“Happy birthday, ‘Star Wars'” in 1978
There are a few hidden gems in this 1978 Associated Press article from the May 29, 1978, issue of the St. Petersburg Times newspaper. In addition to all of the fun surrounding the financial success of Star Wars we also find:
- The film is described as “the biggest box-office phenomenon in motion picture history.”
- LA Mayor Tom Bradley cut a Star Wars cake for the first Star Wars birthday. (Yes, this is the same Mayor who declared a Masters of the Universe Day back in 1987. Welcome to LA?)
- Mention of the ABC series “Galactica: Battle Star” premiering that fall.
- At the time, the Star Wars sequel was being written by Leigh Brackett.
Now what I find most interesting is that the article was published after Brackett’s death (see Wikipedia), meaning that the way it’s written — “Leigh Brackett is writing the script” — completely ignores that she had died two months before the Star Wars birthday celebration. Weird.
Anyway, this is great find in the Google newspaper archives for all of the Star Wars fans out there.
Related articles
- 1982 Kenner Star Wars Sale Ad (battlegrip.com)
- “Dark Horse to get boost from ‘Star Wars’ revival” (battlegrip.com)
- 1984 Newspaper Ad Sale on Star Wars, Super Powers, Barbie, and More! (battlegrip.com)