Removed from the context of being the creator of the single most dominant and culturally significant multimedia franchise in film history, George Lucas’ achievements in the 1970s as a director and writer alone were enough to make him an essential part of film history. Ironically, his success follows essentially the same path as his most beloved hero, Luke Skywalker. After Lucas’ first film, THX-1138 flopped at the box office and received dismissal reviews (although it generated a cult following in subsequent years), Lucas was facing the potential of being stuck in “director’s jail.” While this changed by the time that Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope hit theaters in 1977 and became the most successful film of all time, there was another film — American Graffiti — in between that proved that Lucas was more than just a cult sci-fi director catering to a niche crowd. Instead of looking to his imagination, Lucas told the most personal story of his career with a film directly inspired by his upbringing.
