Concept sculpture of the X-wing starfighter by Colin Cantwell.
Concept sculpture of the X-wing starfighter by Colin Cantwell.
The interviews are listed in chronological order. Unless otherwise indicated, all interviews were conducted by Lucasfilm marketing and merchandising vice president Charles Lippincott. In fact, Lippincott already had in mind a quote to open his making-of Star Wars book, taken from Ralph Ellison’s Shadow and Act: “That which we do is what we are. That which we remember is, more often than not, that which we would like to have been; or that which we hope to be. Thus our memory and our identity are ever at odds; our history ever a tall tale told by inattentive idealists.”
December 16, 1975: Producer Gary Kurtz
December 17 and 18, 1975: Writer-director George Lucas
December 29, 1975: Novelization meeting with George Lucas and author Alan Dean Foster (with John Dykstra)
January 10, 1976: George Lucas and Gary Kurtz
January 20, 1976: Camera meeting with director of photography Gilbert Taylor, George Lucas, and Gary Kurtz
May 10 and 18, 1976: Production supervisor Robert Watts
May 14, 1976: Makeup supervisor Stuart Freeborn
May 14, 1976: Mechanical effects supervisor John Stears
May 17, 1976: Production designer John Barry
September 14, 1976: George Lucas
January 4, 1977: Actress Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia)
January 5, 1977: Actor Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker)
January 20, 1977: Actor Harrison Ford (Han Solo)
March 15, 1977: Actor Anthony Daniels (C-3PO)
April 22, 1977: Composer John Williams
May 8, 1977: Editor Paul Hirsch
July 1, 1977: Effects illustrator and designer Joe Johnston (interviewed by Carol Titelman)
July 1977: Gary Kurtz
July 1977: Sound designer Ben Burtt
July 5 and 20, 1977: Production illustrator Ralph McQuarrie (also interviewed by Titelman)
August 11, 1977: Lawyer Andy Rigrod
August 11, 1977: Lawyer Tom Pollock
August 11, 1977: Lawyer Jake Bloom
September 13, 1977: George Lucas
September 21, 1977: Editor Marcia Lucas
September 21, 1977: Twentieth Century-Fox executive Alan Ladd Jr.
September 21, 1977: George Lucas
October 1977: Special effects cameraman Richard Edlund (question-and-answer transcription)
November 5, 1977: Gary Kurtz
November 5, 1977: George Lucas
November 19, 1977: John Barry
January 23, 1978: Richard Edlund
January 23, 1978: Special effects supervisor John Dykstra
February 3, 1978: Composite optical photography supervisor Robbie Blalack
February 28, 1978: Animation and rotoscope designer Adam Beckett
March 7, 1978: Casting director Dianne Crittenden
March 7, 1978: Joe Johnston
March 7, 1978: Matte painter Harrison Ellenshaw
March 8, 1978: Camera and mechanical designer Richard Alexander
March 8, 1978: Model shop supervisor Grant McCune
March 8, 1978: Special effects cameraman Dennis Muren
April 8, 1978: John Dykstra and Grant McCune
March 9, 1978: Agent Jeff Berg
March 9, 1978: Stop-motion animators Jon Berg and Phil Tippett
March 15, 1978: Joe Johnston
March 16, 1978: Film control office supervisor Mary Lind
March 16, 1978: Special effects production manager Bob Shepherd
March 20, 1978: Editor Richard Chew
April 5, 1978: Miniature explosions supervisors Bruce Logan and Joe Viskocil
April 6, 1978: Second-unit makeup artist Rick Baker
April 6, 1978: Costume designer John Mollo
May 2, 1978: Computer animation designer Larry Cuba
Undated 1978 interviews: John Dykstra, Joe Johnston, supervising sound editor Sam Shaw (the latter interviewed by Lippincott assistant Mick Garris)
Concept sculpture of the X-wing starfighter by Colin Cantwell.
Concept sculpture of the X-wing starfighter by Colin Cantwell.