Poll: Sources of Star Wars

Results of 758 votes:

1. 1.
   

   "2001: A Space Odyssey," MGM 1968.

    

   2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) The realistic spacecraft from Star Wars were influenced by the film 2001: A Space Odyssey and the television program Space: 1999, both of which used techniques developed f…
2. 2.
   

   Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

    

   The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) Through the entire “Man With No Name” trilogy, A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, the desolate wastelands of the d…
3. 3.
   

   Toshirô Mifune and Seiji Miyaguchi in Seven Samurai (1954)

    

   Seven Samurai (1954) C-3PO's line "It seems we are made to suffer. It's our lot in life" is similar to what the farmers say about themselves. Also Luke Skywalker is similar to Kikuchiyo (rai…
4. 4.
   

   Minoru Chiaki and Kamatari Fujiwara in The Hidden Fortress (1958)

    

   The Hidden Fortress Star Wars was inspired by Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope features the exploits of C-3PO and R2-D2, whereas the plot of The Hidden Fortress i…
5. 5.
   

   Buster Crabbe and Carol Hughes in Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940)

    

   Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940) A New Hope includes many elements derived from the 1936 Universal serial Flash Gordon—the original property George Lucas had sought to license before making t…
6. 6.
   

   Buster Crabbe, Constance Moore, and Jackie Moran in Buck Rogers (1939)

    

   Buck Rogers (1939) Flash Gordon borrowed images and ideas from world's first science fiction comicstrip, Buck Rogers (launched in 1929). They both featured very similar spaceships, laser pistols, cost…
7. 7.
   

   Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

    

   The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) The overall story is Robin Hood. The kingdom is oppressed by tyranny, cruelty and greed. A young man of noble birth but straightened circumstances is forced out of …
8. 8.
   

   Alfred Abel, Brigitte Helm, and Rudolf Klein-Rogge in Metropolis (1927)

    

   Metropolis (1927) The robot in Fritz Lang's 1927 film Metropolis inspired the look of C-3PO (although C-3PO is golden and male)
9. 9.
   

   John Wayne, Ward Bond, and Jeffrey Hunter in The Searchers (1956)

    

   The Searchers (1956) Lucas has cited John Ford's The Searchers as references for the style. A reference to The Searchers occurs in A New Hope, when Luke discovers the burning moisture farm, while the …
10. 10.
    

    The Hero's Journey: The World of Joseph Campbell (1987)

     

    Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey Joseph Campbell (1904-1987) was a world-renowned mythologist who helped modern society understand the true power that storytelling has in our culture and within our pe…
11. 11.
    

    "The Dam Busters" Richard Todd 1955 Warner Brothers

     

    The Dam Busters (1955) The attack on the "Death Star" in the climax of the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope is similar in many respects to the strategy of Operation Chastise from the 19…
12. 12.
    

    #9

     

    Gone with the Wind (1939) One poster for The Empire Strikes Back was specifically modeled after a re-release poster for Gone with the Wind, as per the request of George Lucas. The poster was created b…
13. 13.
    

    Triumph of the Will (1935)

     

    Triumph of Will (1935 Documentary) Throne Room march from Star Wars. Stormtroopers.
14. 14.
    

    Toshirô Mifune, Daisuke Katô, and Tatsuya Nakadai in Yojimbo (1961)

     

    Yojimbo Star Wars borrows a lot of great stuff from Yojimbo, including the cantina scene: several men threaten the hero, bragging how wanted they are by authorities. There's a flash of blade and sudde…
15. 15.
    

    Maksim Munzuk in Dersu Uzala (1975)

     

    Dersu Uzala (1975) In the Akira Kurosawa movie Dersu Uzala that came out 1975, just two years before the first Star Wars movie, there are two scenes that bear a striking resemblance to scenes in Star …
16. 16.
    

    #15

     

    Twelve O'Clock High (1949) The scene where Han and Luke shoot down the TIE fighters from the Millenium Falcon after they escape from the Death Star.
17. 17.
    

    #14

     

    633 Squadron (1964) The scene where the "Death Star" is attacked is heavily influenced by the action scenes from the fictional wartime film 633 Squadron. That film's finale shows the squadro…
18. 18.
    

    Still frame

     

    The Phantom Empire (1935) Darth Vader's need to wear his helmet to breathe recalls the oxygen helmets of the underground-dwelling Muranians in the 1935 Mascot serial The Phantom Empire, which are requ…
19. 19.
    

    #13

     

    Lost Horizon (1937) The death scene of Yoda in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi is taken almost shot-for-shot from the death scene of the similarly mystical High Lama in Frank Capra's Lost Hor…
20. 20.
    

    Tom London, Alan Gregg, and Lloyd Whitlock in The Fighting Devil Dogs (1938)

     

    The Fighting Devil Dogs (1938) The costume for Darth Vader was visually inspired by the character "The Lightning" in the Republic Pictures serial The Fighting Devil Dogs. The Lightning also …