Original title to A New Hope

[Inferno]

Did or did not the original Star Wars movie include the subtitle "Episode IV: A New Hope" when it was released or was this only added in later for the video release?

[droidguy1119]

Apparently it did not include that part, so it is a "change" to add it to the official title. Makes no difference to me.

[SQueek]

I know for a fact that the original release of Star Wars in 1977 did not say episode 4 or A New Hope. To my knowledge it was added when it was re-released in theatures and they had the green light for episode 5 which was probly in '78

[Inferno]

Originally posted by droidguy1119
Apparently it did not include that part, so it is a "change" to add it to the official title. Makes no difference to me.

Thanks, I thought so. Just settled a long standing bet. It's also one of the only changes I don't mind Lucas keeping in if he ever releases the original original trilogy on dvd.

[Sock-Man]

Yeah it was just 'Star Wars' to begin with.

[droidguy1119]

Wait...no, I'm pretty sure the opening summary scroll thing always had "Episode IV: A New Hope" there, but I guess it wasn't the official title.

I'm pretty sure everyone made a big fuss about it...

[fett0619]

Nope - it was added to a later release of it. I'll do some research and see if I can find anything.

[Miasma]

My understanding is that during its VERY first release, it was just STAR WARS.
It may have possibly said "A New Hope," but it did not say "Episode 4" until it was rereleased later that same year, after being nominated for several Oscars. Once the Oscar hype started, they reissued it, added "Episode 4" and supposedly that's when they colored Vader's lightsaber (if you watch the original trailer for SW, Vader's saber is white. I saw this just recently, and it's pretty odd.)

[droidguy1119]

Okay, thanks Miasma. I can believe it if it was in the same year, but I am just very sure I remember the critics and audiences pointing out that it said Episode IV.

[LordofKings]

I just asked my dad, and he said NO that title was not there.

[Inferno]

Originally posted by Miasma
My understanding is that during its VERY first release, it was just STAR WARS.
It may have possibly said "A New Hope," but it did not say "Episode 4" until it was rereleased later that same year, after being nominated for several Oscars. Once the Oscar hype started, they reissued it, added "Episode 4" and supposedly that's when they colored Vader's lightsaber (if you watch the original trailer for SW, Vader's saber is white. I saw this just recently, and it's pretty odd.)

White lightsabers? Can anyone back that up?

[Miasma]

Originally posted by Inferno
White lightsabers? Can anyone back that up?

If you can find the original trailer, you'll see it for yourself. I'm trying to find a working link, but it seems a lot of them "cannot connect."

Though, to be honest, I'm not sure if Vader's white saber was just in the trailer. It's possible that the trailer was made before Lucas finished everything, and it may have been colored by the time the movie was released.

BTW-- the original trailer is worth watching. It is so incredibly cheesy, and I love the fact that it starts with a voice saying "From the creator of 'American Graffiti'...."

[Sock-Man]

http://www.jedihaven.com/cinema_anh.htm

Here's the trailer. Both Obi-Wans and Darth Vader's lightsabers are clearly white. Not only that but the trademark Star Wars writing hasnt even been done yet.

It is a pretty rubbish trailer. Cheesy voice over and lack of music. Looks like it was still in pretty early stages. Good to watch though.

[Cloud Buster]

The "Definitive Collection" Laserdiscs have every trailer for every film in the OT. There isn't a single one of them that doesn't suck. The final trailer for ROTJ gets close to being decent, but the guy who does the voiceover ("Return for the fun of it!") sounds like Richard Simmons doing a workout video.

Speaking of which, has anyone else here seen the ESB trailers? They show a scene with C-3PO that seems to occurr on Hoth just around when Han is trying to get Leia out and the passage collapses ("Better takeoff, I'll get her out on the Falcon"). It shows 3PO tearing a sign off of a door, and if you look closely in the film you can see the door but I've no idea what was cut from the film. It did NOT appear in the 1997 SE.

[droidguy1119]

Yeah, IMDB lists it under "alternate versions." It might show up on the DVD, the French press release lists "deleted scenes."

[HellaGood]

They rereleased it with the title Episode 4: A New Hope, because that's when they decided to do the rest of the trilogy, i think.

[SQueek]

Originally posted by Cloud Buster
It shows 3PO tearing a sign off of a door, and if you look closely in the film you can see the door but I've no idea what was cut from the film. It did NOT appear in the 1997 SE.

There was a cut scene where wampas break into echo base and they eventually get them trapped in a room where they put a sticker on the door so people dont go in there. When Vaded and the troops invade, 3po removes the sticker, and snow troops unknowingly walk in to thier deaths. Im not sure how much of this was filmed because of the costume difficulties and what not, but they could deff restore this on the dvd.

[G-Matrix]

it would be cool if they do this

[flukeman]

If you look as Han is walking through the base you can see people attending to a dead tauntaun, presumably killed in the wampa attack.

[Cloud Buster]

Originally posted by SQueek
There was a cut scene where wampas break into echo base and they eventually get them trapped in a room where they put a sticker on the door so people dont go in there. When Vaded and the troops invade, 3po removes the sticker, and snow troops unknowingly walk in to thier deaths. Im not sure how much of this was filmed because of the costume difficulties and what not, but they could deff restore this on the dvd.

WHOA!!! :eek:

I've never heard this before. I hope we manage to get what parts of it that was filmed on the DVD. (Like on Alien in the Quadrilogy, there are incomplete scenes)

[Alien]

So that's why Ep 4 is still called Star Wars when the others are Empire Strikes Back, Return Of The Jedi, The Phantom Menace and Attack Of The Clones.

[fett0619]

Hey.
Sorry it took me so long on this one.
This should answer the question about when it became episode 4.
According to Sansweet - not until the 1981 re release!!

http://www.starwars.com/community/askjc/steve/askjc20021031.html

[Clark Savage Jr]

Originally posted by droidguy1119
Wait...no, I'm pretty sure the opening summary scroll thing always had "Episode IV: A New Hope" there, but I guess it wasn't the official title.

I'm pretty sure everyone made a big fuss about it...
I was 20 when it first came out in '77.....it was just Star Wars.....no Episode IV: A New Hope.

quote:
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Originally posted by Miasma
My understanding is that during its VERY first release, it was just STAR WARS.
It may have possibly said "A New Hope," but it did not say "Episode 4" until it was rereleased later that same year, after being nominated for several Oscars. Once the Oscar hype started, they reissued it, added "Episode 4" and supposedly that's when they colored Vader's lightsaber (if you watch the original trailer for SW, Vader's saber is white. I saw this just recently, and it's pretty odd.)
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And even though the trailer showed white light sabers.....they were colored in the theatrical showing. I saw it like 25 times in first couple months it came out.

[Inferno]

Do you feel old on this forum?

[Tar-Carion]

Originally posted by Clark Savage Jr
I was 20 when it first came out in '77.....it was just Star Wars.....no Episode IV: A New Hope.

I was only 8 back in 77, but my memory agrees with Clark -- it was just Star Wars.


And even though the trailer showed white light sabers.....they were colored in the theatrical showing. I saw it like 25 times in first couple months it came out.

I dont remember the trailer, but I'm pretty sure that all of the sabers were colored when I saw the movie. At one point in the duel, Ben's or Vader's saber (both?) may have gone white for a second or 2. But I'm not really sure on that one.

Of course, fett0619 has gotten the answer straight from the source. ;)

[G-Matrix]

so it was true ..they didn't use the epi 4 headline

[Clark Savage Jr]

Originally posted by Inferno
Do you feel old on this forum?
No....I feel everyone else is too young. :D

[G-Matrix]

Age doesn't matter here!!!

[PsychoMike]

Originally posted by Tar-Carion
I dont remember the trailer, but I'm pretty sure that all of the sabers were colored when I saw the movie. At one point in the duel, Ben's or Vader's saber (both?) may have gone white for a second or 2. But I'm not really sure on that one.

I belive it was Vaders saber during the duel with Ben, when he points the tip of it at Ben. It not only turns white but almost diappears.

It's one of the few things I would have liked them to fix in the SE the other was the color of Vaders eyes.

[G-Matrix]

yeah u might be right Psycho it couldn't be true that they reliased it without the special effect added