— Ch. 1 · Production Origins And Team —
The Story of Star Wars.
~3 min read · Ch. 1 of 5
George Lucas and Alan Livingston joined forces to produce a 1977 record album. They created an abridged version of the film Star Wars using dialogue from the original movie. Roscoe Lee Browne provided the narration for this project. E. Jack Kaplan and Cheryl Gard-Wornson adapted the script into a continuous story format. Pat Glasser served as associate producer while Rudy Hill handled editing and sound engineering. Joey Reynolds Supermarket designed the artwork with John Georgopoulos directing the art direction. The album released on 20th Century Fox Records under catalog number T-550. It included an illustrated 16-page souvenir photo book for listeners.
Narrative Adaptation Techniques
The sky over Tatooine glows orange in the opening scene where Luke Skywalker stands alone. A young boy named Ben Kenobi speaks words about hope and destiny to the farm boy. Sound effects from the original film play beneath the narrator's voice throughout the recording. Roscoe Lee Browne guides listeners through battles between rebels and imperial forces. He describes lightsabers clashing against blaster fire during the Death Star assault. The script weaves together scenes from the movie without showing visual images. Listeners hear the roar of X-wing fighters and the hum of laser cannons. This audio adaptation allows fans to experience the story without needing a television screen.