BEHIND THE SCENES: EVOLVING 'WARS'!

More compelling than ever, the genesis of the original Star Wars resonates in all areas, especially with regards to official cast and crew apparel and logo related materials used for day-to-day business during its 1975-1977 origins, and that intriguing time when our hero Skywalker was a Starkiller.

A lovely piece of collected photo nostalgia from the original MovieBits website of eight or nine years ago.

HAPPY FORTY-FIRST BIRTHDAY TO THE ORIGINAL 'STAR WARS'!

One of the early US adverts for Star Wars cinema release- art by Tom Jung. Note the original logo with the 'W'.

It was an undiminished joy watching multiple times the original Star Wars in the cinemas on its barnstorming release from 1977/78, and it continues to be an undiminished joy for millions and generations to watch and adore either via VHS, laserdisc, DVD, Blu-ray and digital formats, even with the many controversial changes/additions made to it. It's timeless, it's iconic, it's magical, it's unforgettable, remaining unbeaten as the legacy launch point to so, so much in our modern world of entertainment.

HAPPY FORTY-FIRST BIRTHDAY! to the original STAR WARS! 

'STAR WARS' AT 40: DESIGNING A FUTURE FRANCHISE...

As well as his conceptual and matte painting work for the original STAR WARS, Ralph McQuarrie also brought his striking and exquisite artistry to development ideas for the film's logos (as seen above, featuring 'Luke Starkiller') and posters, which went through many iterations before things were locked down via outside advertising sources by late 1976.

ILM CLASSIC IMAGE: A NEW CRAWL...

Here's a great shot of the original title crawl for STAR WARS-which was so lengthy that Lucas's friends at a private, incomplete screening of the movie in late '76/early '77 declared that it was too long and almost incomprehensible to follow. With help from an uncredited Brian DePalma, Lucas would create a new, shorter crawl replacement leading into the film which ILM would shoot in a new stairway to heaven/Flash Gordon intro style homage-becoming the classic and iconic opening which would serve through five more films after 1977.

Note the original unused logo for STAR WARS here, created by Joe Johnston.