If you have an extra 49 minutes or so to spare today — and why not? It’s Friday — kick back with this old-school documentary about the making of the first ‘Star Wars’ film.
Thanks to the AV Club for digging this one up, this original TV special aired on ABC. It features that fun, grainy footage from the 1970s along with behind-the-scenes shots of the filming process and interviews with the cast — even a happy Harrison Ford, before he was burnt out on talking Han Solo.
It’s especially fun to watch the faces at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood as they get a glimpse of the R2-D2, C-3PO and Darth Vader making an appearance. It’s fun to wonder if the fans — and ABC for that matter — had any idea that Star Wars would become such an enduring phenomenon at that time.
Watch the special below, which originally aired Sept. 16, 1977, on ABC.