A long time ago, in the year 1978, fans of the galaxy far, far away were introduced to a Star Wars event that would forever change the franchise’s lore. It was a creative decision so earth-shattering that many of those involved vowed never to speak of it again… until now.
Tales of racist alien caricatures, phallic droids, and “no underwear in space” have circulated the fanbase for years, but that has only added to the charm and appeal of the Star Wars story. However, one incident in the sci-fi masterpiece has been a secret sin for years.
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Star Wars has long been saturated in legend and lore, both on and off the set. That’s to be expected for a series as iconic or successful as George Lucas’ incredible space opera, but one dark mark on the franchise has lived in infamy and mystery for decades.
The Star Wars Holiday Special Reveals Its Secrets
The Star Wars Holiday Special is comical and campy at best and embarrassing at worst, but it has been something of a secret sin that cast members like Harrison Ford (Han Solo) , Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), and the late Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) “weren’t allowed to mention,” according to the archival footage. For a celebration of “Life Day,” it certainly sounds like something like this would be an absolute career killer.
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The special was far from the end-all of the Star Wars legacy, but it was incredibly out-of-pocket for the series, and yet it was so incredibly a product of its time. After nearly half a century buried in an ocean of media consisting of Jedi Knights, Sith Lords, Lightsabers, the Death Star, X-Wings, and TIE-Fighters, it’s time to uncover what made this movie so scandalous.
A Disturbance in the Force (2023) is an upcoming documentary from producer Adam Goldberg and directors Jeremy Coons and Steve Kozak that pulls back the curtain on the infamous Christmas special that aired on TV in 1978, one year after the premier of the original Star Wars film. While the special introduced fans to an animated Boba Fett and featured a sci-fi performance from Starship, it was still a grand and glorious train wreck of late ’70s kitsch.
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Variety describes the upcoming film with the following,
“’A Disturbance in the Force’ chronicles the making of the bizarre “Star Wars Holiday Special” that aired 45 years ago and never surfaced again. For some context: “Star Wars” was released in theaters in 1977 and became a cultural phenomenon. A year later, filmmaker George Lucas was talked into cashing in on the craze by producing a holiday-themed variety special. Plenty of people (approximately 13 million) tuned in when CBS aired “Star Wars Holiday Special” during the week of Thanksgiving. The only problem? It became a famously terrible two hours of television, never to be shown again.”
The new Star Wars movie is scheduled to release on home media and play in select theaters on December 5, 2023, and it’s shaping up to be a “tea-spilling” event. While this writer has a soft spot for the infamous special, this will undoubtedly be a treasure trove for fans of all levels.
Did you know about this scandalous event?
This post is originally appeared on Inside the Magic.
I was 11 and watched it live. I think my brother and I enjoyed it, but we already had a like of, and respect for campy cinema and comedy.