May 25, 2017

Forty years ago today, on May 25, 1977, an exhilarating sci-fi space Western called Star Wars was released for the first time in 43 locations across the United States. Star Wars, made for a modest $11 million, dazzled audiences, and the film soon gained wide release as the story that took place “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away” captured the country’s—and the world’s—collective imagination. The film rocketed to cinema phenomenon status, vaporizing box office records and netting a remarkable $197 million (just in the United States) by the end of 1977.

People dressed as stormtroopers–a favorite costume among Star Wars enthusiasts–take part in a Star Wars-themed parade in Malaga, Spain, in 2015. Credit: © Antonio Martin, Shutterstock

Initially retitled in foreign cinemas as La guerre des étoiles, La guerra de las galaxias, or Gwiezdne wojny, Star and Wars are now two of the best-known English-language words in the galaxy. (As sequels and prequels began piling up, this first film of the “Star Wars” franchise was renamed Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope). Star Wars characters—most notably Luke Skywalker (played by Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), and the evil Darth Vader (the voice of James Earl Jones)—are also famous throughout the solar system, and the sun never sets on the Star Wars empire of action figures, books, clothing, lunch boxes, video games, and other merchandise. The movie even has its own press service, Jedi News, and its own holiday: May 4 is Star Wars Day (“May the Fourth be with you”).

The heroes of Star Wars—Luke Skywalker (played by Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), and Han Solo (Harrison Ford)—first appeared in American cinemas 40 years ago today on May 25, 1977. Credit: © Lucasfilm Ltd

Star Wars 40^th anniversary celebrations are being held throughout 2017 in cities around the world. Last month, thousands of fans found the droids they were looking for at the massive Star Wars Celebration Orlando in Florida; this month, cinemas have been packed with stormtroopers of all sizes for rowdy reruns of the film; British Jedi knights can attend Star Wars Identities at London’s O2 Arena into September; and nearly every baseball park in North America will have Chewbaccas, C-3PO’s, and R2-D2’s in the stands for galactic Star Wars nights throughout the season. Rather than looking dated or “over the hill” at 40, the film is as popular as ever, and Star Wars remains as energetic as young Luke Skywalker on the desert planet Tatooine, pining for adventure and awaiting his destiny.

February 2, 2017

Move over, Luke, there’s a new Skywalker in town! A new species (kind) of gibbon, the Skywalker hoolock gibbon, has been found living in the tropical rain forests of southwestern China and northeastern Myanmar. Gibbons are the smallest of the apes. The scientific name of this new species, Hoolock tianxing, describes a hoolock gibbon with “heaven’s movement” or, loosely, as a “skywalker.” The name refers to the gibbons’ graceful swinging through the treetops as well as the traditional Chinese view of these animals as mystical beings. Also, the scientists who studied the newly defined gibbons are huge Star Wars fans. (In case you didn’t know, Luke Skywalker is one of the heroes of the movie franchise.)

An adult female Skywalker hoolock gibbon contemplates the universe from its treetop home in southwestern China. Credit: © Fan Peng-Fei, Zoological Society of London

Researchers from Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, along with experts from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) in the United Kingdom, have been studying these gibbons since 2008. But only recently did the scientists realize that this hoolock gibbon was different from the two known species—eastern and western hoolocks. Skywalker hoolock gibbons have slightly different eyebrows and beards than their relatives, and they have their own unique calls.

Gibbons are small primates with long arms. They weigh from 10 to 20 pounds (5 to 9 kilograms) and stand 15 to 36 inches (38 to 91 centimeters) high. Adults typically range in color from black to light tan, with males often darker than females. Their long arms help them brachiate (swing from branch to branch) through the treetops where they live. They eat fruits and leaves and rarely come to the ground. Most gibbons inhabit the forests of such Southeast Asian nations as Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand. The rare hoolock gibbon has been spotted as far west as India.

Unfortunately, all gibbons, including this new species, are threatened in the wild. Scientists believe there are only 200 Skywalker hoolock gibbons left in their native habitat. Human beings have greatly reduced gibbon populations by destroying the animals’ forest homes and by capturing young animals for food or for sale as pets.

December 30, 2016

On Tuesday, December 27, American actress, author, and screenwriter Carrie Fisher (1956-2016) died at age 60. She had been hospitalized since suffering a cardiac arrest last Friday. Fisher appeared in numerous films, plays, and television shows, but she was best known for her role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars franchise. On December 28, the day after Fisher’s death, her mother, actress Debbie Reynolds (1932-2016), also passed away. Reynolds starred in numerous Hollywood films in the 1950′s and 1960′s, including such classic musicals as Singin’ in the Rain (1952) and The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964). Reynolds was 84.

Carrie Fisher played Princess Leia, seen here between the characters Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), left, and Han Solo (Harrison Ford), in the popular Star Wars film franchise. Credit: © Lucasfilm Ltd

Fisher was born on Oct. 21, 1956, in Beverly Hills, California. She was the daughter of famous parents, Debbie Reynolds and singer Eddie Fisher. She first appeared on stage in the 1973 musical (alongside her mother) Irene. In 1975, her first film appearance came in the comedy Shampoo.

Fisher’s enduring fame, however, began in 1977 when she first portrayed Princess Leia Organa in the blockbuster film Star Wars. The role, reprised in the sequels The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983), raised her to cultural icon status. In 2015, she returned to the role (the princess was now a general) in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The film franchise’s millions of fans will see Fisher one last time as Leia in Star Wars: Episode VIII—a working title—scheduled for release in December 2017.

Fisher also had memorable roles in the popular films The Blues Brothers, When Harry Met Sally, and Hannah and Her Sisters. Fisher’s better-known television roles included stints on the comedies “Family Guy,” “Sex and the City,” “The Big Bang Theory,” and, most recently, “Catastrophe.”

Fisher was known for her writing too, working on dozens of Hollywood scripts and penning the semi-autobiographical novel Postcards from the Edge (1987) and the one-person play, Wishful Drinking (2006). These works describe life growing up in a famous Hollywood family and the oddness of the entertainment industry, as well as her personal battles with depression, drug addiction, and bipolar disorder. Fisher released a memoir, The Princess Diarist, in November 2016.

Debbie Reynolds starred with Frank Sinatra in the 1955 musical The Tender Trap. Credit: © Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Mary Frances (Debbie) Reynolds was born on April 1, 1932, in El Paso, Texas. She signed a movie contract after winning a beauty contest in 1948. During the 1950′s, she was one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, appearing in such films as Three Little Words (1950), Skirts Ahoy (1952), The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953), Hit the Deck (1955), The Tender Trap (1955), The Catered Affair (1956), Tammy and the Bachelor (1957), and This Happy Feeling (1958). Her major films of the 1960′s include The Pleasure of His Company (1961), Goodbye Charlie (1964), The Singing Nun (1966), and Divorce American Style (1967). In addition to singing in musicals, Reynolds recorded several songs, including the hits “Abba Daba Honeymoon” (1951), from the film Two Weeks with Love, and “Tammy,” the theme song from Tammy and the Bachelor. In 2013, she acted in the HBO cable television movie Behind the Candelabra (2013).

Reynolds married singer Eddie Fisher in 1955. Their daughter, Carrie Fisher, became a well-known actress and author. Their son, Todd Fisher, is a television director. In 1959, Fisher left Reynolds for actress Elizabeth Taylor, which made national headlines.

With her film career in decline, Reynolds turned to the stage in the 1970′s. She made her Broadway debut (with her daughter, Carrie) in the 1973 musical  Irene. She also toured as the singing and dancing star of a revue. In 1993, Reynolds opened the Debbie Reynolds Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. She performed there until it closed in 1997. She wrote an autobiography, Debbie: My Life (1989), and two memoirs, Unsinkable (with Dorian Hannaway, 2013) and Make ‘Em Laugh: Short-Term Memories of Longtime Friends (also with Hannaway, 2015).

December 21, 2015

Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia were back in 2015, breaking every major opening record in motion-picture box-office history with the latest installment in the “Star Wars” franchise. Opening on December 18, The Force Awakens earned $247 million in North America and $528 million globally, beating out Jurassic World, which opened in June with $208.8 million in North America and $525 million globally. The Force Awakens opens in China, the world’s second biggest market, on January 9. The film was also the first movie to surpass $100 million in a single day. Universal critical raves also helped generate box-office sales.

The Force Awakens broke every major opening record in motion-picture box-office history. It opened on Dec. 18, 2015. Credit: © Lucasfilm, Ltd.

Made on a budget of $200 million, The Force Awakens was released in 2-D, 3-D, and IMAX 3-D. Advance ticket sales for the film began on October 19, and were in such strong demand that online movie ticket sites crashed. Presales broke every IMAX record, generating more than $6.5 million in domestic ticket sales. The film opened in about 390 IMAX screens in North America. Fans began camping out at Mann’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood two weeks before the film opened to get the best seats.

The Force Awakens is a continuation of the sci-fi fantasy saga created by George Lucas with Star Wars (1977). It is set 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi (1983), the last film in the original “Star Wars” trilogy. Directed by J. J. Abrams, The Force Awakens features Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), and Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), reprising the massively popular characters they originated in Star Wars. Also reprising their roles from that film were Kenny Baker and Anthony Daniels as the robots R2-D2 and C-3PO, and Peter Mayhew as the giant furry warrior Chewbacca. The Force Awakens also featured up-and-coming British actors Daisy Ridley and John Boyega. Ridley played Rey, a young scavenger on a desert planet, and Boyega played Finn, a young stormtrooper (galactic soldier). The film was written by Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan, and Michael Arndt. Lucas served as creative consultant on the film.

The Force Awakens (also known as Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens) is the first film in a planned “Star Wars” sequel trilogy that was announced after Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012.

Additional World Book articles:

• Motion picture (1977) – A Back in Time article
• Motion picture (1978) – A Back in Time article
• Motion picture (1980) – A Back in Time article
• Motion picture (1983) – A Back in Time article
• Motion picture (1997) – A Back in Time article
• Motion picture (1999) – A Back in Time article
• Motion picture (2002) – A Back in Time article
• Motion picture (2005) – A Back in Time article

January 14, 2013

The administration of President Barack Obama has officially rejected an online petition from citizens urging the United States to add a Star Wars-like Death Star to the country’s military arsenal. The Death Star, which appeared in several of the movies in the Star Wars series, is a moon-sized space vehicle equipped with an energy-emitting superweapon capable of destroying an entire planet with one blast.

The request was submitted to the White House’s “We the People” website, established in 2011 “to create and sign petitions that call for the federal government to take action on a range of issues.” Petitions that receive a certain number of signatures within a specified period of time are guaranteed an answer from the White House. The Death Star petition collected 34,435 signatures. The right of the people “to petition the government for a redress of grievances” is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Paul Shawcross, chief of the Science and Space Branch at the White House Office of Management and Budget, rejected the petition with an answer titled, “This Isn’t the Petition Response You’re Looking For.” In his response, Shawcross listed three main reasons for the rejection.

“The Administration shares your desire for job creation and a strong national defense, but a Death Star isn’t on the horizon. Here are a few reasons:
•    The construction of the Death Star has been estimated to cost more than $850,000,000,000,000,000. We’re working hard to reduce the deficit, not expand it.
•    The Administration does not support blowing up planets.
•    Why would we spend countless taxpayer dollars on a Death Star with a fundamental flaw that can be exploited by a one-man starship?”

Imperial storm troopers from the Star Wars movies appear on a United States stamp. (Credit: United States Postal Service)

After listing some existing space projects, Shawcross wrote, “We are living in the future! Enjoy it. … If you do pursue a career in a science, technology, engineering or math-related field, the Force will be with us! Remember, the Death Star’s power to destroy a planet, or even a whole star system, is insignificant next to the power of the Force.”

Additional World Book articles:

• Bill of Rights
• George Lucas
• Science fiction
• Strategic Defense Initiative