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Synopsis: A young man finds out he has a power beyond his imagination.


Reaction: This was made back before Lucas thought that special effects could replace character development. It's fine as-is.


Personal Rating: 8/10

Select Cast and Crew
George Lucas => Director / Writer
John Williams => Composer
Gary Kurtz => Producer
Alec Guinness => Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi
Angus MacInnes => Gold Leader
Anthony Daniels => C-3PO
Barry Gnome => Kabe
Carrie Fisher => Princess Leia Organa
David Prowse => Darth Vader
Denis Lawson => Red Two (Wedge) (as Dennis Lawson)
Drewe Henley => Red Leader (as Drewe Hemley)
Frazer Diamond => Jawa
Hal Wamsley => Jawa
Harrison Ford => Han Solo
Jack Purvis => Chief Jawa
James Earl Jones => Darth Vader (voice)
Kenny Baker => R2-D2
Larry Ward => Greedo (voice)
Mahjoub => Jawa
Mark Hamill => Luke Skywalker
Melissa Kurtz => Jawa
Paul Blake => Greedo
Peter Cushing => Grand Moff Tarkin
Peter Mayhew => Chewbacca
Phil Brown => Uncle Owen
Phil Tippett => Cantina alien
Richard LeParmentier => General Motti
Rick Baker => Cantina alien
Rusty Goffe => Kabe / GONK Droid / Jawa
Shelagh Fraser => Aunt Beru
Tiffany L. Kurtz => Jawa
Warwick Diamond => Jawa
William Hootkins => Red Six (Porkins)

Random Trivia For This Title:

  • Darth Vader's breathing was originally meant to be much more labored and raspy. The sound of this labored, raspy breathing would be used later on in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi after Vader has killed the Emperor.
  • During filming, Peter Mayhew actually spoke English dialogue for Chewbacca so that his character's conversations with the actors would seem more natural. In post production; his dialogue was dubbed into what we see now Chewie's growls and barks. A clip of Chewbacca's voice before dubbing in the Death Star control room scene is shown on the documentary included in the new 2004 DVD release.
  • Han and Luke "transfer" Chewbacca from cell block 1138, a reference to George Lucas' earlier film THX 1138. "THX-1138" was going to be the serial number of the guard with the faulty transmitter on the Death Star, but this was changed.
  • When the storm troopers enter the room where C-3PO and R2-D2 are hiding, one of them accidentally bumps his head on the door.
  • Harrison Ford deliberately didn't learn his lines for the intercom conversation in the cell block, so it would sound spontaneous.
  • According to the exhibit at the Smithsonian, the sound of a TIE fighter is created by combining the squeal of a young elephant with the sound of a car driving by on a rain-slicked highway.
  • 7 foot 2 Peter Mayhew got the role of Chewbacca 10 seconds after he met George Lucas. All he did was stand up.
  • According to Mark Hamill, studio executives were unhappy that Chewbacca has no clothes and attempted to have the costume redesigned with shorts.
  • Though the only thing Chewbacca can say from start to finish is a Wookiee growl, he has the last line in the film.
  • When the film was re-released in theaters after it became so successful, the Daffy Duck cartoon {Duck Dodgers in the 24-1/2th Century} was run preceding the feature at the request of George Lucas.
  • "Vader" is Dutch for "father".
  • To preserve the dramatic opening of the film, George Lucas insisted on moving all the credits to the end of the movie, thereby not intruding on the iconic opening crawl. The Directors' Guild in particular took issue with this, and demanded that Lucas, at that time a DGA member, follow Guild regulations and put the credits at the beginning or face a fine. Lucas kept the film as is, paid the fine and promptly resigned from the DGA after Star Wars' release.