Info Wanted: Is this amateur audio recording of Star Wars in '77 any use?

I have an audio cassette recording of The original Star Wars that my mom did back in 1977 when the film came out.  She smuggled a home tape recorder into the theater and recorded the film from the regular seating area.  It has the all of the audience reactions throughout the recording including cheers when the Death Star explodes.  I must have listened to the tape dozens of times in the late 1970’s.  It has a small bit missing in the middle when the tape had to be flipped over.

I’m not looking to sell it or anything of the sort (I know there is no monetary value), but would it contain any information that would benefit the people doing restorations (timing, scene length, content, etc) or help solve questions?  It has not been converted to digital or anything of the sort, it’s just an audio cassette.

She also did one from ESB in the same manner, but i’m not sure if these are of any help to anyone.  I just thought I would throw this out there.

What do you guys think?

Count me as one of those people.

Well wouldn't it be a perfect audio track for Harmy's project or for -1's project ?

I'm definitely interested. I'd love to hear what SW sounded like playing to a packed house in '77.

Yes people around here like myself are interested to hear how people reacted back then.  It's a cliche but it's extremely rare for these type of recordings to come forward. 

Here is a thread which lists other Theater Recordings and links to their threads:http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/Theater-Performance-Preservations/post/454292/#TopicPost454292

I'll add this thread to the list.  Feel free to create a name to identify this version.  Other SW77 in theater recordings are morgands1, blitter, Belbecus, L.Mayer & BrianM.  Only one of these (L.Mayer) has significant 'crowd interaction', most of the recordings were done in empty theaters as the recorders were looking for a clean copy to appreciate the audio mix.

On thing to identify in the recording is which audio soundtrack it was.  The Starkiller Mono Mix guide has explanation and audio clips:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/russdawson/mono/

To help determine which theater the recording came from, if it is 70mm, this website has a list of all the locations the 70mm screened and when.

http://www.in70mm.com/news/2003/star_wars/chapters/openings.htm

Mr. Coate's also identified the ESB 70mm screenings:

http://www.in70mm.com/news/2003/empire/index.htm

Thanks for the info!

Wow!  There is some great info here.

I was already 99% sure that we saw it at the Cine Capri, as we saw just about every movie there(including SW about 10 times)....sure enough the Cine Capri is on the list.  I guess that would make this a recording of the 70mm print, right?

I am completely ok with someone converting this to digital and sharing it with everyone.  I'm not into making money of of any of it, and whomever could do a transfer and cleanup shouldn't either.  All I would want is my original tape back + a nice cd copy.  Yes?

....oh, and could it be called the 'Scofield copy' or 'Scofield version' or something like that to honor my mom whom made the recording. (thanks mom for giving me the gift of sci fi).

Protocol Droid wrote: I was already 99% sure that we saw it at the Cine Capri, as we saw just about every movie there(including SW about 10 times)....sure enough the Cine Capri is on the list.  I guess that would make this a recording of the 70mm print, right?

Not necessarily.  According to Coate's in70mm.com page, Capri had SW in 35mm opening day May 25/27.  And remained that way until Sept 14th when it got a 70mm print.  How long that 70mm print remained there i'm not sure, may have been as short as a week.  Do you have a guestimate what date everything went down?

ESB leans more towards being a 70mm recording, as Capri had the 70mm print opening day.  The 70mm ESB has a few variations.  How are the crowds in this showing.  Was it early on so people were generally not aware of the reveal?

Scofield it is.  What propelled your mother to record the movie?  Was this a special case or part of a hobby?  Typically with the digital file is a small text file explaining what it is, the story behind it would help place the recording in some context.  What ever you'd like to tell.  Some people go as far as mentioning the recording device.

sure, I'm interested in hearing it

I'm sorry, but I can't tell you what showing it was or how packed the theatre was or even the date for that matter.  I do know it was not opening day, as my friend had seen it before I did (and was using his bike tire gauge as a mock light saber).

I can tell you that my mom loved science fiction anything(SW, ST, 2001, Space 1999, etc), and I got my sci fi education from her (Dad had no interest).  She would do the (top loader) tape recorder thing for just sci fi films, and we would listen to them over and over while playing out the movies in our heads.  Cheap entertainment that made me imagine.  Do kids even do that anymore?  I Doubt it. 

I went to get the SW tape today and I couldn't find it.  I was absolutely horrified and panicked.  I thought 'great, now these guys are gonna think I was lying the whole time'.  I searched for about two hours and it finally turned up in all of it's FedMart glory.  I haven't found the ESB tape yet, but wouldn't have knowingly thrown it out.  I will find it too, but first things first.

Puggo, I got your pm and the tape will be sent to you, just give me a couple of days to send it out.  Please feel free to share your initial observations after you listen to it.

I appreciate the Scofield title as well.

PD

I hope i'm not building expectations too high.  I don't have a cassette player anymore and haven't listened to it in at least a decade, so I don't entirely know what to expect.  I don't remember if the crowd was huge and loud or small and quiet.

I'm not even sure if it was a couple of days or weeks into it's premiere here in AZ.   I hope it isn't disappointing.

Either way, it will be nice to share this with all interested parties.

PD

Protocol Droid wrote: I hope i'm not building expectations too high.

Nah the people around here who want to remain sane know to keep a level head until things work out.  In the Theatrical Performance thread are some of my conversations with others who wrote online about their SW recordings.  Total is under 10 and all but two were certain their tapes were gone, one was still looking last I heard.

I'm not even sure if it was a couple of days or weeks into it's premiere here in AZ.

I'm sensing that your parents have... to be cliche Star Wars guy ...become one with the Force?

Indeed, the reason I so much prefer "close the blast doors" to be IN the original film, is that every single time I saw the film in the theater in 1977, it led to audible laughs in the audience when the "open the blast doors" line followed.  

According to The Starkillers Guide, the 'close the blast doors' was only in the rare mono mix of the film.  You were lucky to have heard that version when the film came out.

PD

I wonder if this ad represents a fair picture of what the breakdown was like when it comes to how widespread stereo was in a given city. (I believe small towns were not necessarily the last to get it, what with 70s urban decay and everything)

Ithanks for contributing the recordings, Protocol)

Any updates on this tape and when we will be able to hear it?

Well, work has me buried and I hadn't had the time to send the tape out right away, but don't worry...the tape was sent out on Sunday and Puggo has been notified that it will be arriving.

He can speak for himself, but his work has kept him too busy to listen to it even if he had it earlier.  He may have some freed up time now.  I'm sure he will chime in at some point.

PD