My first awareness of Star Wars was back in 1977 and Trevor Mc Donald introducing a segment at the end of News at Ten one night about this film that was breaking box office records in America., causing people to queue around the block just to get tickets.
It actually opened in my local fleapit on a Sunday night, and the place was absolutely jammed. To put things in context, the opening night of Logan's Run the previous year was attended by approximately three of us patrons and, unusually flush with funds for some reason, I could afford the extra 10p which gained me access to the "Balcony" section as opposed to my usual "Par Terre" digs, where I enjoyed the delights of a disrobing Jenny Agutter all on my nine year old lonesome.
Anyway, forward a year, and having endured an intensely boring short film about motocross the curtains closed, re-opened, the Censor's card proclaimed this to be a "U" certificate and the Fox fanfare struck up in something approaching stereo.
The next two hours and a bit (there was a break before the Falcon came out of hyperspace) literally changed my life.
Star Wars was the first film I saw twice, borrowing the money from my sister the following night, after my Dad point blank refused to waste another 60p as his son had obviously taken leave of his senses. I shamefully told him a white lie the following Saturday saying that the film I wanted to see was about motorbikes.
I devoured everything to do with Star Wars, and then everything to do with Science Fiction films, and then everything to do with any kind of film and now, 38 years later, i'm annoying the good folk of these fair forums on a regular basis with my complete waffle
Ya gotta lot to answer for George.