By: Robert Reed

As seen in The Antique Shoppe Newspaper, June, 2005

Sometime in the future Star Wars will become the number one watched movie of all time.

With the single exception of E. T. the film was number one at the box office even before its 20-year-revivial and encore. Parents re-experienced it with their children, while grandparents sometimes bought tickets for three generations.

At this rate the 1970s trilogies creation by George Lucas will last forever.

In producing the legend Lucas "drew on his childhood love of Flash Gordon, fantastic science fiction, Westerns, and samurai movies," according to authors Sue Cornwell and Mike Kott.

They note in the Official Price Guide to Star Wars, "he created the type of film he wanted to see as a child, no based on science and logic, but based on sheer fantasy, a modern fairy tale where good confronts the forces of evil, and good wins."

Also in the winner's circle were Star Wars toys, figures, accessories, and an amazing assortment of household products.

Simply put, the marketing worked because the movie worked. "The little kids went nuts over Darth Vader, and that really caught me off guard," recounted Charles Lippincott a key promotion director for the film. "But the film had a lot of other things going on. The younger girls fell for Luke, and the other ones for Han, and all could fall in love with Chewbacca. Obi Wan was a father figure. And Science fiction nerd-type boys dreamed of Princess Leia. They even sent her marriage proposals."

From action figures to wallpaper the merchandising of Star Wars and the two related film that followed was very nearly out of this world.

In the wake of the first movie the master manufacturer was Kenner which provided nearly 80 percent of all the Star War toys. They accounted for nearly all of the action figures starting with popular characters like Chewbacca, Jawa and Stormtrooper and eventually extending to everyone from Admiral Ackbar to Zuckuss.

While most of the early Kenner plastic figures were under four inches tall, for a time in the late l970s they produced larger posable figured which stood from seven and a half to 15 inches tall. One of the largest of their 1979 set was Darth Vader whose accessories included a synthetic fiber black cape and red saber. The beloved robot R2-D2 meanwhile appeared in both Kenner's regular and larger sizes complete with accessories. Others starring in both issues were Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Stormtrooper, and Princess Leia.

Of course figures needed vehicles to get around, and choices in the marketplace included the molded plastic Land Speeder with clear windshield. It was released in 1979 and was followed by a metal die cast model. Among others were the Armored Sentinel Transport, the Airspeeder, the Snowspeeder, and the X-Wing Fighter.

There were several board games produced in connection with the Star Wars run. Kenner's Escape from Death Star was one of the earlier and best-selling ones. Later, West End Games began a whole new series of Star War games which remain collectible today.

Eventually there were a few toy guns available, but in the beginning the experts at Kenner were reluctant to product even the guns that were actually used in the films. Producer Lucas however insisted, and one result was the German Mauser type laser pistol. It was attractive, but somewhat less delicately fashioned than the model used in the movie by Han Solo.

The stunning science-fiction film proved to be a great topic for trading cards. Starting in 1977 Topps issued five trading card and sticker sets. Each provided 66 cards and 11 stickers. In addition, Wonder Bread and Burger King both issued smaller premium sets as the film opened.

There were banks from both Roman Ceramic and Metal Box Company, greeting cards from Drawing Board, and belt buckles from the Lee Company. Play-Doh meanwhile dazzled youngsters with a Star Wars combination of three cans of Play-Doh and plastic X-Wing Fighter molds.

Burger King, in cooperation with Coca-Cola introduced an entire series of character glasses based on Star Wars. Their sparking series extended from Darth Vader to Jabba the Hutt. And for around the house there was the Tauntaun teapot set, and the R2D2 cake decorating kit from the Wilton Company. Also available was the Darth Vader clothes rack and the delightful Wicket sit 'n spin.

Merchandise abounded. The Star War image could be found on place mats, plates, pinback buttons, books, backpacks, blueprints, belts, cookie jars, model kits, school supplies, lunch boxes, Halloween costumes, mugs, plastic tableware,  and jewelry.

Bradley Time, a division of Elgin National Industries, provided more than 30 different Star Wars watches, while Stride Rite produced a line of Star War children's shoes, boots and shoelaces. At one point even pairs of Darth Vader fuzzy booties were being sold to eager American parents.

In many cases the same toy or product was first released with the Star Wars logo and then later re-issued with the logo from The Empire Strikes Back (1980) or the final film in  the series, Return of the Jedi( 1983). Typically items with the earlier Star Wars logo remain somewhat more collectible than the other two. There are exceptions however, including material which was briefly marketed under the tentative third movie title, Revenge of the Jedi.

Most Stars War products were clearly marked and dated. At first all material and merchandise was licensed by 20th Century Fox. That changed prior to the release of The Empire Strikes Back when Lucas Films Ltd. obtained the vast majority of such marketing rights.

Nearly 20 years after it was first introduced to the public, a major poll said the average American had seen Star Wars nearly seven times either in a movie theater or on television. According to CNN/USA Today poll those in the twenty something age range had viewed it an average of a dozen times. Experts conclude it is one if the nation's leading transgenerational films, meaning it continues to charm new generations as it has in the past.

Recommended reading:

Star Wars Memorabilia third edition by Geoffrey Carlton (Collector Books)

Official Price Guide to Star Wars Memorabilia by Jeremy Beckett (House of Collectibles)