Daily Dialogue — October 15, 2010

“General Kenobi, years ago, you served my father in the Clone Wars; now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am unable to present my father’s request to you in person; but my ship has fallen under attack and I’m afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed. I’ve placed information vital to the survival of the rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit. My father will know how to retrieve it. You must see this droid safely delivered to him on Alderaan. This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi; you’re my only hope.”

 — Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope (1977), written by 
George Lucas

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is exposition, suggested by The Unknown Lyricist. 

Trivia: George Lucas originally prepared a 14-page story treatment for his space opera. The major studios all rejected it because they viewed it as science fiction which was very difficult to market at the time. Lucas did find one sympathetic ear — Alan Ladd Jr., the then new head of 20th Century Fox, who had been impressed with Lucas’s efforts on American Graffiti (1973). It was Ladd who eventually greenlit the movie, to the tune of an $8,000,000 budget.