On May 25, 1977, a problem-plagued, budget-straining independent science-fiction film opened in a mere thirty-two American movie theaters. Conceived, written, and directed by a little-known filmmaker named George Lucas, the movie originally called The Star Wars quickly drew blocks-long lines, becoming the highest-grossing film at the time, a winner of 6 Academy Awards, a cultural phenomenon and the beginning of one of the most successful-movie franchises of all time. A revelatory look into the life and times of the man who created Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Indiana Jones. Lucas went on to create another blockbuster series with Indiana Jones, and he transformed the world of special effects and the way movies sound. His innovation and ambition forged Pixar and Lucasfilm, Industrial Light & Magic, and THX sound. His entire career has been stimulated by innovators including Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola and actors such as Harrison Ford.
Content Note
Part I: Hope 1944-1973 -- Scrawny Little Devil 1944-1962 -- Geeks and Nerds 1962-1966 -- The Right Horse 1967 -- Radicals and Hippies 1967-1971 -- American Graffiti 1971-1973 -- Part II: Empire 1973-1983 -- Bleeding on Pages 1973-1976 -- "I Have a Bad Feeling About This" 1976-1977 -- Striking Back 1977-1979 -- Darkening Skies 1979-1983 -- Part III: Return 1983-2016 -- Empty Flash 1983-1994 -- A Digital Universe 1994-1999 -- Cynical Optimism 1999-2005 -- Letting Go 2005-2016.