First the fourth

Quote of today

”What mission? What are you talking about? I've had just about enough of you! Go that way! You'll be malfunctioning within a day, you nearsighted scrap pile!”

C-3PO doesn’t have a clue.
A New Hope

Today...
year 1981 was the re-release of Star Wars, now as Episode IV: A New Hope

Back in 1977 it was released simply as Star Wars, both on promotional material and during the opening crawl of the film itself. In 1980, the sequel, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, was released with the episode number and title in the opening crawl. In a re-released version a year later, Episode IV: A New Hope replaced the original opening title of "Star Wars” above the opening crawl.
 

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Steve Sansweet can tell us that soon after the unexpected huge success of Star Wars, George Lucas announced that it was only one part in a multi-chapter saga, and almost immediately started production on the next part, The Empire Strikes Back. But there was also a pre-story that might get made someday, he said. The first movie really started "in the middle" of the story.

Star Wars was still playing in numerous theaters a year after its opening on May 25, 1977. It was re-released in 1979, 1981 and 1982. But when was the change made? For the indisputable answer, we went to Lucasfilm's film archivist, Sterling Hedgpeth. Here's what he says:

"I found a box with all the positive elements for the 'revised' opening crawl, and the assorted trim boxes are dated from October through December 1980. This, then, is consistent with the view that Episode IV: A New Hope was added for the first time to the opening crawl for the April 10, 1981 re-release."

Steve Sansweet has transformed his love for the Star Wars saga into a busy career. He is the author or co-author of ten books (eight of them on the saga), writes columns and feature articles for magazines, and travels the world as a Lucasfilm liaison to Star Wars fans everywhere.
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Read about how the opening crawls are made in At First Glance.

If you want to make your own crawl the font used is ITC Franklin Gothic Demi Bold, 69 point with -30 tracking in the prequels, a match to the titles used in the original Star Wars Trilogy.