Memory Moment: Star Wars Action Figures
- marksmuseum
- Jul 20
- 2 min read
In 1977, Star Wars hit theatres. I turned 10 at the end of that year. This was THE first one, and I don’t mean episode four, well, I mean episode IV, but for us it was the first, A New Hope…and most likely the ONLY episode or so we thought! My best friend Dan and I were going to see it…we HAD to see it… one way or another. The only way we figured out was, well, lets take the bus to the Centre Theater in downtown Salt Lake City. And that’s what we did.
I don’t remember how much the movie ticket was….maybe 2 dollars? It didn’t matter. We were there. Back then, you could bring your own snacks in. At least that’s how I remember it. Dan had come prepared! He brought a brown grocery bag with popcorn…and a secret ingredient….a tape recorder! Yes, he brought a tape recorder to record the movie! And that we did. We didn’t get caught! And WE HAD THE AUDIO OF STAR WARS! Later, on a shelf in the linen closet at my house, Dan’s tape recorder played the audio tape and my tape recorder sat nearby to record a copy for me! How cool was that! Oh the memories! By the way, that cassette tape is long gone. But an audio recording wasn’t the only thing Star Wars I would acquire.
Star Wars (1977) was the first film to successfully license toys to consumers on a large scale. The Kenner toy company had the rights to sell official licensed merchandise, and action figures were in that mix! But the action figures weren’t ready for the movie release in May 1977. Instead, they sold an "Early Bird Certificate Package" which included a certificate which could be mailed to Kenner and redeemed for four Star Wars action figures. And yes, I was one of those kids who mailed in to get the figures…the first being Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, and R2D2.
I still have my original R2D2. I was excited to receive the figures and begin my collection. I will admit that I was a bit disappointed that R2D2 only had two “legs.” But my dad took care of that. He carved a “third” middle leg for my R2D2. It was jointed by a straight pin and was held in place by a pencil eraser. It was so cool! Eventually, I would get all 12 figures for my display card!
Unfortunately, I only have a few figures left…R2D2, Darth Vader, and a Jawa…but with the cloth cape. Most of my collection, vehicles, characters and display card, etc. are long gone. But R2D2 and the craftiness of my dad remain fond memories of the thrill of Star Wars!
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