I saw it opening weekend at the Loews Astor Plaza in Times Square. This is back when Times Square was seedy, but the Astor Plaza was the place to see all the hot new movies, Star Wars, the original Superman, etc. The lines were looooong. My father, sister & I stood in line for 2 hours to buy tickets and another two hours in the ticket-holders line. Down the block, Blackstone the magician had a show on Broadway. He took advantage of the hubbub by marching an adult elephant from his show up & down the line entertaining kids and attracting attention from the press.
Apparently even on set cast and crew didn’t know about that twist as David Prowse was told to speak the line, “Obi-wan was your father.”
Why would Luke have freaked right the hell out if that was the line?
In-story answer: He spent his whole life never knowing his father and all that time he was right there and Luke never knew.
Real answer: Hamill’s true reaction shots as seen in the film were probably done without Prowse on set, possibly after the main scenes were shot.
As I recall, Hamill was only told the truth of the line immediately before they shot the scene. That way he could react properly. But everyone else on set heard the “Obi-Wan is your father” and thought that Luke was freaking out over that. After all, James Earl Jones had yet to record the lines, anyway.
Shit, I was thinking that not understanding why Luke would freak out would explain why his acting was so bad in that bit.
I was 6 years old. We lived in Santa Rosa, and my Dad felt that none of the theaters in town were up to snuff, so we went to Marin to see it at the big theater in Cotre Madera with, if I remember correctly, the forerunner of THX.
The line snaked around the big theater, and I remember my brother getting cranky in line (he was 5). It’s also one of the few – and last – crystal-clear memories I still have of my mother, who was killed in a car accident in 1981.
Hey! Where do I get that tauntaun sleeping bag?
Edit: NM. Found it, thanks to the pic properties.
100 bucks might be more than I’m willing to spend on that, though.