Via Starwars.com:

HEAR FROM FANS WHO TOOK THEIR FIRST TRIP TO THE STAR WARS GALAXY 40 YEARS AGO.

This article is part of a special StarWars.com series in honor of Star Wars‘ 40th anniversary on May 25.

A major part of the Star Wars story has always been the fans. As we look back on 40 years of Star Wars this week, StarWars.com reached out to a few who were there to experience the release in 1977. Here’s what they had to say.

Patrick Payne, via Facebook, recalls his own anticipation for the film:

“Unless you lived through it (and can remember), it’s kind of hard for modern audiences to understand just how different the world was, in 1977, just prior to the release of Star Wars. It sounds like a cliché, but the world really WAS a very different place, while outwardly appearing very much the same. I had seen the trailers on TV and in the theater, months earlier. They didn’t say much. However, what little they showed had already triggered my imagination, which was further fueled by the novelization of the movie, which I had for a few months before the film came out. I, for one, was NOT going to miss this movie even if I had to miss school! Therefore, I skipped school (sorry, parents), took the bus downtown (Seattle), and saw the very first show on opening day.”

Denise Steil remembers seeing Star Wars in a small town in southern Mississippi:

“We had two single screen theaters a couple blocks apart. I was 13 and had two close friends that did everything together. The movies was a regular part of our weekend. I don’t remember what was playing at the other theater, but the pick of the night was Star Wars. We arrived a little late, as usual, just as Artoo and Threepio were walking across the sands of Tatooine. About 15 minutes later, my friends declared the movie to be “lame” and walked out. I stayed, by myself, and fell in love with Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia. I met with them again the following night, and again the following weekend.”

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