How many times did you see Star Wars in 1977 ?

[Gorn Captain]

Did South Africa have white only signs back then Rik ?

Yeah, this was still during Apartheid. My sister worked as a social worker for the black community.
Those signs were everywhere.
I still remember this: white people went to these kind of stalls, where they bought freshly roasted chicken. Black people weren't allowed to buy the chicken, but they could dip bread in the tray of dripping fat at the bottom. They had to bring their own bread, and had to pay extra to be allowed to dip it in the fat.

In the movie theatre, you could smoke cigarettes and drink beer while watching the movie. The place looked as if it was on fire with all the smoke inside.
"There's Jabba the Hutt...cough....cough..."

I bought a copy of the Planet of the Apes novel in South-African. "Die Planeet van die Ape". Weird, I tell...

[enyawd72]

I still remember this: white people went to these kind of stalls, where they bought freshly roasted chicken. Black people weren't allowed to buy the chicken, but they could dip bread in the tray of dripping fat at the bottom. They had to bring their own bread, and had to pay extra to be allowed to dip it in the fat.

That is just horrible...I can't believe the things man does to their fellow man.

[Nostalgiabuff]

I saw it only once during it's initial run, and it was at the drive in. fell asleep before the end too, I was only 5 and it was rather late. did not get to see the whole movie until it was rereleased the first time. but that did not stop my love of all things SW. the movie was magical and captured all of our imaginations

[SentientApe]

I saw it at least a dozen times during its initial release. I cannot recall why I was unable to go opening night, but I went during the first weekend.

I went back a day or two later with a sketchbook just to try and capture some of the amazing ships and costumes (I scratch-built a Millennium Falcon and a T.I.E. Fighter within a couple weeks), and smuggled in a reel-to-reel tape recorder for one of those earlier viewings so I could memorize every line of the entire movie (which I did). In the late 'Seventies, it was not very difficult to hang out in the building, avoid staff and reenter the cleared-out theatre to watch a subsequent airing without paying, and I did exactly that for at least a couple shows.

At the time, there were famously only a handful of images that were printed/reprinted in various magazines (starting with TIME Magazine the week before the premiere -- I think I still have that dog-eared issue -- as well as Starlog), only offering two photographs of the Imperial Stormtroopers. On my initial viewing, I realized that was a costume that I would own -- some way, somehow... Subsequent viewings with additional in-theatre sketches gave me the resources required to make my own version of the costume within the following year, which I later sold , and a second version, which I wore to the premiere of "Empire" the day it came out ...and also subsequently sold. Those were the very first costumes I ever sold, and the only ones I ever truly missed....




Thirty-five years later, I was finally able to fill that hole in my costuming heart with a 501st-Approved upgrade...




… and the reason I was only able to attend the informal Friday set-up of Mego Meet was so that yesterday I could instead attend the annual Star Wars Day celebrations in Joliet, where I was able to take THIS photo of Episode Seven Stormtrooper armor --

[Hedji]

I think I counted 7 times.

[Brue]

twice. but not til August and December 77.

[ScottA]

Just once.

[Allie Fox]

I know this thread is not about May 25, 1977 specifically but it never ceases to amaze me how many people (who might be nearly old enough) saw Star Wars on its opening day in 1977, yet it only opened on 32 screens and made a little over a million dollars for its first weekend. I do know that I didn't see Star Wars that day. But then again, the original release also had the "Overhead Battle" and "Anchorhead" scenes still intact. I know they were never there, having been edited out prior to release, but there are a number of people, I would venture to say, almost as many people who claim they saw Star Wars on May 25, 1977, who (used to) swear they saw the scenes in the initial release.

In the YEAR 1977 I saw Star Wars three times. I've seen it maybe seven or eight times during its subsequent official releases (including the SE version).

The Phantom Menace is another story. . .

[Mikey]

Same as a Billion people attended Woodstock

[Werewolf]

yet it only opened on 32 screens and made a little over a million dollars for its first weekend

http://www.in70mm.com/news/2003/star_wars/

Additional Information & Statistics (U.S. and Canada release)

Release schedule/Total number of engagements during weekend beginning:

May 27: 43
June 03: 2 (45)
June 10: 3 (48)
June 17: 109 (157)
June 24: 203 (360)
July 01: 136 (496)
July 08: 81 (577)
July 15: 51 (628)
July 22: 183 (811)
July 29: 145 (956)
Aug 05: 88 (1,044)

I didn't see it opening day and the only place I saw the anchorhead scenes was in the Marvel comic.

[Allie Fox]

http://www.in70mm.com/news/2003/star_wars/

Additional Information & Statistics (U.S. and Canada release)

Release schedule/Total number of engagements during weekend beginning:

May 27: 43
June 03: 2 (45)
June 10: 3 (48)
June 17: 109 (157)
June 24: 203 (360)
July 01: 136 (496)
July 08: 81 (577)
July 15: 51 (628)
July 22: 183 (811)
July 29: 145 (956)
Aug 05: 88 (1,044)

I didn't see it opening day and the only place I saw the anchorhead scenes was in the Marvel comic.

Correct figures those are. However Star Wars opened on Wednesday in 32 theaters. On Friday, May 27, 1977 it "expanded" to 43.

Here's a list of those original theaters. I wonder how many have survived.

East
New York, NY: Astor Plaza
New York, NY: Orpheum
Hicksville, NY: Twin
Paramus, NJ: RKO
Pennsauken, NJ: Eric I
Lawrenceville, NJ: Eric II
Boston, MA: Charles
Philadelphia, PA: Eric's Place
Fairless Hills, PA: Eric II
Pittsburgh, PA: Showcase
Claymont, DE: Eric I
Washington DC: Uptown


West
Menlo Park, CA: Cinema
Hollywood, CA: Chinese
Los Angeles, CA: Avco I
Greater Orange County, CA: City Center I
San Diego, CA: Valley Circle
San Francisco, CA: Coronet
Sacramento, CA: Century 25
San Jose, CA: Century 22A
Seattle, WA: UA 150
Portland, OR: Westgate I


Midwest
St. Paul, MN: Roseville 4
Minneapolis, MN: St. Louis Park
Detroit, MI: Americana
Rock Island-Milan, IL: Cinema 3
Indianapolis, IN: Eastwood
Cincinnati, OH: Showcase Cin I
Louisville, KY: Cinema I


Southwest
Denver, CO: Cooper
Phoenix, AZ: Cine Capri
Salt Lake City, UT: Centre

[palitoy]

I saw it zero times, I didn't see Star Wars until 1979. Had all the toys and comics, is that weird?

[Nostalgiabuff]

not at all Brian, the movie captured everyones imaginations. it was everywhere and we did get the awesome Holiday Special in what, '78?

[mickeymoosemego]

You can see Cincinnati, Ohio is on the list as I reported earlier. I was there Day 1. Now where's my truth prize!

[Werewolf]

You know I've never really seen many people over the years claiming they saw it on the actual premier day of May 25th. I never even knew that was considered to be a big deal or problem. I have seen people say they saw it the first day it opened in their area. But that's pretty much it.

I saw it zero times, I didn't see Star Wars until 1979. Had all the toys and comics, is that weird?

Nah, I'd bet that's really common.