When The Empire Strikes Back arrived in U.S. movie theaters on May 21, 1980, audiences may have been pleasantly surprised to discover that the theater they'd seen Star Wars in three years earlier was now upgraded to showcase Dolby-encoded stereo prints, or better yet, Six-Track Dolby Stereo 70mm prints. Star Wars had proven that a theater's aural presentation was a marketable asset, so many theater owners came prepared to dazzle their audiences with superior sound and image resolution for the saga's first sequel.
Like Star Wars, though, the real experience of Empire started in the theater lobby. All the posters, lobby cards, displays, and concession premiums were back for the Star Wars sequel, setting the stage for the audience's return to that galaxy far, far away.
Tickets
For Empire, benefit and premiere screenings were much more prevalent than they had been for Star Wars, and consequently, a large number of collectible tickets were produced. Tickets for the national children's premiere in Washington D.C. were printed on shiny reflective stock, while those issued to the press were often a bare-bones presentation of title and venue. The benefit premiere tickets, however, often came in small glossy-stock folders with a second invitation for lunch or dinner, both embossed with the Empire title in silver.
Posters
Like Star Wars, a variety of posters were produced for Empire in the classic insert, half-sheet, one-sheet, 30"x40", and two-sheet sizes. Roger Kastel's stunning "Gone With The Wind"-inspired artwork for Empire became an instant classic when it was displayed in theaters during the opening weeks, beautifully depicting the icy tones of Hoth amid luminous auroras and a classically-composed Han/Leia embrace. These were quickly replaced by Tom Jung's more traditional Style "B" the following month, however, when the campaign messaging shifted from romance to action. Interestingly, Yoda would not appear on an Empire poster until the film's re-release in July, 1981, and again in November, 1982.
Premiere Poster
"Gone With The Wind"
Style "B"
Because there was much more public awareness for Empire than there had been for Star Wars, some theaters printed up special premiere posters exclusive to their venues. Though not "official" release posters, they are notable for their historical interest, preserving the date, time and venue of early screenings.
Lobby Cards
Empire produced an assortment of lobby cards nearly identical to that of Star Wars, with the exception of two extra 20"x30" scene cards (one of which displayed vertically -- unusual for the traditionally horizontal format). The breakdown consisted of eight white-bordered or unbordered 8"x10" mini cards, eight bordered/unbordered 11"x14" standards, six 12"x17" portrait cards (also available on a large uncut sheet), four 16"x20" scene cards, and four 20"x30" scene cards (Star Wars had two). (Collectors note: Traditionally, the National Screen Service, or NSS, printed and distributed the mini and standard lobby cards, which included a white border and "disclaimer" information. The movie studio, like 20th Century Fox or Lucasfilm, would also print up the same cards without the border and disclaimer to be distributed directly out of their corporate offices. The studio also seems to have been responsible for those lobby cards larger than the standard 11"x14", since none carry the NSS disclaimer).
Licensee Displays
Theater fixture Coca-Cola finally tied in their Star Wars license to a concession sales premium for The Empire Strikes Back, offering an exclusive poster by fantasy artist Boris Vallejo in 1980. Interestingly, a trio of smaller Empire posters by Boris was offered at Burger Chef restaurants at the same time, causing some confusion among modern collectors as to the larger poster's placement in the set. These were separate promotions (although both sponsored by Coke) with the larger poster offered only at the theater. This hasn't stopped collectors from displaying the attractive foursome together, though.
For the 1982 re-release of Empire, the cups and pitcher available with the purchase of a Coke during August's Star Wars re-release were again available in November, when Empire made its final solo theatrical run in unaltered form. Kenner's Star Wars $1 rebate display was also still likely present for the '81 and '82 Empire re-releases.
Programs
The program book for Empire was much more elaborate than its predecessor, with in-depth articles, an exclusive Lucas interview, and behind the scenes photos and artwork that were not available in the Star Wars version. It was also three times the size at 64 pages (Star Wars was 20) and full-color throughout.
Like early Star Wars screenings, press and benefit attendees of Empire were handed a slick white fold-out credit sheet listing the film's cast and crew.
T-shirts and Buttons
Fox and Lucasfilm didn't formally print up any t-shirts and buttons for Empire as Fox had done for Star Wars, but this didn't stop some venues from creating their own mementos for special events and advertising. Bay Area theaters, like Richmond's Hilltop Mall Cinemas and San Francisco's Northpoint Theater, were just two of many who produced special pinback buttons or premiere night t-shirts for employees or theatergoers in May, 1980.
