and film institutes and libraries around the world that actually own one cannot show it for fear of lawsuit.
lucas has gone out of his way to track down the original remaining film prints and have them destroyed.
i heard a theater was going to show the original 1977 version for a fan convention a couple of years ago and the print was confiscated and replaced with the 1997 version.
the original prints from a legal standpoint shipped to theaters were either to be cut up and destroyed after their runs or in the case of several 70mm versions returned to lucasfilm.
according to the revenge of the sith documentary produced by 60 minutes lucas is a billionaire. why cannot we get a restored 1977 version into theaters for everyone of all ages to enjoy for the grand 30th anniversary which came and went it was in may now it is september.
never mind actually getting a decent home video release on dvd or now HD formats, he has made it so the film can never be enjoyed or watched again. now only people have those memories of the 1977, 1980, and 1983 screenings of the trilogy.
i never had the lexury of having seen star wars in 1977, or empire in 1980. hell i only saw the original version of jedi in its 1985 re-release and not in 1983.
their are three films i wish i could see on the big screen that i never got to see, star wars, empire strikes back and raiders of the lost ark in the original versions.