15: Aftermath
The poor lad’s mind is blown.
Continuing on from the « previous 2 strips: we see young Jack emerge from the cinema in December 1977 – after seeing STAR WARS!
The Viewing and the Trip Home
I actually have no memory of emerging from the cinema in 1977 – and to be honest, my memories of sitting there watching the film are fuzzy too. I remember how exciting it was to take my seat, for this much talked-about film. Aware that it was my first solo cinema trip, feeling the added excitement of the 20th Century Fox logo and fanfare blasting out at me – those drums! – but the rest of it is a broken up blur. Maybe that’s what it’s like waking up the morning after taking a load of drugs? “Yeah! It was so good – that I can’t really remember much of it.”
Dara Cinema, Naas, County Kildare, Ireland. This is where I saw Star Wars in December 1977
I don’t recall the drive home with my dad either! I doubt that I sat in unblinking, stunned silence – but rather – raved on and on about the film in my dad’s ear for the full 20 minutes.
Getting it on Paper
It had to be committed to memory and paper asap. Who knew when we’d get to see it again?
What I do remember – absolutely clearly – was grabbing pencil and paper the second I got through the door of our house and throwing myself to my knees on the living room floor to make my first drawing of the film.
Star Wars was accorded the great honour of being drawn in pencil rather than the usual Biro or felt-tip pens. It was obviously what I thought proper artists did. You can see that first picture below! It’s interesting that I chose that prison-break scene first. I’m guessing that I loved the suspense of the rescue attempt, the fact that the two heroes were wearing enemy ‘uniforms’ – an oft-used device in WW2 films and comics, and – to George Lucas’ great credit – I loved the loveable, great, furry Chewbacca character! He knew kids would love him. Many adult fans these days can’t stand Chewie – which really surprised me. But maybe he’s just too cutesy and improbable for adults now. I mean, let’s face it, I can’t stand Jar-Jar Binks and any of those muppety characters in Return of the Jedi. You can read more about the drawing here on StarWarsAge9.com »
Han and Luke escorting Chewbacca into the prison block, in Star Wars. Drawn by me when I was 9, in 1977. Read more»
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Thanks!
** Stay Groovy, all you 1970s kids! **
– John White
Two Quite Interesting Hours Later -
It was December, 1977. Jack's dad returned from walking the dog along the canalside, to the the cinema - where STAR WARS was showing. It was time to collect his 9 year old son Jack. He opened the door and was shocked to see Jack, alone, staggering and wobbling down the stairs in a sort of stunned daze, barely able to hold the stair-rail or operate his legs. He appeared to be in a trance - or even ill.
"Strewth!", he thought.
"Oh - wh - wh - where am I?" Jack barely-coherently muttered.
"Are you alright, lad?" his Dad asked.
"Og ici plof ti ra nici..." Jack babbled (as if from the Britvic TV ad).
Dad felt Jack's forehead for signs of fever and helped him back to the family car, a Ford Capri.
"Easy does it - this way." urged Dad.
"Whu..?" babbled Jack.
"Just watch out for the kerb."
"Neg dewaghi wooldugger..?" Jack babbled - some more - quoting Greedo.
During the drive home along the dark country lanes, Jack sat in mute paralysis - wide eyes fixed on the darkness outside the windscreen - imagining Star Wars. Dad stared out the window, confused and a little concerned, "He actually is speaking in tongues!" he thought.
"I - I..." Jack barely managed.
It was dark outside now, and dad stopped the Ford Capri in the front drive of their house. "Jack? Jack?!?!" he yelled - then whsipered, "We're home."
Bit by bit, Jack eased back to reality. First came the monosylable, "Dad..." followed by an explosive and excited sustained outburst:
"It (Star Wars) was amazing!
It was unbelievable!
It was -
undescribable!!
There were flippin' spaceships an' laser beams an' dogfights an' sword fights an'..."
He paused briefly, regaining some self-control, and solemnly whispered, "You have to see it dad - you have to." Then he was off again -
"An' it went bloomin' p-chew - p-chew! An' blammo! Ka-blammo!! An' 'rrasp - rrrasp' an' bzzz - bzzz - an' an' an' an' an..."
Life would never be the same again.
To this very day I don’t remember anything of my first viewing (in summer ’77) other than the anticipation and my father, knowing I’d be too excited to keep up, leaning over to whisper-read the opening crawl in my ear.
A year or two ago my mother filled in more of the details; We saw it in San Francisco at the Coronet, my (then) best friend Ivan was with us, I’d even forgotten that my mother was there too…
Also to this day, my brain is utterly convinced I’ve seen an edit wherein instead of, “Of course I know him, he’s me!”, Old Ben instead says, “Obi-Wan Kenobi *is* me”. No amount of fact and acceptance that it’s a false memory has been able to stop that memory from persisting, much less feeling any less real.
Welcome to B*W Terran. Nice reminiscences, thanks for those. False memories? Is it possible that the line you remember was in the novelisation? Comic? Story book? Radio drama? Or any other number of versions. People will still swear that they saw Biggs and Luke at Anchorhead!
Thank you!
I suppose that’s possible. I did have a 12″ vinyl LP taken directly from the movie. It even had a large booklet full of frames from the film (Every time I hear “Clear bay 327…” I still expect to have to flip “the record” to side 2)
It’s possible some of the dialogue was taken from different takes or some-such.
I also seem to recall one of the variety of “making of” shows that appeared on this or that television station showing short moments (but not in their entirety) of cut scenes. Certainly there were stills from those scenes even in the novelization.
I remember that record! It was how I first experienced SW as far as I recall. I remember having a fuzzy idea about what was happening and then later when we could watch it on tape I had several “Ohh, that’s what was going on!” moments.
We had a small read-along version at some point too and I think some of the differences confused me a bit.
I wonder if those memories are from before seeing Jedi (which was probably my first theater trip ever) or after?
I know what you mean about feeling as if you have to turn the record over. It happens with classical music performances too.
Hi John,
Bit of a latecomer here, but I’m working my way up through the archive, and loving every minute so far 🙂
I’m sure I mentioned this on SWa9, but my abiding memory of Star Wars from the first viewing was the scene where Artoo gets kidnapped by the Jawas.
I may have seen the film 30, 40, lots of times (I have no idea the exact count) but *every* time I watch that scene, I can feel the hairs rising on the back of my neck and I’m back in that cinema 4 years old watching the adventure unfold.
Hiya Dan,
It’s great to see you here – one of the old ‘Star Wars age 9’ gang! Long time, no see!
The Jawa scenes were some of the strongest in my mind too. Artoo falling over like a dustbin and then being ‘vacuumed’ up. Maybe it was the slapstick humour, and because they were like children themselves?
I love Jack’s delirium after seeing the film. For me, one of the pleasures of going to the cinema as a kid was the slight sense of disorientation afterwards – you might go in when it was light and come out to darkness. And when you’d been immersed in another galaxy as successfully as with Star Wars, the effect was magnified.
I think I came out of the film and returned to the regular Saturday routine of tea at my aunt and uncle’s house, evening TV etc, but all sort of distracted because my head was full of Star Wars. I kept enthusing about it, and to the adults around me my conversation probably sounded like Jack’s babbling.
Great strip once again, John. That first panel could be framed as a work of art on its own.
It’s true about the disorientation Darren. These days I hate going into a dark cinema in the daytime, but as a kid, just doing that is exciting in itself!
It’s funny, I always feel disappointed even now as a 46 year old, if I go to a great film or show and then just go home and put the ordinary old TV on – or something. I want the feeling to last. I want to talk about it too!
Thanks for the post Darren, AND your article about this comic over on episodenothing.blogspot.com . Very much appreciated!