Here’s something truly incredible – a heretofore undiscovered interview of the three main stars of Star Wars, given a scant 23 days after the film’s release on May 25th 1977! [note: due to concerns of reposting, an extra timecode has been added to the video along with our usual watermark]

It provides an early look into the “Star Wars” phenomenon as spotlighted by Lee Phillip on her self-titled daytime show on WBBM Channel 2. The three stars – Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker; his surname misspelled “Hammil” on the lower-third super), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) and Harrison Ford (Han Solo) – are questioned by members of the Star Trek Revival Club – S.T.A.R. (Star Trek Association for Revival – specifically STAR Northbrook) after Lee has her turn with them.

Special thanks to John Lavalie, Alan Morton, Jeff Wargo, and Chuck Swan.

Includes:

Station ID / promo for Dinah! with today’s guest Erma Bombeck (voiceover by Jerry Harper)

Show open, with Lee discussing the film’s impact (as became evident upon release), and introducing her guests and their to-be inquisitors, then introduces Catherine Keefer’s newscast [edited out – will be posted separately – I thought it best to keep just the Star Wars related stuff here]

Lee asking Mark his views on why “Star Wars” is such a success (referring to C-3PO and R2-D2 as “a mechanical Laurel & Hardy”), then asks Carrie about why people keep going back to see it again, then has Harrison preview the backstory before a clip is shown [mostly edited out to avoid copyright blockage]

Commercials for:

American Egg Board – “The Incredible, Edible Egg”

Six Flags amusement park

Robert Hall Village – Father’s Day Sale

Segment 2 starts within the audience, with Tris(?) Hoffman of Star Trek club asking the three what it was like working with actors “dressed as weird aliens,” another fan asking Mark how the light saber scene was staged, yet another asking him if there were any difficulties in filming the garbage compactor scene, another fan asking Carrie about the climate and other conditions during filming, Leslie Sawyer asking Harrison if he enjoyed making the film and what was his favorite part in it, and Stuart Weiss (founder of the local chapter of STAR) asking Carrie who “gets” Leia at the end; then Lee asking more questions to them about their pre-“Star Wars” status

Commercials for:

ScotTissue

Recipe Beef Chunks Dinner for dogs

Macleans Fluoride toothpaste – “To Your Health, Teeth”

Canfield’s Draft Root Beer

Segment 3: From the audience, Barry Waterman asks Mark about plans for a sequel, John Tadman (?) asks what cut scenes were missed by the actors, Bill Goodmanson (?) asks how many aliens were in the barroom sequence (Mark mentions mask maker Stuart Freeborn and Ron Cobb), Kyler Buchwalter (?) asks what it was like for the stars to see the movie for the first time, Chuck Swan asks them if any own stock in 20th Century-Fox, and Ed Feinman (?) follows up on Kyler’s question; Lee shows a photo of a Stormtrooper and relates a question from her son Bill, then she asks Carrie more about her famous parents and brings up a photo of C-3PO and R2-D2, with Mark discussing them

Commercials for:

Jewel Food Stores – “Father’s Day Meal” (another version of this ad was aired in 1978 and can be seen here: • Jewel Food Stores / Jewel Grand Bazaa… )

Levelor Riviera Blinds

KitchenAid dishwashing machines (ending voiceover by Jerry Harper)

Piper’s Carpet Warehouse – “Biggest Carpet Sale”

Lee thanks her guests and the audience, then closes show with another clip, accompanied by ending credits:

The Lee Phillip Show
Produced by Pam Whitfield
Directed by Chris Erskine
Channel 2 News Written and Produced by James Touhy
Technical Director – Art Kambs
Audio – George Paul
Stage Manager – Al Burns
Lighting – Bernard Klein
Minicam Crew – Wade Parmelee, Dick Shapiro, Wayne Thing
Interior Decorations by Richard Himmel, A.I.D.
Furniture by Interior Crafts
Lee’s Dresses by Saks Fifth Avenue

(recording cuts out during the beginning of an ad for TV Guide as “MANIPULATING” is shown on screen)

” ‘Star Wars’ is a whole new idea in filmmaking today . . . ”

This aired on local Chicago TV on Friday, June 17th 1977 during the 12:00pm to 12:30pm timeframe.

About The Museum of Classic Chicago Television:

The MCCTv (FuzzyMemoriesTV) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose primary mission is the preservation and display of off-air, early home videotape recordings (70s to early 80s, mostly) recorded off of TV (in Chicago or other cities now too); things which would likely be lost if not sought out and preserved digitally. If you have any old 1970s videotapes recorded off of TV please email: tapes@fuzzy.tv We preserve the entire broadcasts in our archives – the complete programs with breaks (or however much is present on the tape), for historical preservation. For information on how to help in our mission, to donate or lend tapes to be converted to digital, please e-mail tapes@fuzzy.tv Thank you for your help