From http://hem.passagen.se/wookiee/developm/devel05.html
This stuff is only available in the google cache, unfortunately.
It is a detailed account of the developement of Star Wars showing the drastic changes in each of 5 script revisions.
It does not make any sense from this reading that Lucas "bought" the story from someone else.
Here are the first 2 pages.
Introduction
Written and directed by George Lucas, Star Wars premiered in 1977 and became a huge success. The film (subtitled Episode IV: A New Hope) and its two sequels, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, constitutes the middle instalment of a planned nine-part saga.
The purpose of this essay is to show the development of the Star Wars script, from the original short outline to the final screenplay version, as regards the plot, the characters, the setting, and the main themes. My intention is to establish Lucas?s ideas and inspiration, as well as provide an insight into the creative process, pointing out the changes that were made during the writing. I have looked at what was added and deleted between the drafts, what was reused in the sequels, and what might end up in the forthcoming Star Wars episodes.
The first chapter outlines the writing process, providing a summary of Lucas?s work with the Star Wars screenplay, as well as giving some background information. The following five chapters are divided according to the individual manuscript versions?one short synopsis and four major screenplays?each one beginning with a summary of the story. I have analyzed the plot, the characters, the setting and the themes, and these four points are featured in all of these chapters. I have looked for the same themes in every script version: the religious idea; the dichotomy between technology and mankind; the father/son relationship; and the acceptance of personal responsibility. The last chapter deals briefly with some of the other draft revisions that were made, and how they relate to the scripts which I have analyzed.
The five versions of Star Wars, all written by George Lucas, which I have examined are: the first 1973 story synopsis (The Star Wars), the rough screenplay draft from 1974 (The Star Wars), the 1975 second draft (The Adventures of the Starkiller (Episode One): ?The Star Wars?), the third draft finished in 1975 (The Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Starkiller), and the public version of the 1976 revised fourth draft (Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope?From the Journal of the Whills). I obtained the synopsis and the first three drafts through the Internet. These versions have been acquired by collectors and later been scanned or typed into electronic text documents?they have never been published commercially. All the drafts used for this essay were found at the Starkiller Multimedia Source Page (maintained by Owen S. Good), which is dedicated to pre-Star Wars material. Besides the Internet, the public version of the revised fourth draft is available in The Art of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (edited by Carol Titelman), which also contains many pre-production sketches and paintings. Two additional draft versions were obtained through the Internet and read: the first draft from 1974 (The Star Wars), and the shooting script version of the revised fourth draft (The Adventures of Luke Starkiller?As Taken from the ?Journal of the Whills? (Saga I): Star Wars). However, these two screenplays were not distinct enough from the others to be handled in individual chapters. Most of the information about George Lucas was gathered from Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas, written in 1983 by Dale Pollock. I also read other specialist literature on both science fiction and Star Wars, but much of my inspiration came from different Internet sources (Brendon Wahlberg?s The Development of Star Wars: A New Hope was very helpful, as it contains comprehensive summaries of some of the drafts). Furthermore, the Star Wars trilogy, the scripts to The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and the three comic book adaptations were fundamental to the writing of this essay.
2.
The Story Synopsis, May 1973
The Star Wars
The Plot
The galaxy is plagued by a civil war between an evil Empire and rebel forces. Two bickering Imperial bureaucrats try to flee from a space fortress which is under attack, and crash land on the planet of Aquilae. A wanted rebel princess and her relentless general Luke Skywalker, on their way to a space port in order to get the princess to safety, find and capture them and after a hazardous journey the group make it to a religious temple where they discover a band of young boy rebels. The boys decide to follow them across the wasteland in spite of the general?s reluctance, and they soon reach a shabby cantina near the space port where the general is forced to use his ?lazer sword? to kill a bully who is taunting one of the boys. The group, pursued by Imperial troops, must steal a fighter ship in order to escape and after a long chase they manage to hide in an asteroid field. However, the rebels? ship is damaged and they are forced to jettison towards the forbidden planet of Yavin with rocket packs. On Yavin, they travel on ?jet-sticks? made from their rocket packs, until they are attacked by giant furry aliens who capture the princess and the bureaucrats and sell them to an Imperial platoon. Skywalker is almost killed, but one of the aliens helps to take him to an old farmer who knows where the Imperial outpost is. After an attack on the outpost, the general and the boys learn that the princess has been taken to Alderaan, a ?city-planet? and the capitol of the Empire. After rigorous training, Skywalker and the young rebels man a squadron of fighter ships, and disguised as Imperial rangers they manage to reach the prison complex of Alderaan. They free the princess, but an alarm goes off and a few of the boys are killed before the group is able to escape to the friendly planet of Ophuchi. There, everyone (including the bureaucrats) are rewarded at a ceremony, as the princess reveals her true goddess-like self.
This thirteen page synopsis bears little resemblance to the 1977 Star Wars picture. The space opera feel of old science fiction films like The Forbidden Planet is present, and the laser weapons and the constant action were trademarks of the Flash Gordon serials Lucas had seen in his childhood.6 The idea of a galactic empire was most likely borrowed from the novels of Isaac Asimov.7
The overall plot, however, is borrowed from the Japanese film The Hidden Fortress, co-written and directed by Akira Kurosawa in 1958. The similarity between The Star Wars and The Hidden Fortress is evident if one compares Lucas?s outline with a plot summary from Donald Richie?s 1965 biography The Films of Akira Kurosawa:
The Star Wars:
?It is the thirty-third century, a period of civil wars in the galaxy. A rebel princess,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6 Pollock, Dale (1990), Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas, p. 142.
7 Brosnan, John (1991), The Primal Screen: A History of Science Fiction Film, p. 179.
This stuff is only available in the google cache, unfortunately.
It is a detailed account of the developement of Star Wars showing the drastic changes in each of 5 script revisions.
It does not make any sense from this reading that Lucas "bought" the story from someone else.
Here are the first 2 pages.
Introduction
Written and directed by George Lucas, Star Wars premiered in 1977 and became a huge success. The film (subtitled Episode IV: A New Hope) and its two sequels, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, constitutes the middle instalment of a planned nine-part saga.
The purpose of this essay is to show the development of the Star Wars script, from the original short outline to the final screenplay version, as regards the plot, the characters, the setting, and the main themes. My intention is to establish Lucas?s ideas and inspiration, as well as provide an insight into the creative process, pointing out the changes that were made during the writing. I have looked at what was added and deleted between the drafts, what was reused in the sequels, and what might end up in the forthcoming Star Wars episodes.
The first chapter outlines the writing process, providing a summary of Lucas?s work with the Star Wars screenplay, as well as giving some background information. The following five chapters are divided according to the individual manuscript versions?one short synopsis and four major screenplays?each one beginning with a summary of the story. I have analyzed the plot, the characters, the setting and the themes, and these four points are featured in all of these chapters. I have looked for the same themes in every script version: the religious idea; the dichotomy between technology and mankind; the father/son relationship; and the acceptance of personal responsibility. The last chapter deals briefly with some of the other draft revisions that were made, and how they relate to the scripts which I have analyzed.
The five versions of Star Wars, all written by George Lucas, which I have examined are: the first 1973 story synopsis (The Star Wars), the rough screenplay draft from 1974 (The Star Wars), the 1975 second draft (The Adventures of the Starkiller (Episode One): ?The Star Wars?), the third draft finished in 1975 (The Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Starkiller), and the public version of the 1976 revised fourth draft (Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope?From the Journal of the Whills). I obtained the synopsis and the first three drafts through the Internet. These versions have been acquired by collectors and later been scanned or typed into electronic text documents?they have never been published commercially. All the drafts used for this essay were found at the Starkiller Multimedia Source Page (maintained by Owen S. Good), which is dedicated to pre-Star Wars material. Besides the Internet, the public version of the revised fourth draft is available in The Art of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (edited by Carol Titelman), which also contains many pre-production sketches and paintings. Two additional draft versions were obtained through the Internet and read: the first draft from 1974 (The Star Wars), and the shooting script version of the revised fourth draft (The Adventures of Luke Starkiller?As Taken from the ?Journal of the Whills? (Saga I): Star Wars). However, these two screenplays were not distinct enough from the others to be handled in individual chapters. Most of the information about George Lucas was gathered from Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas, written in 1983 by Dale Pollock. I also read other specialist literature on both science fiction and Star Wars, but much of my inspiration came from different Internet sources (Brendon Wahlberg?s The Development of Star Wars: A New Hope was very helpful, as it contains comprehensive summaries of some of the drafts). Furthermore, the Star Wars trilogy, the scripts to The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and the three comic book adaptations were fundamental to the writing of this essay.
2.
The Story Synopsis, May 1973
The Star Wars
The Plot
The galaxy is plagued by a civil war between an evil Empire and rebel forces. Two bickering Imperial bureaucrats try to flee from a space fortress which is under attack, and crash land on the planet of Aquilae. A wanted rebel princess and her relentless general Luke Skywalker, on their way to a space port in order to get the princess to safety, find and capture them and after a hazardous journey the group make it to a religious temple where they discover a band of young boy rebels. The boys decide to follow them across the wasteland in spite of the general?s reluctance, and they soon reach a shabby cantina near the space port where the general is forced to use his ?lazer sword? to kill a bully who is taunting one of the boys. The group, pursued by Imperial troops, must steal a fighter ship in order to escape and after a long chase they manage to hide in an asteroid field. However, the rebels? ship is damaged and they are forced to jettison towards the forbidden planet of Yavin with rocket packs. On Yavin, they travel on ?jet-sticks? made from their rocket packs, until they are attacked by giant furry aliens who capture the princess and the bureaucrats and sell them to an Imperial platoon. Skywalker is almost killed, but one of the aliens helps to take him to an old farmer who knows where the Imperial outpost is. After an attack on the outpost, the general and the boys learn that the princess has been taken to Alderaan, a ?city-planet? and the capitol of the Empire. After rigorous training, Skywalker and the young rebels man a squadron of fighter ships, and disguised as Imperial rangers they manage to reach the prison complex of Alderaan. They free the princess, but an alarm goes off and a few of the boys are killed before the group is able to escape to the friendly planet of Ophuchi. There, everyone (including the bureaucrats) are rewarded at a ceremony, as the princess reveals her true goddess-like self.
This thirteen page synopsis bears little resemblance to the 1977 Star Wars picture. The space opera feel of old science fiction films like The Forbidden Planet is present, and the laser weapons and the constant action were trademarks of the Flash Gordon serials Lucas had seen in his childhood.6 The idea of a galactic empire was most likely borrowed from the novels of Isaac Asimov.7
The overall plot, however, is borrowed from the Japanese film The Hidden Fortress, co-written and directed by Akira Kurosawa in 1958. The similarity between The Star Wars and The Hidden Fortress is evident if one compares Lucas?s outline with a plot summary from Donald Richie?s 1965 biography The Films of Akira Kurosawa:
The Star Wars:
?It is the thirty-third century, a period of civil wars in the galaxy. A rebel princess,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6 Pollock, Dale (1990), Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas, p. 142.
7 Brosnan, John (1991), The Primal Screen: A History of Science Fiction Film, p. 179.
