Editor’s note: This story was originally published on May 25, 2024.
A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives.
Utahns knew.
Perhaps the “Force” was already with them.
On May 25, 1977, the first “Star Wars” film was released by 20th Century Fox. And there’s no stopping now. The franchise continues to make money and gain fans and infiltrate the idiom.
Studies through the years show Utahns love their Luke, Leia and Chewy.
“This study just revealed the most ‘Star Wars’-obsessed states in the U.S.”
“Utah’s favorite Star Wars movie is an outlier”
“Utah’s favorite Star Wars character is different than the country’s”
Many of us can remember the hype that went with the first movie release, forming big lines at theaters, dressing in costume. Now May 4th (”May the Force”) has become almost as important as May 5th (Cinco de Mayo).
Here is some of the coverage in Deseret News archives through the last 46-plus years.
“‘Star Wars’ hit theaters on this day in 1977. These photos would hint at its legacy”
“‘A Disturbance in the Force’: Documentary pulls back curtain on infamous ‘Star Wars Holiday Special’”
“The Clean Cut: 1977 interview with ‘Star Wars’ stars Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford”
“It’s been 40 years since the release of ‘Return of the Jedi,’ is it the best Star Wars movie?”
“The Star Wars Skywalker saga movies, ranked by someone who watched them all in a row”
And with more content on the horizon, or in another galaxy even farther away, the end is definitely not in sight.
