Two old friends met on a beach in Hawaii. For a place that exuded relaxation, one of the friends held in a mountain of anxiety. It was the summer of 1977, and George Lucas had joined Steven Spielberg to physically and mentally escape what he feared might be an episode could devastate his film career.
His first two feature films, “THX 1138” and “American Graffiti,” had met with financial and critical success, specifically the latter. It had earned five Oscar nominations, including for director. His third film was, in every way, by far his most elaborate. “Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope” opened on May 25, 1977, and Lucas awaited the phone call to tell him the news of its success or failure.
