proportion. But as long as your preoccupation with obscure detail is not hurting anyone else, why should anyone else judge you for it?

In my latest recap of previous posts, before I return with all-new material in September, I'd like to point you to some of the geekier subjects that have occupied Episode Nothing in its five-year existence.

Hear the difference between the mono and stereo 1977 versions of Star Wars

C-3PO had more to say in the mono mix of Star Wars

If you saw Star Wars two or three times in 1977, it may not have been the same each time.

That's because, as we've seen before, there were three different sound mixes of the film.

A video on YouTube allows you to listen to those differences for yourself.

Plain old Star Wars: Why this blog doesn't tend to say A New Hope

Around here, we don't tend to use the phrase A New Hope.

I suspect that may have cost me a bit of Google traffic, but there's a reason for it.

This is a blog devoted to Star Wars as it was released, enjoyed and debated in the 1970s. Back then, people thought that if there were more Star Wars films, they would be straightforward sequels. There was no suggestion that Luke Skywalker's first adventure was the middle of a multi-chapter story. Hence the title of this blog: Episode Nothing.

Star Wars debuts part 2: The first work of the people behind the film

The principal heroes of Star Wars

Last time, I looked back at the earliest work of some of the older people behind Star Wars. We found that the earliest film to share personnel with George Lucas's film was probably Rookery Nook, the 1930 British movie which had Gilbert Taylor as assistant cameraman.

Today, we move into the 1960s and 1970s for the film debuts of some of the film's principals.

Star Wars debuts: The first work of the people behind the film

Gilbert Taylor, director of photography on Star Wars

Star Wars owed its huge success largely to the young people who came out to see it, but many of the those who made it were industry veterans. Some had been working for almost half a century.

Today, Episode Nothing looks back at the debuts of some of the key talents involved in the original 1977 film.

Defending George Lucas: Why you can't take away the credit for the original Star Wars

George Lucas directing Star Wars

Considering he's the creator of the most popular movies ever made, George Lucas takes a lot of crap.

I've criticised him myself, particularly for his refusal to release the unaltered versions of the original Star Wars.

But a lot of the criticism goes way too far, and it seems to me that some myths are taking hold on social media. So today, Episode Nothing finds itself defending George Lucas. 

The OTHER films of 1977: Star Wars vs Annie Hall

Annie Hall, 1977

To understand the world into which Star Wars was released, it's helpful to look at the other big movies of the era.

Today, Episode Nothing examines the film that took several of the key Oscars that year, including Best Picture – Woody Allen's Annie Hall.

Does this tale of love between urban neurotics have anything in common with a fantasy set in outer space? Let's find out.

The best books about the original Star Wars - part two

Today, I'm finishing my look at some of the most enjoyable or informative books for lovers of the original, 1977 Star Wars.

Its a chronological list, and I'm resuming with the weighty tome that marked the film's 30th anniversary.

The best books about the original Star Wars: a guide

George Lucas's own library. A comprehensive Star Wars collection would surely be as big

Last week, we looked at Craig Stevens' new book The Star Wars Phenomenon in Britain, and I recommended it to anyone interested in the impact Star Wars had, in the UK or elsewhere.

But what other books belong on the shelves of anyone interested in the original Star Wars the first time around?

Here's the first part of a chronological list of those I'd recommend. Watch for longer reviews of some of them in due course.

The OTHER films of 1977: Star Wars vs The Spy Who Loved Me, 1977

The Spy Who Loved Me, released in the summer of 1977

To fully appreciate the impact of Star Wars, you have to understand the other entertainment that was around when it was released. 

This is the first in an occasional series of posts about the other films of 1977. I'll look at what, if anything, they had in common with Star Wars, how they were different, and what they tell us about the 1970s.

Today, it's the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me.

40 years on: Star Wars at the Oscars – part three

George Lucas (bottom right) breaks into a smile as the winner of the Best Director Oscar is announced

Today, we conclude our look at the Academy Awards of April 3, 1978. It was one of the most controversial, often uncomfortable, Oscar ceremonies ever. 

As the biggest awards of the night loomed, how would Star Wars fare against Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Julia, The Goodbye Girl and Annie Hall? 

40 years on: Star Wars at the Oscars – part two

George Lucas at the 1978 Academy Awards.
Would he ever need to get out of his seat?

It was one of the most surprising Oscar nights ever. The 50th Academy Awards were held amid protests and controversy, with the top prizes going to a film whose director was not there.

Last time, we saw how Mark Hamill and the droids helped lighten the mood after some gasps and boos at a controversial speech by Best Supporting Actress winner Vanessa Redgrave. Now, it's on to more of the competitive awards – and a few early wins for Star Wars.